Robert Kaye SC
LLB, LLM
Chairman & Independent Non-executive Director
Audit and Risk Committee member
People, Culture and Nominations Committee member
Robert Kaye SC is a barrister, mediator and professional Non-executive Director. Recognised for his strategic and commercially focused advice, Robert has acted for various commercial enterprises – both public and private – across retail, FMCG, property development, mining, engineering sectors and media.
Drawing on his experience as a senior member of the NSW Bar, including serving on the Professional Conduct Committee and Equal Opportunity Committee, Robert has a strong emphasis on Board governance and is well versed in Board processes. Robert has significant cross-border experience, including corporate restructuring, and mergers and acquisitions across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Australia and New Zealand region.
In addition to his role as Non-executive Chair of Collins Foods, Robert is a Non-executive Director of Magontec Limited and FAR Limited. He was formerly Non-executive Chair of Spicers Limited and Non-executive Director of Electro Optic Systems Holdings Limited, UGL Limited, HT&E Limited and the Chair of the Macular Disease Foundation Australia.
Xavier Simonet
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer
Xavier is a highly experienced global CEO and Managing Director, with a proven track record of formulating and implementing strategic plans across multi-site retail operations. He has successfully grown sales and profitability across multiple geographies and brings diversity of experience across a range of sectors and companies. Xavier has a global mindset and a track record of delivering operational performance, leading business transformation and executing mergers and acquisitions.
Prior to joining Collins Foods, Xavier was the Chief Executive Officer of Austrade – the Australian Government agency responsible for the promotion of international trade and investment within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) portfolio – where he successfully partnered with government and businesses to grow Australian business globally.
Previously he was Group CEO and Managing Director of ASX-listed Kathmandu Holdings for six years, where he managed growth and diversification of the Kathmandu, Rip Curl and Oboz brands. Prior to that he was CEO of Radley London and spent four years at Seafolly Group where he was International Director. Earlier in his career Mr Simonet held various management roles over 11 years with Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) in Europe, Asia and Australia.
Xavier speaks English and French and has studied German.
Nicki Anderson
B. Business (Marketing), MBA, FAICD
Independent Non-executive Director
People, Culture and Nominations Committee Chair
Nicki has over 25 years’ experience working in Oceania, Asia, Europe and America and has hands on leadership experience in strategy, sales, marketing, customer experience and innovation within the food, beverage, consumer goods and agribusiness sectors. Her leadership roles include Vice President Innovation at Cadbury Schweppes Americas (Dr Pepper Snapple) based in New York, Marketing & Innovation Director for Coca Cola Amatil and McCain Foods, and CEO for Powerforce, DemoPlus, Artel and Retail Facts.
Nicki is currently a Non-executive Director and Chair of the Remuneration & Nomination Committee for Craig Mostyn Group and Geraldton Fishermen’s Co-Operative, Deputy Chair and Chair of the Nomination Committee for Australian Made Campaign Limited, and Non-executive Director for Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. Nicki is also an Advisory Board Member for NSW Tourism & Visitor Economy Policy Committee. She was previously a Non-executive Director, and Chair of the Remuneration & Nomination Committee for ASX listed GrainCorp Limited and is a former Chair and Member of the Monash University Advisory Board for the Marketing faculty.
Nigel Clark
BSc, PGDipL, Solicitor (NSW) (Eng&Wales)
Independent Non-executive Director
Audit and Risk Committee member
A qualified lawyer in both Australia and the United Kingdom, Nigel spent almost 20 years advising on cross border finance, restructuring, and mergers and acquisitions. He lived and worked in Australia, Asia and Europe. He now consults to businesses along the Australia/Asia Pacific/Europe/UK axis and sits on boards.
Nigel started his career as a solicitor in the City of London and was an associate and partner with Minter Ellison in Sydney, London, Beijing and Hong Kong.
More recently, Nigel has built and led 2 professional services businesses. He co-founded and managed Peregrine Law in the UK, which was acquired by Nexa in January 2020, where he served as CEO until 2024 (he remains on the board as a non-executive shareholder director).
Mark Hawthorne
B. Financial Administration, CA, GAICD
Independent Non-executive Director
Audit and Risk Committee member
People, Culture and Nominations Committee member
Mark has extensive experience as an executive, that has lead franchisee centric brands in different scenarios including start up, founder led, large multi-national, private equity ownership in different countries and cultures around the World. His more than 28 years of retail and franchising experience has been gained as the CEO and executive director of Guzman y Gomez from 2015 to 2020 and prior to that, leading McDonalds in various markets including the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the Middle East and Africa.
Mark achieved his Chartered Accountant qualification in 1997 and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Christine Holman
PGDipBA, MBA, GAICD
Independent Non-executive Director
Audit and Risk Committee Chair
Christine is a non-executive director with over 35 years of experience across media, property, industrial, infrastructure and technology sectors. She is on the Boards of two ASX companies, AGL Limited and Collins Foods Limited, one private company, Indara Pty Ltd, which is a joint venture between Australian Super and Singtel.
Christine also sits on the Boards of not-for-profit organisations, which include the State Library of New South Wales Foundation, the McGrath Foundation and recently appointed to the Football Australia Board.
In her previous executive capacity as both CFO and commercial director of Telstra Broadcast Services, Christine brings a deep understanding of legacy and emerging technologies and digital transformations. During her time in private investment management, Christine assisted management and the Board of
investee companies on strategy development, mergers and acquisitions, leading due diligence teams, managing large complex commercial negotiations, and developing growth opportunities.
Christine has an MBA and Post-Graduate Diploma in Management from Macquarie University and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) including a member of the AICD’s Corporate Governance Committee.
Kevin Perkins
MBA
Non-executive Officer
People, Culture and Nominations Committee member
Kevin is a highly experienced executive in the quick service restaurant and casual dining segments of the Australian restaurant industry. He has had more than 40 years’ experience with the Collins Foods Group, having overseen its growth both domestically and overseas over that time.
Kevin is the Non-executive Chair of Sizzler USA Acquisition, Inc. Sizzler USA Acquisition, Inc operates or franchises Sizzler restaurants across the United States and Puerto Rico.