Judging Panel

Dr Sonu Bhaskar

2025 Asian Australian Leadership Awards - Overall Winner

Dr Sonu Bhaskar, MD, PhD, FANA, is an internationally acclaimed neurologist, physician-scientist, and global health leader, renowned for pioneering contributions to stroke research, neurovascular medicine, and health equity. He is the Founding Director of the Global Health Neurology Lab and NSW Brain Clot Bank - establishing the world’s first biobank dedicated to cerebral clots.

Dr Bhaskar’s work bridges neuroscience, technology, and public policy. His research has led to major advances in acute stroke care, biomarker discovery, and artificial intelligence in diagnostics. He has authored over 160 publications with 35,000+ citations, placing him among the top 2–3% most-cited neurologists globally.

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Christine Holman

Non-Executive Director - AGL, Football Australia

Christine is an experienced Non-Executive Director with a portfolio across ASX listed, private, and purpose driven organisations. She was appointed by ASIC to an expert panel, one of three members tasked with assessing governance, capability, and risk management at the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX).

Christine brings deep expertise in corporate governance, financial management, technology, cyber resilience, AI, and risk oversight, with proven ability to drive strategic value through complex organisational change, regulatory environments, and stakeholder engagement. Christine has an MBA and Post-Graduate Diploma in Management from Macquarie University and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

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Sanjeev Gandhi

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer - Orica

Sanjeev was appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Orica in April 2021, after previously holding the role of Group Executive and President of Australia Pacific, and Asia since July 2020.

Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, Orica is one of the world’s leading mining and infrastructure solutions providers. Operating for 150 years, today Orica’s 14,000+ global workforce supports customers across surface and underground mines, quarry, construction, and oil and gas operations in over 100 countries.

Sanjeev is a former Executive Director of publicly listed German Chemical company BASF SE. During his 26-year career with BASF, Sanjeev held several senior marketing, commercial and business leadership roles including Head of Asia Pacific and Head of Global Chemicals Segment (Intermediates and Petrochemicals).

Sanjeev is the Chair of the Centre for Australia-India Relations (CAIR) CEO Network, a Member of the Australia India CEO Forum and joint working group for Energy, Resources, Net Zero and Critical Minerals, a Member of the CSIRO Energy Advisory Group (CEAG) and a Member of the Asialink Advisory Council.

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Sung Ho Lee

Partner, Johnson Partners

Sung Ho Lee is a Partner at Johnson Partners, leading their CFO practice. Previously, he held leadership roles at Michael Page, where he spent over 15 years specializing in executive recruitment across finance, legal, and technology sectors. Lee is known for his expertise in high-level executive placements and his strong network in the Australian business community. Lee's educational background includes attending North Sydney Boys High School from 1997 to 2002 and studying at the University of New South Wales from 2003 to 2006. He is bilingual, speaking both English and Korean.

Known for his passion, energy, and customer focus, Lee is described as an inspirational leader by his colleagues. He actively engages with professionals seeking career changes and companies looking to source top talent, offering his wealth of knowledge and insights in recruitment, market trends, and career development.

Rachel Thompson

Chief Executive Officer, Asialink

Rachel Thompson became Chief Executive Officer of Asialink in February 2026, bringing to the role more than two decades of experience shaping Australia’s economic, financial, and regional engagement across Asia.

Before joining Asialink, Rachel served on the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank in Manila (2023–2026). As Executive Director for the Bank’s largest and most diverse constituency, she represented Australia; Azerbaijan; Cambodia; Georgia; Hong Kong, China; Kiribati; the Federated States of Micronesia; Nauru; Palau; Solomon Islands; and Tuvalu.

From 2018 to 2022, Rachel was the Senior Treasury Representative at the Australian Embassy in Beijing. During this time, she also served as Australia’s Alternate Director on the Board of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (2020–2022).

Across more than 20 years in the Australian Public Service, Rachel held several senior roles in the Australian Treasury, including as Chief of Staff to the Secretary to the Treasury (2016–2018). Earlier in her career, Rachel was part of the team that established Future Fund.

Rachel holds a Juris Doctor from the Australian National University, as well as a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) and a Bachelor of Finance from the University of Adelaide.

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Jane Kuang

Vice President of Operations Services, BHP

Jane is a seasoned executive, driving corporate strategy and commercial success for world’s leading mining groups. Over 20 years’ experience in global mining and resource industry. Deep multi-commodity expertise. Held senior leadership roles in finance, sales and marketing, business development, strategy, investment evaluation across iron ore, copper, coal, uranium, aluminium in different parts of the supply chain at both BHP and Rio Tinto.

Newly appointed as Vice President of Operations Services in BHP, leading approximately 4,000 production and maintenance personnel across BHP’s key mining assets in Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia, accountable for driving safe, stable and productive mining services for BHP’s operational portfolio in Australia.

Previously served as Vice President of Strategic Projects in BHP, reporting to Group CFO. Led multiple major transactions and strategic initiatives, including monetisation of Western Australia Iron Ore Inland Power Network, enterprise-level key business processes simplification and capital allocation discipline improvement.

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Gitanjali Bhalla

Chief People Officer, SGH Ltd

Ms Gitanjali Bhalla is the Chief People Officer of SGH Ltd, with executive responsibility for human resources, culture and safety across the Group. She has held this position since 2017 and serves as a Director of WesTrac, Boral and Coates.

Ms Bhalla brings extensive experience in leading strategic and transformational change within large, complex organisations. Prior to joining SGH, she held senior executive roles at UGL and Cushman & Wakefield, and earlier in her career consulted to private and publicly listed companies at Ernst & Young across Australia and internationally.

Ms Bhalla is committed to purpose-driven leadership and community engagement. She serves on the boards of Carriageworks, the Australian Cancer Research Foundation and the Sydney Dance Company and has previously served as an Ambassador for Good Return, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to empowering women through microfinance.

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Tim Fung

CEo & Founder, Airtasker

Tim Fung is the Founder and CEO Airtasker Limited, Australia’s leading online marketplace for local services, connecting people and businesses who need work done with people who want to work.

With a mission to empower people to realise the full value of their skills, Airtasker aims to have a positive impact on the future of work by creating truly flexible opportunities to work and earn income.

In 2025, Airtasker entered the world of Formula One™ through its partnership with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula One™ Team (VCARB). Since launching in 2012, Airtasker Taskers have completed more than 5 million tasks worldwide and Airtasker has put more than $720 million into the pockets of Australian Taskers (net of Airtasker’s fees)

Before starting Airtasker, Tim was a co-founder of Tank Stream Labs Pty Ltd – a co-working space and entrepreneurial community located in Sydney. He was also a founding team member and investor in telco startup Amaysim, playing a key role in strategy and capital raising. He is a founder and director of several web startups, including online custom shirt design business Joe Button, and motorsport event management group Circuit Club.

Tim has worked as a consulting talent agent at Chic Management and before this, spent five years as an investment banking executive at Macquarie Bank. Tim has a B.Commerce (marketing) from UNSW and was a recipient of the 2016 UNSW Young Alumni award and 2017 NSW Pearcey Tech Entrepreneur of the Year award.

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Lynnette Sarno

Global Chief People Officer, Macquarie Group

Lynnette Sarno is the former Global Chief People Officer of Macquarie Group, where she and her teams were responsible for shaping and embedding its human capital and social impact strategies. Over the course of her career at Macquarie, she held a number of senior leadership roles across the globe. In New York, she worked as an employment relations lawyer and served as Head of Employment Relations for the Americas. She then relocated to Hong Kong, where she was appointed Head of Human Resources, Asia.

Based there, she subsequently served as Chief Operating Officer and Head of Shared Services, Asia, with responsibility across Macquarie’s 13 locations in the region. Before joining Macquarie, Lynnette practised labour and employment law in the United States. She was a partner at Seyfarth Shaw LLP, where she advised multinational corporations, including several global financial services organisations. Lynnette holds a Doctor of Law, as well as bachelor’s degrees in Biological Sciences and Economics. She has also served on the boards of several not-for-profit organisations in the United States and Asia. She is based in Sydney, Australia.

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2026 Judging Panel

#ASIANAUS LEADERSHIP

2026 AWARDS