LEADERSHIP & COUNCIL

B.Ed, M.Ed, D.Ed

Learn more about Toni

B. Comm. (Hons), Uni. Melb.

Mark is currently a board member of several investment management companies and a large industry superannuation fund. He is advisor to international sovereign wealth funds and global investors. He is a champion for education, and chairs a charity which mentors and sponsors state school students during their tertiary education and is actively engaged in student mentoring at the University of Melbourne.

He was previously Managing Director of the Future Fund in Melbourne and has an extensive international career including as Executive Vice Chairman at Credit Suisse in London.

BA LLB (Hons), LLM

Carolyn Clark has worked as a solicitor at Mallesons Stephen Jaques, the Australian Securities Commission, and at Telstra as corporate legal counsel.

She is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has sat on the Boards of other not for profit and listed companies as both a director and as a legal advisor.

Prior to her current role, Carolyn served as the president of the MGGS Parents Association for two years.

BArch (Honours) RMIT

Neil is a Director at Lyons, a Melbourne based architectural practice which specialises in the design of complex public-sector buildings around Australia. Neil has over 30 years’ experience in the design of innovative educational and research facilities and worked with many of Australia’s leading universities.  

Neil has taught design in the School of Architecture at RMIT for over 25 years and is currently the Chair of the RMIT Architecture Programme Advisory Committee. Neil is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) and from 2007 -2015 has served as Chair of numerous award jury panels.

Neil joined the MGGS Property Committee in 2012, and has enjoyed working with his committee colleagues and the School’s leadership team to deliver the new Artemis Centre.

Mrs Morgan has been a member of the Property and Finance Committees over the past few years, drawing upon her years of corporate knowledge to help steer the School through the Artemis Project. In 2018, Mrs Morgan joined School Council to fill a casual vacancy created by the retirement of Mr James Kelly.

Mrs Morgan has extensive experience in the finance industry. Her previous executive roles included 16 years with independent corporate advisory firm Grant Samuel. Mrs Morgan is currently a non-executive Director of a number of companies including Intrepid Group Limited, Hansen Technologies Limited, Future Generation Global Investment Company Limited and Adslot Limited. Sarah is also a non-executive director of the National Gallery of Victoria Foundation and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Mrs Morgan currently has two daughters at Melbourne Girls Grammar.

BComm (Melb), CA, GAICD

Mr Mytton is a globally experienced Chief Financial Officer and Finance Executive.  He is currently the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for Monash College, a wholly owned subsidiary of Monash University that delivers transition education services.  He has lead diverse finance teams across multiple geographic regions.

Mr Mytton was previously with BHP for over 20 years and prior to that with Andersen for 10 years. Most recently he was Head of Risk and Assurance for BHP with other prior experience including Divisional CFO roles.  His experience includes Board and Board Committees, finance, risk management, insurance, capital projects, joint ventures, supply chain management and international taxation. Mr Mytton previously held directorships of Australian, UK, Canadian and South African companies.   He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and provides executive mentoring in the not-for-profit sector.

Mr Mytton is a past parent, with his daughter graduating from Melbourne Girls Grammar in 2015.

BA (Melb)

Anna began her career in Retail Management with David Jones. She has more than 20 years of experience in fast moving consumer goods marketing with Unilever, McCormick Foods and Cadbury Schweppes.

In her management capacity she was responsible for marketing strategy, new product development, project management, brand management and communications and market research for a wide variety of brands.

Anna and her family are proud to have been associated with Melbourne Girls Grammar for almost 100 years.

B. Com (Hons), LLB (Hons), Grad. Dip. App. Fin. MAICD

Hayden Stockdale is currently CFO of Catapult, an ASX-listed global sports technology company. 

Prior to this he held CFO and CEO roles in the petroleum, IT and mining sectors, following an 18 year career in investment banking, living and working across Australia, Asia and Europe.

BA (Accountancy), LLB (Hons), GDipAppFin&Inv, CPA, F Fin

Dimitri Kiriacoulacos is currently the CEO of Abbeyfield Australia. He is a senior executive with a corporate and legal background working with listed organisations and Boards on mergers and acquisitions, corporate activity, transformations and restructurings globally.

Dimitri has held senior roles with Centro/Federation Centres, National Australia Bank, Bellamy’s, Mayne Pharma and prior to this was an investment banker. His earlier professional career in the law and accounting was with Finlaysons/Allens Arthur Robinson and KPMG.

Dimitri currently has a daughter at Melbourne Girls Grammar.

BSc (Psychology) (Hons Class 1), MSc, PhD, MDiv, Dip Pastoral Ministry 

Now retired from full-time ministry, Sharne is an ordained Anglican Priest. She served in parish leadership positions in the Diocese of Melbourne from 2014-2020 and now undertakes part-time parish ministry and other leadership roles within the Diocese.

Prior to her ordination as Priest, Sharne was a consulting psychologist in the field of developmental and educational psychology and a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Education at The University of Melbourne, a position she held for more than 25 years.

App Sc (Information Technology)

Stephanie Wilson is an experienced business leader and entrepreneur with corporate, start up, founder and public company experience.

Stephanie is currently supporting a technology start up business in a strategic and operational advisory role, further charitable organisations and continues to provide mentoring for young business professionals. She has also spent recent years in community engagement with Melbourne Grammar School – Friends of Grammar Committee with the last year as President in 2019.

Stephanie was an Executive Director with publicly listed Candle Australia (CND) which was formed and listed after the acquisition of an Information Technology Recruitment business that Stephanie jointly established. This role involved extensive experience across strategy, client relationship management, general management, people and culture, merger & acquisition and maintained a clear results driven focus. She was also instrumental in the establishment of an IT Recruitment industry body and regularly presented to graduate students.

Previously, Stephanie was a Technology practitioner and held management roles in a number of organisations.

Stephanie currently has a daughter at Melbourne Girls Grammar.

B.Sc (Hons), MBA (MBS) 

Cynthia Wong has a background in Product Development and is skilled in the Design Thinking process and Human Centred Design. Her brief time living overseas gave her an opportunity to work at the United Nations Development Program. In Melbourne, she has overseen large transformation program at Medibank and Sensis, primarily focusing on new digital solutions that delight. She is currently working as a Global Program Leader at Xero which delivers beautiful software to small businesses. 

An experienced people leader, she is particularly passionate about mentoring young people interested in careers in STEM, including both formal and informal Graduate programs. 

Outside of work, Cynthia maintains a vigorous fitness schedule and has completed multiple marathons and half-marathons. As an Old Grammarian herself, she has chosen MGGS for her three daughters. 

BA, BBus (Marketing) Monash University

Sam is an experienced marketing & innovation executive in the fast-moving consumer goods sector. She spent 18 years with Cadbury Schweppes (later Asahi Beverages) in a number of senior marketing roles.  She’s currently an Insights Director for the Blue Ocean Consulting Group and a Director of The Marketing Precinct. Having worked on some of Australia’s most loved brands, Sam is passionate about understanding what motivates consumer behaviour. 

Sam joined the MGGS Marketing Committee in 2021 and is currently a member of the Parent’s Association. She is an Old Grammarian, as too were her mother and grandmother. Her daughter, a current student, makes for the 4th generation in her family to attend MGGS.

Cert IV WAT, BMin (Theol.), GradDipSocSci, GradDipEd., MACA, MACE, MACEL

Matt is an ordained Anglican Minister, educator, and pastoral care professional. He is a Commissioned Officer of the Royal Australian Navy, currently serving as Chaplain to HMAS Cerberus, and is an Honorary Associate Priest at St Paul’s Cathedral Melbourne.

Matt is an experienced people leader, contributing to high performing teams across a wide variety of contexts, including Independent Anglican Schools, Retail Events Management, Workplace Training and Development, Youth and Children’s work, and several years in advocacy and promotion with not for profits, including World Vision – Australia’s largest non-government organisation. He has over 10 years’ experience in governance roles, currently serving as a Non-Exec Director of Melbourne Girls Grammar School, and previously with The Oaktree Foundation, Mustard Leadership Australia, and National Adoption Awareness Week (Adopt Change).

Matt has qualifications in Theology, Education, Workplace Assessment/Training and Social Science which provide a strong and distinctive foundation for his work. He is passionate about people, social justice, holistic education, music and the arts, good food and wine, the ocean and the transforming power of the gospel. Most importantly he is husband to Melissa and dad to Will and JM. 

B.Ed, M.Ed, D.Ed, GAICD

Toni is the Principal of Melbourne Girls Grammar.

Read more about Toni.

BCom, LLB, CA, GAICD

Christian Lawless is a member of the Executive Management Team at Melbourne Girls Grammar as the Director of Business Services.

Christian commenced his career as an auditor in a professional services firm where he was manager in charge of a variety of clients in the not-for-profit sector, ASX listed entities, friendly societies and large private companies. 

He has also worked in Europe as a consultant to large multinationals, advising them on methods of obtaining economic efficiencies.

Christian is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.

Fred Grimwade is a professional company director after a career as a lawyer at King & Wood Mallesons and senior executive at Goldman, Sachs & Co., WMC Ltd and Colonial Ltd. He is currently Chairman of CPT Global Ltd, and a non-executive director of Australian United Investment Company Ltd, Select Harvests Ltd and XRF Scientific Ltd. Fred is also a Board member of the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, the Australian Institute of Art History and The Ian Potter Museum of Art at the University of Melbourne.

Fred’s wife Alexandra is a teacher at Melbourne High School and their two daughters Mary (2012) and Olivia (2014) both attended Melbourne Girls Grammar School. They also have two sons Freddie (MGS 2009) and Russell (MGS 2017).

Michael Clough is a partner in the Melbourne office of King and Mallesons where he specialises in income tax issues which arise in the domestic and international capital and debt markets and M&A transactions. He has been closely involved in the development of financial instruments and capital market products.

Chambers Global has recognised Michael’s ‘leading tax disputes practices with significant experience in the Supreme, Federal and High Courts….acting for many of the largest corporations in Australia in high-profile cases’. Specifically, his work includes all aspects of tax audits and litigation such as negotiations and actions in relation to the collection of tax, access to premises, production of documents and tax appeals generally.

Michael has been recognised as a leading individual in the area of Tax by Chambers Global, PLC Which Lawyer? and APL 500. Michael was also recently voted Tax Partner of the Year 2016 by Lawyers Weekly.

Michael has presented papers to universities, legal colleges and professional bodies such as the Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants, the Taxation Institute of Australia and the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Michael has been a Visiting Fellow at the University of Melbourne lecturing in International Tax Law in the Masters of Laws programme.

Katie Allen is a senior leader known for managing, facilitating and influencing change by resetting strategy and transforming organisations through a range of roles – including political office, executive leadership in research institutions, and board chair and director positions in the education and health sectors – building on deep experience in medical research and innovation.

Katie was sworn in as the Member for Higgins at the Opening of the 46th Parliament in Canberra. Prior to becoming a Member of Parliament, she was a paediatrician at the Royal Children’s Hospital for 28 years, a Professor at the University of Melbourne and the University of Manchester and was Founding Director of the Australian Centre of Food and Allergy Research. Katie also sat on the Board at Cabrini Health and was Chair of the Melbourne Girls Grammar School Council.

Katie grew up in Albury NSW and lives in Higgins with her husband and 4 children.

BCom/LLB (Hons), GDLP, MCL (Hons), FGIA

Olivia is an experienced and highly qualified lawyer who is the General Counsel and Company Secretary of road safety technology company, Acusensus Limited. She started her legal career in the Corporate team at Australian law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth, then spent eight years as in-house legal counsel at ASX Top 20 company, Transurban.

Olivia received her Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws (Hons) degree from the University of Melbourne and was a student in the inaugural year of the University of Cambridge’s Master of Corporate Law degree (MCL), which she undertook several years after she commenced her legal career at Corrs. She graduated from the MCL with Honours after finishing third overall in her cohort.

Olivia attended Melbourne Girls Grammar over a 14 year period, as did both of her sisters. She graduated from the School in 2004.

BE (Hons) (Chemical), LLB (Hons), DipAppFin

Craig is currently a Managing Director of Grant Samuel, a leading Australian independent corporate advisory firm. Craig has over 18 years of investment banking experience and has been involved in M&A and capital raising transactions across a range of sectors. Craig commenced his career in the petrochemical industry.

Craig previously served as treasurer of the MGGS Parents Association for two years.

Com (Melb), Grad. Dip. App. Fin. MAICD

Amanda Fong is currently an Investment Advisor and one of eight Founding Partners of wealth management firm, Escala Partners.

Amanda has 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry and has had roles in institutional and private client equity research, corporate advisory and as an Investment Advisor in the wealth management division of several  global investment banks.

Amanda currently serves as a member of other education related Investment Committees.

Kate is a Project Director at Mirvac and has been working in the company’s residential property development team for over 12 years. She received her Bachelor of Planning and Design (Property and Construction) and Masters in Property from the University of Melbourne. 

Kate has been involved in multiple award winning apartment and high end residential home developments including the management of River Homes, The Wharf Club, Forge and Voyager in the Yarra’s Edge, Docklands precinct and Laureate in Albert Park.  Kate is currently responsible for the implementation of lightweight delivery solutions within Mirvac’s national apartments team.

Kate has been an active member of the Property Council of Australia’s Future Trends and Innovation Committee and in 2018 she was selected by Mirvac to attend their Urban Regeneration study tour in New York. 

Kate attended Melbourne Girls Grammar along with her two sisters, graduating from the School in 2004. 

Trudie Horsfall is an old Grammarian and former boarder. An active supporter of MGGS, both her daughters attended MGGS and she has been engaged with the School over many years via its sporting clubs, the Parents Association, and in her current role as President of the Old Grammarians Society. Trudie has a background in nursing, midwifery, infertility nursing, and medical conference organisation. She is currently a primary producer since returning to live in the country in 2020.

A highly skilled leader, project enabler and people person with demonstrated experience working across the public and private sectors. Paula has worked in design co-ordination, project management, strategic project planning and policy delivery. 

B.Sc, MBA

Askin is a Partner with Bain & Company a global business strategy consulting firm which works with large organizations to address opportunities and challenges and deliver sustainable results. In this role, Askin works with local and global clients on topics of strategy, business performance improvement, M&A and organisation design and effectiveness. He also leads Bain’s Australian Organisation Practice and is a leader in the global Performance Improvement Practice.

Askin has worked with Bain & Company for over 20 years, working in offices in Australia, Asia and the Americas. He has also led pro bono support for several not-for-profit organisations.

Graduate AICD 

Grad. Cert. Business Administration 

Associate Diploma Farm Management 

Kate is the Managing Director of Portishead Pty Ltd specialising in executive coaching for women in male dominated industries. She is a leading executive coach and mentor to women in the corporate sector, including some of Australia’s leading organisations. Kate’s areas of expertise include investment, marketing, client relationship management and business strategy. 

Wendy Peter is the General Counsel of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.  She was previously a partner of the commercial law firm Allens Arthur Robinson for 21 years, specialising in competition and regulatory work.  Wendy was a member of the MGGS council for 9 years until April 2019, and continues to be a member of the Governance and Audit and Risk Management Committees.

BE (Mech)

Michael Priest is a Director of Consulting Engineering company Norman Disney & Young (NDY), a Mechanical Engineer and has over 28 years experience in the design, documentation & delivery of projects for high profile and respected clients across a broad range of markets.

Michael’s extensive experience base covers all aspects of building services in both consulting and contracting fields throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the UK.

Michael is a current parent of a student attending the School, with two more daughters to come!

Bachelor of Business in Marketing, Monash University

Sally was a student at MGGS (1981) and recently her three daughters attended the School as boarders, respectively graduating in in 2022,2018 and 2015. Four generations of her family have attended the School, including her mother Judy Roach (Westacott) and her husband’s great grandmother, Norma Withers.

Sally had many years of consumer marketing experience in a variety of Marketing and PR positions at Dulux Australia, Aquatas (Tassal) and Nestle. She currently conducts  weekly classes for preschoolers and primary school children in learn to swim and school programs at Echuca War Memorial Aquatic Centre.

Sally is co-trustee of The Alexander Wright Wales Scholarship Trust, a ‘means tested’ scholarship set up by her great aunt in memory of her father to provide opportunity for children of good character to be educated at private schools. It is currently providing for 12 students and, since inception in 1978, has provided for around 170 students.

Sally’s interests include golf, tennis, travel, swimming, reading, and listening to podcasts while walking or travelling.

Nicole has over 25 years of Blue Chip FMCG experience across a diverse range of brands and cultures. Having worked in Australia and Asia Pacific for three great consumer goods companies: Unilever, Arnott’s and Coca-Cola, she has built a strong background and passion for brand and business development, innovation and capability building. Nicole is an Asian Pacific specialist who brings a powerful combination of coaching, mentoring and business expertise. Her true passion is helping others be the best they can be. She believes that if leaders thrive, then organisations thrive.

Nicole was raised in Sydney, drawn to the allure of Asia for ten years and is now based in Melbourne. She started her career in the Unilever Graduate program, where she got a look into the workings of one of the world’s best FMCG companies. From there, she joined Arnott’s and led and built teams in the marketing and innovation space across their multitude of food categories. Nicole then moved to China to take up a Group Director role for Asia Pacific at Coca-Cola.

Returning to Australia, she drew upon all her experiences and passion for people and started her own Executive Coaching business. She thoroughly enjoys helping leaders develop practical, effective strategies to drive positive, sustainable high performance for themselves and their organisation. Nicole has volunteered in several community-based clubs and organisations, was the School Council President, fundraising co-ordinator and head of class representatives for Ashburton Primary School, and has served in a number of roles in the MGGS Parent’s Association. She is mother to Emily in Year 10, Sam in Year 8 and a cute Labrador named Charlie.