'Over-declaring’ would have been better, UOW executive tells ICAC

Lucinda Wright says appointments were made on merit despite acknowledging a perceived conflict of interest in the recruitment process.

Jun 23, 2026

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A University of Wollongong executive has acknowledged she should have “over-declared” a conflict of interest after NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption’s Operation Scandi inquiry heard she exchanged messages with a job applicant before and after interviews for a senior governance role.

Questioning of University of Wollongong (UOW) Deputy University Secretary Lucinda Wright continued during the second day of the inquiry, with a significant focus on her role in recruitment processes that led to the appointment of former University of Sydney colleagues to governance positions at UOW.

Counsel Assisting the Commission, Emma Bathurst SC, spent much of the morning examining Ms Wright’s conflict of interest declaration relating to a recruitment panel for the Deputy Chief Governance Officer position at UOW in late 2023.

The inquiry heard that Ms Wright declared she had previously worked with applicants Dr Pei Shan Stacy Oon and Brenden Hooke at the University of Sydney.

However, Ms Bathurst questioned whether the declaration adequately reflected the extent of her ongoing relationship and communications with the candidates during the recruitment process.

Text messages tendered to the Commission showed Ms Wright and Dr Oon exchanged messages before and after interviews, discussing the recruitment process, interview performances and the possibility of working together at UOW in the future.

Ms Wright acknowledged the exchanges could create a perceived conflict of interest but maintained the appointments were made on merit.

The day before the interview, Ms Wright asked Dr Oon how she was feeling and discussed the interview arrangements.

On the day of the interview, she wished Dr Oon luck shortly before appearing on the interview panel.

Following the interviews, the pair exchanged messages about how candidates had performed, with Ms Wright congratulating Dr Oon and discussing aspects of Joey Chen’s interview responses.

Bathurst suggested the messages reflected an expectation that the pair could be working together at UOW in the future, a proposition Wright accepted, which may have been part of the discussion.

Under questioning, Ms Wright accepted that some of the communications could create the perception of a conflict of interest.

She acknowledged that “over-declaring” the nature of her relationship with Dr Oon may have been a better approach.

Ms Wright maintained the appointments were based on merit, telling the inquiry the successful candidates were “excellent employees” and that “if there was a candidate that came and blew me out of the water, then I would have selected them. There was not.”

Ms Bathurst also explored evidence of discussions between Ms Wright and the then Chief Governance Officer, Alyssa White, about a broader plan to recruit several former University of Sydney colleagues to UOW’s governance and policy team.

The Commission heard that Ms White had discussed a vision in 2023 involving Ms Wright, Dr Oon, Ms Chen and Brendan Hooke joining the university.

While acknowledging a perceived conflict of interest, Ms Wright maintained that the appointments were based on merit and that the successful candidates were chosen for their experience and performance during the recruitment process.

Under questioning from Commissioner Paul Lakatos SC, Wright said governance roles in universities are highly specialised and that UOW struggled to attract candidates with relevant governance experience.

She said many suitable candidates preferred Sydney-based universities because of higher pay and metropolitan locations.

The inquiry also heard Wright accepted a pay cut when she moved from the University of Sydney to UOW in 2023.

Later in the day, attention shifted to Ms Wright’s own recruitment and promotion opportunities at UOW.

The inquiry heard evidence about the assistance provided by Ms White during Ms Wright’s application process for the position of Deputy University Secretary, including feedback on her application materials, interview preparation and advice to “beef up” her CV.

Ms Wright acknowledged that, viewed in hindsight, clearer boundaries should have existed given Ms White’s involvement in selection processes.

Documents tendered suggested the Deputy University Secretary position was part of a broader governance restructure, although Ms White was already involved in discussions about the role and recruitment process before she formally started at UOW.

Michael O’Brien, counsel for Ms White, pointed to documents suggesting the Deputy University Secretary position formed part of a broader governance restructure rather than a role created specifically for Ms Wright. Wright said the documents indicated multiple people were involved in the decision and that it appeared to be part of a wider structural change.

The hearing is expected to run for approximately three weeks.

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