Helen Coonan is a former Senator for New South Wales, serving in the Australian Parliament from 1996 to 2011. In Parliament, Ms Coonan was deputy leader of the Government in the Senate. She was appointed to Cabinet as the former Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts and was shareholder Minister for Telstra Corporation and Australia Post. She also served as the Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer and had portfolio oversight of the Australian Taxation Office and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.
Prior to entering Parliament, Ms Coonan was a lawyer including as principal of her own legal firm, as a partner in law firm Gadens, as a commercial Barrister in Australia, and as an Attorney in New York.
She is the recipient of a Centenary Medal for service to the Australian Parliament.
Ms Coonan is non-executive director of Snowy Hydro and chair of Snowy Hydro Retail Committee. She is also chair of the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, a member of the Advisory Council of JP Morgan, a member of the Board of Advice for Aon Risk Services Australia, and co-chair of GRACosway (a subsidiary of the Clemenger Group). She is non-executive director of Obesity Australia, a trustee of the Sydney Opera House, and a consultant to Samsung Electronics Australia.
Ms Coonan is a member of Chief Executive Women and also serves on the Corporate Council of the European Australian Business Council and the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce Advisory Council. She is an Ambassador for the Menzies School of Health Research and of the GUT Foundation, and is on the advisory council of the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
