Marnie Watson IEAA-F

Chair

Marnie Watson is Vice President Global at Griffith University. Prior to her current role, Marnie was Chief Partnership Officer for Acumen (Sannam S4) managing a global team responsible for delivering international education services across Southeast Asia and South Asia for over 100 universities. She has spent most of her 28 years in the international education sector based in Southeast Asia working for University of New South Wales, Study Group and UP Education. Marnie’s international education focus has been on setting and executing on international education strategy for schools, vocational providers and universities, including TNE initiatives, while leading global student recruitment and academic teams. She was previously President of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, on the Board of the Australian and New Zealand Association in Singapore and is currently on the International Education Association of Australia board.

Lucy Blakemore

Lucy is an independent insights professional specialising in qualitative research, with a particular focus on student and academic experience. Over the last 25 years she has held leadership, research and teaching roles in the UK, Italy, Sudan and Australia, including global roles as VP, Education at HolonIQ and Head of Customer Research & Insights at Navitas. Her insights work spans multiple contexts, including high schools, pathways, onshore/offshore, public/private and both international and domestic student experience. She holds tertiary qualifications in languages, marketing, and education, and is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA).

Associate Professor Amanda Daly

Amanda  is Academic Director (EmpowerED University Preparation) at Griffith University. Over the last 20 years, Amanda has worked within the education industry as an administrator, university business educator and researcher, with a specific focus on international students and student mobility. She also has a wealth of experience as an academic and curriculum developer driving the internationalisation of the curriculum and enhancing the student experience. Amanda is the inaugural Chair of IEAA’s Emerging Researchers Group, which is a sub-committee of the Research Committee.

Mike Ferguson IEAA-SF

Mike is Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) at Charles Sturt University and former Chair and Treasurer of the AUIDF. Prior to his role at Charles Sturt University, he held the role of Director for Global Student Recruitment at the University of Canberra. He has also worked in international education as an Australian Diplomat in New Delhi, as Director of International Education Policy for the Department of Home Affairs and as a Ministerial Advisor to Senator Michaelia Cash. Mike is an IEAA Senior Fellow.

Professor Catherine Gomes IEAA-SF

Catherine is a Professor in the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University. She is an ethnographer who is internationally known for her work in three interrelated areas: a) communication, culture and identity; b) international student wellbeing; and c) transient migrant(ions). Catherine is an Asia-Pacific specialist, with Australia and Singapore being significant fieldwork sites. Her current work on Singapore covers food heritage and platform economies.

Tracy Harris IEAA-SF

Tracy brings over three decades of leadership experience in international education, spanning universities, pathways, federal government, and the not-for-profit sector. As Principal of Tracy Harris Solutions, she advises clients on leadership, governance, communication, marketing, and stakeholder engagement. Tracy also contributes regularly to The Koala News. Her past roles include General Manager and Dean at Swinburne College, Executive Director of Global Development at RMIT University, and various public sector positions with Austrade and the Department of Education, Employment, and Workplace Relations, including overseas representation.

Dr Kirrilee Hughes IEAA-SF

Kirrilee is an international education consultant, researcher and IEAA's Research Manager. She has 20 years of experience in global higher education and schools sectors; has held leadership and strategy roles for global education organisations and leading Australian universities; and has taught undergraduate and postgraduate students in Australia and Singapore. Kirrilee is an IEAA Senior Fellow and has special expertise in Indonesia and broader Southeast Asia..

Lyndell Jacka IEAA-SF

Lyndell is currently Senior Principal, Future Students Insights at The University of Queensland. An experienced market insights professional with over a decade in international education, she has led, shaped, and developed research and data insights at organisations such as IDP Education, Edified, Austrade, and Studyportals. She is passionate about interpreting market data and intelligence to help the sector unlock value and inform evidence-based decision making. Lyndell chairs IEAA’s Data Group, a subcommittee of the Research Committee, and is a member of the Research Committee.

Dr Angela Lehmann

Angela is a leading voice in Australia's international education community and is Principal Consultant APAC at QS Quacquarelli Symonds. Angela is a sociologist and has spent several years teaching in a mainland Chinese university and has published two books about migration and China. She holds an honorary position at the College of Arts and Social Sciences at the Australian National University. Angela is Chair of the Foundation for Australian Studies in China and is an Advisory Board member for the Australia China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney.

Dr Elena Williams IEAA-AF

Elena is an international education and development researcher-practitioner with 15+ years' experience in Indonesia. She has recently completed doctoral research at The Australian National University examining the impact of learning abroad programs and DFAT's New Colombo Plan (NCP) on Australia-Indonesia relations. Elena has previously served as Indonesian Resident Director with Acicis, is a board member with DFAT's Australia-Indonesia Institute and a selection panel member for the NCP and Australia Awards Indonesia. She currently works as an adviser with the Australia Awards Indonesia program.

Dr Aleksandr Voninski IEAA-SF

Alek is Pro Vice-Chancellor (Global) at the University of Newcastle, where he oversees university partnerships, transnational education initiatives, student mobility, protocol, and sustainable education projects. Alek is an IEAA Senior Fellow (IEAA-SF) and has worked across the Australian international education sector for 20 years, previously with IDP as Head of External Relations; Edified as Senior Partner; ETS TOEFL as Director of Client Relations; and at UNSW as Executive Director, International. He has been a member of the Research Committee since 2022.

Dr Helen Yang IEAA-SF

Helen, Associate Dean for Academic Partnerships at La Trobe Business School, is passionate about international education and has expertise in accounting and higher education. A CPA and Senior Fellow of both Advance HE (UK) and IEAA, she leads strategic initiatives in research-informed curriculum development, transnational education and teaching quality enhancement. Helen actively contributes to shaping international student admission policies, ensuring equitable academic performance standards and strengthening global engagement in academic partnerships.