Leadership

Ashleigh is a strong advocate for values-based leadership and student-led learning. He passionately believes in enabling young people to develop beyond their academic achievements, finding their own individual pathways ready to create their own unwritten futures.

When asked what he loves about his role, Ashleigh doesn’t hesitate to say it’s the privilege of working with young people and helping make a difference in their lives. Every decision that is made can have a direct and lasting effect on students, and as Principal, Ashleigh understands the importance of striking the right balance between business performance and student welfare.

Joining the School in 2012 as the Caulfield Campus Head of Middle School, he was appointed to the role of Director of Teaching and Learning three years later, and in 2016 was appointed Vice Principal. In 2018, he was appointed the 10th Principal in the School’s 140-year history.

It was as a student at St Patrick’s College in Ballarat from 1988 to 1993, that education started to play an important role in shaping Ashleigh’s professional life. He was the benefactor of strong guidance and leadership, and observed first-hand the influence that such leadership at school has on a young person’s development.

Prior to commencing at Caulfield Grammar School, Ashleigh held an executive position as Head of Middle School at the Australian International School in Singapore for six years. Ashleigh commenced his teaching career at St Kevin’s College, and he openly acknowledges that he was an aspiring Principal from the day he started teaching.

Conscious that the future of education and the future needs of our School are ever changing, Ashleigh led the development of Strategy Plan 2019 – 2031, a reimagining of Caulfield Grammar School’s future. The plan is grounded in the School Values, retains its strong heritage while driving innovation, and remains focused on providing the best learning opportunities for all students. The wellbeing of all in the School community is at the cornerstone of this strategy.

Ashleigh passionately revisited the School Values, ensuring School community input and engagement. He is particularly proud that students led the development of their own set of behaviours for each Value and leads a school with five unique campuses united by common School Values and Behaviours. A School that knows who it is and what it values.

The egalitarian ethos of Caulfield Grammar is what Ashleigh believes distinguishes it from other schools. He is committed to ensuring that Caulfield Grammar School continues to be a leading co-educational school in Australia.

It was while playing and coaching basketball as a teenager that Andrew understood the profound effect that significant figures can have on young people, their pathways, and their lives. This led him to pursue a career in education and provide the opportunity to be a significant figure in young people’s lives.

After holding the executive positions of Head of Junior School and Associate Principal at Kilvington Girls Grammar School, Andrew joined Caulfield Grammar School in 2000 as Head of Junior School at Wheelers Hill Campus. Following a tenure as Head of Malvern Campus, he was appointed to the role of Vice Principal in mid-2018. This demonstrated his commitment to ensuring processes and procedures are streamlined across the School so that energy and effort is focused on improving student outcomes.

Andrew believes that the most important things that happen in our School are the interactions that our community has with each other. The way we talk to each other, listen to each other, and the way we relate to each other are all critical to a safe, happy and thriving environment. Andrew considers that the behaviours exhibited in these everyday interactions shape and define our School culture, ultimately making it a place where students want to be. Andrew is passionate about fairness and equity, and works across the School to ensure students have access to similar opportunities.

The chance for students to be engaged in a broad range of learning experiences is important to Andrew, as they can provide students with a sense of belonging and the opportunity to shine and show their strengths. He is committed to meeting the needs of the ‘whole’ child as they navigate their journey through junior and secondary years. It’s his strong belief that this is fundamental in preparing young people for a life beyond formal schooling.

Andrew is passionate about the benefits that lifelong physical activity brings, with bike riding and early morning exercise being an important aspect of his daily routine.

Simone joined Caulfield Grammar School in 2016 in the role of Head of Teaching and Learning Junior Schools, overseeing the highly successful authorisation of Malvern and Wheelers Hill junior campuses as International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) World Schools. In 2018, Simone was appointed as the Head of Malvern Campus, significantly transforming and progressing several key improvement agendas for the campus before moving to the role of Director of Teaching and Learning in 2024.

Born and raised in Sydney, Simone began her teaching career as a targeted graduate on the NSW Central Coast. Prior to Caulfield Grammar School, she held leadership positions at Canberra Girls Grammar School, the Australian International School in Singapore, and the New International School Thailand (NIST), a renowned IB World School.

Having lived and worked overseas and in three diverse states and territories, Simone is an experienced and action-oriented educator and pedagogical leader.

An active and well-respected IB Consultant and Educator, she has strong professional networks and relationships through her work with schools nationally and internationally. Simone coaches and guides leadership teams through their school’s improvement agendas and delivers training workshops for educators and school leaders around the world. She holds a Master of Education in Leadership from Murdoch University and a Bachelor of Education from Southern Cross University.

Simone cultivates strong and respectful relationships with all members of the Caulfield Grammar School community through her open and clear communication style, and has an unwavering commitment to ensuring learners are at the heart of every decision made.

Outside of school, Simone enjoys playing tennis, watching her son play multiple sports and walking the family dog. Avid beach lovers, Simone and her family also enjoy exploring new holiday destinations – anywhere warm is best.

Mike commenced at CGS as the Head of Nanjing Campus in January 2016. During Mike’s tenure as Head of Nanjing Campus, the Campus team oversaw significant program developments to reinforce the programs original learning intentions in a rapidly changing Chinese landscape.

Before this, between 2010 and 2015 Mike was the Deputy Headmaster of the Toowoomba Anglican School. The school remains Australia’s only boarding school for children of all school year levels serving families from across Australia’s vast central and eastern interior.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Mike temporarily relocated to Melbourne from China to reestablish remote residential programs to a domestic location for the period when the pandemic continued to deny international travel.

In 2021, Mike relocated to Jabiru, in the Northern Territory, with his wife Cecily and their three young children, where they founded the Year 9 Kakadu Program along with a team of dedicated and adventurous educators who included the current Head of Kakadu Program, Sally Kelly.

Mike is now based in Melbourne with his family. His three children attend the Wheelers Hill Campus.

Prue joined the Caulfield Grammar School community in 2024.

An experienced and passionate educator who has taught and lead in a variety of government and independent Junior Schools across Melbourne, Prue was most recently the Head of Primary at Southern Cross Grammar. Previous roles include Deputy Head of Junior School at Presbyterian Ladies College and Head of Upper Primary at Grimwade House – Melbourne Grammar School.

Prue has also worked at Melbourne Girls’ Grammar School, Lara Primary School, Mentone Girls’ Grammar School, Lauriston Girls’ School, and for the Australian Gifted Network-Educational Consultancy.

Prue is excited to lead a Junior School that centres on knowing each student so that they can thrive and working together with families to ensure the best possible learning outcomes. An unrelenting focus on the learning and pastoral oversight of every student and staff member is at the heart of her leadership.

Taking great pride in building strong and trusting relationships with all members of the Caulfield Grammar School community, she aims to contribute to a supportive and welcoming school culture where everyone feels valued and heard. Prue is passionate about developing strong, caring and high-quality learning environments for our Junior School students.

Prue enjoys spending time with her family and friends: skiing, bike riding, walking on the beach, travelling, cooking delicious dinners and laughing a lot. She has a golden retriever Arlo, who loves walking on the beach. Prue is an avid reader and enjoys nothing more than sitting in the garden with a cup of tea and a good book.

Imogen has worked across both Malvern and Wheelers Hill Junior Campuses and has held several leadership positions since joining Caulfield Grammar School in 2017. These roles include Classroom Teacher, serving as a Pedagogical Literacy Coach across both campuses, Deputy Head of Wheelers Hill Junior Campus, and Acting Head of Wheelers Hill Junior Campus. Within these roles, Imogen has spearheaded initiatives to promote student wellbeing and academic excellence. Imogen joined the School Executive Team in 2023 as the Acting Head of Wheelers Hill Junior Campus.

Imogen is a life-long learner with an unwavering passion for teaching and learning. Graduating with Honours from Melbourne University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and Primary Education, Imogen’s commitment to early childhood education and advocating for all learners is deeply ingrained in her professional ethos.

Having lived and worked overseas for most of her childhood and early teaching career, Imogen brings a wealth of diverse experiences to her role. From bustling cities in Southeast Asia to the picturesque landscapes of Australia including Queensland, Sydney, Tasmania and Melbourne, she has embraced the richness of different cultures and educational environments.

Prior to her tenure at Caulfield Grammar School, Imogen spent seven formative years at the Australian International School in Singapore, honing her pedagogical skills and shaping her approach to education.

In addition to her educational pursuits, Imogen has also studied Hotel Management and Accounting, demonstrating her multifaceted skill set and commitment to personal growth.

Imogen is an avid traveller, embracing new experiences in Australia and overseas. If she is not at school or in a bookshop you will find her diving, skiing, or travelling around the world. Her commitment to lifelong learning extends beyond the classroom, shaping her approach to both professional and personal growth.

Marc was appointed to Caulfield Grammar School’s Executive as CFO and Secretary to the School Council in July 2022.

Bringing extensive finance experience across Australia and North America, Marc has led large finance teams at Australia Post and The News Group. During 8+ years at Australia Post he held various senior finance positions including Divisional CFO and board member for subsidiary companies Decipha and Securepay. During  10+ years with The News Group, a member of the Jim Pattison Group, Marc successfully drove diversification and integration initiatives addressing systemic business challenges experienced in the magazine and book industry. Marc’s extensive commercial experience will support the next phase of growth for Caulfield Grammar School.

Marc is a qualified Charted Accountant in Australia and Canada, holds a BA in Economics from the University of Victoria, a post graduate Diploma in Strategic Leadership from the University of British Columbia and a Diploma in Advanced Accounting from BCIT (British Columbia Institute of Technology). Marc has also completed the Ernst & Young ‘Group of 100’ CFO program.

Marc has three daughters and is active in his local community volunteering with the Elwood City Soccer Club and sitting on the Finance Risk & Audit Committee along with the Fees & Levies Committee for Equestrian Australia. Marc brings a passion for leading high performing finance teams within a collaborative environment, aligning closely to the Caulfield Grammar School values of Pursuing Excellence and Thriving Together.

Colin joined Caulfield Grammar School’s executive leadership team in January 2022. His business career spans more than 20 years in a range of global industries, developing his commercial acumen and leadership expertise with companies such as ExxonMobil, Santos, Cosan and Brenntag.

Through his professional and personal journey to date, Colin has become convinced that ‘good business’ is ‘business for good’, where meaningful and positive social change goes hand in hand with a strong and sustainable commercial endeavour. This belief has led him to also apply his skills over the past decade to the for-purpose sector.

In 2013 Colin co-founded an employment-focused social enterprise that supports integration training for at-risk youth in the warehousing and logistics sector. In 2019, as Director of Impact Investing at Social Ventures Australia, Colin helped develop Victoria’s emerging social enterprise sector, building strategic partnerships with industry, government and social enterprise to facilitate at-scale employment opportunities for disadvantaged Australians.

A proud Caulfield Grammar parent, Colin’s strong sense of community service also led him to serve as Treasurer and then President of the Caulfield Campus Parents and Friends’ Association from 2015–2019, reinforcing his belief that commercial roles in schools are fundamentally about improving operations to support and enable a focus on quality learning and building a strong school community.

An avid music lover, Colin hopes one day to realise his dream of playing in a 70s glam rock band.

Sue has an unwavering commitment to community and connection. Appointed to the role of Director of Community Engagement in 2018, an extensive and active network benefits her work across all areas of the School. Sue’s focus is on making connections, continuous collaboration and fostering relationships including with the Parents & Friends, and Parent Support Groups Subcommittees across all campuses.

A proud Caulfield Grammarian, Sue joined the School as an employee in 1996. A former VCE Psychology and Health & Human Development teacher, Sue also held leadership roles including Head of House, and Teacher-In-Charge of Swimming. In 2005 Sue moved to the School’s Nanjing Campus for four years. As Deputy Head of Campus and Head of Nanjing Campus, Sue’s passion for experiential education and cultural immersion was amplified. She enjoyed learning alongside students and leading such an impactful program.

On returning to Australia, Sue has applied her passions to a variety of senior leadership positions including Deputy Head of Wheelers Hill Campus, Head of Project Administration, and Associate to Vice Principal – School.

Sue is currently responsible for strategic and operational delivery of School community projects across key areas of Community Engagement including Admissions, Marketing & Communications, Scholarships, Uniform, Archives and Events. Integral to the function of Community Engagement, Sue supports and maintains important relationships with the Caulfield Grammarians’ Association and the Caulfield Grammar School Foundation to ensure alignment and connectedness across the vast School community.

Sue’s passions outside of school extend to painting, travel, family and Italian cuisine.

Kirsten is a proud and passionate Caulfield Grammarian, having attended Wheelers Hill Campus as a student and, for the last 20 years, as a year coach in the Caulfield Grammar Rowing program.

In November 2023, Kirsten joined the School Executive as Director of People and Culture.

Caulfield Grammar has played a significant role in Kirsten’s life through helping develop critical skills, forming life-long friendships, and leading her to a career she is passionate about. Kirsten believes in the impact that Caulfield Grammar School has on students, not just while they are at school, but for their entire lives.

An experienced HR professional who has worked in Australia and in the United States for large global organisations, Kirsten joins us from Anzuk Education where she was Global Head of People and Growth. Prior to 2021, Kirsten held a variety of senior roles at NBCUniversal, Mattel and Deloitte.

In addition to her passion for rowing, Kirsten loves travelling, reading, exercising, coffee, and spending time with friends and family.

Simon joined the School Council in 2019 and has a range of commercial, leadership and construction experience gained over 38 years, both domestically and internationally. Simon was a student at Caulfield Grammar (1979), as was his father, brother and three sons.

Melinda joined School Council in 2018, and is the current General Counsel, Company Secretary and Chief Risk Officer for Australian Unity Limited. Prior to working at Australian Unity, she worked for GE and KPMG in a variety of senior executive and legal roles. Melinda has a range of corporate and commercial legal, governance, risk and compliance experience gained across broad environments including taxation, consumer finance, banking, aged care, disability services, general insurance and private health insurance.

Melinda was a student of Caulfield Grammar (1988), as was her father and brother and her two children attended Malvern Campus and Caulfield Campus.

Andrew joined the School Council in 2022 and was a student at Caulfield Grammar (1999).

Andrew is an External Audit Partner of KPMG Australia, with over 20 years of experience working with clients across a wide range of industries including Construction and Property, Consumer & Industrial Markets, Logistics, Energy and Natural Resources and Not-for-profit.

Andrew holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Monash University (Clayton Campus), is a Chartered Accountant and a Registered Company Auditor.

The Hon. Kelly O’Dwyer is a Non-Executive Director of several listed and non-listed companies.

Kelly previously served in the Australian Parliament, and was a member of Federal Cabinet and Cabinet’s Expenditure Review Committee.  Kelly held a number of senior economic portfolios including Minister for Jobs and Industrial Relations and Minister for Women; Minister for Revenue and Financial Services; Assistant Treasurer; and Minister for Small Business. Kelly was the first woman to serve in Cabinet in a Treasury portfolio and the youngest woman appointed to Cabinet. In 2018 Kelly was recognised as one of the BBC’s 100 Women.

Prior to this, Kelly had a career in law and finance.

Kelly joined the School Council in 2019 and is a parent at the School.

David joined School Council in 2019, and will commence the role as Chief Executive of IFM Investors from March 2020.  Prior to this Mr Neal joined the Future Fund in 2007 as the organisation’s first Chief Investment Officer and in 2014 he was appointed as Chief Executive Officer.  Prior to joining the Future Fund, Mr Neal spent 15 years with Willis Towers Watson where he started his career in the United Kingdom.  He holds a Master of Arts (Hons) in Electronic and Structural Materials Engineering from St Edmund Hall, Oxford University.

David is a parent of three children enrolled at the Malvern and Caulfield Campuses.

Matthew is Executive Director / Practice Principal of Scholten Collins McKissock / Godfrey Pembroke Limited, the business he founded in 1996. He is a Certified Financial Planner and has qualifications from the Australian Insurance Institute, SPAA and ASFA. He has held a number of management positions in financial services including business development, client service, sales and marketing, corporate superannuation and product development.

Matthew is a past student (1984) and has been keenly involved in alumni activities, including serving as President of the Caulfield Grammarians’ Association from 2010 – 2012, and President of the Caulfield Grammarians’ Football Club from 1998 – 2012. Matthew is a parent to three children who attended Caulfield Grammar School.

David joined School Council in 2017, and is the current Managing Partner of the Melbourne office of Hunt & Hunt lawyers. He has practiced in the area of employment and workplace relations for many years, acting for employers in a wide range of industries, including education. David is a past student of both Malvern and Caulfield Campuses, as was his father. David is the parent of two children who also attended Caulfield Grammar School.

Yolanda joined the School Council in 2023 and currently serves as the President of the Wheelers Hill Campus Parents & Friends Association.

Professionally, Yolanda is a Delivery Executive with over 20 years of experience leading complex, transformational programs across diverse industries including retail, energy, and financial services. Her expertise spans program governance, strategic project and portfolio management, and IT & digital transformation initiatives. She combines strategic oversight with pragmatic execution skills, enabling organisations to successfully navigate change while delivering measurable business outcomes.

Yolanda has been actively involved in the Wheelers Hill Campus community since 2014, when her son Jarod began in Prep. She joined the P&F as a committee member that same year, later serving as Vice President of the Junior School P&F in 2020, Vice President of the Senior School in 2022, before becoming President in 2023. Jarod is currently in Year 11.

Rebecca joined the School Council in 2023 and is the current President of the Parents & Friends Malvern Campus Branch as well as being a past student (1993).  Rebecca is also a parent of three children, who are enrolled at the Malvern and Caulfield Campuses.

Rebecca has over 15 years experience in the not-for-profit sector having undertaken a number of roles including as a Board Member then Executive Director at Springvale Community Assistance and Advice Bureau and more recently, as the CEO of The 100% Project.  During that time, Rebecca completed her MBA at Monash and continues to have an ongoing interest in community, equality and social justice.  Prior to working in the community sector, Rebecca held a variety of senior HR/OD roles with leading national law firms, Allens Arthur Robinson, Minter Ellison and Slater & Gordon.

Adrian joined School Council in 2019.  Adrian founded and is the Chief Executive Officer of Merricks Capital. Prior to that Adrian has held a variety of roles both domestically and internationally in the finance sector, including roles with Citadel Investment Group and Merrill Lynch.  Adrian is presently the Deputy Chair of the investment committee for Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.  Adrian has a range of corporate, commercial, governance, strategic and leadership experience gained primarily in the finance and endowment sector. Adrian is a past parent to two children who attended Caulfield Grammar School.

Henry joined the School Council in 2023, and is the current President of the Caulfield Grammarians’ Association (CGA). Henry has a deep history with the School, being a past student starting at Shaw House (1979), School Captain (1989), a parent of three Caulfield Grammar School students (two of whom are currently enrolled), and a member of the CGA Committee since 2018.

Henry started his career as a Corporate Solicitor, and has spent the last 20 years leading technology and services related businesses – large and small – across ANZ and North America. Currently Acting CEO for BioCurate, and prior to that CEO of IncentiaPay, Henry’s formal education includes LLB (Hons) / BA (Economics and Politics) from Melbourne University and Harvard MBA.