David Friedlander is recognised globally as a market-leading practitioner in corporate law and is currently Chairman of King & Wood Mallesons’ in Australia.  David regularly advises in securities offerings, has worked in high-profile shareholder activist campaigns and is a member of several key corporate law bodies. He is also a former Chairman of the Public Education Foundation, a former member of the Australian Takeovers Panel, a director of Sydney Dance Company and a panel member of Adara Partners.

Tim has over 40 years of experience in investment banking, stockbroking and the property industry. Tim is the Chairman of Morgans Holdings (Australia) Limited. He was appointed General Manager of the Girdis Group of Companies (Property Development and Investment) in 1974 before joining Morgans in 1986.

Tim is also the Chairman of Eagers Automotive Limited, a Trustee of the Australian Cancer Research Foundation, a Director of the Morgans Foundation, Director of Adney Limited, Director of the University of Queensland Endowment Foundation, and on the Queensland Brain Institute Advisory Board.

Tim was formerly the Deputy Chairman of Queensland Gas Limited and G.O.E CS Energy Limited, a member of the Senate of the University of Queensland, and a Non-Executive Director of Senex Energy Limited. Tim has a Bachelor of Commerce from The University of Queensland, has completed the Advanced Management Program at the University of Hawaii and is a Member of the Stockbrokers and Financial Advisers Association. Outside of his work, Tim enjoys golf, rugby, and cricket.

Myriam Boisbouvier-Wylie is the former Honorary Consul General of France in Melbourne. She is the Founding President of the Bastille Day French Festival of Melbourne; a member of the advisory board of the French Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and an advisor to two Associations she created in 2012 and 2013, Melbourne Accueil and French Assist Melbourne. Myriam holds a degree in Business Law from the Panthéon-Sorbonne University in Paris and an MBA from Tulane University, USA. She has worked in investment banking in New York and had her own practice as a lawyer in Monaco, her country of birth. From 2003 till 2009, she was President of the Parents’ Association of the French School in Melbourne.

With her husband, she established The John and Myriam Wylie Foundation, which provides support to organisations in education, social inclusion, indigenous affairs, sport and wellbeing, and community interests in Australia. Myriam is also a member of the advisory board of Tanarra Philanthropic Advisors, which helps Australian charities to reach their full potential. In recognition of her work for the French Republic, Myriam has recently been appointed an Officier de la Legion d’Honneur, having previously been appointed a Chevalier of this award. She is also a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques. A resident of Australia since 1996, Myriam and her husband John live in Melbourne and have four sons.

Tony is Secretary of the Australian Government Department of Education, having previously held the position of Deputy Secretary of the Higher Education, Research and International Group.

Prior to commencing with the department, Tony was the Director General of the Department of Education, Queensland between April 2018 and September 2021. Tony previously held the role as Associate Secretary for Schools and Youth in the former Australian Government Department of Education and Training and has held senior executive positions within the Victorian public service.

In October 2013, Tony was made Honorary Fellow of the Australian Council for Education Leaders. In January 2014, he was awarded the Public Service Medal for outstanding public service in driving school policy and funding reform in Australia.

Tony is a registered primary school teacher with a major in early childhood education. He holds a Bachelor of Education from the Queensland University of Technology.

Scott McKnight is a Director in the Private Equity team at Pacific Equity Partners (PEP), one of Australia’s leading private markets fund managers. Scott has extensive experience investing in and working alongside management teams across a range of sectors, including education and related services. Scott represents PEP on the boards of several portfolio companies, supporting strategy, governance, and long-term value creation.

Prior to joining PEP, Scott began his career in investment banking with Goldman Sachs, advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, capital raisings, and strategic transactions. Scott received a Master of Business with distinction and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Otago and is a CFA charter holder.

Greg is a Managing Director at UBS with extensive experience leading some of the most complex M&A and capital markets transactions in the Asia Pacific region. He is currently Co-Head of Global Banking APAC, having previously been Global Co-head of Mergers & Acquisitions and various other roles during his 20+ year career at UBS. He sits on the Global Banking Management Committee and has lived and worked in Sydney, Hong Kong and London. He holds Bachelor of Laws (Distinction), Bachelor of Commerce (Finance/Accounting) – University of Western Australia / University of British Columbia and Programme for Leadership Development – Harvard Business School

Pamela Longstaff is a commercial lawyer and executive leader with more than 25 years’ experience, including as a CEO and non-executive director. Her senior executive roles have spanned commercial law; corporate governance; government, industry and regulatory affairs; and sustainability. She is experienced in the operating environments of ASX Listed, Government, statutory, private, and for not-for-profit entities in industries including investment, media, health and advisory. Pamela is currently Company Secretary and Head of Sustainability of Washington H. Soul Pattinson & Company Limited (Soul Patts), an ASX Listed Top 50 diversified investment house. She is a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW, holds a Global Executive MBA, Bachelor of Laws (First Class Hons) and Bachelor of Economics from the University of Sydney. She is a graduate of the AICD and a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia.  Pamela is also the proud graduate of a comprehensive public school and a strong believer in the power of education to change lives and shape outcomes.

Michael is a Senior Education Improvement Leader in the South East Victoria Region of the Department of Education (DE) in Victoria, and leads a network of schools in and around the suburb of Frankston in the Bayside Peninsula Area.

Michael had served a number of roles with Department including Director of the Frankston North Education Plan, Principal of Western Port Secondary College and as Assistant Principal and Leading Teacher at Western Port and Patterson River Secondary College.

Throughout his extensive career, a key focus for Michael has been addressing the impact of education in low socio-economic and disadvantaged communities, through individually tailored and whole-school cohort programs. He has also had an unrelenting focus on whole-school improvement and cultural change, to achieve positive results in academic, social and emotional outcomes.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, a Diploma of Education and Masters in Education from Monash University, and a Certificate in Educational Leadership from Harvard University. He is also an inaugural Commonwealth Bank Teaching Fellow.

Sherrill Nixon is the CEO of Australian Schools Plus.

As the second employee to join the organisation in its start-up phase, she has been instrumental in the development of Schools Plus’ successful strategy and programs that have led it to support over 550,000 children in 1800 schools in its first ten years. Prior to her appointment as CEO, Sherrill was the Director of Donor Relations for eight years, leading the fundraising team to raise over $60 million to support schools in disadvantaged communities.

In this role, she developed deep and long-term partnerships with major corporates, foundations and individuals including Salesforce, Google and Paul Ramsay Foundation. Sherrill joined Schools Plus following an extensive career in Australian media. She worked as a journalist, editor and newsroom leader for media organisations including Fairfax Media and Australian Associated Press.