Helen Cooney

Helen Cooney

Nominating Organisation: Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) 

Helen Cooney has been a Director on the Rest Board since 30 September 2020.

Experience

Helen is the National Assistant Secretary at the SDA, the Union for workers in retail, fast food and warehousing. Helen has been a policy, strategy and governance adviser in state and federal governments on the topics of early childhood, school education and workplace relations, and for a group-of-eight Australian university in the private office of the Vice- Chancellor and President. 

She put the theory into practice for a decade as a President and CEO in the community sector serving expectant and new mothers and ran a private practice as a coach of strategy and governance professionals.

Current Directorships

  • Director of Retail Employees Superannuation Pty Ltd
  • Freedom & Social Action Group Limited

Current Appointments

  • National Assistant Secretary, Shop Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association
  • Executive Member, Australian Council of Trade Unions
  • Member, Personal Services Strategic Workforce Advisory Group (SWAG)

Rest Committee Membership

  • People, Culture and Remuneration Committee
  • Member and Employer Services Committee

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Arts (BA Hons)
  • Master of Government and Commercial Law (MGCL)
  • Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD)
  • Graduate of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (GAIST)
  • Super Members Council of Australia Trustee Director Course – Advanced
  • Associate Certified Coach (ACC), International Coaching Federation