The Invest Melbourne Advisory Board has been established to provide strategic advice to the City of Melbourne on the potential opportunities for growth of investment for the city and offer feedback on proposed City of Melbourne initiatives that support investment in the city.
Invest Melbourne works with state and federal governments in a highly collaborative way to enable and reinforce Melbourne as a key investment destination and the easiest place to start and grow a business, attracting domestic and foreign direct investment and opportunities of capital city significance.
The board's purpose is to:
- Provide strategic advice and independent thinking to inform policy and productive investment in the municipality.
- Champion and proactively advocate for Invest Melbourne to Australian and international business communities, as well as key government departments, industry associations and other prominent stakeholders.
- Provide critical understanding of business, market and industry trends while also providing insights and options for improving the delivery of strategic business development initiatives in Melbourne.
- Provide advice on ways to streamline business processes making it easier for the business community to operate in and with the city.
The City of Melbourne is pleased to introduce the following members of the Invest Melbourne Advisory Board.
Dr Julie Wells (Chair)
University Executive
Dr Julie Wells has sat on the Executive of two great city universities over the past 15 years – RMIT University (2009-2014) and the University of Melbourne (2014-2023). During that time, she led the development of University strategy and policy and had the opportunity to work closely with both the City of Melbourne and the Victorian Government on significant partnership projects, including the Melbourne Innovation District, Melbourne Connect, Fishermans Bend and the development of the Parkville Biomedical Precinct.
Julie has extensive experience in the tertiary education sector as an educator, a senior administrator, advocate, adviser to Government and policy analyst.
Ms Amy Foo, Technology and Digital Innovation
Chief Financial Officer, Ignition
Amy Foo is the Chief Financial Officer at Ignition, a leading revenue operations platform transforming how over 7,500 service-based businesses manage proposals, payments, and billing. With a strategic focus on financial health and operational efficiency, Amy plays a pivotal role in driving Ignition’s global growth, overseeing financial planning, capital allocation, and ROI maximisation.
A seasoned leader with over 20 years of experience in scaling high-growth technology companies, Amy has an impressive track record of building resilient financial infrastructures and operational excellence. Before joining Ignition, Amy served as SVP of Finance and Revenue Operations at Culture Amp, guiding the employee engagement platform to unicorn status. At Zendesk, she was instrumental in scaling the San Francisco-based CRM leader to $2 billion in recurring revenue, holding key leadership roles including SVP of Global Finance and Managing Director for ANZ.
Beyond her executive contributions, Amy serves on the board of Invest Melbourne and was a finalist for the Women’s Agenda Emerging Female Leader in Tech Award. A global citizen with CPA qualifications across three countries, Amy has lived in Melbourne, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore, and is fluent in English, Malay, Cantonese, and Mandarin. Her multicultural perspective and operational acumen make her an invaluable leader in today’s interconnected business landscape.
Mr Ian McCall, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) / Digital Innovation
Partner, Strategic Project Partners
Ian McCall has more than 30 years' experience advising senior client Boards and Executives as a Strategy Consultant. He has worked for a variety of organisations including Andersen Consulting, The Mitchell Madison Group, Strategic Project Partners and Deloitte.
Ian specialises in assisting clients with their growth strategies, incorporating mergers and acquisitions, market entry, customer segmentation and channel strategies in the ICT sector. He has been an Asia Pacific Managing Partner and member of the Global Executive for Deloitte's Strategy and Operations Consulting Practice.
Ian's experience includes eight years as an elected member of Deloitte Australia's Board, appointment as an Advisory Member of the Board of Deloitte (New Zealand) and 10 years on the Board of Advanced Paediatric Life Support, a clinical not-for-profit organisation. He also has experience at a range of smaller private, start-up and not-for-profit organisations.
Mr David Chen, Shipping, Technology and General Business Leadership
Chief Executive Officer, JPC International
David is an experienced executive and specialist in logistics, supply chain and strategic procurement.
Driven to identify value creation opportunities, David draws on his direct operational knowledge to execute effective and efficient outcomes. Coupled with his strong international knowledge particularly in the Asia Pacific Region, David demonstrates careful navigation through sensitive environments.
David is the Chief Executive Officer of JPC International where he has helped develop capital structure optimisation and growth facilitation across a multitude of industry segments. He has also guided the group's entry into New Zealand, Vietnam and Korea.
David serves as a board member of Pacific Shipping and advises on the Greater China market. Prior to joining JPC, David worked at KPMG in the risk consulting and defence divisions.
David holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne and is a Trinity College Alumnus.
Jack Amies
Jack is the CEO and Founder of The Place Agency, a Melbourne-based placemaking and marketing firm, and also serves as Director of eDelivery, a last-mile logistics technology company.
As an entrepreneur and retail marketing expert with over ten years of experience, Jack has developed strategies that have revitalised retail destinations across Australia. He has collaborated with property companies such as Scentre Group, GPT Group, Mirvac, Coles, and Local Council and State Government bodies to enhance their assets and attract new customers.
Jack's work has included involvement in some of Australia’s most notable development projects, including the Metro Tunnel Project, Arden, South Eveleigh in Sydney, and iconic locations such as Circular Quay, Adelaide Airport, and Queen Victoria Market.
A passionate advocate for local retailers and high streets, Jack continues to work with various trader associations nationwide to create more vibrant and prosperous environments for businesses.
Dr Anne-Laure Puaux
Anne-Laure is the CEO at WEHI Ventures, WEHI’s pre-seed and seed fund investing A$66M (US$43M / €40M) over 10 years, dedicated to ideas developed by or in collaboration with WEHI. Anne-Laure also serves as the Head Business Development at WEHI. Together, these two teams create and manage projects and companies to develop innovative products that improve public health and deliver sustained economic benefits.
Over her career, Anne-Laure has been leading new opportunities evaluation, business cases, due diligences, and R&D projects and alliances. She has a track record in designing, negotiating, and closing deals between academic research institutions, biotech companies, private investors and large multinational companies. She is an experienced business development leader in the life sciences sector with global experience, having worked in Europe, US, Asia and Australia, as part of biotech companies and multinational pharmaceutical companies such as GSK.
Anne-Laure completed her PhD in Immunology at Institut Pasteur in Paris, France, and gained her Global Executive MBA from IE Business School in Madrid, Spain.
Rhenu Bhuller
Rhenu Bhuller has more than 25 years of experience in the life sciences sector and has a track-record of successfully working with start-ups, private multinational companies and the public sector in developing and implementing strategies for investment and growth. Her in depth of knowledge of the life sciences industry includes a significant understanding of global developments as well as the issues affecting stakeholders within the local and international life ecosystem.
Rhenu has lived and worked in Malaysia, Singapore, Switzerland and Sydney. Now based in Melbourne, Rhenu is the Global Investment Lead for AusBiotech, the leading organisation supporting and representing the Australian life sciences sector. She is also a mentor and advisor to medical technology start-ups seeking to develop and commercialise products and solutions for global markets.
She has a keen interest in use of technology as a source of transformation for delivery of solutions and services to improve lives and is passionate about the role business, innovation and policy can play in achieving this. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated the ability to navigate complex industries and foster strategic partnerships and has moderated numerous workshops to guide companies on prioritisation of business strategies and investment plans to innovate in the ever-evolving business environment.
Passionate about equality and diversity, she is involved in supporting the growth of young professionals with an interest in STEM and business through mentoring and internships. Rhenu has a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, a Master’s in Business Administration and has completed the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management Executive Program on Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy.
Heidi Sick
Regional Business Line Director for Energy & Environment, AECOM (Australia and New Zealand)
Heidi Sick is a senior executive and recognised leader in Australia’s clean energy transition, with over 25 years’ experience across renewable energy, decarbonisation, infrastructure, and economic development. As Regional Business Line Director for Energy & Environment at AECOM (Australia and New Zealand), she leads a 700-person team delivering nationally significant clean energy and sustainability projects.
Heidi has advised governments, global investors, and utilities on market entry, energy infrastructure, and energy transition strategy and planning. She has held advisory and board roles with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the Australian Power Institute and is a regular contributor to national industry forums.
Named in The Australian’s Green Power 100 in both 2023 and 2024, Heidi brings deep sector insight, influential networks, and a strong commitment to positioning Melbourne as a global hub for clean energy investment and innovation.
Council representatives
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