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Directors and Management
President - Laurie Wilson
Laurie Wilson has been a director of the National Press Club since 1992. He succeeded Ken Randall as President in 2010 having previously served as the NPC’s Treasurer.
Laurie is a freelance journalist and consultant. He is a former political correspondent and Canberra Bureau Chief for the 7 Network, political correspondent for the 9 Network and Secretary of the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery.
He began his career in the media as a proofreader on The Canberra Times while still at university and has worked both as a journalist and in media management.
He was a senior reporter and news anchor for the 7 Network in Melbourne; was appointed General Manager (Corporate & Government Relations) and Group General Manager (Broadcasting) of the regional Victorian broadcast group Vic-TV; and has worked in a number of other management and board roles including a period as Executive Director of International Public Relations P/L and as a director of the Wesgo radio network.
He studied journalism and economics at the University of Canberra and completed postgraduate studies in business administration at Melbourne’s Swinburne University of Technology.
Senior Vice President - Steve Lewis
- Steve Lewis has been a member of the federal parliamentary press gallery since 1992 and is currently National Political Correspondent for the News Limited group.
- Prior to this role, Lewis was Chief Political Correspondent for The Australian from 2002 until August 2007. He also worked for The Australian Financial Review from 1988 in a variety of roles.
- A founding member of the gallery choir, the House Howlers, Lewis also played a key role in establishing Canberra’s night of nights, the Press Gallery Mid Winter Ball.
- Steve has been a press club board member in the past holding position of Vice President from 2001 – 2006 and was re-elected to the position in 2009.
Vice President- Ken Randall AM
- Ken Randall AM was appointed to the Board of Directors in 1975 and has been re-elected each year since. He has reported and commentated on Australian politics and business over many years for radio, television and newspapers, including several major overseas titles and the founding years of The Australian. He also has extensive experience in public relations, media consulting and training.
- He has served in all executive positions on the Board, been President since 1991 and been a member since then of most judging panels for the wide range of journalism awards associated with the Club. His Order of Australia award in 1997 was for service to public affairs and journalism, largely due to his years of dedicated service to the National Press Club.
- In 2011 Ken was appointed as Global President of the International Association of Press Clubs (IAPC)
Vice President - Misha Schubert
- Misha Schubert was first elected to the board in 2006 and has been vice-president of the club since 2008.
- She is National Political Editor for The Sunday Age, and a regular commentator on ABC TV's Insiders, Sky News Agenda and the Glover program on ABC 702 in Sydney.
- She has worked in the press gallery since 2002, including for The Age and The Australian, and is a member of the press gallery committee.
Treasurer - Tony Melville
- Member of the Board since 2003. Vice President 2008 and 2009. Formerly on NPC Board in 1998 and 1999;
- Director Public Affairs and Government Relations with the Australian Industry Group (Ai Group);
- Former ABC News journalist and Foreign Correspondent, DFAT spokesman and Diplomat (Deputy Head of Mission, Manila), and
- Former Senior Media Advisor to Prime Minister Paul Keating.
Director - Sophie Morris
- Sophie writes for the Australian Financial Reivew in the federal parliamentary press gallery in Canberra, currently covering agriculture and water policy and helping with political coverage.
- Before joining the AFR in 2004, she worked for the Australian in Sydney and then Canberra.
- Member of the NPC Board since November 2008.
- In 2011 Sophie became a proud first-time Mum.
Director - Chris Uhlmann
- Chris joined The Canberra Times as a 29 year-old copy kid in 1989 and has, mostly, worked in the media since
- He was editor of the ill-fated Canberra Weekly, spent five years co-hosting 666 ABC Canberra’s top rating breakfast show and produced 774 ABC Melbourne’s morning program in 2005.
- He became ABC radio’s chief political correspondent in 2006 and was appointed political editor for ABC TV News in 2008 and then political editor for the 7.30 Report in 2009.
- Chris won a Walkley award for excellence in journalism in 2008.
- In 2010 Chris was appointed Political Editor for ABC News 24. Highlights from the Parliament years include breaking the news on the link between Godwin Grech and the Liberal Party and, with Mark Simkin, revealing that Labor was moving against Kevin Rudd on the night of June 23, 2010.
Director - David Speers
- Member of NPC board since 2005.
- Sky News Australia’s Political Editor since 2000.
- Previously worked as a political reporter for Southern Cross and Macquarie Radio networks.
- In 2011 David became a proud first-time Dad.
Director - Mark Kenny
Mark Kenny is the Adelaide Advertiser's Political Editor (since 2006) and heads up that paper's Canberra Bureau. He is a regular commentator on a variety of programs including Sky's Agenda program, Ten's Meet the Press and radio programs around the country. Mark joined the News Limited stable from the ABC where he had worked in TV and radio across news/current affairs, local radio, and Radio National. He is also a member of the Press Gallery Committee.
Director - Peter Phillips
- A long-time Director of a leading national government relations company who returns to service as a NPC Director for a fourth term.
- Formerly a Ministerial Chief of Staff and Chairman of the Board of Directors of a large utilities corporation, Peter’s career in Canberra has included service as a Director of a national engineering company and on the Committee of the ACT Racing Club, as well as in the Commonwealth Government Departments of Trade, Foreign Affairs and Prime Minister and Cabinet – including overseas postings in China and in Thailand.
- Extensive and long-standing connections in business and in government, and previous terms as a National Press Club Director enhance Peter’s readiness to resume active re-involvement in the continuing expansion of the business of the Club.
Management Team
Maurice Reilly Marietta Rudolf
Chief Executive Marketing Manager
Paul Butler Ross Pritchard
Food & Beverage Financial
Manager Controller
