Board and Executive

Rear Admiral Robert Plath

Non-executive, non-remunerated Board Director Rear Admiral Robert Plath served with the Royal Australian Navy for 41 years. During his career he fulfilled various command and leadership appointments, gaining extensive experience in executive management, operations, capability management, emergency management and international engagement.

Robert was closely involved in the Australian Defence Force support to the national COVID-19 response; first as the Commander of Joint Task Force 629 in 2020/21 and subsequently as the Commander of the strategic level Defence COVID-19 Task Force. Robert transferred to the Reserve in 2024.

Sarah Bench BA Psych & SocPol, MIR & HRM, MAICD

Sarah Bench is the Chief People Officer for The George Institute of Global Health, a mission led leading global medical research institute with a mission to improve the health of millions of people worldwide. She is also a Non-Executive Director of George Health Enterprises.

Sarah has previously held executive roles at QBE Insurance Group as Group Head of Organisational Effectiveness and Chief HR Officer, Corporate Functions, and as Executive Director, Human Resource Services at Metro North Hospital and Health Service. Sarah has worked globally and nationally in HR leadership roles across a broad range of sectors, from start-ups to large scale international organisations.

Sarah is a people centred leader who strives to create environments where people can achieve their potential and contributes to organisational success.

Sarah joined the Disaster Relief Australia Board in July 2024 and is a member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

Megan J McKechnie, B.Bus (Acct), CAANZ, MAICD

Non-executive, non-remunerated Board Director
Meg McKechnie is the Chief Financial Officer at the University of New England. She is a Chartered Accountant, a qualified investigator and a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. In private and public sector roles, Meg has specialised in analysing and advising on the financial position of organisations with responsibility for a broad range of reviews involving solvency, loss quantification, fraud, asset misappropriation, accounting irregularities and financial statement misstatements. Meg brings extensive experience in risk assessment and mitigation, governance and policy interpretation and compliance. She has deep regulatory knowledge obtained from roles at the Australian Securities & Investments Commission and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.

Major General (Ret’d) Andrew Freeman, AM

Non-executive, non-remunerated Board Director
Major General Andrew Freeman had a 38 year career in the Australian Army fulfilling various command and administrative appointments. During his time in the Australian Defence Force, Andrew gained extensive experience in leadership, executive management, operations, logistics, and solving complex issues. Andrew now lives in Canberra and works for CDC Data Centres as the Client Director – Defence.

Dean Thorpe

Dean Thorpe serves as the Chief Commercial Officer at Grays, where he leads a dynamic team of sales professionals in delivering innovative auction and sales solutions to millions of Australians across a diverse range of products.

With an extensive background in executive leadership, Dean has held numerous CEO and senior management roles within prominent logistics and global forwarding companies, including DBSchenker, Ceva, Linfox, and TNT. His career has taken him across Australia, Southeast Asia, and the US, where he has successfully managed large, multicultural teams and complex operations spanning multiple geographies.

Dean is passionate about fostering environments that drive value for his team, customers, and the broader community. His collaborative approach and commitment to excellence have consistently resulted in sustainable growth and positive impact wherever he works.

David Smith AM, CSC, DSM

Dave served for over 34 years in the Australian Army, eventually retiring from full time service at the rank of Brigadier. During his career he commanded at every level from platoon to brigade and saw operational service in East Timor, Solomon Islands and Afghanistan. He also held numerous key staff positions focusing on strategy, risk management and organisational renewal.

Following his retirement, he ran his own consultancy business specialising in organisational coaching, leadership development and governance and served as a Director on the DRA and Wodonga Institute of TAFE Boards.  

Fred Dangar

DRA’s Head of Strategy and Innovation, Fred Dangar first joined the organisation in June 2023 as its General Manager- Personnel Capabilities.

Following a 37-year army career – including six years with the army reserves – and prior to joining DRA, Fred worked in strategic planning roles within the New South Wales government.

Fred’s professional experience includes strategic planning and policy, leadership, training, operations, plus program management.

Emma Coakes

Mark Welton

Chief Financial Officer
Mark first joined DRA as its Chief Financial Officer on a part-time basis following a successful working relationship that started in 2018 with his accounting business. In January 2023, Mark was appointed to the Chief Financial Officer role full-time to support the growth of the organisation.

Prior to joining DRA, Mark worked as a public accountant specialising in internal audit and fraud examination after studying accounting science.
Mark’s military experience includes 15 years with the South African Defence Force as a commissioned officer and special forces operator.

Anthony Birch