Executive Profile

The director who asks the hard questions. The operator who has answered them.

Chris Bennecke is a Non-Executive Director and governance leader for listed, private, public sector and not-for-profit organisations across Australia and Europe. He is known for strengthening governance frameworks, sharpening Board reporting, and enabling risk-informed clarity for confident strategic decisions.

Credibility was earned on both sides of the table — most recently leading an organisation through crisis and out the other side to record results.

Chris has full professional proficiency in English and German.

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Chris BenneckeSydney, NSW

Current & Recent Appointments

Entity	Appointment	Sector	Tenure
Allambie Heights Village Ltd Sydney, NSW – Residential Aged Care	Non-Executive Director	Residential & Aged Care	2018 — Present
Suhner Australia Pty Ltd Sydney, NSW · Swiss-owned industrial technology group	Non-Executive Director	Industrial & Manufacturing	2018 — Present
Equestrian Australia Sydney, NSW · National governing body	Non-Executive Director	National Sport	2023 — 2025

Detailed board references available on request.

Areas of Expertise

Where Chris adds Board-Level Value

Governance, Risk & Compliance

Enterprise GRC strategy and ERM framework design that gives Boards a clear, risk-informed line of sight.

Internal Audit & Assurance

AI driven audit transformation, risk-based methodologies, and continuous monitoring built on data-driven assurance.

Board & Committee Advisory

Trusted counsel to Boards and Audit & Risk Committees across listed, private, and public sector organisations.

Turnaround & Crisis Leadership

Full P&L accountability and commercial recovery under genuine operational and financial pressure.

Fraud & Forensic Review

Multi-million-dollar fraud investigations and sensitive forensic reviews that protect financial integrity and reputation.

PPP & Stakeholder Relations

Public–private partnership structuring and government relations across complex, multi-party environments.

Board Value Proposition

Beyond Audit & Risk

Chris brings a unique combination of strategic insight, enterprise risk expertise, and operational leadership experience. He gained it across listed, private, multinational, public sector, as well as not-for-profit organisations. His value extends well beyond traditional Audit & Risk oversight.

Strategic Board Contributor

Strategic challenge grounded in executive and board experience: is the strategy still relevant, executable, and aligned to the market.

ESG & Emerging Governance

Contemporary perspective on ESG governance, assurance, and reporting obligations, alongside AI governance and organisational resilience.

Cross-Sector & International Perspective

Australian and European governance experience across industries: independent judgement, and complex organisations understood from day one.

Operator & Director

Led organisations through disruption and turnaround, with the management credibility that comes from implementation, not observation.

Trusted Boardroom Presence

Known for balanced judgement, integrity, and fairness. Builds trust across boards, committees, and executive teams while retaining the courage to challenge when necessary.

Executive Career Experience

From the Boardroom to the Operating Floor

"Assumed full executive leadership with end-to-end P&L accountability — and led a full operational and financial recovery within three months, delivering record sales performance while restoring stakeholder confidence."

Principal

CB Advisory Services

2016 — Present · Sydney, NSW

Chris works with organisations to get governance right. He designs frameworks, risk roadmaps and assurance strategies, advises Boards and executives on risk oversight and controls, and conducts reviews that strengthen resilience and compliance. He also mentors directors and executives to build governance capability that lasts.

Interim Managing Director

Suhner Australia Pty Ltd

2022 — 2023 · Sydney, NSW

Chris stepped into executive leadership of the Australia/New Zealand division amid crisis — departing leaders, falling revenue, and a fire that destroyed half the inventory. Within three months the business had fully recovered, posting record monthly and annual sales. He managed the crisis, the global supply chain recovery and the insurance negotiations, while rebuilding the leadership team and redesigning sales remuneration.

Head of Risk & Internal Audit

InvoCare (ASX Listed)

2007 — 2016 · Sydney, NSW

Chris established and led the Internal Audit and Risk function for a listed company with global operations. He built a data-driven, continuously monitored audit approach, conducted up to 90 reviews a year across dispersed sites, and led multi-million-dollar fraud investigations that protected the company's financial position and integrity. He also elevated risk reporting to the Board and its Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee, giving directors a clear, current view of the control environment.

Senior Manager → Partner

Berliner Beratungsdienste

2002 — 2005 · Berlin, Germany

Chris directed $1.2 billion in facility management engagements across 450+ public sector buildings for a strategic advisory consultancy specialising in public-private partnerships and infrastructure transformation. The delivery models he created became privatisation benchmarks, identifying around $240 million in projected savings over 15 years.