Paul Baker
Appointed Director in 2014 and Chair in 2021, Paul Baker also serves as EML Chair and Director of its subsidiary, Hospitality Industry Insurance. With 30 years of experience as a practising lawyer, he specialises in insurance, reinsurance, commercial and administrative law, risk management, business management, and corporate governance. Paul has been Managing Director of Meridian Lawyers, a firm he founded in 2004, growing it to over 140 staff. He has also served as the legal member of the Consumer Medicines Information Commonwealth Task Force, South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service Ethics Committee, and was a partner at Ebsworth and Ebsworth Lawyers, as well as a former Director of Guild Accountants.
Patrick Gurr
Appointed Director in 2019, Patrick Gurr is a seasoned publican with over 40 years in the hospitality industry. An active member of the Australian Hotels Association (AHA), he brings extensive experience in government relations, community involvement, and stakeholder negotiations across New South Wales and Queensland. Patrick has contributed to regional towns like Toowoomba, Wagga Wagga, and Armidale, focusing on improving local quality of life, supporting tertiary education, and promoting tourism. He holds directorships in Highland Hotels Pty Ltd, Bentom Pty Ltd, and Grain Hospitality Services Pty Ltd. As an Executive Member and Vice President of AHA (NSW), he was instrumental in constitutional review, strategy implementation, and dispute resolution. His contributions earned him Life Membership of AHA (NSW) in 2012.
Nikki Britt
Appointed Director in 2021, Nikki Britt is a well-respected and passionate health professional with more than three decades of experience helping individuals recover from injury, illness, or disease and return to work. As a recognised industry thought leader, Nikki leads Navigate Work, providing premium services that support the health benefits of work.
Her expertise is further acknowledged through her involvement in the inaugural Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (AFOEM) Health Benefits of Work (HBOW) Signatory Steering Group (SSG) and her former board membership with the National Employment Services Association (NESA). Over the past two decades, Nikki has also actively participated in numerous working parties and reference groups for the Department of Social Services (DSS), formerly known as DEEWR.
Lisa Neville
Appointed as a Director in 2023, The Honourable Lisa Neville has had a long and distinguished career in public policy and public administration. She served as a Member of the Victorian Parliament for 20 years and, during that time, spent 12 years as a Minister in a range of complex and demanding roles. This spanned key social policy areas such as mental health, community services, and aged care, through to front-line issues including environment, water, police, and emergency services. She also played a pivotal role in the Government’s response to Covid as a senior minister on the Crisis Committee of Cabinet. With strong insight and experience in governance and community service, she holds both a law and an arts degree. She has served as a non-executive board member with several organisations, and was recently appointed Chair of the Board of Barwon Health. She is also a non-executive member of the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation and “The Torch”.
Scott Whiddett
Appointed as a Director in 2024, Scott Whiddett is a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years of experience, practising principally in the areas of due diligence advisory and independent accountant reporting on public company transactions, including takeovers, initial public offerings, and audits. He has been actively involved since 1998 in the growth of the Pitcher Partners Sydney practice (and its antecedent firms, White Iliffe and Moore Stephens Sydney), including founding and developing the firm’s advice and corporate finance offering. He was also a founding partner in establishing White Outsourcing, a back-office administration business that grew to $34 billion of funds under administration before its sale in 2013. He enjoys problem solving and working collaboratively with directors, management, and corporate advisors—particularly on growth strategies and M&A transactions. He brings a strong financial reporting and corporate governance mindset, complemented by his listening and analytical skills. He is currently a non-executive director of Employers Mutual Limited and one of its subsidiary companies, Hospitality Industry Insurance Limited. He is also a partner and director of entities associated with the Pitcher Partners Sydney Accounting and Advisory practice.
