Events
James Fleming – Executive Director
James has worked as a lawyer in industrial relations for government, unions and the community legal sector. Previously, he was a Legal and Industrial Officer at the Australian Council of Trade Unions, an Adviser – External Affairs at the Fair Work Ombudsman, and a Solicitor at JobWatch and Youthlaw.
James holds a Bachelor of Arts/Laws (honours) from ANU and Master of Arts (Uppsala University, Sweden).
Jane Douglas – Business Manager
Jane Douglas is the Business Manager at the AIER and in addition Jane holds the position of National Industrial Officer for Civil Air Operations. Jane took up the position as AIER Business Manager in 2009. Jane has previously held appointments with the Australian Industrial Relations Commission and the ACTU.
Jane manages the administrative and financial systems of the AIER.
Jane holds a Bachelor of Business (Human Resources/Industrial Relations) from RMIT University.
Ron McCallum AO – AIER Patron
Ronald C McCallum AO is widely recognised as one of Australia’s leading labour law academics. He was the foundation Blake Dawson Waldron Professor in Industrial Law in the University of Sydney Law School from January 1993 until 30 September 2007. This professorship was the first full professorship in industrial law at any Australian university. Ron is the first totally blind person to have been appointed to a full professorship in any field at any university in Australia or New Zealand. Ron was Professor of Labour Law at Sydney Law School from 1 February 2008 until 31 December 2010. In January 2011, he was appointed to an Emeritus Professorship in Sydney Law School. Ron is a past Chair of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and was named Senior Australian of the Year in 2011. Ron is Patron of the AIER.
Our Executive Committee
Michael Harmer – President and Chair
Michael Harmer is the founding partner, Chairman and Senior Team Leader of Harmers Workplace Lawyers, and has in excess of 35 years’ experience in industrial relations.
His practice places special emphasis on the preventive law approach in assisting clients in the informed management of a range of human rights, OH&S and employment issues and seeks to implement workplace fairness for all.
Michael has represented many of Australia’s leading corporations, senior executives and media personalities as well as having run some of Australia’s leading cases in employment and discrimination.
Fiona Hardie – Vice President, Employer Representative
Fiona Hardie is co-owner of one of Australia’s largest independent publishing and media businesses.
Fiona and her partner, Sandy Grant, launched Hardie Grant in Melbourne in 1997. The company now has offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane; London; San Francisco; and Manila. Hardie Grant publishes hundreds of titles each year, in a range of media; includes a marketing agency network with services spanning content and video, PR and digital marketing; as well as a venture studio that develops and owns a range of online businesses. Hardie Grant employs around 300 employees.
Over the past forty years, Fiona has been involved with women’s, legal, publishing and workplace organisations, including setting up one of the earliest employer-based childcare centres in Melbourne.
Anna Boucher – Vice President, Independent Representative
Associate Professor Anna Boucher is an academic and solicitor.
Anna is Chair of the Discipline of Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney and works on weekends as a solicitor for Violet Co Legal and Consultancy, a pro bono legal consultancy that focuses on employment and anti-discrimination law advice to Aboriginal Australians.
Her research expertise is the employment setting is in immigration policy and she has advised Australian and overseas governments as well as intergovernmental agencies on this topic.
Sunil Kemmpi – Vice President, Employee Representative
Sunil Kemppi is a Senior Legal and Industrial Officer at the Australian Council of Trade Unions.
Prior to this, Sunil worked at the CPSU and LHMU (now UWU). Sunil has appeared in a number of industrial and legal matters.
Sunil is passionate about achieving real change for working people. His professional interests include the future of employment and modes of work, regulating supply chains, retirement savings and good governance.
Keith Harvey – Treasurer
Keith Harvey is a Trustee Director of Care Super, an industry superannuation fund and is Chair of Aspire Learning a not for profit company developing vocational education learning resources for business and community services occupations.
Keith is a life member of the ASU, and retired ASU National Industrial Officer having worked nearly 40 years with the trade union movement and has worked on a number of key cases including the Pay Equity case in social, community and disability services.
Margaret McKenzie – Committee Member
Dr Margaret McKenzie is an academic economist. She has a PhD in economics from Birkbeck, University of London, and has taught and researched at universities in Australia and the United Kingdom over many years, including as a lecturer at Deakin University 2004-2015 and as an honorary research fellow at Federation University Business School. Her areas of research and publication are broad, including privatisation, outsourcing and regulation of trade and labour, with a macroeconomic, comparative and empirical bent. Margaret also worked in the Australian public service for more than ten years, mainly at the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission as an industry analyst. Most recently she worked as an economist at the Australian Council of Trade Unions, including on the ACTU’s submissions to the Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review, which decides annual minimum wage increases.
Jack Kenchington-Evans – Committee Member
Jack is the Federal Industrial Officer for the Australian Education Union.
Jack has worked as a lawyer and Industrial Officer in unions and private practice since 2011.
Sean Reidy – Committee Member
Sean is a barrister practicing in Queensland.
He has worked in industrial and employment law for over 30 years.
He is the author of the chapter on Effective Dispute Resolution in the AIER’s Charter of Employment Rights.
Larissa Harrison – Committee Member
Larissa Harrison is the Director of Industrial and Research at the United Workers Union. With extensive experience in employment and industrial relations law, Larissa has represented employees and unions in most Courts and tribunals across Australia.
Larissa has been involved in a number of significant cases, most recently the Aged Care Work Value Case, Delegates Rights model award term proceedings, the Award Review 2023-24 and gender-based undervaluation proceedings. Larissa was also involved in the case of Van Hattem v the Department of Education, a Supreme Court test case on the causation of psychiatric injuries under the Return to Work Act 2014 (SA).
Larissa is dedicated to advancing workers’ rights in courts and tribunals, and through industrial reform. She is also passionate about issues affecting pay equity in Australia’s IR system.