Art Gallery Board Members

Dr Stefano Carboni (Director)

Stefano Carboni was appointed the 11th Director of the Art Gallery of Western Australia starting in October 2008. Previously he was Curator and Administrator in the Department of Islamic Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Visiting Professor at the Bard Graduate Center in New York. He joined the curatorial staff at the Metropolitan Museum in 1992 after completing his graduate studies in Arabic and in Islamic Art at the University of Venice and his Ph.D. in Islamic Art at the University of London. At the Metropolitan Museum he has been responsible for a large number of exhibitions, including the acclaimed Venice and the Islamic World, 828-1797 (2006-2007).

His publications include authoring and editing several exhibition catalogues, among which are Glass of the Sultans (2001); the prestigious Barr Award winner The Legacy of Genghis Khan. Courtly Arts and Culture in Western Asia, 1256-1353 (2002); and Venice and the Islamic World; another major publication is the catalogue of the Islamic glass collection in the National Museum of Kuwait (Glass from Islamic Lands. The Al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait National Museum, 2001).

He lectured widely in the museum and outside and taught courses in Islamic Art and Curatorial Studies on a regular basis at the Institute of Fine Arts (NYU), Hunter College (CUNY), and the Bard Graduate Center for the Decorative Arts in New York.

Board Member Profiles 

Fiona Kalaf (Chair)

Fiona Kalaf is a business development, strategic planning and marketing communications professional with experience in commercial, corporate and non- profit environments at general manager level. Ms Kalaf has held senior executive positions at HBF, Asgard Wealth Solutions, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Wesfarmers Limited, and is currently director of management consulting firm Buro. Ms Kalaf holds a Bachelor of Arts (Fine Arts) and a Bachelor of Architecture from The University of Western Australia, and a Graduate Diploma of Business (Distinction) and Master of Business Administration (Advanced) from Curtin University of Technology. Ms Kalaf is a member of the Board of the East Perth Redevelopment Authority and the Western Australian Planning Commission’s Central Perth Planning Committee.

Hamish Beck

Hamish Beck is the Managing Director of Beck Advisory, an independent asset management and development adviser providing specialist property strategic advice to a variety of large private and public
companies and not-for-profit institutions.

Beck Advisory commenced its independent practice in 2001 providing strategic advice and leadership roles in complex property projects.

Hamish Beck is a Board Member of the Swan River Trust, Board Member of the Architects Board of Western Australia, Board Member of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Chairman of the Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation and advisor to various institutional and private groups with diverse interests and objectives; former State Treasurer and Division Councillor of the Property Council of Australia and former Chairman of numerous education, foundation and advisory committees for both the Curtin University and The University of Western Australia.

Helen Carroll

Helen Carroll is Curator of the Wesfarmers Collection of Australian Art and oversees Wesfarmers’ extensive commitment to support of the performing and visual arts in Western Australia and nationally. Prior to joining Wesfarmers in 1999, she held the position of Public Programmes Coordinator and Curator of Australian Art at Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, The University of Western Australia. She has curated several exhibitions and written on Australian art for a range of publications. Her previous Board appointments include Art on the Move Western Australia, of which she was Chair from 2003 to 2005 , Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery Advisory Board and Swan Bells Foundation.

Helen received the Business Leadership Award for her work in support of the arts in the 2008 Western Australian Business and Arts Awards.

Alan Davies

Alan Davies, is the President International Operations for Rio Tinto Iron Ore and has been with the Rio Tinto group since 1997, including previously as Chief Financial Officer of Rio Tinto Iron Ore. Mr Davies has a Bachelor of Business – Accountancy, Bachelor of Laws from the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, and a Master of Laws from the University of Sydney. Mr Davies is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.

Adrian Fini

Adrian is a current Board member of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Little World Beverages Ltd, the University of Western Australia Business School Board, Proprietor and Director of FJM Property plus a committee member for the Australian Business Arts Foundation (WA Chapter).

Trish Ridsdale

Trish Ridsdale is the Chairman of Travellers Choice, a leading Australian retail travel company and also holds directorships in wine, medical research funding and consulting services companies. She is Managing Director of Board Business, a Perth based consultancy firm that specialises in improving company performance through strategy development, better management of risk, corporate governance assessment and coaching of directors and executives. She has also been a Tourism Western Australia commissioner since 2007. Since 1997, Ms Ridsdale has been a director educator for the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is a Fellow of that organisation.

Brian Roche

Brian Roche is the Public Trustee of Western Australia.

Brian has twenty five years experience in managing strategic corporate services in Local and State Government as well as in the private sector including over ten years with Coles Myer. Prior to his appointment as the Public Trustee, Brian held senior executive positions at the Department of Treasury and the Department of Commerce. Brian holds a Masters of Management degree from the University of Western Australia and a Bachelor of Business degree from Edith Cowan University.

Allanah Lucas (Ex Officio)

Allanah is the Director General of the Department of Culture and the Arts. Allanah has over twenty five years experience in the arts in Australia and the UK. She is a professional arts administrator, a performing arts producer, presenter, researcher, consultant, and tutor. She embodies a diversity of business, management, creative, industrial and academic skills and knowledge. Allanah serves as an ex officio Board member on the Boards of the Western Australian Museum, the Art Gallery of Western Australia, the State Library Board of Western Australia, ScreenWest and the Perth Theatre Trust.