Peggy O'Neal

Peggy has a Bachelor of Arts from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia. She also has a Diploma in Superannuation Management from Macquarie University. In December 2018, she was made an Honorary Doctor of Laws by Swinburne University for her work in gender equality and developing sport leaders. In June 2019, Peggy was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for her services to Australian rules football, financial services law and women in leadership roles. Peggy has specialised in superannuation and financial services law for more than 25 years and has been a consultant to Lander and Rogers since 2011. She was previously a partner at Herbert Smith Freehills from 1995-2009. Peggy has been president of the Richmond Football Club since October 2013, having served on the Club's board since 2005. She is the first woman to be president of an AFL club and, in 2017, the Richmond Football Club won the premiership for the first time in 37 years. In April 2018, Peggy was appointed by the AFL as one of the 12 members of its inaugural Competition Committee which advises the AFL Commission on issues regarding the design and future of the AFL competition. In August 2014 she was appointed to chair the Victorian Minister for Sport's year-long Inquiry into 'Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation' and until June 2018 was convenor of the Minister's Change Our Game Champions program. In August 2017, Peggy was appointed to Victoria's Ministerial Council on Women's Equality. In June 2019, she was appointed to the AIS Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement Advisory Committee. In September 2014 Peggy was named as one of the Financial Review/Westpac 100 Women of Influence and as one of the Women's Weekly 50 Most Powerful Women in Australia. Peggy is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is also a member of Chief Executive Women and the Melbourne Forum.