University Colleges Australia 
2025 Forum

Tim Ayliffe’s 25-year career in journalism saw him work in

London for Britain’s Sky News and in Australia for the ABC,

where he worked as Executive Producer of News Breakfast

and Managing Editor of TV & News – a role which oversaw

most of the ABC’s TV and Video news output.

As a media executive, Tim oversaw countless

transformation projects, including creating strategies and

leading teams across Australia to transition from linear to

digital content.

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He’s also an award-winning thriller author of five novels

which are also being adapted for the screen. As a

bestselling author and experienced media executive, Tim

Ayliffe passionately believes in the power of storytelling

and clear, effective, communication. As a consultant, Tim

specialises in helping teams and individuals master their

writing and public speaking skills, including dealing with the

media.

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Tim has a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Graduate Diploma

in Journalism, and was a recipient of the US State

Department’s Individual Leadership Scholarship. He’s also

an IECL accredited organisational leadership coach.

Amanda is a highly experienced leader, an accomplished non-executive director and strategic facilitator. Her successful portfolio career draws on specific expertise in education and governance.

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Amanda’s advisory work concentrates on strategic futures, leadership development and masterclasses for boards, CEOs and senior managers. Her work translates to opinion pieces and keynote addresses on current issues and new ideas impacting related sectors.

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She holds a number of board directorships and is immediate past Principal of The Women’s College within the University of Sydney. Amanda was appointed a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD), the Australian College of Educators (FACE) and the Australian Institute of Management (FAIM).

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Amanda was recognised in The Queen’s Birthday 2017 Honours List as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to education, particularly to young women as a leader and academic, and to the visual arts.

"I loved my time at university and want to ensure that all students can realise the amazingly transformative potential of higher education, for themselves and for our community.

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I’m a lawyer by trade, but alongside practicing as a lawyer I have always worked in roles involving dispute resolution. I’ve led dispute resolution teams, large and small, in areas ranging from sexual harassment, discrimination, consumer law, telecommunications, domestic building, child protection, public housing and health services.

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Over the last 25 years, I’ve seen first-hand how powerful it can be for people to participate in processes to resolve their conflict. I think we sometimes don’t realise the impact that unresolved conflict can have on our health and wellbeing.

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The NSO is a dispute resolution service set up specifically for students and Australian higher education providers. We are committed to facilitating trauma informed dispute resolution services and amplifying students voices to encourage continual improvement in the student experience across the higher education sector.

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Dispute resolution is a powerful way to change systems and processes for the better. When one person has the courage to complain about something, it can result in improvements that prevent others from experiencing the same issue.

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Through the NSO, I want to see tangible improvements in student experience for all students across the higher education sector."

Recognised as one of Australia’s leading crisis

communications experts, Sally Branson brings 25 years of

diplomatic, military, government, and corporate expertise

as a strategic crisis manager. As Senior Press Secretary to

an Australian Prime Minister and advisor to senior military

officials including US Joint Chiefs of Staff, she’s managed

public affairs programmes of significant geopolitical

importance.

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Iconic global brands and organisations rely on her during

their darkest times of crisis. She finds solutions and

remedies that are timely, effective and results-driven,

having undertaken significant work to create positive

institutional change through crisis response.

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Through the Sally Branson Consulting Group, she delivers

candid, pragmatic reputation management solutions.

Her specialised approach helps high-profile individuals

repair, reset, and protect their reputations during

challenging times.

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Sally provides national media commentary, has extensive

Board experience, and was awarded the Secretary of

State’s Foreign Service Award for diplomatic excellence.

Marcele leads the Future Leadership Advisory practice as a Managing Partner. She co-founded the Centre For Leadership Advantage (CLA) in 2016 and it was under her leadership that CLA was awarded an exclusive position on the Financial Review in Australia’s 2020 Fast Starter’s rankings. In September 2021, Marcele led the acquisition of CLA by Future Leadership, enabling Future Leadership to have an Advisory arm. This team now comprises organisational psychologists, scientist-practitioners, leadership specialists and thought leaders. The team delivers leadership assessment, development, capability, people and organisation transformation solutions. Future Leadership Advisory takes an evidence-based approach to extraordinary leadership.

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A research supervisor and examiner for the Master of Organisational Psychology program at Deakin University Marcele also consults with the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology/Leadership and a Master of Organisational Psychology from Deakin University. She is also a Graduate of the AICD’s Company Directors Course. Marcele currently sits on the National Education Advisory Committee for the AICD. 

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With 15 years’ experience working in global, ASX-listed, private and Government organisations, Marce supports Boards, CEOs, C-level executives and senior leaders in capability development and competency architecture, leadership assessment, leadership development, executive coaching, talent management, L&D, OD, executive search and recruitment. Marcele commenced her career in Executive Search appointing Chairs, Directors, C-level Executives and leaders across a range of sectors including industrial, consumer, retail, education and health.  

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As a regular public/keynote speaker and workshop facilitator, Marcele leads conversations about enterprise leadership, women in leadership and more. She has been invited to contribute to media publications in the field of leadership including BOSS Magazine, the Australian Financial Review and Australian Institute of Management publications.

Larissa Hinds is the Interim Assistant Secretary of the Gender-Based Violence Reform Branch of the Federal Department of Education. 

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More info to come soon.

Beth Jones is the Director of Regulatory Strategy and Enforcement of the Gender-Based Violence Reform Branch of the Federal Department of Education. 

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More info to come soon.

Hunter Johnson is the Co-Founder of The Man Cave, a mental health charity that has impacted the lives of 80,000 young men across Australia.

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Hunter is also the Founder of STUFF, Australia's fastest-growing men's personal care brand that also funds The Man Cave in low socio-economic communities. Alongside his entrepreneurial career, Hunter works as an Advisor to The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust (QCT), a charity supporting young people throughout the Commonwealth.

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Hunter's work has led him to speak around the world including presenting at the United Nations, Government House, Human Rights Commission, Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Town Hall, Graduation Ceremonies and various Universities. Hunter has been recognised as an Honouree for the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list, Finalist for the Young Australian of the Year Awards (VIC), named a Queen's Young Leader by Her Majesty The Queen, Winner of the EY Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Southern Region) and listed as one of Harper's Bazaar's "Visionary Men of the Year".

Dr Liam Mayo is a sociologist who is intrigued by the ways in which notions of the future may or may not manifest themselves in cultural and social systems, as well as in the lived experience. This curiosity often leads Liam into investigations into how people’s interpretation of the future influences the way they think, feel, and behave. His work is characterised by a strong accent on social and cultural theory, and is often thematically underpinned by storytelling, anticipation, and imagination. He is widely published and frequently invited to speak on these topics to corporate and community audiences alike. 

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Liam’s PhD won an award for excellence from the International Association of Futurists and was the first piece of research to globally develop postnormal times theory. His work in this arena diagnoses and critiques the current significant societal shifts from the perspective of the future, so that leaders are best equipped to navigate change. 

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He is currently the course co-ordinator for Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of the Sunshine Coast, and an Adjunct Researcher with Radboud University in the Netherlands, where he is spearheading a project to build the institutes’ capacity and competency to incorporate futures thinking into its research and teaching. This work is interdisciplinary in nature, and as a research agenda is exploring how societal transformations are understood and enacted through the lenses of governance, justice, and leadership. 

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Liam is passionate about growing leaders who not only understand how culture influences the way we think about the future but use culture to unify and drive successful teams. Alongside academia, Liam has had a successful international career leading executives and organisations through significant uncertainty. He has advised such organisations as the United Nations Human Rights Commission, the International Organisation for Migration, World Vision, as well as the Department of Immigration of Papua New Guinea and the Australian High Commission. 

He is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Comlink Australia, an Australian not-for-profit that supports aging, vulnerable and disabled people to live independently in their homes.

Kristin has had a career in finance and consulting for over 30 years, working with some of Australia’s and the world’s leading companies as a senior partner in PwC. She has held several senior executive positions including stepping up to lead PwC Australia at a time of crisis in 2023. Kristin is now CEO and Founder of her own advisory business, KSIB, which focuses on helping Australian companies cut through complexity in a broad range of areas. This includes helping some of Australia’s largest companies optimise opportunities and manage risks around successfully adopting AI at an enterprise level. 

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Kristin is also Chair of Taronga Conservation Society and a Board Member of Mindgardens (an innovative mental health and neuroscience alliance). She sits on the global advisory board of Kakenya’s Dream, supporting global educator and women’s advocate, Dr Kakenya Ntaiya to give girls in rural Kenya a better life through access to education. Kristin was a co-founder of Women for Change, as well as a former Chair. Women for Change supports women in developing nations to gain a tertiary education. 

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Kristin was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for services to finance, women and the community in 2023. She was named as one of the Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence having been nominated in the innovation category and is a member of Chief Executive Women.