Expert Member Biographies

Appointed members

The Hon Phil Honeywood CEO, International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), (Co-convener)

Mr Honeywood has been CEO of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) since November 2011. IEAA is a not-for-profit peak body that represents all sectors of international education in Australia. Mr Honeywood brings extensive experience in international education. This includes significant experience on education boards, including the Victorian Government International Education Advisory Committee, the StudyNSW International Education Advisory Board, the Higher Education Standards Panel and the New Colombo Plan Steering Group and the Tuition Protection Services Board, where he serves as Deputy Chair.

Mr Honeywood was the Member for Warrandyte in the Victorian State Parliament from 1988 to 2006. During this period he served as Deputy Leader of the Opposition (2002 to 2006), Minister for Tertiary Education, Training and Multicultural Affairs (1996 to 1999) and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier (1992 to 1996). From 2009 to 2011, Mr Honeywood was CEO of Cambridge International College.

Mr Simon Finn - Head of Strategic Engagement and Government Relations, Navitas Australia (Co-convener)

Mr Finn provides policy leadership to Australia's largest independent higher education company Navitas in his role as Head of Government Relations and Strategic Engagement.  Over three decades Navitas has partnered with Australian universities to deliver pathway programs that support international students to succeed.  Prior to working with Navitas Mr Finn was the CEO of Independent Higher Education Australia.

Mr Finn was the Member for Yeerongpilly in the Queensland State Parliament from 2004 to 2012.  During this period he served as the Minister for Government Services, Building Industry and ICT, Assistant Minister for Industrial Relations and as a Government Whip. Before entering parliament Mr Finn worked in the university sector in Victoria and Queensland.

Mr Mel Koumides, CEO, Academia International

Mr. Koumides more than 20 of experience in the Vocational and ELICOS training sectors. He has held prior roles as council / board member of both state and federal government and industry associations, plus an extensive North Asian regional knowledge as APAC lead for a multinational IT organisation, prior to establishing Academia International.

Mr Koumides brings an extensive knowledge in international education.

Mr Derek Scott, CEO / Principal and Haileybury

Derek is the CEO | Principal of Haileybury, Australia’s largest independent school. Haileybury has over 5,300 students across four campuses in Melbourne and an online school Haileybury Pangea, and 1,050 students at Haileybury Rendall School in Darwin. Haileybury Rendall School has over 100 Indigenous boarders and students in an international boarding house. Haileybury has campuses and programs in nine cities across China, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and Vanuatu.

Derek is also the Chair of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. In 2019 he was awarded the Australian Principal of the Year at the Australian Education Awards. In 2022 he was presented with the International Education Association of Australia’s Leadership in International Education Award.

Mr Luke Sheehy, CEO, Universities Australia

Mr Luke Sheehy commenced as the CEO of Universities Australia in February 2024. He is a highly skilled leader with more than 20 years' experience shaping the agenda of higher education.

Prior to UA, Mr Sheehy led the Australian Technology Network of Universities for almost five years. He has also held key education roles in government, worked as an education and strategy consultant for the Asian Development Bank and held senior management roles at Swinburne University.

As the first member of his family to graduate from university, Mr Sheehy knows first-hand the power of education to transform lives and is driven to ensure that opportunity is provided to as many people as possible

Ms Cheryl Jolliffe, Vice President Future Students, Bond University

Cheryl Jolliffe has more than 20 years’ experience in the higher education sector and has held senior leadership positions in international education across a number of Australian institutions. Cheryl is the Vice President Future Students at Bond University, Australia’s first private not-for-profit university. This role has strategic responsibility for the University’s international portfolio, as well as domestic student engagement, brand, marketing and admissions.

Cheryl is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and serves as a board member of IES College. She is Deputy Chair of the Universities Australia Deputy Vice-Chancellor International Executive Committee and is a member of the Education Advisory Committee for Experience Gold Coast.

Ms Frances Coppolillo, CEO, Melbourne Polytechnic

Ms Coppolillo is the CEO of Melbourne Polytechnic. As an experienced senior education leader in Victoria, she has led the strategic development of programs and services in Vocational Education and Training and in Higher Education for both local and international student cohorts. Ms Coppolillo has held numerous roles in TAFE including Deputy CEO, Deputy Director Programs-Teaching and Learning, and Associate Director of the Faculty of Further Education.

Ms Coppolillo is a values-based leader, working to strengthen connections to community and industry.  She is the Interim Chairperson of NorthLink, a strong regional partnership of industry, education, health and government working to grow economic opportunities for individuals and business in Melbourne's the Northern region. International education as always been championed by Melbourne Polytechnic, Frances has represented TAFE in the Victorian International Education Advisory Council.  As a founding director on the Board of the TAFE Development Centre (now the VET Development Centre) Frances has a strong interest in enhancing the development of the VET professional educators, managers and leaders.

Ms Coppolillo qualifications include a Bachelor of Education (Arts) Secondary, and Masters Arts/Social Science(Policy and Management).

Dr Adele Lausberg, Executive Director, Student Accommodation Council

Dr Adele Lausberg is the Executive Director of the Property Council's Student Accommodation Council (SAC). Formed in May 2022, the Student Accommodation Council gives a voice to the purpose-built student accommodation sector. The Student Accommodation Council's advocacy priorities are to remove the barriers to growth in this alternative residential asset class and grow the sector Australia-wide, supporting Australia's largest services export, international education.

Dr Lausberg has a wealth of experience in policy, advocacy and stakeholder engagement, having held roles across peak membership associations, federal politics, and academia. She recently served as the Chief Advocacy Officer at Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia. Her career includes significant contributions to the medical and tourism sectors, as well as previously working for the Property Council in the Capital Markets Division, and as Interim ACT Executive Director. She has been awarded a PhD, and her thesis focused on political collaboration within the Australian Federal Parliament.

Ms Tennealle O'Shannessy, CEO and Managing Director, IDP Education

Tennealle O’Shannessy is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of IDP Education, a global leader in international education services. Since joining IDP in 2023, she has steered the organisation through rapidly evolving global markets with a strong emphasis on quality, trust, and student success.

With more than twenty‑five years of experience across online education and global employment platforms, Tennealle has built a career advancing access to learning worldwide. During nearly a decade at SEEK, she held senior international roles, including Managing Director – Americas, and played a foundational role in establishing Online Education Services (OES), a pioneering partnership with Swinburne University that expanded high‑quality online higher education to students globally.

Before joining IDP, Tennealle served as CEO of Adore Beauty, leading its successful ASX listing. Her return to the education sector reflects her long‑standing passion for learning and her commitment to expanding access to high‑quality education worldwide.

In August 2025, Tennealle was appointed as the Australian Business Champion for Cambodia to strengthen trade, investment, and education ties. Tennealle holds an MBA (Dean's List) from Melbourne Business School, a Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from Monash University, and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Professor Jessica Gallagher, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, International and External Engagement, Adelaide University

As Deputy Vice-Chancellor International and External Engagement at Australia's new Group of Eight university, Professor Gallagher leads a diverse portfolio responsible for leading the strategy and delivery of Adelaide University's global presence and impact through purposeful partnerships, recruitment, participation and outreach, community and government relations, marketing and communications, alumni engagement, and internationalisation activities.

Professor Gallagher has a PhD in Comparative Cultural Studies from the University of Queensland and holds a board position at Multicultural Australia. She is also recognised within the higher education sector for giving a voice to where mainstream and minorities intersect. She has steered the establishment of scholarships and partnerships that support students from Delhi slums, created new opportunities for refugees and those with a humanitarian disadvantage, and has driven the expansion of female founder and leadership initiatives.

Mr Toshi Kawaguchi, Director, Study NSW

Toshi Kawaguchi is the Director of International Education (Study NSW) in the NSW Premier's Department, where he leads policy development, stakeholder engagement and whole‑of‑government coordination to support international education, student experience and skills pathways aligned to NSW economic priorities. In this role, he works closely with education providers, industry and government partners in Australia and internationally.

During his tenure with Study NSW, Toshi has led critical initiatives in student support, employer engagement and student accommodation which have been recognised through multiple domestic and international sector awards. He played a central role in coordinating the NSW Government's COVID‑19 crisis response for the international education sector and in managing the safe return of international students during the pandemic.

Prior to joining the NSW Government, Toshi spent over a decade in the Australian Public Service, including at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. His roles included serving as Secretary‑General of the Australian National Commission for UNESCO, advising the COAG Reform Council on national performance and service delivery reform, and undertaking overseas postings with the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands and the Australian Embassy in Rome with accreditation to Italy, Libya and San Marino.

Ms Chloe Read, Managing Director, TAFE NSW

Chloe Read has been Managing Director of TAFE NSW since January of 2025. With over 20 years of experience in public sector education, Chloe brings expertise in public policy, strategy, intergovernmental relations, program management and IT. Most recently, she served for five years as Deputy Secretary, Education and Skills Reform, at the NSW Department of Education.

TAFE NSW plays a vital role in delivering the skills needed by industries and communities across the state. Chloe's proven ability to drive positive change, coupled with her deep understanding of the NSW skills sector and strong connections with schools, positions her to lead the organisation confidently into the future.