Council

Anthony Mackay AM is former CEO and current Chair of the Washington DC-based National Center on Education and the Economy.

Anthony is Deputy Chancellor Swinburne University, Melbourne , Honorary Senior Fellow, Melbourne Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne; Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Education Southern Cross University, Australia; and Visiting Professor, International Centre for Educational Enhancement, University of Bolton UK.

Anthony is Co Chair of Learning Creates Australia . He is the immediate former CEO, Centre for Strategic Education, Melbourne . Anthony is immediate past Chair and current Board Director of the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) .  Anthony was the inaugural Chair of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) , inaugural Deputy Chair of the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) & inaugural Deputy Chair , Education Council , New Zealand . 

Anthony is co-founder of the Global Education Leaders Partnership (GELP) and was Foundation Chair of the Innovation Unit UK. He is an Expert Advisor to OECD, to the WISE Leadership Network & the Global Cities Education Network. He  is a Fellow of the Salzburg Global Seminar and co-convenor of the Brookings / NCEE Knowledge Exchange. 

Anthony is Moderator for the annual International Summit on the Teaching Profession and Co Moderator of the High Performing Systems for Tomorrow Program.

Current committees: 

• Audit and Risk Committee member (2024-current)
• People, Remuneration and Nominations Committee Chair (formerly known as the Executive, Remuneration and Nominations Committee) (2022–current, member since 2021)
   

Previous committees: 

• Finance and Operations Committee member (2022–2024)
• Philanthropy, Infrastructure and Investments Committee member (2021)
• Executive and Remuneration Committee member (2015–2020)
• Resources Committee member (2015–2020)
  
• Governance, Nominations and Conferral Committee member (2014)

Mr William Lye OAM KC is a barrister at the Victorian Bar, practising across all Australian jurisdictions. His areas of legal practice include commercial and corporate law, intellectual property, technology and internet law, cross-border disputes, enforcement of foreign judgments, proceeds of crime, mediation, and arbitration.

Mr Lye holds a Bachelor of Science (Computers), Bachelor of Laws, and Master of Laws (specialising in Intellectual Property) from Monash University, along with a Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation from Swinburne University. He serves as Adjunct Professor within the Faculty of Business and Law at Swinburne Law School and is appointed as a University Council member, contributing to governance, audit, and risk oversight.

He is a Nationally Advanced Accredited Mediator under the Australian Mediator and Dispute Resolution Accreditation Standards scheme (AMDRAS); a Fellow of the Resolution Institute; and serves on several foreign arbitration panels, including the Shanghai International Arbitration Centre and Brunei’s Arbitration Association. He is also a panellist for domain name disputes under the Czech Arbitration Centre (UDRP – ICANN).

Mr Lye's current leadership positions include serving as a member of the Victorian Bar Council and the Deputy Chair of the Counsel Committee; Chair of Foley’s List, one of the oldest and largest barristers' group in Australia; Deputy National Chairman of The Order of Australia Association Limited; Director of the Australian Mediator and Dispute Resolution Accreditation Standards (AMDRAS) Board; and Council member of Swinburne University. He remains active on university and sectoral committees, including as a past Chair and current member of the Audit & Risk Committee.  He has previously served on the Finance & Operations Committee; and the Executive, Remuneration and Nominations Committee.  

An advocate for diversity, inclusion, and professional excellence, he is the founding member and past National Vice President of the Asian Australian Lawyers Association, Chair of the William Ah Ket Scholarship committee, and a patron of the North American Australian Lawyers Alliance Incorporated.

Mr Lye is recognised for his commitment to legal education and advocacy, with research and teaching interests in mooting, advocacy training, public international law, AI and workflows, and multicultural lawyering. He is a regular contributor to professional organisations and legal education institutions, including as Adjunct Professor at Monash University Law Faculty; Associate at the Asian Law Centre, Melbourne Law School; and Adjunct Fellow at the Sir Zelman Cowen Centre, Victoria University.

His honours include the Order of Australia Medal (2017) for service to the law, to business, and the promotion of cultural diversity, as well as the Barrister of the Year Award and Lawyers Weekly Excellence Award (2017). In 2018, he became the first barrister of Malaysian Chinese descent appointed as Senior Counsel in Australia, later becoming one of His Majesty’s Counsel (KC).

Current Committees:

• Audit and Risk Committee (Chair 2022-2023, Member since 2022) 
   

Previous Committees:

• Finance and Operations Committee (2022-2024)
• Executive, Remuneration and Nominations Committee (2022-2023)

Richard is a graduate of the University of Melbourne, and holds a Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical (Hons). He also completed the Advanced Management Program at Oxford University, Saïd Business School. 

Richard is the Managing Director and CEO of Furnace Engineering Pty Ltd, holding this position for over 25 years. From a background in automotive engineering (Ford Australia), Richard joined Furnace Engineering in 1994, starting in engineering design and project management, then sales, before leading the company. 

Furnace Engineering is an Australian engineering company specialising in the design and manufacture of heat processing equipment for the industrial and research markets. The company has a significant export activity, and has been honoured several times in the Governor of Victoria Export Awards. Furnace Engineering has a long history of developing specialised heat processing equipment, most recently several novel high temperature technologies for carbon fibre and carbon fibre composites, and holds several patents covering key technology developed in-house. 

Richard has served as an advisory board member on the Swinburne Innovation Precinct and the Swinburne Leadership Institute.  He is also a director of several businesses related to Furnace Engineering including Tetlow Kiln Pty Ltd and Accutherm International Pty Ltd.  Richard is a director of The Jolimont Foundation – a charitable foundation which supports educational opportunities for regional, remote and indigenous young people.

Current committees:

• Audit and Risk Committee member (2021–current)
• Transnational Education Committee Chair (2025-current)
   

Previous committees:

• Finance and Operations Committee member (2022-2024)
• Executive, Remuneration and Nominations Committee member (2022-2023)
• Philanthropy, Infrastructure and Investments Committee member (2021)

John is a graduate of Macquarie University, and holds the degree of Bachelor of Economics, majoring in Economics and Business Law. He is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

He is currently an advisory board member of Indigitek, and was previously a non-executive director at Smiling Mind, as well as holding board roles at the Aboriginal Economic Board (Vic Govt) and the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association.

John is currently Executive General Manager of Future Business and Technology at AGL, and previously held senior executive positions at Telstra, including Executive Director of Product Innovation. Johns’ startup companies include TAPPL (providing Future of Work capability), Moorup Technology, a green tech devices marketplace, and Fresh Ventures Advisory, which was acquired by IE Digital in February 2019.

Current committees:

• Technology, Innovation and Value Creation Committee Chair (2021–current)
• People, Remuneration and Nominations Committee member (formerly known as the Executive, Remuneration and Nominations Committee) (2021–current)

Bilal Ahmed is an aspiring Business Analyst with strong technical and interpersonal skills, currently pursuing a Bachelor of Business Information Systems at Swinburne University.

His experience as a Mentor Leader and Orientation Leader has given him insight into the student experience and the importance of effective governance in creating a supportive academic environment. Moreover, his commitment to student engagement and leadership has been recognised with prestigious accolades, including Swinburne’s Emerging Leader Award and the Volunteer of the Year Award (2023)—a testament to his dedication to making a meaningful impact. His drive to serve students led him to actively volunteer, reinforcing his belief that strong leadership and strategic policies can shape a more innovative and supportive university experience.

He is passionate about contributing to the development of strategic policies that promote inclusivity, innovation, and student engagement. As a representative, he aims to bring a data-driven approach to decision-making while ensuring that the voices of students are heard and valued.

His background in business analytics, coupled with his experience in student leadership roles, equips him to bring a unique perspective to the governance body. He wishes to contribute to university governance by
promoting transparency and accountability, ensuring that decision-making processes are data-driven and inclusive.

Current commities:

• Technology, Innovation and Value Creation Committee (2025–current)

Rae Johnston is a multi-award-winning STEM journalist and broadcaster, and a proud Wiradjuri woman born and raised on Dharug and Gundungurra Country in Western Sydney. She is nationally recognised for her leadership in translating complex scientific and technological concepts into accessible, engaging information for the wider community, with a strong commitment to supporting underrepresented and Indigenous peoples in STEM.

Rae hosts ABC Radio National’s Download This Show, ABC Radio Sydney’s Sunday Mornings, SBS’s The Secret DNA of Us, and iHeartRadio’s Weird Tech podcast. She has held several influential editorial roles, including serving as the first Science & Technology Editor for NITV at SBS, the first female editor of Gizmodo Australia and the first Indigenous editor of Junkee. Her work across television, radio and digital media has established her as a trusted commentator on innovation, digital futures and the societal impact of emerging technologies.

Rae serves on the board of the Telstra Foundation, is a member of the Australian Science Media Centre’s Science and Media Advisory Panel (SMAP), and a mentor with Science & Technology Australia’s Superstars of STEM program. Through these roles, she contributes to national efforts that strengthen science communication, advance public understanding of STEM and foster a more inclusive STEM workforce.

Current committee: 

• Technology, Innovation and Value Creation Committee member (2023-current)

Karen Clarke, a seasoned executive, holds a Master of Commerce from Swinburne University of Technology, complemented by a Graduate Certificate of Emerging Technology and Law from RMIT and an active CPA member in Australia.

With a diverse background spanning energy management, manufacturing, international trade, corporate finance, agriculture and aerospace industries, Karen has cultivated a multifaceted skill set. Her career has flourished across Australia and the United States of America, where she is recognised for her ability to foster high-performing organisations grounded in trust and inclusion.
Karen is currently serving as the CFO & EVP Corporate Services for Hexagon’s Autonomous Solutions division, where she is at the forefront of revolutionising the future of autonomy. Prior to the role at Hexagon, she spent almost two decades at Schneider Electric, where she held various executive-level positions in finance, strategy, digital transformation, risk management and operational effectiveness process design.

Current committees:

• Audit and Risk Committee Chair (2023–current)
• People, Remuneration and Nominations Committee member (formerly known as the Executive, Remuneration and Nominations Committee) (2023-current)
   

Previous committees:

• Finance and Operations Committee member (2023-2024)

Professor Kieu, with a university medal for his B.Sc. (Honours) from the University of Queensland and a [RB1] PhD in Theoretical Physics from the University of Edinburgh, has served in academia and public service. 

Tien has a rich research background with positions at Edinburgh University, Oxford University, Melbourne University, CSIRO and Swinburne University. He has also held a Fulbright Fellowship and several overseas visiting positions. Since 2009, he has been an Adjunct Professor at Swinburne University. He is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Physics.

Professor Kieu's research expertise lies in quantum physics and quantum computation, where he has made significant contributions. His career extends beyond academia, encompassing valuable experience in the industry and finance sectors, where he has gained in-depth knowledge of data analytics and artificial intelligence. 

Tien's public service includes a term as a member of the Legislative Council of Victorian Parliament from 2018 to 2022, and he has held directorship positions at TAC and currently at the Greater Western Water Corporation. He is a Fellow of St Hilda's College (University of Melbourne) and is also serving as a member of the Advisory Board for In2Science.

As a former refugee from Vietnam, Professor Kieu understands deeply the importance of supporting diverse communities. He actively engages with multicultural communities in Victoria. 

Current committees:

• Audit and Risk Committee member (2024–current)
• Technology, Innovation and Value Creation Committee member (2024-current)
• Transnational Education Committee (2025-current)