ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb has welcomed the appointment of Ian Oppermann (pictured left) as a commissioner and the reappointment of commissioner Anna Brakey (pictured right), both for five-year terms starting 10 December 2025.
The appointments come as the ACCC steps up its work on competition and consumer protection in banking and financial services, including payment services, digital platforms, and the Consumer Data Right.
Oppermann has more than 30 years’ experience in the information and communication technology sector and deep knowledge of data, broadband enabled services, and technology.
He recently served as the data standards chair for digital ID and Consumer Data Right (CDR) and was previously the NSW government’s inaugural chief data scientist. He has also held senior management roles in Europe and Australia and is a non-executive director of Standards Australia.
He is co-founder of ServiceGen, an industry professor at the University of Technology Sydney, and a long-time digital economy thought leader, having co-authored more than 120 papers and held senior roles at Nokia, CSIRO, and multiple deep‑tech start-ups.
“I am excited to welcome Ian to the ACCC, where we look forward to drawing on his technological and data acumen including around the use of AI in Government,” Cass-Gottlieb said. “Ian is a respected thought leader in the digital economy. His contributions will be invaluable in helping to drive innovation at the ACCC and our data-driven approach to regulation.”
Oppermann holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of London and a PhD in Mobile Telecommunications from the University of Sydney.
Brakey is a significant contributor to the ACCC’s work with a focus on infrastructure regulation, particularly energy and telecommunications, and promoting competition in essential services.
She has over 25 years' experience in the public and private sectors, including senior positions at the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (NSW). She also worked as an economist in the private sector.
Appointed an ACCC commissioner in December 2020, she is also an associate member of the Australian Communications and Media Authority and, since March 2022, an associate member of the New Zealand Commerce Commission, having previously held senior economic and policy roles at IPART, Frontier Economics, the Productivity Commission and other government agencies.
“I am delighted that Anna will remain with us for a further term so we can continue to benefit from her deep knowledge and expertise in infrastructure regulation,” Cass-Gottlieb said. “The ACCC will continue to be well served by Anna’s commitment to transparency, high-quality analysis and meaningful engagement with stakeholders.”
Brakey will continue to play a key role as chair of the ACCC’s infrastructure and communications committee and the energy markets board. She also serves as deputy chair of the water and agriculture committee and holds a Bachelor of Economics from the Australian National University and a Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance and Investment.
Oppermann’s appointment fills a position left vacant following the decision of ACCC commissioner Peter Crone not to seek a further term. Crone will finish with the ACCC on 9 December 2025.
“I am deeply grateful for Peter’s many significant contributions as a commissioner,” Cass-Gottlieb said. “I have valued, and the agency has greatly benefitted from, his trademark economic, policy and commercial insights and expertise across many of our most complex programs and projects.
“Peter has made important contributions to many aspects of the ACCC’s work, including the Consumer Data Right and digital ID programs, the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Forum, and our childcare inquiry. We wish him well for his future endeavours.”
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