The Business Of School - Brought To You By Cole Connect

Mike Parker is an IT leader, writer, and former Vice President of MITIE with over 20 years of experience, including work at NASA Ames Research Centre and in four schools. He’s passionate about the EdTech industry and the people who drive it. Known for his strategic thinking, bad jokes, and trademark Hawaiian shirts, Mike balances serious IT projects with a good dose of colour and humour.

Dr Virginia Moller has over 40 years of experience in education, as a teacher , school principal, project manager of the writing of the Australian Steiner Curriculum, school educational consultant and CEO of Steiner Education Australia. Virginia is currently an academic, lecturing and tutoring in the Master of Educational Leadership and Bachelor of Education courses at the University of Sydney, as well as participating in ongoing research on leadership, governance, and the way organisations flourish. She also continues to consult to schools through The Conscious Education Initiative which brings evidence -informed focus on strategy development and implementation processes, organisational governance, leadership and cultural change within the challenging environment of Australian schools and educational organisations.

Wendy Limbert, Managing Director and self confessed Ringleader of Awesomeness joins the Cole hotseat; sharing her story, her laughs, and her vision. She is truly a 1 in a million leader and an inspiration to us all, we’re all blessed to have worked with her!!

Wicus Wessels has over 15 years of financial experience across many industries and sectors.

As Audit Partner at Crowe Audit, he maintains specialist skills in the areas of external audit in the Education sector.

Addressing the increasing strain of school finances is a critical issue that many educational institutions face.

Wicus interacts frequently with many school leaders about their financial risks and performance, and we talk with him on topics ranging from debtor recovery to increase in payroll costs, to capital projects.

Alistair Edmonds leads the schools team at Edstart, working closely with schools across Australia to support the financial sustainability of schools and their families. With a background in both Statistics and Business and leadership roles within Australian EdTech businesses, Alistair brings a data-driven approach to understanding the financial challenges and opportunities within the education sector. He has a unique insight into the intersection of education, finance, and technology - regularly engaging with school leaders on emerging trends and challenges shaping the future of independent schooling in Australia. 

#IndependentSchools #ColeSchoolExperts #SchoolManagement #schoolfees #schoolfeemanagement #EducationPodcast

Grant Grosser is a Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the e-learning industry. He successfully founded an organic startup and today it is a successful business with a reputation for caring for customers, innovation and determination to support teachers and they grow young lives.

He is a strong business development professional with a B.Ed focused in Education Administration from Murdoch University.

Grant is also the founder of SEQTA Software.

David Buley is a seasoned Chief Financial Officer with a career spanning over three decades across Education Management, Financial Services, and Not-For-Profit sectors.

He currently serves as the CFO and Director of Capital Grant Programs at the Association of Independent Schools of New South Wales (AISNSW), where he has represented independent schools in strategic consultations since 1995.

Deeply committed to the future of education, David is a recognised thought leader in education finance. He regularly researches and speaks on emerging trends affecting schools — sharing insights on strategy, governance, and operational effectiveness in not-for-profit and school-based environments.

Dean brings 18 years of experience in the finance industry, with the past 14 dedicated to Bethany Christian School in the role of Finance and Facilities Manager. Before joining the education sector, Dean worked in banking, specialising in business finance.

Since arriving at Bethany Christian School, Dean has been a driving force behind streamlining systems and improving day-to-day operations. From payroll and invoicing to the school canteen, they’ve helped transform time-consuming manual tasks into efficient, user-friendly processes—boosting productivity, enhancing service to the school community, and strengthening the school’s financial position along the way.

Welcome to the final episode of our special series from ASBA 2025 in Garramilla/Darwin. In this compelling third part, we look to the future, exploring evolving priorities and innovative approaches to community support and system resilience for K-12 independent schools across Australia and New Zealand.

The discussions at ASBA 2025 highlighted key trends and future challenges. This episode brings together insights on how schools are building strong foundations, navigating complex compliance landscapes, and fostering sustainable team resilience for what's ahead.

In this episode, you'll discover:

- Data Governance & Information Management for the Future: Lee Fisher, CEO at The Alpha School System (TASS), highlights that true resilience stems from strong foundations and reliable systems. He discusses their comprehensive solutions covering student information, learning analytics, and mobile applications, emphasising data interoperability and partner collaboration. A key challenge schools bring to TASS is consolidating disparate systems for staff accessibility and improving parent engagement via mobile apps.

- Future Compliance & Governance Scrutiny: Johnny Loannou, Director of Business at Cardijn College and Deputy Chair of the ASBA committee, sheds light on the increasing scrutiny on schools and the growing compliance requirements limiting time. Jim Barry, Director of Corporate Services at West Moreton Anglican College, foresees governance, particularly compliance and reporting (like blue card changes in Queensland), as a significant future challenge. He notes conference discussions shifting towards these changing regulatory landscapes.

- Building Enduring Team Resilience: Andrew from Higgins shares how their diverse services (e.g., drone washing, flooring rejuvenation) offer a "one-stop service" to business managers, aiding strategic planning and enhancing the learning environment's appeal to parents, thus supporting resilience. Kristian Brennan, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Student Ride, focuses on reducing administrative load for school transport, streamlining processes and improving resilience by handling panic situations. Will Neil, Director of Business at Flinders CCC, defines resilience as building systems that "endure beyond us" – ensuring continuity even with staff changes, and anticipates AI shaping future school workforces towards greater efficiency.

This episode offers a forward-looking perspective on how schools can build robust systems, adapt to future challenges, and empower their communities with strategic support.

Don't miss out! Tune in for expert insights and actionable takeaways that can help your school thrive in an ever-evolving environment.

Welcome back to our special series from ASBA 2025 in Garramilla/Darwin. In this second insightful episode, we continue our conversations with experts and school leaders, exploring evolving priorities and innovative approaches shaping K-12 independent schools across Australia and New Zealand.

The education landscape is constantly shifting, demanding new strategies in data utilisation, compliance, and team resilience. This episode delves into how schools are adapting and finding smarter ways to operate.

In this episode, you'll discover:

- Data-Driven Strategies & Information Management: Simon from FACTS discusses how they help schools understand their data needs, emphasising flexible fee payments and strong reporting. He highlights the significant shift towards schools using data more effectively for critical areas like marketing, new builds, and exploring new markets. Learn how FACTS's comprehensive system pulls data from various sources, offering an API library for seamless integration and consolidated reporting.

- Compliance & Governance Innovation: Charlotte from Crowe and FinTechs reveals a major focus for schools: payroll compliance to avoid underpayments. She introduces a platform leveraging AI to analyse historical payroll data, advising on potential underpayments/overpayments, and modelling the impact of proposed changes. Jim Barry, Director of Corporate Services at West Moreton Anglican College, identifies managing governance around a significant capital build program as a key challenge, demanding more time for governance and reporting, and shifting focus from direct team support.

- Building Team Resilience Through Efficiency: Greg Gapp, Business Development and Operations Leader at Silkwood School, shares how outsourcing technical roles has bolstered his team's resilience during staff shortages. He also discusses the benefits of implementing new student management and payroll systems to boost efficiency and reduce workload for his team. Jim Barry of West Moreton Anglican College promotes agility and flexibility within his team, fostering an outcome-focused approach where support is readily available.

This episode offers practical strategies and real-world examples to help your school refine its operations, enhance compliance, and build a more adaptable and resilient team.

Don't miss out! Tune in for expert insights and actionable takeaways that can help your school embrace evolving priorities with confidence.