COSBOA Board Directors
Luke Achterstraat
Chief Executive Officer
Luke Achterstraat has over a decade of experience in policy, advocacy and government. He has advised two federal government ministers and appeared before parliamentary inquiries on behalf of both federal and state industry groups. Most recently he was the NSW Executive Director of the Property Council of Australia and was also appointed by the NSW Government as the inaugural Chair of the NSW Expert Housing Advisory Panel. Luke is passionate about small business, having helped co-found and lead the talent disruption business Commtract. His grandfather emigrated to Australia from the Netherlands in 1951 and started a small business, a legacy that helps inform Luke on the vital role small businesses play in building livelihoods and communities across Australia.
Matthew Addison
Chair & Director
Matthew Addison is the Executive director and previous CEO of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers. He trained as a Chartered Accountant in Practice which led to establishing his own small business accounting practice from 1993 until 2008. He has worked intensely with small business, advisers to small business, the tax office and multi-levels of government as an advocate and stakeholder voice.
Wes Lambert
Deputy Chair & Director
As the CEO of the Australian Restaurant & Cafe Association, I am passionate about advancing the interests of the hospitality industry through advocacy, education, and leadership. With over 24 years of experience in the hospitality industry, I have a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the sector, as well as the skills and tools to deliver solutions that meet the needs of businesses.
I am the former CEO of the 2020 Association of the Year Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA), where I was praised by the board for my "tireless" advocacy efforts on behalf of the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am also a winner of the AuSAE 2020 Influencer Award, and a board member of several industry bodies, including the Australian Foodservice Advocacy Body, the Council of Small Business Organizations Australia, and the Children's Tumour Foundation. I hold a CPA, a FGIA, and a CAE, and am a Member of AICD. I am also a US Army veteran, an author, and a father of three.
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Christine Pope
Director and Treasurer
Christine Pope is a Director and Treasurer of the Australian Traditional-Medicine Society and holds formal qualifications in Commerce (B. Comm UNSW) and Health Sciences (B. Health Science Comp Med 2010). She was elected to the COSBOA Board in 2019. The Australian Traditional Medicine Society represents over 10,000 practitioners of natural medicine around Australia.
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Ben Kearney
Director
Ben Kearney is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Lottery and Newsagents’ Association (ALNA), the peak national industry body for Australia’s newsagents and lottery agents, and influential authority on small business. Having spent more than 10 years at ALNA, Ben has been instrumental in some of the biggest legislative changes to help ALNAs members.
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Simon Foster
Director
Simon is the Chair of the Government Relations Sub-Committee and Immediate Past president of the Digital Service Providers Association (DSPAANZ). Professionally, GM Product – eInvoicing at Xero, and previously ran a small technology business, Shoeboxed Australia, from 2010 until selling in 2020. Simon has direct experience of the challenges of small business both as an owner and as a service provider. Simon is the Treasurer of the Pearcey Foundation (Australian ICT public policy non-profit) and holds several governance roles at OpenPeppol (global eInvoicing standards & governance body), sits on the Commonwealth Business Registry Service Strategic Council, co-chair the ATO DSP Strategic Working Group and co-chair the ANZ Peppol All Stakeholders Working Group. Australian small businesses lead the world in the adoption of business management software such as cloud accounting. Driven by ATO compliance activities like eTax, Superstream, and STP, most small businesses are online courtesy of effective communications from their trusted advisors - bookkeepers, accountants, and industry associations. There is more work to be done as government and enterprise undertake digital transformation sometimes ignoring the impact on small business.
Andrew Ngeow
Director
Andrew Ngeow has been a pharmacist with nearly 30 years of community pharmacy, gained in Australia and the United Kingdom., a small business owner since 1999, and since 2018 has been President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia WA Branch. Andrew gained a B. Pharmacy at Curtin University in 1993 and was employed at pharmacies in Perth and in the United Kingdom before purchasing his first pharmacy in 1999. He retains ownership of that pharmacy and has expanded his business through successfully managing and operating several pharmacies in metropolitan Perth. His commitment to business excellence was rewarded in 2016, with one of his pharmacies being awarded the National Pharmacy of the Year. Andrew was elected to the Branch Committee of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia WA Branch in 2008 and since 2018 has been the WA Branch President. Andrew is passionate about fostering, developing, and advocating for the personal and professional development of the sector and the next generation of pharmacists.
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Ann Davey
Director
Ann has been part of the senior management team at Massage & Myotherapy Australia for 14 years, initially Association Manager. As the CEO Ann works closely with the Board developing and implementing priorities, strategy, policy, and programs to further the interests of Massage & Myotherapy's 8,500 members and the Association. Including building alliances with like-minded stakeholders across a range of sectors. Ann values collaboration and relationship-building and strives to achieve excellence in organisational management and creating a better workplace for team members and the business to thrive. Ann holds a BComm (Human Resources Management/Administration Management), Certificate in Governance Practice and Diploma of Quality Auditing. Ann is also a member of the AICD and AHRI and has previously held roles in Not-For-Profit, Education, and Commercial organisations