Worked under Belinda while at RMS. Her understanding, knowledge, professionalism and interpersonal skills were second to none. Great manager and person!

Belinda brought all her skills and abilities to the table as Senior Manager of TfNSW Prosecutions. Through exemplary leading and transparency, she always managed to keep the team motivated. She brought out the best in her team and built on each individuals strengths. Through her innovation and ability to handle complex situations, the team was constantly achieving goals and excellent court outcomes. She is also a great mentor, who provides invaluable guidance and advice. Working with Belinda was an excellent opportunity that I am grateful to have gotten.

Belinda is an exceptional senior executive who delivers strong results with an inherent people-focused approach.I was very fortunate to have Belinda as a member of the Compliance Senior Leadership Team in Transport for NSW. Bel headed up Transport’s prosecutions team and brought her extensive legal and prosecution experience to the role. Bel’s innate leadership style helped transform the unit into a cohesive, high performing team of professionals. Bel has an inclusive, people-focused and engaging leadership approach which builds trust, camaraderie and loyalty. In addition to her strong leadership capabilities, Bel excels at strategic planning, able to clearly establish and articulate the vision for her team. Coupled with Belinda’s expertise in strategy is her ability to put the plan into practice, via a well honed change management approach.

I had the pleasure of working with Belinda for just over a year at Transport for NSW in the Prosecutions unit, collaborating on several projects. Belinda’s ability to juggle multiple projects was unlike any I’ve seen before and this made a dramatic difference in the productivity level of our team. If I had the opportunity to work with Belinda again I would jump at it in a heart beat. She was one amazing leader with so much drive and talent.

I had the pleasure of working with Belinda on a complex and novel project to establish an entirely new national prosecution practice, including its subsequent day-to-day management. This demanding role involved overseeing high-volume summary matters across multiple state and territory jurisdictions, alongside high-profile indictable cases. Belinda consistently delivered with poise, efficiency, and diligence, ensuring outcomes were on time, on budget, and highly effective. She is not only an exceptionally skilled lawyer and enthusiastic leader but also demonstrates genuine compassion for her staff and for the victims of crime. I cannot commend her highly enough.

I’ve had the privilege of working closely with Belinda Hughes during her time as Executive Director Legal at the ICAC in Papua New Guinea, and I can honestly say she is one of the most capable and principled legal professionals I’ve worked with. Belinda joined ICAC during a particularly intense and complex period—helping to stand up a brand-new anti-corruption agency in a politically charged environment. From day one, she brought clarity, structure, and a deep commitment to integrity. Her ability to cut through complexity, provide sound legal advice, and navigate the tricky intersection of law, politics, and public interest has been absolutely critical to our success. What sets Belinda apart isn’t just her technical legal expertise (which is exceptional), but her leadership and calm under pressure. She leads with quiet confidence, is incredibly thoughtful in her approach, and never loses sight of what’s right—even when the stakes are high. Belinda has played a pivotal role in shaping the legal framework of the ICAC, advising on major investigations, high-stakes litigation, and the development of new legislation. She’s also been a steady voice of reason and ethics in some very difficult moments. Anyone lucky enough to work with Belinda will find someone who is deeply intelligent, highly ethical, and completely committed to the public good. She has my full support and recommendation—wherever she goes next, she’ll add incredible value.

Belinda is a great lawyer. Always offers practical advice. We had many robust discussions which I appreciated and exactly what a decision maker should expect. Best of luck with the new venture.