Sir Mahesh Patel, OBE
Chairman, CPL Foundation
Sir Mahesh has been serving Papua New Guinea for nearly four decades. He started as a pharmacist and then as a maverick entrepreneur, co-founding what is now PNG’s largest and leading retailer, CPL Group in 1987. His influence is evident in many public, private and community entities such as the PNG Red Cross, Kumul Telikom Holdings Limited, 2015 Pacific Games, Ginigoada Foundation and the Buk Bilong Pikinini (BBP) community libraries, orphanages and countless community organisations. A celebrated business leader, he was recognised for his contribution to commerce and communities with a Knight Bachelor award in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours List. He has since resigned from his post as Managing Director of the Group and continues his passion as Chairman for the CPL Foundation championing causes close to CPL Group’s ethos.
Stephanie Copus Campbell, AM
Director, CPL Foundation
Stephanie Copus Campbell is the Executive Director of the Papua New Guinean (PNG) Oil Search (Santos) Foundation which implements annual programs focused on health, leadership and education, and women’s empowerment and protection. She is currently serving as a technical expert to the PNG Minister of Health and HIV and the PNG Police Commissioner/Pandemic Controller on COVID-19 vaccination.
Stephanie is the PNG Government appointed chair of the Southern Highlands Provincial Health Authority Board which is responsible for governing all health service delivery in one of PNG’s most populated provinces and is an adviser to the Hela Provincial Health Authority Board.
Eunice Parua
Director, CPL Foundation
Ms Parua made history for Papua New Guinea as the youngest lawyer to make partner at a law firm: Leahy Lewin Lowing Sullivan Lawyers. Her fledgling board experience began with the CPL Group as a Trainee Director in 2019. She is also a board observer for growing banking group, Kina Bank. She is a full member of the PNG Law Society, and the Papua New Guinea Women Lawyers Association. She is also the co-founder of Lawyers4Literacy, a rural literacy advocacy organization.
Robert Guba Aisi, OBE
Director, CPL Foundation
Robert has nearly 40 years’ experience working in law and as a diplomatic representative for the Government of Papua New Guinea internationally. Prior to leaving Government service, Robert held the post of Papua New Guinea (PNG) Ambassador to the United Nations, based in New York. He held this important role for 13 years from June 2002 to July 2015.
Most recently, Robert was the Executive Manager for Public & Government Affairs at ExxonMobil (PNG) Limited from December 2015 to 31st of July 2020.
Robert’s work has been acknowledged with awards including the Order of the British Empire (OBE) from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, the Ordre National de Legionne d’Honneur awarded by the Government of the Republic of France and the Papua New Guinea Independence Medal, awarded on the 20th Anniversary in 1995.