Advertising Standards Bureau - Review of Operations 2013 | Page 57

SOPHIE KOWALD
Appointed August 2006

JOHN LEE
Appointed August 2006

PAULA McNAMARA
Appointed August 2008

Sophie works at the Australian Communications
and Media Authority and is a Master of Laws
candidate at the University of Melbourne.
Previously Sophie has worked as a research fellow
on cross-border tobacco advertising control at the
Centre for Media and Communications Law, a
judicial associate in the Federal Magistrates Court
of Australia and as a casual university academic in
law and media studies.

John is the Chief Executive of the Australasian
Casino Association. He is responsible for
delivering the strategic and operational outcomes
for the organisation.

Growing up with parents in the hospitality
industry, Paula made her first coffee at 15 and
has worked in a variety of cafes and restaurants
in Melbourne, Sydney and London. Working in
businesses focused on food Paula loves the sense
of community and familiarity that builds up over
time between regular customers and staff—in a
big anonymous city, the local cafe and shops can
be a small haven of neighbourliness.

For many years, Sophie has been a singer in choirs
around the country, including The Australian
Voices, Canticum, The Melbourne Chorale
and, most recently, the Sydney Philharmonia
Choirs. Sophie was born in Canberra and raised
in Brisbane. She now lives between Sydney and
Melbourne with her husband and daughter.

Review of Operations 2013

Early in his career, John worked in hospitality
including an extended period working for some
major Australian iconic resorts. John has also
held senior positions in Government, notably
as head of communications and marketing for
transport for the 2000 Sydney Olympics and as
a Director General in NSW. He has run major
transport logistic companies and prior to this role
John was the CEO of the Tourism and Transport
Forum (Australia).
John has spent most of his life based in western
Sydney where he has been involved in numerous
community and charity projects. John is married
and his family includes two daughters and a son.

Returning to study Paula recently finished an
Arts Degree at Sydney University, majoring in
English literature and Australian History. With
an interest in theatre, film and television, time
constraints have made television her main form
of entertainment. She loves documentaries,
particularly stories about real people and the
challenges life throws our way.
Paula lives in Sydney with her teenage daughter.

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