Executive Team
LGP’s executive team brings deep procurement experience and long-standing industry knowledge, with each leader offering a high level of expertise to support informed, effective decision-making.
Executive Team
Luke Kenny, Chief Executive Officer
Luke Kenny is the Chief Executive Officer of Local Government Procurement, a role he has held since 2016. With more than 25 years of senior executive experience across the public sector, not-for-profit sector and private industry, he brings specialist expertise in procurement strategy, market development and sector capability building.
Before joining LGP, Luke was CEO of Australia’s largest not-for-profit buying group, supporting more than 5,000 charities, and spent 10 years in senior executive roles within the NSW Procurement and the Department of Commerce, where he managed multi-billion-dollar client portfolios.
He is a regular contributor to procurement forums and industry panels, and is recognised for his thought leadership on the evolving role of public procurement in delivering community outcomes.
Luke holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, an MBA, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is also MCIPS-qualified and is currently completing a Juris Doctor postgraduate law degree.
Executive Team
Nik Auzins, Director of Procurement
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Tincidunt laoreet risus integer arcu sapien est sociis tempus. Libero phasellus lectus quis tincidunt non. Tempus velit facilisi lorem etiam tincidunt in luctus id. Ridiculus erat massa.
Executive Team
Margret Szanto, Director of Strategic Procurement Services
Margret Szanto is Director of Strategic Procurement Solutions at Local Government Procurement (LGP), bringing more than 30 years of procurement experience and 20 years of service with the organisation.
She leads the Strategic Procurement Solutions team, supporting councils with complex operational and strategic procurement needs and providing trusted advice across local government, informed by experience across legal, security, office supplies and digital information distribution sectors.
At an executive level, Margret is the sponsor of LGP’s Sustainability Strategic Pillar and Reconciliation Action Plan, helping embed ethical, sustainable and inclusive procurement across the organisation and the sector.
Margret is a Fellow of World Commerce & Contracting (WCC) and a strong advocate for developing future leaders and for positioning procurement as a respected, purpose-driven profession that creates lasting public value.
Executive Team
Emma Murray, Director of Corporate Services
Emma Murray brings more than 25 years of experience across local government, public sector peak bodies and business service delivery to her role as Director of Corporate Services at Local Government Procurement (LGP).
She has been with LGP since 2006 and has played a central role in the organisation’s growth from its early foundations into a leading procurement and capability partner for NSW local government. Emma oversees corporate services, including IT, data and business intelligence, finance, marketing, events, organisational support and training, and also serves as Company Secretary for the LGP and Australian Academy of Transformative Education (AATE) Boards.
Prior to joining LGP, Emma held roles at Local Government NSW, the peak body representing NSW local government. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds an MBA, bringing strong governance, business acumen and leadership capability to her role.
Executive Team
Michelle Despas, Director of People & Culture
Bringing more than 25 years of experience to her role as Director, People & Culture, Michelle Despas has led people and culture initiatives across local government, state government, not‑for‑profit, and private sector organisations, including aviation, hospitality, tourism, healthcare, and procurement. With over nine years tenure, Michelle has grown in her role from strategic HR and organisational development advisor, before taking up the role of Director in 2022, where she applies deep experience in organisational development and culture.
As a strategic HR leader, Michelle is known for aligning people strategy with business outcomes. Her focus is on organisational development, leadership capability, and workplace culture, with a strong emphasis on psychological safety and wellbeing. Drawing on a broad generalist background, she combines strategic insight with hands‑on operational expertise to navigate complex and highly regulated environments.
As a qualified Nutritionist, Michelle takes a holistic approach to corporate wellness, integrating health, wellbeing, and psychosocial safety into leadership practices and organisational culture to support long‑term resilience, engagement, and high performance.