“I was inspired to establish The Front Project due to my passionate belief that all children should be given equal opportunities to reach their full potential, from the earliest stages of life. In doing so, not only are we improving the career, health and wellbeing outcomes of our nation’s young people, but we are also helping to create a competitive future for Australia, with safe and prosperous communities.”

In creating The Front Project, Jane was able to tap into her senior extensive experience across the for-benefit, corporate and academic sectors. She has held various senior roles, including CEO at both Adopt Change and Fitted for Work, and was also Victorian Strategy and Operations Manager for Mission Australia. Aside from heading up The Front Project, Jane also serves on the CEDA Vic/Tas Advisory Group and previously was a Non-Executive Director of Unison Community Housing.

Fittingly, Jane has been recognised for her important work with a number of prestigious awards, including:

·      the Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur Award, granting her ongoing participation at World Economic Forum events

·      a Victorian Telstra Business Women’s Award

·      the Melbourne Business 3000 Award for Community Innovation.

“When I first heard about The Front Project and its mission to improve quality and access in Australia’s early childhood education system, I felt it was the perfect fit for me. I have relished the opportunity to bring my corporate and not-for-profit expertise to the early childhood education sector, and am proud to have become a business champion for change in this space.”

Lisa has a diverse background, with a Bachelor of Law from the University of Tasmania leading to a successful 30-year career in the legal profession. During this time, she specialised in the area of commercial property, and became a Partner at firms Maddocks and Blake Dawson (now Ashurst).

In 2004, Lisa completed the Advanced Management Program at INSEAD ( ‘the Business School for the World’) in France. In 2006, she undertook the Australian Institute of Company Directors course, before being made a Fellow of the Institute. She is also a member of Chief Executive Woman, an organisation comprising women leaders committed to enabling other women leaders.

In 2020, Lisa became a member of the General Division of the Order of Australia for significant service to the community through charitable and cultural organisations.

Wendy held many significant leadership roles including eight years as Deputy Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ten years as Chancellor of the University of Canberra, and 12 years as Plan Australia’s Chair, with three years as Global Deputy Chair for Plan International. In 2016 she completed eight years as chair of headspace, the National Youth Mental Health Foundation and in 2017 she completed 9 years as Chair of Circus Oz, Australia’s leading circus.

Currently Wendy is Deputy-Chair of Goodstart Early Learning and a non-executive Director of IMF Bentham, the world’s most experienced and successful publicly listed litigation funder. She is a Patron of the Sydney Women’s Fund, Ambassador for 1 Million Women and Advisor to Grace Papers.

She enjoys writing and is the author several books including her memoir Don’t Fence Me In published by Random House in 2000.

The defining thread through Nicola’s career has been her significant body of work designed to shape positive outcomes for all Australians. This has often focused on those who are vulnerable or marginalised, including people who are socially isolated or are experiencing financial hardship, mental illness, trauma or violence.  

“Much of my consulting work has been focused on examining ways to address issues in adulthood.  What really struck me about The Front Project was that it seeks to give all Australian children the best possible start in life. The early learning springboard is so critical in delivering the best outcomes into adulthood. I felt my consulting background could provide a unique perspective to support the important work of The Front Project particularly when it comes to the area of Systems Change.”

Nicola started her career as an academic researcher designing measurement tools to differentiate anxiety, depression and stress; and to effectively measure adult literacy and numeracy competencies in the workplace. During a professional consulting career spanning over 25 years, including as CEO of one of Australia’s leading market and social research consultancies, Hall & Partners Open Mind, she worked on a broad range of social policy and behaviour change initiatives to enhance social outcomes.   

Her previous board experience includes: Haileybury College, Australia’s largest private school; Clemenger Group Limited, a world-renowned marketing services holding company where she was the first woman on the board and chair of the Association of Market & Social Research Organisations.  Her contribution has been recognised by her peers through being awarded the Australian Marketing Institute’s Certified Practicing Marketer of the Year.

Nicola is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Non-Executive Director of South Gippsland Water, the authority responsible for delivering critical water services to households and businesses across the region.

“When the opportunity to contribute to the fantastic work of The Front Project came up I thought it was a perfect match. Systems change and the early years are both passions of mine, so I am proud to use my experience to contribute to bringing them together at TFP to help advocate for children and the value of early childhood education.”

Simon has been the Australian and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) Deputy CEO Thought Leadership since July 2020. He was a Deputy Secretary in the Victorian Department of Education and Training for six years (2013-2019) with responsibility variously for policy, strategy, performance, evaluation, planning, and delivery, across all education, training and developmental life stages. He led development of the Victorian early childhood reform plan, Ready for Kinder, Ready for School, Ready for Life, and policy for the introduction of universal three year old kindergarten.

His six years in the education department followed eight years in the Social Policy Branch of the Department of Premier and Cabinet (2005-2013) where he worked on major Victorian and COAG reforms, including National Partnerships for the National Quality System and universal four year old kindergarten. Simon has also been a Public Policy Fellow in the Chancellery at the University of Melbourne.

Simon commenced his career in higher education advocacy and advisory roles, then expanded to include schools' policy while a shadow ministerial adviser in the Federal Parliament before joining DPC.  He also held the statutory role of Family Violence Reform Implementation Monitor to the Victorian Parliament in 2019.

Simon is a Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (Victoria), and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.  He is also a member of the Victorian Executive of the Australian Council for Educational Leadership and a founding member of the ANZSOG Alumni Advisory Council.

Verity is currently Executive Director, Social Justice at the University of Technology Sydney’s Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion. In this role, she is responsible for spearheading the university’s Social Impact Framework, a first of its kind in the Australian university sector.

“When learning about The Front Project for the first time, my background in education seemed to place me in a strong position to support the organisation’s great work. I am very much aligned with The Front Project’s vision of improving education quality and access for all children in their earliest years, and have a particular passion for the potential of early education in helping to address and overcome disadvantage.”

Between 2011 and 2014, Verity was Chief Executive of the Public Education Foundation, and was responsible for leading the Foundation's transformation from fledgling organisation to major provider of scholarships and support in public education.

Prior to her parliamentary career, Verity worked as a lawyer, and enjoyed a spell as Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney. She is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).

Her work with The Front Project follows extensive experience as an early childhood teacher, plus academic work focusing on teacher education programs in Australia, Sweden, Singapore and the USA. Anne is a Fellow of the University of Melbourne’s Graduate School of Education.

“I am a self-professed ‘life-long learner’, and saw The Front Project as an opportunity to bring my extensive knowledge of the early childhood education sector to the table. I have long been committed to equity, quality and improved outcomes for children, families and communities. The Front Project therefore seemed like a great progression and opportunity to continue my life-long work in advocating for all Australian children to have access to high quality early learning options.”

During her career, Anne was a member of the Charles Sturt University team that developed Australia’s first national early learning framework in 2009. She has also been involved in numerous initiatives concerned with the implementation of the National Quality Standard and Early Years Learning Framework. This work has seen her collaborate with various stakeholders including representatives from all levels of government, the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, peak bodies, the Centre for Community Child Health, and the Brotherhood of St Laurence.

Anne is also a member of Kids First Australia, a University of Melbourne and Murdoch Institute initiative which aims to see all Australasian children thrive in resilient, strong and safe families and communities. The team’s work has included the Early Years Education Program, Australia’s first randomised controlled trial of the impact and benefit costs of high-quality education for our youngest children living with complex vulnerabilities and high levels of social disadvantage.

Anne was appointed a Life member of fka Children’s Services (fkaCS), which advocates for children’s cultural and linguistic rights,and of the Community Child Care Association Victoria, in recognition of her outstanding contributions during her time serving on the Boards of each of these organisations. In 2012 she received the Barbara Creaser Memorial award from Early Childhood Australia, for her valued contribution.

Prior to this, Varuni worked within the Victorian Government, at the Department of Education and Training and the Department of Treasury and Finance. During this time, she was involved in the policy development, budget costings and implementation of early childhood reforms across the state, including funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten for all Victorian children.

Varuni is committed to building a good society through system-wide change – one that is just, equitable and empowers all individuals to live a life of meaning. She values working collaboratively with others to identify pragmatic ways to make this a reality. 

At education policy think tank, the Mitchell Institute, she has written and published on a range of education policy issues, including system design, funding, quality and equity.
Prior to that, she held roles in the Victorian, New South Wales and Commonwealth Governments spanning education, economic and skills policy.

Sarah has a longstanding commitment to bringing timely, high-quality evidence to the policy debate – always with a view to creating consensus and informing lasting policy change. She also has a passion for the early years, recognising the lifelong and intergenerational impact of early years policies and practices.

Having cut her teeth several years earlier in the complex area of acquired brain injury and working alongside some of the leading Victorian disability advocates, she has ever since been captivated by systems change and its ability to bring about lasting significant impact. Throughout Rachael's career she has been privileged to learn about social change from the people that are leading the way, working with them to ensure an environment and conditions that support them to achieve their objectives. She has had the unique opportunity to work with community leaders in a variety of settings in Australia and overseas, from local grassroots international development and youth services to state and national organisations bridging research, policy and practice initiatives.

Geoff brings experience as a leader and CEO in the Not for Profit and community sector along with previous experience in founding his own advertising and marketing agency as well as many years working in International Aid and Development.

This background, coupled with her Project Management training and expertise makes her a perfect fit for her role at Future Tracks, where she is focused on connecting the early childhood sector with university settings and experiences. She work collaboratively with course providers, students, mentors and employers to make sure that the student study experience is as engaging, practical and successful as possible.
Before joining Future Tracks, Sally spent 10 years in the tertiary sector, leading academic teams, sitting on Academic Board, developing study pathways and working with industry to increase the quality of university and TAFE experiences for all students. Sally was the first Head of Department for the Applied Degree programs at Federation University and then established the Commercial Training and Assessment Service at the College of Business, Victoria University. She was previously an English Literature and Psychology secondary school teacher, having taught in schools in Metropolitan and regional Australia and overseas. Sally's passion for educational psychology has led her to her BA in Psychology and Literature, Bachelor of Teaching and a Master of Teaching in Educational Psychology at Deakin University.

Anita is passionate about the education sector and causes that support children and young people to reach their full potential. Before joining Future Tracks, Anita spent seven years in the not-for-profit sector in a variety of roles including stakeholder engagement, program management, business development, fundraising and partnership management. Anita's work at Beacon Foundation saw her working collaboratively with secondary schools across Victoria to connect them with the business sector, creating pathways and transition opportunities for students. A highlight of her time at Beacon was facilitating a cross-sector project with the Department of Education and Training, supporting educators to work with local and state government departments and the business community to co-design curriculum that provided real-world learning opportunities for students. Anita has extensive experience in stakeholder engagement and partnership management across sectors including corporate, not-for-profit and government. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Monash University.

Raffi began her career in Early Childhood and worked as an EC educator for 8 years at Gowrie Victoria. In 2013, Raffi undertook a Bachelor of Health Sciences at Deakin University, majoring in Health Promotion.

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 throughout their lives.

Julia's experience spans a range of policy areas with a strong emphasis on education and its connection with social outcomes and economic performance. Her background includes working in government and community sectors in Victoria, NSW and Queensland, as well as overseas in Japan. She has led communications and engagement in government agencies including the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), the COAG Reform Council and Infrastructure Australia, as well as non-government organisations such as policy think tank Mitchell Institute and Victoria University.

His role as Communications Project Officer at The Front Project draws on his experience working in creative communications, covering areas including education, social justice, consumer rights, and government regulation and financial policy.

Prior to joining the Front Project, Richard has held roles at the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), University of Melbourne, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Consumer NZ, Steele Roberts Aotearoa and the New Zealand Treasury. In returning to the not-for-profit sector, Richard is motivated to leverage the skills and knowledge he has developed in these diverse environments to contribute towards positive social change.

She brings a range of experience in different reform areas to The Front Project, including innovative finance, global health and education.

Prior to joining The Front Project, Lizzie worked for New Zealand’s Ministry of Education on a 5-year change program that is committed to improving access to the national senior education qualification, and with a particular focus to support Māori learners. She previously worked for the UK’s Department of International Development in a global health initiative that strives to make vital medical technologies more accessible in Africa and South Asia via an innovative financial model.

Lizzie’s academic background focusses on the various ways in which the private sector can be engaged to make social, cultural and economic change for the better. For that reason, she is committed to a holistic approach to educational systems change that engages all stakeholders, from those who use and work in the sector, to businesses, philanthropies and all levels of government.

She brings over 10 years’ experience across various sectors, specialising in efficient management workflows, stakeholder engagement, scheduling and operations.

Lalaine is passionate about early childhood education and believes very strongly in the importance of children’s health and wellbeing.

Commencing her career in the private sector, Lalaine moved to government and prior to joining The Front Project, Lalaine has worked within all levels of government: statutory bodies including anti-corruption agencies, various government departments and politics.