2019 Higher Education Finance Conference
 
Paul Abela, Executive Director, ATEM (Conference co-host)
Paul is the Executive Director of the Association for Tertiary Education Management (ATEM Inc) which is the pre-eminent professional body in Australasia for tertiary education administrators and managers.

His responsibilities are to run ATEM as a professional organisation and maintain its strong position in the tertiary education sector.

ATEM has Australasia's largest tertiary education conference (TEMC) and conducts many professional development activities across its regions in New Zealand, PNG and Australia, produces an important journal published six times per year and provides membership services for both its corporate and individual members .
 
Anita Anderson, Deputy Director, Corporate Budget CQU
Anita is the Deputy Director – Corporate Budget at CQUniversity at their Rockhampton Campus, Queensland. She has 19 years’ experience in the Higher Education sector and is a member of several committees within CQUniversity.

Anita leads a team responsible for the Management Accounting functions of the University including; Budgets, Forecasts, Management Performance Reporting, Financial Modelling and the University’s BI & CPM Tool – Calumo.
 
Karma Auden, Director, Finance and Business Services, University of Canberra
Successful finance professional and Chartered Accountant with a +20 year background managing all aspects of accounting, budgeting, forecasting, cost control management and financial analysis / reporting across education, real estate and service sectors. Skilled in managing internal finance teams and decision making stakeholders at all levels and across multiple locations. Recognised track record in corporate change management initiatives and implementing innovative solutions that meet financial objectives and increase group performance. Solid presentation and training expertise with proven record of producing timely reports using key reporting applications. Good interpersonal, communication, negotiation and leadership skills. Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office and various financial reporting software programs.

Specialties: Financial Reporting / Planning, Financial Process Improvement, Business Transformation, Property Valuation Analysis, Project Cost Development, Stakeholder Business Reporting, Strategic Market Development, Commercial Bid Preparation & Analysis, Management Reporting, Budget Development / Management, Strategic Financial Leadership, Project Revenue / Cost Forecasting, Contract Management
 
0Neale Blackwood, Consultant
 
Justin Bokor, Justin Bokor Advisory
Justin Bokor is a former director of big-4 firm EY, author of the 2012 report University of the Future and now operates as an independent adviser specialising in the higher education sector. Justin has led numerous strategy, growth and finance-related assignments for universities over the last decade. Justin services university clients across Australia. He also has extensive international experience, having led large-scale strategy and growth projects across the Asian region and the Middle East.
 
Dr Jennie Brockis, Trainer, Author, Speaker
Dr Jennie Brockis
Dr. Jenny Brockis is a medical practitioner and board-certified lifestyle medicine physician, specialising in brain health and mental performance. She works to inspire others to become the best versions of themselves by translating the findings of the neuroscience and positive psychology into simple practical tools that enable people to work smarter not harder.

With three decades experience of working with people, she understands that while intentions may be good, changing behaviours is not always easy!

An international speaker, trainer and author of three books including the best-selling “Smarter,  Sharper Thinking” (Wiley), Jenny is frequently sought after as a commentator in the media and has had many articles published in a variety of magazines and journals.

When not speaking, researching or writing, Dr. Jenny loves to spend time with her family, travel to new destinations and continues to challenge her long-standing fear of heights.
 
Michelle Brooke, Senior Manager, Pilbara Group
Michelle Brooke is a senior member of the Pilbara Group team with over 25 years of experience in the military, public, and consulting sectors. Michelle coordinates and delivers the Higher Education consultancy services within Pilbara Group and has spent nearly 20 years building, implementing and maintaining cost models for a range of clients both here in Australia and in the United States.

Michelle has worked with a number of VCs, DVCs, Deans and CFOs regarding the use of transparent data in the academic decision making process.
 
Mac Bryla, APAC Technology Evangelist, Tableau Software
Mac Bryla is a Technology Evangelist based in Sydney with over 25 years of experience in the tech industry. With passion for innovation, creativity and critical thinking, he helps customers unleash their human potential through the use of data and modern visual analytics tools. You can contact him on Twitter @macbryla
 
Stephen Callaghan, Senior Consultant, Higher Ed Services
Stephen joined HES in May 2017 after 15 years at Queensland University of Technology initially as the IT auditor of the University and for the past 10 years in HR as a member of the University’s HR Executive team providing advice and support for the HR technology initiatives of the University. Stephen also participated in many university IT governance, planning, projects and enterprise architecture activities. He also ran the superannuation function.

Stephen was previously a Senior Manager at Ernst & Young and other chartered accounting firms over a 25 year period. Stephen recently completed a substantial project for HES to better understand the propensity of the sector to consume Human Capital Management solutions.
 
Nancy Collins, Vice President of Operations & CFO, Swinburne University of Technology
Nancy is a senior leader with over 20 years’ experience in leadership and executive management roles across Professional Services and Manufacturing sectors.

Nancy’s practical experience extends to leading Corporate Strategy, Finance, Information & Communications Technology, Project Management Office, Business Transformation, Procurement and Human Resources. Nancy holds an Executive MBA from Melbourne Business School, certification as a Chartered Accountant, certification as a Fairly Leadership Fellow, a Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning and a Bachelor of Business.
 
David Colosimo, Investment Manager - Fixed Interest & Cash
David Colosimo is a Manager in the Fixed Income and Cash team within the Investment Department at UniSuper Management.
In this position, which he has held since 2013, he assists in the management of $19bn of fixed interest, hybrid and cash portfolios. UniSuper manage assets both internally and via external managers. He also assists with the asset allocation across the fund.

Prior to this David was an Economist at Goldman Sachs and ANZ where he researched and advised clients on Australian and global macroeconomic trends. Prior to this David worked as a tutor at Melbourne University in the Economics Department

David holds a combined B Comm (Hons)/ B Sc degree from the University of Melbourne and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
 
Drew Davidson, Advisory Services, Higher Ed Services
Drew joined HES in 2019 to lead the establishment and delivery of a portfolio of new advisory services. Delivered by HES and leveraging its extensive network of industry subject matter experts and industry focus groups, these services will be geared towards areas of common concern and opportunity for higher education providers.  

Drew is a committed professional advisor to the Education and Public Sector, working with a range of clients from central government through to government agencies and not-for-profits. He has focused on servicing Australian Universities for the past 8 years. Prior to joining HES, Drew held the role of National lead Risk Advisory Partner for the Higher Education sector at Deloitte Australia. 

Drew has advised education sector organisations including the Department of Education and Training (VIC, NSW, ACT and NT), over 20 Universities and a range of TAFE and RTO organisations. He prides himself in his focus on working closely with his clients to develop pragmatic, tailored solutions that are sustainable and cost effective.

He has worked broadly on issues ranging from financial sustainability, shared service design and governance, funding model design/policy, risk management service model design, cutting regulatory red tape and developing advanced performance reporting. 
 
Jennifer Gartland, Manager, Financial Applications, Western Sydney University
 
Dr Siwei Goo, Senior Economist, Universities Australia
 
Gavin Levinsohn, eftsure
After completing a B.Bus.Sci with Honours in Finance from the University of Cape Town, Gavin realised he wanted to work at the intersection of commerce and creativity and promptly ventured into the world of marketing communications. During his 21 year career in marketing and advertising, Gavin worked across almost every category and discipline. From 2008–2013 he was Managing Director of Ogilvy’s storied Cape Town office and a Director of Ogilvy South Africa; the country’s largest marketing communications group. In 2013 Gavin emigrated to Australia where he worked for Ogilvy’s parent company, WPP AUNZ, leading a group of businesses covering branding and design, digital marketing, advertising and internal communications. In 2015 Gavin was hired by Publicis Australia (formerly Publicis Mojo) to lead their offices in Sydney and Brisbane. In 2018, reconnecting with his long held passion for all things digital, and after serving as a Non-Executive Director of two Tech Start-Ups, Gavin decided to go ‘all-in’ as Chief Marketing Officer of eftsure. eftsure is an Australian FinTech business that provides a unique payments protection service for CFOs.
 
Summer(Qiongjie) Luo, Administrator, Finance & Staff Australian Astronomical Optics, Macquarie University
 
Matt McDonough, Faculty General Manager, Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University
Matt McDonough GCertEBL, B. Bus (Acc) VU, CPA is our Master of Ceremonies for the conference. 
 
Matt has over 20 years’ experience in varied accounting, finance and management roles starting as a Business Services Accountant in an international chartered accounting office and then moving into the private sector as Financial Controller for Flight Centre Limited (Corporate).

Matt is currently Faculty General Manager at Deakin University, the most senior professional staff member in the Faculty Arts and Education. This portfolio is responsible for over16,000 students and over 500 staff in 3 large multi-disciplined schools. The role also oversees the operations of the Institute of Koorie Education, Alfred Deakin Institute and the Centre for Humanitarian Leadership.

Matt is a member of the University Senior Management group and a member of the Deakin Capital Portfolio Board. Matt is also a member of the Deakin University Graduate Certificate of Education Business Leadership teaching team and received a Vice Chancellors award for Teaching excellence in 2015.

Matt is a current board member and Fellow of the Association for Tertiary Education Management (ATEM) and the chair of the Higher Education Finance Conference.

In 2012 Matt was recognised for his achievements by winning the Australian ATEM Award for Excellence in Financial Management.
 
 
Professor Stephen Parker, National Sector Leader, Education, KPMG Australia
Professor Stephen Parker AO is the National Education Sector Leader Partner at KPMG Australia. Before joining KPMG Stephen was Vice-Chancellor at the University of Canberra for over nine years, during which time significant internal reforms took place resulting in UC rising in world rankings and being assessed as one of the most efficient universities in the country.

His previous roles include Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Monash University and Dean of Law at Monash.

He was an Academic Auditor for AUQA, a member of the Humanities and Creative Arts panel of the Australian Research Council and a member of the Australian Qualifications Framework Council. Stephen was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2014 for his distinguished service to tertiary education.
 
Narelle Pearse, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Planning), CQUniversity
Narelle Pease is CQUni’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Finance and Planning). She is responsible for Finance (Corporate Reporting, Accounts Payable & Purchasing, Treasury functions, and Budgets); Planning & Risk; Business Intelligence & Analytics; and Procurement & Publishing. 
 
Narelle will be discussing the CQU counter intuitive business model established by Professor Scott Bowman.
 
Dr Matthew Rudd, Director Business Analytics, Swinburne University of Technology
Matt joined Swinburne University in 2016 in their pursuit of getting accurate and timely information to those who need it, with local and international experience in business reporting, financial modelling and analytics in banking and digital marketing. Prior to that, Matt spent 10 years in applied research, using bioinformatics and statistics to better understand viral virulence and genetic predisposition to cancers. He holds a PhD in virology and is a designated Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) and Certified Practising Accountant (CPA).
 
Dr Andrew Trnacek, CEO, Higher Ed Services (Conference co-host)

Andrew is committed to building collaboration and innovation in Higher Education through the delivery of sector wide projects, the coordination of interest groups, and the sharing of information and expertise. His role at Higher Ed Services is to ensure that we add value to the sector by making operational the policy initiatives of Universities Australia. We achieve this by fostering innovation through sector wide collaboration projects. Working together we can drive greater efficiency and better outcomes for the higher education sector of Australia.

Andrew was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Higher Ed Services in July 2016. Since then the HES team have been working hard to make HES a responsive and valuable partner to universities and the broader higher education sector.

HES provide a suite of high quality professional services and support initiatives that benefit Australia’s universities and strengthen the nation’s higher education sector. This is achieved by our team of dedicated professionals whose breadth of sector experience help us identify and deliver cost effective solutions and drive good practice. Fostering and promoting collaboration is central to all Higher Ed Services’ activities.