Board

Penny Griggs - Chair

Appointed 20 July 2020

Penny has dedicated her 25+ year career to the arts industry. Currently the CEO of Adelaide Central School of Art, she is best known for her leadership of the annual SALA (South Australian Living Artist) Festival, 2012-2018.  Penny has enjoyed a diverse career having worked for some of Australia’s flagship arts organisations including Melbourne Theatre Company, Adelaide Festival Centre and Carclew Youth Arts Centre. She has extensive experience working on Festivals including Adelaide Cabaret Festival, OzAsia Festival, Adelaide International Guitar Festival, Come Out Children’s Festival and the Adelaide Festival. In 2015 Penny was the recipient of a prestigious Churchill Fellowship. A past member of the Arts Industry Council of SA Committee, Festivals Adelaide board, Cirkidz board and the Gouger Street Traders Association she currently sits on the Churchill Fellows Association of SA committee. She is also a registered Marriage Celebrant.

Susan Antoun - Treasurer

Appointed 23 May 2024

Susan is Head of Compliance and Operations at Taylor Collison, previously working as an Audit Director at a second-tier accounting firm. Susan has extensive audit experience, beginning her career at the SA Auditors Generals. She is a CPA and member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) and Governance Risk and Compliance Institute (GRC Institute), and Susan serves on a number of not-for-profit boards.

Andy Packer - Board Director

Appointed 4 April 2008

Since completing a BA in Theatre Studies at Adelaide University in 1992, Andy’s arts career has encompassed many roles including Creative Producer, ensemble Actor/ Creator and Festival Director. In 2007 Andy co-founded Slingsby Theatre Company as Artistic Director. In thirteen years Slingsby has toured its original productions to more than 100 venues in 80 cities and towns across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, USA, Canada, UK, Scotland, Spain, Ireland and Norway, India and China winning 16 industry awards along the way.

Alongside Slingsby, Andy has built a freelance career as a Director of opera, musical theatre, cabaret and concerts. Andy has Directed for State Theatre Company of South Australia, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, State Opera of South Australia, Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Festival of Arts and Adelaide Chamber Singers and Australian String Quartet. In 2019 Andy was show director of the World of WearableArt Awards Show in Wellington, New Zealand’s largest theatrical event attracting an audience in excess of 60,000.

Andy and his wife Jane love living in Adelaide, South Australia with their three sons, nine chickens and retired greyhound.

Magdalena Hadji - Board Director

Appointed 19 March 2018

Magdalena is Director, Strategy & Business Development at Blue Sky ThinkingTM. She is an Authorised Provider of ESC Gap Analysis – Environment, Strategy, CapabilityTM and facilitates strategic planning sessions, drives business improvements and was introductory business agent for Macquarie Private Wealth in capital-raising for private companies. Prior to this she oversaw global trade systems at Hills Ltd and held executive roles in professional services, education, R&D and manufacturing. Key skills include strategy facilitation, business development, governance and corporate partnerships. Magdalena is a Board member of theatre company Slingsby, advises for ACNEM and East End Precinct Corporation and has Chaired or been on the Board of Australian Dance Theatre, Vice-Chancellor’s Advisory Council, MBA Alumni Association & Advisory Board and DECD Mathematics Advisory Board. She has Chaired compliance, OHS, environment, product liability and fundraising committees. Magdalena is a Graduate of the Institute of Company Directors and has an MBA in strategy & entrepreneurship, Honours Degree in Statistics and Bachelor in Mathematical & Computer Sciences. She received an Alumni Fellows Award from The University of Adelaide, Boston Consulting Group award from BCG in Sydney and Business Excellence mark from QAS. Her research on leadership and business excellence, and on successful family business transitioning using private equity has been published and presented in

Australia, USA, China and UK. Magdalena also volunteers with community health organisation BCNA as Support Group Leader and is happily tri-lingual – English (native), Greek (conversational) and French (learning).

Susan Babidge - Board Director

Appointed 7 December 2020

Susan is a Practising Solicitor of 17 years’ post admission experience and has worked for Ai Group Workplace Lawyers since September 2019. Susan has provided independent legal advice to Boards, HR Managers, Executives, CEOs and business owners about all aspects of workplace related legal issues including in respect to engagement issues and employment contracts, restructures and redundancy, compliance issues including pay audits and interpretation of awards and enterprise agreements, enterprise bargaining, workplace investigations, day-to-day employment and HR issues, managing ill and injured employees, employment related issues in commercial transactions and employment related disputes in both State and Federal jurisdictions.

Prior to joining Ai Group, Susan worked in private practice in both Sydney and NSW and was most recently a partner of her former firm. Susan also has experience working in the public sector, having worked for the Employee Management Branch of the NSW Police Force and on secondment to the internal investigations team of RailCorp, NSW.

Sam Jozeps - Board Director

Appointed 20 July 2020

Samuel Jozeps is a Creative Producer, Marketer, Content Producer and Project Manager with more than ten years’ experience in the performing arts. He has worked for the Adelaide Festival, Adelaide Festival Centre, WOMADelaide, Adelaide Fringe, Cabaret and Guitar Festivals, and currently works as Marketing & Communications Manager, Special Event and Digital Producer for the Australian String Quartet.

Jozeps recently spent two years in Leipzig, Germany, where he was instrumental in the city’s burgeoning startup industry, and freelanced as a photographer/film maker. He was Digital Writer in Residence and the SA Writer’sCentre (2015), was awarded the Anthony Steel Fellowship of Arts Administration at the Adelaide Festival Centre (2009), enjoys teaching swing dancing, once owned and operated a mobile coffee van, and in 2003, won the State Burger Room Championships of South Australia at Hungry Jack’s.

Samuel Jozeps and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Double Major in Philosophy and English), from the University of Adelaide.

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