Executive Leadership Team

Kim McKay AO

Director and CEO

Kim McKay’s career has focussed on public advocacy and community engagement programs around the natural environment and science both in Australia and internationally.

In her role as Director and CEO of the Australian Museum, Kim is responsible for the strategic direction and management of the nation’s first museum, including a collection of over 22 million natural science specimens and cultural objects.

Since being appointed to the Director’s role ten years ago in 2014 (the first woman in the AM’s 190+ year history), Kim has initiated a broad transformation program including overseeing Project Discover, the AM’s $57.5m award-winning renovation of public spaces.

With a background in marketing and communications, Kim has worked in the USA in senior roles in non-fiction television for Discovery Channel and National Geographic; she co-founded the iconic Clean Up Australia and Clean Up the World campaigns in the 1990’s working in conjunction with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The co-author of five True Green books published in Australia and internationally by Nat Geo, Kim has received many awards for her environmental and citizen science work.

She graduated from UTS with a BA Communications in 1980 and currently serves on the UTS Council. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Wollongong in 2022 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to science, including her work on environmental and conservation issues, and an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Technology Sydney in 2023 in recognition of her achievements in the community, non-profit, cultural, environmental, communications and business sectors. She has served on many not-for-profit boards and for four years chaired the NSW Government’s Museums and History Art Form Board.

Kim was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2008 for distinguished service to the environment and the community.

Russell Briggs

Chief Experience Officer

Russell Briggs is Chief Experience Officer at the AM, beginning his tenure in September 2017. Russell leads the team responsible for permanent, temporary and touring exhibitions; education; public programs; visitor experience, front of house, and volunteers; digital; the Museum archives and library, and the extensive world collections held by the Museum.

A native of California, Russell moved to New Zealand in 2002 and joined the team at Auckland Museum from 2007-2012. There he held the position of Director of Exhibitions and Programs and was Director of the War Memorial during planning for the WWI Centenary.

He then continued to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne, where from 2012-17 he was Director of Exhibitions and Collections. Previously, Russell worked for a decade as Executive VP and Creative Director of a high-end multimedia company in California that specialised in interactive technology, user engagement strategy and audio/video production. Russell received a Bachelor degree in Film and Television at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Maggie Chien

Associate Director, People and Culture

Maggie leads the People and Culture function for the Museum as Associate Director, bringing over 15 years of comprehensive human resources management experience to the Museum. Maggie holds a Master of Commerce (HRM), a Bachelor of Commerce (Bus Econ) from University of NSW and is an AHRI Certified Academic of Human Resources (CAHRI).

Maggie is a member of the Museum’s Executive Leadership Team, responsible for development and implementation of People and Culture policies, strategies and projects to support the mission, values and strategic priorities of the Museum. Maggie ensures that people and culture considerations are central to all executive decision making and that best practice change management practices and frameworks are in place and applied.

Amanda Farrar PSM

Director, Strategy & Chief of Staff

Amanda has held senior leadership positions within the public service, television and media sectors for over 20 years. Amanda was appointed Director, Public Affairs and Development in 2018, and is responsible for securing government and philanthropic support for major capital infrastructure projects and the Museum’s flagship science, education and cultural programs.

Amanda is also responsible for external stakeholder relationships that support the AM’s strategic direction and the executive champion for access, diversity and inclusion, sustainability and the AM’s Reconciliation Action Plan. In 2022, Amanda’s leadership skills were recognised with a Public Service Medal for outstanding public service to arts and culture in NSW.

Amanda was previously a senior advisor to former NSW Premier, Hon Mike Baird and the former Managing Director of National Geographic Channel Australia/New Zealand with a depth of marketing, advertising, communications and digital broadcasting experience.

Amanda has a personal interest in First Nations affairs and community building and has been actively engaged in several place management and community building committees.

Professor Kris Helgen

Chief Scientist and Director of the Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI)

Professor Kristofer M. Helgen was appointed Chief Scientist and Director of the Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI) in June 2020. He is responsible for the AMRI team of more than 100 staff, including research scientists, collection scientists, collection officers and more than 130 associates, fellows and students, who research and explore the natural world.

Kris studies the biology of mammals and publishes widely including in leading journals like Nature and Science. He has focused his research primarily on fieldwork with living animals and on museum collections to document the richness of life and understand global change. Originally from Minnesota, Kris gained his undergraduate degree in Biology at Harvard University and his PhD in Zoology at the University of Adelaide. From 2008 to 2017 he served as Curator-in-Charge of Mammals at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. and from 2017 to 2020 he was Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Adelaide.

Kris holds additional academic appointments at the University of New South Wales, the University of Sydney, the Natural History Museum (London), the Bishop Museum (Hawaii), and the South Australian Museum (Adelaide). He is a board member of Zoos South Australia and Conservation International (Australia). He has been recognised as a Fulbright Fellow, a National Geographic Society Explorer, and a CNN Inspirations Researcher.

Laura McBride

Director, First Nations

Laura McBride is a Wailwan woman and Director, First Nations at the Australian Museum (AM). Leading the First Nations strategic direction and operations, she oversees the management of the Archaeology, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and Pasifika cultural collections.

Laura’s vision for the AM focuses on prioritizing and amplifying First Nations voices, ensuring that Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Pasifika communities authentically represent themselves and their cultures within the Museum. She has been pivotal in guiding the Executive Leadership Team towards fostering stronger connections with First Nations stakeholders and knowledge-holders and building Indigenous self-determination into the interpretation, care, classification, access and use of cultural objects.

With over 15 years of professional experience in museums, Indigenous education, and cultural heritage, Laura is an acclaimed curator. She has received awards for her work and has led First Nations storytelling through exhibitions like GADI and UNSETTLED.

Since the Division was launched in 2021, Laura has guided her team in the delivery of the groundbreaking Wansolmoana permanent exhibition, exploring the interconnected histories and cultures of Pasifika nations; BURRA Learning Place; Her Name is Nanny Nellie documentary and display; and the AM’s repatriation operations that has led to the repatriation of nine Aboriginal Ancestors to seven communities and two Tongan Ancestors back to the Kingdom of Tonga.

Laura holds academic qualifications including a Bachelor of Arts (University of Sydney, 2008) with a double major in Psychology and Australian Indigenous Studies, and a Master of Aboriginal Education (University of Technology Sydney, 2012).

Brett Ogier

Chief Financial Officer

Brett Ogier joined the Australian Museum in May 2022 and leads the Finance Division. As Chief Financial Officer, Brett is responsible for the Museum’s financial and risk management, financial budgeting and forecasting processes, performance monitoring and analysis, and financial reporting to stakeholders. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, Brett plays a key role in developing and implementing the AM’s finance strategy. Brett is a Chartered Accountant and finance executive with over 25 years’ experience in financial leadership roles across listed, as well as Federal and NSW Government entities.

Brett has extensive experience managing, advising on, and delivering a wide range of financial, strategic and other key functions in large and complex organisations across both the not-for-profit and for-profit sectors. At Ausgrid, Brett led the Financial Control team through the company’s transition from a NSW State Owned Corporation to private ownership in the largest acquisition in Australia in 2016. At NBN Co, Brett established and then led the Commercial Finance function of the wholesale broadband provider. Brett also worked for the NSW Department of Education where he was Director, Financial Analysis and Partnership. In this role, Brett was a key member of the Finance leadership team, where he implemented changes to the Department’s reporting suite across more than 2,200 NSW public schools, enabling more effective and easier tracking of costs.

He was the Finance lead on the COVID-19 Intensive Learning Support Program which was awarded the Secretary’s Award for Agility in 2021. Since beginning his career at KPMG in the Sydney and Los Angeles offices, Brett has also held senior roles at Ecolab and UGL Rail. Brett’s demonstrated success in government roles, projects-based and infrastructure intensive businesses means he is well placed to continue to make significant contributions to the Australian Museum’s Executive Leadership Team.

Brett holds a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Sydney, is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Jacinta Spurrett

Director, Marketing, Communications, Commercial and Partnerships

Jacinta joined the AM as Director, Marketing and Partnerships in 2016. She is a highly experienced leader in all three sectors and brings a wide range of strategic skills and knowledge to the role. An executive and director, with a demonstrated history of working in both the ‘for profit’ and ‘not for profit’ sectors, her 25 plus year professional career encompasses specialist fiscal and general management experience across a diverse group of organisations.

For the eight years prior to joining the AM, Jacinta was CEO of the Eye Surgeons’ Foundation where she managed a significant strategic and financial turn-around for the organisation. Previous roles include Managing Director of the National Geographic Channel Australia/New Zealand and Managing Director of leading Sydney public relations firm Prue MacSween & Associates.

As part of the Executive Leadership Team at the AM, Jacinta is responsible for the oversight, business development and revenues associated with marketing, communications, sponsorship and partnerships, visitation, membership and tourism and other commercial activities.

Holding a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, focused on Communications, International Marketing and Media Studies from the University of Canberra, Jacinta’s business acumen renders her well versed in international management, business planning, negotiation and the full spectrum of communications including media, digital, stakeholder and celebrity management.