Ronan Macsweeney
Candidate statement:
Head of Legal and Company Secretary at BaptistCare, a leading charity in the not-for-profit sector, my career has seen me work across the profession: including in government, private practice and other in-house corporate roles - giving me a balanced perspective of the issues and stresses different practitioners face.
As current Chair of the Law Society’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and with the support of a hard-working committee, we’ve led key initiatives to promote a more equitable, safe and inclusive profession. These include the development of the Law Society’s Charter for the Advancement of Women in the Legal Profession and the publication of the Law Society’s Workplace Guide and Model Discrimination and Harassment Policies. Most recently I’ve championed the establishment of a Court Users Group to address systemic issues that lawyers-with-disabilities encounter in navigating our courts. I have also worked on initiatives to promote and celebrate cultural diversity within our profession.
Prior to my current corporate role, I was a Deputy General Counsel at Transport for NSW for a number of years, giving me the opportunity to work with a wide range of people across metropolitan Sydney and regional NSW. Before joining the NSW Public Service I worked as an in-house corporate lawyer at an ASX top-50 listed company, following more than a decade in private practice.
I will advocate for the continued promotion of a mentally healthy, supportive and safe profession, and the expansion of a law reform advocacy agenda on access to justice.
I also believe there are positive opportunities for practitioner colleagues, both personally and professionally, to embrace the future of the profession post-pandemic by building on the opportunities it has presented for positive change, including to:
• Enliven change - recognising the efficiencies that have arisen post pandemic and advocating for systems that will embed this change such as online hearings, flexible working, hybrid meetings etc
• Empower lawyers - continuing to promote a mentally healthy, supportive and safe working environment, while providing lawyers at each stage of their career with the skills to be the best practitioners they can be to progress, including mental health support and training, needs-based training, succession support, business skills (eg. marketing & modern practice management) and
• Enhance technology as a tool for success - developing a technology native legal profession sensitive to the needs of our diverse profession, including removing geographic barriers and lessening professional isolation through technology, utilising social media for business advantage, and remaining competitive in a tech-based environment
To help us ensure we have a collegiate and inclusive profession, equipped to embrace the future, I am seeking election with a group of lawyers who share these values.
To find out more about us, please visit our website at www.councilelections.com.au - where you can also find links to connect with us on Facebook and Linkedin. We welcome your questions and suggestions.
When you receive the invitation to vote by email on Tuesday 27 September, please take a moment to vote for:
• Jennifer Ball
• Angelo Bilias
• Anthony Gordon
• Ronan MacSweeney
• James Skelton
• Jade Tyrrell
If you prefer to vote using the ballot paper when it arrives over the coming days, please vote for the above using the “How to Vote” on our website.
Thank you for all you do to build our profession and support our community!
ronan.macsweeney@councilelections.com.au