IEAA Board

Prof. Ren Yi (IEAA-SF)

President

Professor Yi is the Pro Vice-Chancellor International at the University of Southern Queensland, providing leadership and strategic guidance across the University for internationalisation and global engagement. He has worked in the higher education sector for over 20 years and has extensive industry management experience. An award-winning researcher, Professor Yi is a past President of the Australasian Research Management Society is currently a reviewer for the Academy of International Business and Australian Research Council. An active advocate for international education, he previously served as the IEAA Vice-President, a board member and as chair of the IEAA Research Committee.

Jonathan Chew (IEAA-SF) 

Vice President

Jon Chew is Chief Insights Officer at Navitas, a global education provider with over 100 colleges and campuses in 18 countries, where he leads the organisation’s data-driven culture. Jon is recognised as one of the world’s preeminent market analysts in international education and brings in-depth expertise on global trends in education, built on the rigorous analysis of a wide range of external and in-house datasets. His work is informed by an up-to-the-minute industry perspective developed collaboratively with a global network of stakeholders, policy-makers and experts. Jon was the recipient of the IEAA Excellence Award in Professional Commentary in 2022. Prior to joining Navitas, Jon spent 10 years in management and policy consulting, and began his career as a public-sector economist.

Brett Lovegrove (IEAA-F)

Treasurer

Brett Lovegrove is Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global Partnerships) at The University of Queensland (UQ), where he leads UQ’s Global Strategy, Partnerships and Development activities. Brett has been working in Australian and International Universities for more than 20 years’, including senior positions at University of Wollongong and Macquarie University. He has extensive experience in Transnational Education and sports administration, serves on the Board of Cromwell College (UQ) and was formerly an AUIDF Executive member.

Brett Blacker (IEAA-SF) 

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.

Tom Gifford (IEAA-AF)

Tracy Harris (IEAA-SF) 

Tracy brings over three decades of leadership experience in international education, spanning universities, pathway providers, the federal government and the not-for-profit sector. She is currently interim Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Guild of Education. Tracy is also Principal of Tracy Harris Solutions and is a regular contributor to The Koala News. Her previous roles include General Manager and Dean of Swinburne College, Executive Director of Global Development at RMIT University, and senior public sector roles with Austrade and the Department of Education.

Joanna Kelly (IEAA-F) 

Steve Knussen (IEAA-SF) 

Sarah Lightfoot (IEAA-F)

Rishen Shekhar (IEAA-SF) 

Rishen Shekhar is an international education executive with nearly two decades of experience across universities, TAFE, private RTOs, student accommodation (PBSA), and education technology. He most recently served as Pro Vice Chancellor: International at the University of South Australia (UniSA), following over a decade in senior leadership roles, including Director: Global Recruitment and Engagement. In these roles, he led the institution’s international recruitment and marketing strategy, global business development and partnerships, international government relations, learning abroad, transnational education (TNE), embedded pathways, admissions, and quality/compliance functions. Beyond the university sector, Rishen served as Business Development Director at StudyLink Asia Pacific, implementing cloud-based admissions, agent management, and CRM solutions for Griffith University, Macquarie University, TAFE Queensland, and across the Navitas network and led the rollout of StudyLink Connect to a global network of over 1,000 education agents. A former international student, Rishen brings both lived experience and sector leadership to his work. He serves on the Board of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) and St Ignatius College (a premier Jesuit school in Adelaide), is an invited member of the IDP Connect ANZ Advisory Panel, and is a former executive of the Australian Universities International Directors’ Forum (AUIDF).  He is a strong advocate for international education as a driver of employability, global diplomacy and economic productivity. 

Sally Waite (IEAA-F)

Marnie Watson (IEAA-F) 

Marnie Watson is Vice President Global at Griffith University in Queensland where she is responsible for all aspects of the University's international activity, from international partnerships, TNE and research engagement to international student recruitment and global mobility. Prior to joining Griffith University, Marnie was Chief Partnership Officer for Acumen (Sannam S4), managing a globally based team responsible for delivering international education services across Southeast Asia and South Asia for over 100 universities from ANZ, UK, Europe and North America. She has spent most of her 30 years in the international education sector based in Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia, previously working for University of New South Wales, Study Group and UP Education. Marnie brings a breadth and depth of international education experience, having created and executed international education strategy across schools, vocational providers and universities. 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 in her fourth year on the board of the International Education Association of Australia.