You and your guests are warmly invited to the Stanford Australia Association's Annual Dinner on Tuesday 8 December.   The Annual Dinner is the Stanford Australia Association's major event for 2009 and we hope you will be able to join us.

We are delighted to announce that Gail Kelly will be this year’s keynote speaker; Gail will be interviewed by leading journalist Janine Perrett (bios below).

As is the case every year, the annual dinner is a great opportunity to catch up with Stanford Alums you know and get to know others whom you may not have had the opportunity to meet.   Partners and special guests are encouraged to attend.   The SAA would also particularly like to welcome recent Stanford graduates and a half price rate of $50 has been organised to make it easier for you to attend.  Recent grads will be seated together unless otherwise requested.

After a number of great years at the Australian Club, this year we are moving to the ballroom of the award-winning Establishment Hotel and Restaurant.  The format of the evening is pre-dinner drinks and aperitifs, followed by a short AGM for the Stanford Australia Foundation and the Stanford Australian Association (15 minutes), the keynote presentation and dinner.   This leaves plenty of time to enjoy stimulating company over a drink and dinner.

To RSVP please follow the link below.   For additional information email James Hole.   Please also contact James with any special seating or food requests.   A menu will be circulated closer to the event once it has been finalised.

Speaker: Gail Kelly interviewed by Janine Perrett

Date: Tuesday 8 December

Time: 6:30pm

Location: The Establishment Ballroom, 252 George Street, Sydney

Dress: Business (coat & tie)

RSVP: http://saa2009dinner.eventbrite.com by Monday 9 November

Cost: $100 members and guests / $50 recent grads (class of 2005 and later)

Additional info: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Gail Kelly is Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Westpac Banking Corporation.  Since her appointment in February 2008, Gail has led the development of a new vision and strategy for Westpac which is centred on customers.  Building on this customer-focussed strategy, under Gail’s leadership, Westpac completed its transformational merger with St.George Bank in December 2008.   Immediately prior to her appointment, Gail served as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of St.George Bank from January 2002 to August 2007.  Gail is also currently a director of both Melbourne Business School and the Financial Markets Foundation for Children; and a member of both the Financial Services Advisory Council and Australian Bankers’ Association.  Additionally Gail completed the 'Leading Change and Organisational Renewal' Executive Program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business in late 2007.

Janine Perrett has been a leading journalist across all areas of Australian media for almost three decades.  She began her career as a business writer with the Australian newspaper and went on to become a foreign correspondent in London and New York for five years.  She successfully transferred to television where she worked on the Sunday program, Business Sunday and founded and hosted the Small Business Show on Channel 9.  She has also been a presenter on ABC radio, been a regular columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald and now appears regularly as a commentator on Sky News and Sky Business channels.  In 2007 Janine was awarded the prestigious Knight Fellowship to Stanford University.  You may also remember Janine from the 2007 SAA Annual Dinner at which she interviewed Roger Corbett, retired CEO of Woolworths.