The partner will be the first woman to head up a major regulatory body, the firm says
Gilbert +Tobin (G+T) competition veteran Gina Cass-Gottlieb has been named the new chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg made the announcement earlier today. Cass-Gottlieb succeeds outgoing chair Rod Sims.
“This appointment is an enormous tribute to both Gina and to G+T. As the first woman to lead a major regulatory body such as the ACCC, her appointment confirms Josh Frydenberg’s commitment to diversity and the empowerment of women in the economic leadership of Australia. We warmly congratulate Gina and share with her the joy of her appointment,” G+T managing partner Danny Gilbert said.
Cass-Gottlieb has been a staple of the firm’s competition and regulation offering, having launched the team in the early 1990s. Over more than two decades, she has lent her expertise to the biggest, most contentious and complex merger clearance matters across Australia and New Zealand.
She is a renowned expert in financial services regulation, and has acted for financial institutions and industry associations. She has appeared before ACCC, APRA, ASIC and AUSTRAC.
In 2013, Cass-Gottlieb was elected to the payments system board of the Reserve Bank of Australia by the Commonwealth Treasurer. She was re-appointed to the role in 2018, and was also named to the Financial Regulator Assessment Authority.
She officially steps up as ACCC chair on 21 March 2022.
“Gina’s brilliance, dedication and hard work will be greatly missed. Under her guidance, she has developed the competition and regulation group to be the biggest and best in the country and has been an incredible mentor to many in the G+T team. This is a wonderful appointment for Gina and the ACCC,” G+T partner Elizabeth Avery said.
