The executive team

Chief Commissioner

The Hon John Hatzistergos AM

The Hon John Hatzistergos AM was appointed Chief Commissioner for a five-year term from 7 August 2022. Mr Hatzistergos was called to the NSW Bar in 1989 and practised as a barrister from 1989 to 2003, and from 2012 to 2014. During 2014 and 2015, Mr Hatzistergos was commissioned by the NSW Government to conduct a 12-month review of the Bail Act 2013. From 2012 to 2014, Mr Hatzistergos was an examiner at the Australian Crime Commission. He was appointed as a Judge of the District Court of NSW in 2014, and was an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Technology Sydney from 2011 to 2021.

Between 2003 and 2011, Mr Hatzistergos was a minister in the NSW Government, holding portfolios including Attorney General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Regulatory Reform, Minister for Health. Minister for Industrial Relations, and Minister for Fair Trading. He was Chair of the Joint Committee on the Independent Commission Against Corruption from 1999 to 2003.

Commissioners

The Hon Helen Murrell SC

The Hon Helen Murrell SC was appointed part-time Commissioner for a five-year term from 7 August 2022. Ms Murrell recently retired as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the ACT, a position she held since 2013. She was called to the NSW Bar in 1981 and appointed Senior Counsel in 1995.

Prior to her role as Chief Justice, Ms Murrell was a Judge of the District Court of NSW from 1996 to 2013. Her prior appointments include Deputy Chairperson of the NSW Medical Tribunal, Senior Judge of the Drug Court of NSW, President of the Equal Opportunity Tribunal of NSW and Deputy President of the Administrative Decisions Tribunal of NSW (Equal Opportunity Division) and acting Judge of the Land and Environment Court of NSW.

Ms Murrell has a longstanding interest in therapeutic jurisprudence and judicial education, and from 2016 to 2020 was Chair of the National Judicial College of Australia.

Paul Lakatos SC

Paul Lakatos SC was appointed part-time Commissioner for a five-year term commencing 12 September 2022.

Mr Lakatos was appointed as a Judge of the District Court of NSW in 2008 and as President of the Mental Health Review Tribunal in 2019. He has extensive legal experience and legal qualifications, having been appointed to the NSW Bar in 1984 and appointed Senior Counsel in 2005. His work as a barrister included criminal law, administrative law, and the conduct of, and Counsel Assisting for, various coronial and other inquiries including ICAC hearings.

Acting Chief Executive Officer

Michelle Ward BComm, CPA

Michelle Ward was appointed Acting Chief Executive Officer on 11 October 2024.

Ms Ward started her career in the private sector where she held positions for over 10 years as an accountant, analyst and business manager. She also undertook planning roles in diverse industries such as banking, telecommunications and the Sydney Olympics, before joining the NSW public sector in 2003 at NSW Treasury.

Ms Ward then held senior positions in key areas of finance and budgeting across the NSW state sector, consolidating financial aggregates, managing budget systems and processes and providing ministerial briefings on reforms, before moving to larger cluster agencies and managing transformations in the not-for-profit sector.

Ms Ward’s substantive role is Executive Director, Corporate Services, and Chief Financial Officer, to which she was appointed in May 2023, having joined the Commission as Finance Manager in 2020.

Solicitor to the Commission/Executive Director, Legal Division

Roy Waldon LLB (Hons)

Roy Waldon was appointed to the position of Solicitor to the Commission/Executive Director, Legal, in June 2005.

Mr Waldon previously practised law both in Tasmania and NSW before joining the Commission.

Executive Director, Investigation Division

Tim Fox

Tim Fox was appointed Executive Director, Investigation Division, on 1 November 2024.

Mr Fox has over 30 years of law enforcement experience, including as a detective in the UK Police.

He joined the Commission in 2006 and has held leadership roles in the Investigation Division since 2011.

Executive Director, Corruption Prevention Division

Lewis Rangott BEc (Hons) MCom

Lewis Rangott started his corruption prevention career at the Commission in 2003 as a senior corruption prevention officer and principal officer. He then held senior corruption prevention roles in the public and private sectors before being appointed to the position of Executive Director, Corruption Prevention, in May 2017. Mr Rangott is also a certified fraud examiner.