Governance

Vicki Baylis started her career as a classroom teacher and school principal in North Queensland, Australia. She then became Executive Director within the Queensland Department of Education, responsible for all government schools in the North Queensland Region. In 2010, Vicki transitioned to the Northern Territory (NT) Department of Education, where from 2016 she was Chief Executive. Vicki has also served on the governing body of James Cook University; was chair of the Australian Education Senior Officials Committee (AESOC); and chair of the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Education Advisory Group to AESOC. Her expertise includes the practical and pragmatic implementation of evidence-based approaches at scale.

Jenny Atta is the Secretary of the Victorian Department of Education and Training. Prior to this appointment, Jenny held a variety of senior leadership roles across the public sector, including with the Department of Treasury and Finance. Jenny was awarded a Public Service Medal in June 2021 for outstanding public service to strategic social policy reform and delivery in Victoria.

Tony Brennan is an experienced education and governance professional with demonstrated capability and 20+ years’ experience in chairman and independent director roles across listed, unlisted, government and not for profit boards. In 2015, he co-founded Australia’s education technology and innovation industry peak body which connects educators, education providers, government representatives, consultants, investors, and EdTech entrepreneurs, serving also as Director and Chair. He is also a former Adjunct Professor of Law at Murdoch University and corporate lawyer with Clayton Utz.

Tony Crehan is Executive Director Independent Schools Tasmania for 19 years. Tony has extensive business experience as management consultant and Chief Executive Officer, director, and chairman of public and private companies.

Lynn Davie has spent over forty years supporting and driving innovation and educational reform, as a teacher, school leader, and senior public servant. She is a highly regarded educator, who has been recognised locally and internationally for her work in learning and teaching and how to embed digital technologies to add value.

Jenny Johanson is an experienced non-Executive Director with strong focus on technology-enabled digital transformation and use of technology to improve and enhance organisations. She has significant experience in risk management strategies and practices to mitigate current and emerging risks, particularly regarding cyber security and digital operations. Jenny has executive leadership experience in national and global organisations, and over a decade of experience in substantial Audit and Risk Committee roles (member and Chair) in public, education, and for-purpose sectors and is the Chair of ESA’s Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.

Liz Johnson is Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education at Deakin University leading the education mission of the university. Liz trained as a research biochemist and has over 30 years’ experience as a university educator and leader. Liz is an Australian National Teaching Fellow and a Principal Fellow of Advance HE (UK) and has led national projects supporting science curriculum development, work-integrated learning and outreach to schools.

Professor Linda Kristjanson is an experienced professional with a career spanning 40 years in governance, research strategy, and collaborative science. Professor Kristjanson is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering. Professor Kristjanson has served on various Boards and is currently the Chairperson of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre and has previously served as a Director of Universities Australia. Professor Kristjanson served as Vice-Chancellor and President of Swinburne University of Technology from 2011, retiring in August 2020.

Bret Morris is currently employed as Chief Digital Health Officer for the South Australian Department for Health and Wellbeing. Prior to this Mr Morris was the Chief Information Officer for the South Australian Government, responsible for increasing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the Government's usage of its IT assets.

Felicity Thomlinson is an experienced multi-disciplinary executive with a track record of starting and growing successful and award-winning businesses and channels in the digital space. She is currently Head of Growth at Typsy and has been involved in strategy, product development, training, marketing, and sales of many online products and services for over 20 years. Felicity joined the founder shortly after launch of an ed-tech platform and has contributed to building a successful learning experience platform for the hospitality and global service industries.

Kylie Maher is an experienced governance, risk, and compliance professional with 25 years’ experience in providing governance and assurance services across the education, health and government sectors. Kylie is a qualified accountant (CPA) and has held senior financial management roles across many sectors including education. She has also held executive roles at Peninsula Grammar, St Kevin’s and Xavier College, and was the Governance and Assurance Partner at Moore Australia as well as the Director, Internal Audit and Risk Assurance at KPMG. Kylie has extensive expertise as a member of audit and risk committees and currently holds the following positions: Audit and Risk Committee Member, University of Melbourne; Audit and Risk Committee Member, Auditing and Assurance Standards Board; Audit and Risk Committee Chair, City of Yarra; Audit and Risk Committee Member, City of Port Phillip; Audit and Risk Committee Member, City of Wyndham; and non-executive Director and Audit and Risk Committee Member, IPC Community Health.

Andrew Smith has qualifications in education, science and business and brings to the role of CEO extensive experience and expertise in strategic leadership in the education, training and not-for-profit sectors. Previously Andrew has been the CEO of the Australian Council for Private Education and Training and Vice President (Engagement) at Swinburne University.

Corinna has an extensive history building capability within teams and strong collaborative team culture. Her career in digital marketing and transformation spans over 15 years across numerous industries including retail, utilities, financial services, media & entertainment and education. She is a strong believer in the power of creativity and tech to enhance experiences for audiences.

Stuart Mitchell has extensive experience in general management as well as in the theory, application, and development of global online educational software systems. Stuart has qualifications in English literature and applied media and is the co-inventor of an internationally patented formative assessment system.

Mary Munro has extensive experience in Human Resources across a variety of industries including NFP, Information Technology , Finance, and global matrix organizations. Mary has held roles covering all facets of People and Capability functions including mergers and acquisitions, start up organizations through to leading and coaching high performance human resources teams who have undertaken a diverse range of role through Australia and Asia.

Throughout his extensive career in the for-purpose sector with organisations such as the Australian Red Cross and Brotherhood of St. Laurence, Cameron has been responsible for organisational financial sustainability, strategic planning and driving innovation. Cameron is a fellow of the CPA and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and holds a Master of Business Administration.