AREEA Chief Executive Steve Knott AM has welcomed three new Fair Work Commission (FWC) appointments on behalf of the employer community at ceremonies in Perth and Melbourne.

Since Federation, the FWC gender balance has been inequitable with only a small number of women being appointed.

Out of the 11 most recent FWC appointments made by Employment Minister and Minister for Women Michaelia Cash, seven have been women.

With this activist intervention by the Minister, the FWC gender balance now stands at a much more healthy 40 per cent women.

“Welcoming three new Deputy Presidents to the FWC in recent weeks has been a privilege,” Mr Knott said.

“They are all very capable, well qualified and respected appointments.”

Amber Millhouse was appointed as a Deputy President, commencing 24 September 2017. Deputy President Amber Millhouse is well-known to employers due to her highly-regarded employment law advice. She was recently a specialist workplace relations lawyer at Seyfarth Shaw Australia and is a respected workplace relations adviser with extensive employment litigation experience. Ms Millhouse has had a long vocational interest in workplace relations and the law and this was demonstrated from early on in her career as an Industrial Relations Adviser for the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the mid-2000s. In early 2007, she accepted a role with DLA Piper which included a stint in Hong Kong, assisting corporate clients with multi-jurisdictional employment matters in the Asia-Pacific region.

Ian Masson was appointed as a Deputy President, commencing 31 July 2017. Deputy President Masson spent seven years’ at AREEA in roles of State Manager Tasmania, State Manager Victoria and National Industry Manager. He then spent 12 years’ in Perth at Woodside Energy, including four years’ (2010-14) as Vice President Human Resources, and the past two years’ as IR Manager at ExxonMobil in Victoria. His achievements include development and delivery of workplace relations strategies to support large projects, including for the Pluto liquid natural gas project and phases four and five of the North West Shelf liquid natural gas project.

Abbey Beaumont was appointed as a Deputy President, commencing 14 August 2017. Ms Beaumont is joining the Commission from the position of Human Resources and Employee Relations Manager at Fortescue Metals Group Limited in Perth. She is a respected employee relations specialist and was previously a lawyer at Blake Dawson in Perth.

Other 2017 Appointments

In other appointments this year, Peter Anderson was appointed Deputy President, commencing 18 April 2017.

Mr Anderson is a former Chief Executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Mr Alan Colman was appointed Deputy President, commencing 26 April 2017.

Mr Colman was a Partner at Corrs Chambers Westgarth in Melbourne.

Ms Sarah McKinnon was appointed Commissioner, commencing 1 May 2017.

Ms McKinnon was the General Manager, Workplace Relations and Legal Affairs, National Farmers’ Federation.