Ann is the Dean of the University of Newcastle, Sydney. She has spent almost a decade understanding and researching continuing professional education both in Australia and globally and plans to use this know-how to strengthen UON’s strategy in Sydney.

As an academic, Ann started out working in Health Administration, then moved to Public Policy and Business. Ann has held an Honorary Professorship in the Faculty of Education, the University of Sydney for a number of years.

Winding the clock back, Ann was the longest serving Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Sydney. In this role Ann was both people and performance focused and understood that organisations thrive based on successful and sustainable management and businesses practices. She had diverse portfolios ranging from core operations, staffing, quality assurance, industrial relations and EBA negotiations.

Ann has extensive experience in applying behavioural science in organisations: "I enjoy breaking down complex problems into parts that people could work on to resolve."

"A strong foundation in Organisational Psychology has held me in good stead. I also qualified as an executive coach some years ago, bringing the two practices together. I realised that an investment in coaching and mentoring was important for leadership development."

"Working with individuals and teams is one thing and aligning their values to those of the organisation is another. Changing a culture means teams often having to do things differently. Understanding the importance of followers in the leadership equation is essential and how to use authority and influence is essential."

"In my roles, I have been engaged in periods of significant change, restructuring, doing more with less and reshaping a team. Team development is a vital part of bringing people with you."

"I believe that shaping the culture and tapping into leadership capability of an organisation is one of the most important things that managers can do. Learning how to do this is vital for successful cultural change."

"I have had the good fortune to be able to contribute to numerous organisations as a consultant and board member including the Performing Arts, Health, Services, transport, logistics and the military as well as facilitating mediations between management and unions in private enterprises."

"One of my passions is developing and designing courses and that is why my new role as Dean of Sydney campus has been right step for me moving forward.”

Ann is the author of eight books, most recently on leadership, coaching and mentoring, and over 50 publications in journals, book chapters and conference proceedings.