The Hon Gabrielle Upton FAICD
Non-Executive Director
Board Committee Chair
Strategic Advisor
Former Senior Government Minister
Deputy Chancellor
Harvard Business School
2024 UNSW Trailblazer Awardee
Explore More
Biography
Gabrielle Upton is a respected board director and former senior Cabinet Minister with international commercial experience and a proven record of leadership across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. She has extensive experience in governance, risk management and stakeholder engagement, with deep expertise in highly regulated environments. Gabrielle is recognised for delivering strategic financial outcomes, transformative growth strategies and multi-million-dollar projects while navigating competing stakeholder objectives.
Gabrielle is a Board Advisory Committee Member of ASX:200 PEXA Group Limited and a Non-executive Director of The Florey Institute of Neuroscience, The Australian Olympic Committee Investment Management Services and O’Connell Street Associates, an independent director group. She is a Strategic Advisor at leading global law firm King & Wood Mallesons and Proto Axiom, a medical biotechnology investment incubator. Gabrielle serves on the UNSW Law and Justice Faculty Advisory Council and mentors elite sports women through the Minerva Network.
As a board member and advisor, Gabrielle brings strategic, innovative and clear thinking and a strong sense of accountability. Her approach is grounded in collaboration, good governance and a commitment to long-term value creation.
From 2011 to 2023, Gabrielle was a Senior Minister in the NSW Government including as the first female NSW Attorney General, Minister for the Environment, Local Government and Heritage, Minister for Family and Community Services, Minister for Sport and Recreation and on the Cabinet Infrastructure Committee. She was Deputy Chancellor of the University of New South Wales from 2006 until 2009.
Gabrielle started her career as a commercial lawyer with Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer and as a banker in New York City with Deutsche Bank and Toronto-Dominion Bank delivering strategic financial outcomes for energy sector clients including through credit and syndicated debt. She was Legal Counsel and Senior Policy Adviser at the Australian Institute of Company Directors and appointed to the Federal Government’s Corporate Markets and Advisory Committee.
Gabrielle has a BA LLB from the University of New South Wales, an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business and graduated from Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Royal Society of New South Wales and a Member of Chief Executive Women Australia. Gabrielle received a 2024 UNSW Women Trailblazer Award in recognition of her achievements across business, government and community.
Significant
Senior Executive Achievements
Significant Senior Executive Achievements
New South Wales Government Ministries (2011 – 2023)
First female Attorney General ($12B budget, 54,000 people) – Led comprehensive justice system process redesign and capital investment strategy, regulatory oversight and intergovernmental reform initiatives
Minister for the Environment ($8B budget, 36,000 people), for Heritage & for Local Government – Led environmental strategy across biodiversity, water, forestry, waste management and circular economy and regulatory oversight of environmental systems
Minister for Family & Community Services ($6B budget, 27,000 people) – Led social housing and services strategy and regulatory oversight of child protection system
Cabinet Infrastructure Committee ($106B public infrastructure portfolio) – Strategic oversight of the Government’s major infrastructure portfolio across transport, roads and health sectors including budget, delivery timelines, risk mitigation, project governance and stakeholder coordination
These roles required a specific set of high-level responsibilities and leadership skills, including:
- Transformational Strategy – Led strategic planning and oversaw execution by multiple Government Departments and Agencies
- Capital Allocation and Budget Oversight – Secured $B budgets through competitive processes and maintained rigorous expenditure monitoring across Departments and Agencies
- Public-Private Sector Delivery – Achieved state-wide outcomes through private sector and Government collaboration
- Risk Assessment and Mitigation – Oversaw systematic risk identification, analysis and implemented mitigation measures for operational, financial and reputational exposure
- Stakeholder Engagement – Managed strategic relationships with key stakeholders across complex, high-profile initiatives
- Crisis and Reputational Management – Led organisational response to critical issues while maintaining public trust
Return and Earn: National Circular Economy Model
Delivered Australia’s first container deposit scheme addressing 160 million beverage containers entering the waste stream annually, establishing a financially sustainable circular economy model then adopted nationwide.
Strategic Architecture:
- Structured an innovative public-private partnership with ASX:100 Cleanaway and TOMRA, establishing market-based financial exchange mechanisms with major beverage companies as scheme coordinators
- Designed a scalable network of 600+ automated collection points creating a state-wide reverse supply chain
- Engineered a multi-party revenue model integrating material recovery facilities and local council kerbside systems, aligning stakeholder economic incentives
Impact: Delivered 15B recycled containers, $82M charitable contributions, and created a replicable national infrastructure model demonstrating viable circular economy at scale.¹
1. as at 13 October 2025
Social Housing Portfolio Transformation
Led the strategic repositioning of the NSW social housing portfolio, converting legacy assets into fit-for-purpose housing infrastructure while trebling capacity and reducing systemic waiting lists.
Strategic Execution:
- Directed high-value asset divestment strategy including the landmark Sirius building and Miller’s Point portfolio sales, capturing maximum asset value in prime Sydney locations
- Orchestrated a capital recycling program delivering 3x housing capacity expansion through strategic reinvestment in modern developments across metropolitan and regional markets
- Navigated significant institutional opposition including local government objections, union campaigns and legal challenges while maintaining strategic momentum and stakeholder confidence
- Implemented state-wide portfolio repositioning including at Warwick Farm, St Marys, Gosford, and Tweed Heads
Enterprise Value: Transformed the State’s social housing portfolio from legacy constraint to strategic asset, materially reducing waiting lists while improving tenant outcomes and long-term asset productivity.
Research & Development Strategy: Economic Diversification
Initiated and delivered the State’s inaugural R&D strategy, Turning Ideas into Jobs, securing $500M in capital to accelerate commercialization infrastructure and position NSW in emerging technology sectors.
Strategic Framework:
- Established the economic case for a dedicated R&D investment framework, building whole-of-government consensus and securing stakeholder commitment
- Convened an advisory council of national industry leaders to inform strategy development and market validation
- Negotiated a $500M capital allocation and establishment of new statutory R&D agency with an ongoing operational mandate
- Directed a $96M RNA pilot manufacturing facility (operated by US-based Myeloid Therapeutics), establishing strategic infrastructure in the high-growth biotechnology sector
- Deployed $119M across research commercialisation initiatives and challenge-based innovation programs
Impact: Established sustainable R&D infrastructure and funding mechanisms positioning NSW for long-term participation in global technology markets and emerging industry sectors.
Justice System Modernization: Institutional Reform
Directed comprehensive justice system transformation through capital investment, technology integration and process redesign, supporting victim participation in legal proceedings.
Strategic Initiatives:
- Deployed capital across specialised court infrastructure including secure victim facilities, court redesign and technology platforms enabling remote participation at scale
- Launched Child Sexual Assault Pilot introducing an accredited ‘Children’s Champions’ specialist model, reducing case processing times while improving child welfare outcomes
- Enhanced Apprehended Domestic Violence Order (ADVO) capabilities through national enforcement mechanisms and pre-recorded evidence protocols, reducing victim court exposure while maintaining procedural integrity
Institutional Impact: Delivered permanent infrastructure, technology, and procedural reforms adopted state-wide, materially improving victim experience and system efficiency while strengthening institutional legitimacy and public confidence.