The Authority comprises the Chair, the Deputy Chair, one full-time member and five part-time members. Full and part-time Authority appointments are made under s. 20 of the Australian Communications and Media Authority Act 2005 (ACMA Act), and associate members are appointed under s. 24 of the ACMA Act. To contact an Authority member, please contact Authority secretariat.
Mr Chris Chapman, ACMA Chair
Appointed 27 February 2006 for five years
Re-appointed until 26 February 2016
Chris Chapman commenced as the inaugural Chairman and CEO of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) in February 2006. He was also appointed an Associate Member of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in September 2007.
Chris has had an extensive career including leadership roles in the media, broadcasting and film, internet, telecommunications and internet business, sports and the infrastructure sector.
Before joining the ACMA, Chris held a number of senior management positions with the Seven Network, Stadium Australia Management, Optus and Babcock & Brown. Chris has also been the Chairman of Film Australia and SportsVision Australia, and a previous member of the National Film and Sound Archives’ Advisory Council.
Chris has a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of New South Wales and has completed the Harvard Business School AMP program.
Mr Richard Bean, ACMA Deputy Chair
Appointed 14 October 2010 for five years
During his career Richard has worked in a variety of senior roles in Australia’s media and communications industries.
Before joining the ACMA he oversaw the legal, regulatory affairs and human resources functions at wireless broadband infrastructure owner and ISP Unwired.
He had previously held positions responsible for the legal and business affairs side of Network Ten's programming activities, and practised as a commercial, media and litigation lawyer at national commercial law firm Blake Dawson. Before that Richard worked in program administration and policy development in a number of Australian Government organisations.
Richard holds an honours degree in Literature and Philosophy from the University of Sydney and a law degree from the University of New South Wales.
Mr Chris Cheah, Full-time member
Appointed 1 July 2009 for five years
Chris Cheah has been re-appointed as a full-time Member for a period of five years commencing 1 July 2009. Chris Cheah was previously head of the Telecommunications Division of the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, advising the Australian Government on the full range of telecommunications issues. He has also held positions with AUSTEL (the predecessor to the Australian Communications Authority) and Telstra.
Emeritus Professor Reg Coutts, Part-time member
Appointed 14 October 2010 for five years
Reg Coutts has over 30 years’ experience in the Australian telecommunications, including 18 years in Telstra - moving through the research laboratories to become the director of strategy in the early mobile communications business.
Reg moved to academia in 1993 as the inaugural Professor of Telecommunications at the University of Adelaide where his multidisciplinary team worked with industry both in Australia and overseas during the first wave of spectrum management reform. Currently, Reg consults to business and Government and chairs a new technology venture company.
Reg was educated as an Engineer and now is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). Reg is actively involved in providing ‘a meeting place’ for all Telecommunications professionals in Australia. Reg is Chairman of the reconstituted Telecommunications Society of Australia (TSA) that will be affiliated with other professional associations such as the Australian Computer Society (ACS).
Miss Louise Benjamin, Part-time member
Appointed 14 October 2010 for five years
Louise Benjamin has extensive experience in media and telecommunications, from both a regulatory and executive perspective. Prior to joining the Authority, Louise held senior strategy positions with News Ltd and FOXTEL. Louise was a competition law partner at Allens Arthur Robinson from 1995 to 2004. She was the national Chair of the Law Council of Australia's Trade Practices Committee, which plays a significant role in competition law policy. Louise has also served as Deputy Chair of the Australian Publishers’ Bureau.
Louise holds Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws from the University of Sydney.
Mr Rod Sims, Associate member
Appointed 1 August 2011 for five years
Rod Sims was appointed Chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in August 2011 for a five year term.
Rod has extensive business and public sector experience. Prior to his appointment to the ACCC, he was the Chairman of the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of New South Wales, Chairman of InfraCo Asia, Commissioner on the National Competition Council, Director of Ingeus Limited, and member of the Research and Policy Council of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia. Rod was also a Director of Port Jackson's Partners Limited where he advised the CEOs and Boards of some of Australia's top 50 companies on commercial corporate strategy over many years.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Rod worked as the Deputy Secretary in the Commonwealth Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet responsible for economic, infrastructure and social policy and the Cabinet Office. He also worked as Deputy Secretary in the Department of Transport and Communications.
Rod Sims holds a first class honours degree in Commerce from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Economics from the Australian National University.
