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.

Dr Button is a barrister practising in commercial and regulatory law at the Victorian Bar. She has been a barrister for 12 years, before which she practised as a solicitor and also worked at the Law Reform Commission in England. As a barrister, Catherine acts for private and government clients and has a particular interest in corporate governance and class actions.

Dr Button has previously served on the Council and Board of Janet Clarke Hall (a college of the University of Melbourne), as a director of Barristers’ Chambers Ltd (a company with substantial property holdings in the legal district of Melbourne’s CBD) and on the Board and Committee of List A Barristers.

Dr Button is also a current parent of MGGS, with two daughters at the school, both in Middle Years.

PhD (Monash), MEdStudies (Monash), Dip Ed (Deakin), BA(Hons) (Monash)

Dr. Julie Faulkner is an Old Grammarian and now a senior lecturer in Education at Monash University.

She has taught in secondary, primary and TAFE sectors as an English, History and Drama teacher. Her research in literacy and popular culture led to a lectureship in literacy at RMIT, where she worked closely with a wide range of government, Catholic and independent schools. Since moving to Monash, she has taken pre-service teachers to teach in Kuala Lumpur and Johannesburg schools as part of their professional experience.

Continuing her partnerships with schools and professional learning, she has written and edited books on learning and teaching. Her research interests include multi-literacies, culture, identity and 21st century learning, intercultural communication and digital games as curriculum.

Venerable Canon Heather Patacca holds a BA in Music and Australian History from the University of Melbourne and an M.Div. from the Australian College of Theology.

Before her ordination at St Paul’s Cathedral, she worked as a music educator, a pastoral worker at St Jude’s Carlton and a ministry worker at St James’ Ivanhoe.

She served her curacy in the parish of Banyule and has been in her present appointment since 2009.

Since 2013 Venerable Canon Heather Patacca has been The Precentor for St Paul’s Cathedral.

B.Th. Dip Ed, Dip Training & Development, Dip Divinity and Mission.
GAICD.

Reverend Tracy Lauersen is an Anglican Priest at St Paul’s Church in Warragul, where she is the Rector.

Tracy is also involved in the broader life of the Anglican Church, being a member of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia, a member of its Standing Committee, Safe Ministry Commission and Chair of its Family Violence Working Group. For Gippsland Diocese, she is Deputy Chair of its Safe Ministry Commission and a member of its Governance Committee. She is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

She is a recipient of the Premier of Victoria’s Awards for excellence in Multicultural Affairs and previously worked as an Anglican School Chaplain before entering Parish ministry.

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. 

B.Ed, M.Ed, D.Ed

Toni is the Principal of Melbourne Girls Grammar.

Read more about Toni.

B. Com, LLB, CA

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.

B Comm, Chartered Accountant, MAICD

Catherine is an experienced Non-Executive Director who holds directorships in various companies and community based organisations. She was previously a Partner in a global accounting firm where she worked across various disciplines for over 25 years.

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

Olivia is a Corporate lawyer who started her career in the Corporate team at Australian law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth before transition to become in-house Corporate Counsel at ASX top 20 company, Transurban Limited.  She 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 Masters Degree in Corporate Law (MCL). 

Olivia graduated from the MCL in June 2013 after finishing third overall in her cohort.

In her role as Corporate Counsel at Transurban, Olivia predominantly works in the fields of banking and finance law, construction law and general corporate law.  She also has significant experience in technology law, as well as consumer and trade practices matters. 

Olivia attended Melbourne Girls Grammar over a 13 year period, as did both of her sisters.  Olivia 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.

Margaret is a Melbourne Girls Grammar Old Grammarian (1955). A daughter of a Melbourne Girls Grammar Old Grammarian herself, Margaret’s daughters have also both attended Melbourne Girls Grammar (1982,1984). Margaret has had an extensive career is the legal profession as a Law Clerk/Conveyancing and Probate Clerk. Margaret is a former member of the Parents Association Committee, serving as President and Parents Association representative on School Council, from 1981-1984. Margaret has almost continuously been an active member of the Old Grammarians Committee from 1957 to present day. Margaret is also a member of the Merton Hall Foundation. 

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!

Tammy is the President of the Parents Association, and is passionate about supporting MGGS in all its endeavours. She is also a mother of 3 teenagers and an incredible advocate for the school.