The Front Project is an independent national enterprise with strong governance and a board who are bold champions for children.

CEO and Board

Jane Hunt

Jane Hunt

(She/Her)

Founding CEO

Jane Hunt is an innovative and results driven social change leader who has dedicated her career to empowering people to improve the world.

Lisa Chung AM

Lisa Chung AM

Chair

Lisa is an experienced Non-Executive Director and sits on the Boards of various commercial and for-purpose organisations, spanning a wide range of sectors. She was previously Chair of Australia’s oldest charity, The Benevolent Society.

Wendy McCarthy, AO

Wendy McCarthy, AO

Board Advisor

Wendy is an experienced manager and company director who began her career as a secondary school teacher. Since moving into public life she has been working for change across the public, private and community sectors, in education, family planning, human rights, public health, overseas aid and development, conservation, heritage, and media.

Simon Kent

Simon Kent

Director

Simon Kent has extensive experience in leadership, strategy and social reform with expertise across a range of policy areas including health, human services, justice and the entire education continuum.

Verity Firth

Verity Firth

Director

Verity has more than twenty years of experience working at the highest levels of government, and the university and not-for-profit sectors in Australia. Previously Minister for Education and Training in NSW, Verity was heavily focussed on equity in education, and how to best address educational disadvantage amongst low socio-economic groups, including rural and remote Indigenous communities.

Dr Anne Kennedy

Dr Anne Kennedy

Director

Anne Kennedy is a highly respected and experienced consultant in the early childhood sector. Her consultancy work follows extensive experience as an early childhood teacher and academic working in university based teacher education programs in Australia, Sweden, Singapore and the USA.

Arminé Nalbandian

Arminé Nalbandian

Director

Arminé Nalbandian is the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Social Impact. She is a public policy leader who has spent her career advising governments and for-purpose organisations on social policy and economic development strategies.

Team

Chris Mason

Chris Mason

(He/Him)

Lead - Impact Foundry

With a background in organisation and policy studies, Chris has worked with governments and agencies, university, philanthropy, not-for-profits, and corporate partners.

Sadie Cowley

Sadie Cowley

(She/Her)

Executive Assistant to the CEO

Sadie comes to The Front Project with over 25 years’ of experience in Administration and Executive Assistant roles, having supported CIOs, CEOs, and Senior leaders in the Public & Private sector.

Rachel Wallbridge

Rachel Wallbridge

(She/Her)

Policy and Government Relations Manager

As Policy and Government Relations Manager, Rachel is managing and executing the Front’s Project’s engagement with all levels of government and will work with The Front Project team to develop high impact, evidenced based policy.

 
Dan Leach-McGill

Dan Leach-McGill

(He/Him)

Manager, Research and Evaluation

Dan has worked in early childhood and community services for more than twenty years.

Martel Menz

Martel Menz

(She/Her)

Strategic Policy Advisor

Martel has over twenty years experience in the early childhood sector, as a teacher, union leader and senior Ministerial Adviser.

Fiona McCandless

Fiona McCandless

(She/Her)

Project Manager

As Project Manager, Fiona primarily oversees the delivery of the EDGE Project, along with managing other projects through the Impact Foundry.

Daniel Hannington-Pinto

Daniel Hannington-Pinto

(He/Him)

Research and Evaluation Officer

Working across TFP’s research and evaluation projects, Dan brings over a decade’s worth of experience in diverse academic, NGO, and government-based contexts.

Rachael Wilken

Rachael Wilken

(She/Her)

Manager, the Apiary Fellowship

Rachael has more than 10 years’ experience in the child and youth sector, working with leadership teams, implementing project and quality processes, managing collaborative initiatives with stakeholders and colleagues.

Kate Oubridge-Egan

Kate Oubridge-Egan

(She/Her)

Innovation Lab Transition Manager

Kate Oubridge-Egan is our new Innovation Hub Transition Manager with a passion for early childhood education and care (ECEC) and systems learning. 

Lisa Walker

Lisa Walker

(She/Her)

First Nations Fellow

Lisa joins The Front Project on a pathway opportunity from her four year Apiary journey where she has guided the fellowship utilising a First Nations lens.

Sophie Bament

Sophie Bament

(She/Her)

Apiary Coordinator

Sophie comes to The Front Project with experience in project delivery having worked at Parkinson’s UK for a number of years delivering an information and support programme for people newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s and their families.

Raffi Jones

Raffi Jones

(She/Her)

Mentoring Program Manager

Raffi believes that all children and young people should have equitable access to high quality learning experiences, starting with early childhood education, for the best chance to achieve positive outcomes in all facets of their lives.
 
Ashlea Hogg

Ashlea Hogg

(She/Her)

Communications Manager

Ashlea is an experienced communications professional with a specialisation in e-marketing and CRM programs. As the Acting Strategic Communications Manager, Ashlea helps to develop the Front Project’s marketing goals and drive transformative change to the early childhood education and care sector. 

Stephanie Fitzpatrick

Stephanie Fitzpatrick

(She/Her)

Senior Communications Officer

As the Senior Communications Officer, Stephanie helps implement the Front Project’s strategic communications plan to raise its profile of an independent, national enterprise improving the quality of Australia’s early childhood education system for all.

Rajdeep Singh Puri

Rajdeep Singh Puri

(He/Him)

Digital Communications Officer

As the Digital Communications Officer, Raj will deliver a broad range of communications activities aimed at building awareness of and engagement with the Front Project’s work. It involves collaborating with all TFP teams and some external stakeholders and service providers.