About

Marie Chretien

Executive Chair of Culture Plus, Marie has been a Council Member of the Power Institute since 1996 and was a NE Director at Alliance Francaise Sydney between 1997 and 2023.

She holds a Master of Art from Sydney University and a MBA from Macquarie University. She has graduated from AICD.

Marie is a dual French/Australian Citizen. Originally, a true Parisian, she fell in love with Australia and emigrated to Sydney 20 years ago.

Gordon Bull

Gordon is currently VP of the Alliance Française de Canberra. He is an art historian and retired academic. He has a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney, both with First Class Honours. He taught art history and theory in Australian universities for over thirty years, principally at the School of Art and Design at Australian National University (ANU) where for ten years he was Head of the Art Theory Workshop, and for seven years the Head of School. He is now a Member of the Emeritus Faculty of the ANU.

Gordon has been a member of the executive and treasurer and membership secretary of the Art Association of Australia and New Zealand (AAANZ), and a member of the executive, secretary and chair of the Australian Council of University Art and Design Schools (ACUADS).

Gordon is a dual British/Australian Citizen.

Fiona Mcintosh

Fiona has worked in the visual arts for over 20 years, across both the public and private sectors.

She advises private and corporate clients on collecting art; provides independent strategic advice to arts organisations to support their core activities; develops and guides bespoke private art tours for international tourists and local collectors, as well as produces a podcast Fine Art Fiona: conversations with artists, curators, gallerists and benefactors. Fiona is on the Management Committee of Gallery Lane Cove.

Fiona holds an MA (Arts Admin) College of Fine Arts University of NSW, and a Grad Cert Business Studies, Philanthropy & Nonprofit Studies, Queensland University of Technology.

Born in Sydney, Fiona is a “true blue” Australian.

Elsa Atkin AM

Elsa is the Founder and Director of the annual Sawmillers Sculpture exhibition in North Sydney.

Elsa has over forty years of experience in working in art and cultural organisations including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Australian Council for the Arts. She had been the Executive Director of the National Trust of Australia (NSW) for 12 years.

She has served on many boards, including the SH Ervin Gallery and the NSW State Library Council and has participated in many art and cultural panels/committees, including the Salon des Refuse selection panel or the NSW Parliamentary Plein Air Photography Prize.

Elsa is Iraq born and Australian Citizen.

Julia Gao

Julia has a background in finance and management consulting, and for over 20 years has advised high net worth individuals and family offices globally on wealth management and private investments while based in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Switzerland.

She holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Diploma of Languages (French) from the University of Sydney, and a Master of Business Administration from the Universities of Sydney and NSW.

Julia was a director of the Italian Opera Foundation Australia from 2017 to 2022, and was a director of the Sydney Executive Lions Club from 2011 to 2016.

Julia is an Australian citizen of Chinese background.