Board
Sabine Dejey
Chairperson
Master of Management, MBA, GAICD
Appointed in 2022, Sabine is a Senior Executive and Company Director with experience in Financial Services, early stage venture investing, governance and the Education Sector. Sabine was elected Chairperson in October 2024.
From her 12 years at a world leading insurance company, Sabine gained a strong risk management background as well as an authentic approach to enterprise culture. She has developed a genuine interest in accompanying start-ups.
She is a non-executive director of University of Melbourne Genesis pre-seed Fund and a board observer at Switch Automation, a platform leading the digital evolution and decarbonization of buildings.
She is the Founder of BabelBooks, an online bookstore that encourages the reuse of books within Australia and funds publications in First Nations languages, to preserve Australia’s unique heritage. Having been educated in five different countries, Sabine values multi-culturalism and is committed to supporting EdConnect Australia in its ambition to improve educational and wellbeing outcomes for disadvantaged or at-risk young people across Australia.
Ben Peacock
Deputy Chairperson
Ben was appointed to the EdConnect Australia Board in November 2018.
Ben is founder of Republic of Everyone, a company that pioneers innovative ways to make social and environmental causes more commercially compelling. He is co-founder of the Garage Sale Trail, Australia’s number one community day and Grow it Local, a grassroots movement to encourage more people to grow food in their own backyards.
He believes strongly in both the experience of age and energy of youth and is especially enamored by the possibilities when the two are brought together.
Ben is also Director of the Future Business Council and the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute.
David Barwise
Company Secretary
LLB, LLM
David Barwise has over 20 years legal, regulatory and compliance experience within the legal industry in Australia, Europe and Asia.
David was a partner in a leading global law firm for 15 years, a member of its European management board, held a variety of product, client and regional management positions and acted as the relationship partner for a number of financial institutions.
David is a director of Gyrostat Capital Management, Gyrostat Capital Management Advisers and Gyrostat Downside Protection Australian Equities Advisers.
He has worked in Australia, London and Singapore, and holds a variety of post graduate qualifications in law, business, accounting, finance, corporate governance and risk management.
John Inverarity
Non-Executive Director
BA Dip Ed MBE AM Cit WA
John was appointed to the Board in 2021. John has taught for 36 years in Perth, Adelaide and England, the last fourteen years as Headmaster of Hale School. John then went on to teach at the University of Notre Dame in Fremantle and was Warden of St George’s College at UWA for six years. He became State Manager for WA of Teach for Australia in 2015 and held this position for three years. John is currently an Ambassador for Teach for Australia.
John played first class cricket for Western Australia and South Australia over a period of 23 years. He played six Tests for Australia and captained WA to four Sheffield Shield trophies.
Matt Reed
Non-Executive Director
Matt Reed was appointed to the EdConnect Board in 2024.
As Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of Alcoa Corporation, Matt leads the daily operations of the company’s global bauxite, alumina, and aluminum assets. As a member of the Alcoa Executive Team, he helps shape the organisation’s strategic direction.
Matt has more than 25 years of Australian and international resource sector experience. He joined Alcoa in June 2023 as Vice President Operations, Australia, and President, Alcoa of Australia. Prior to this, he was the Operations Executive at OZ Minerals, leading operating assets and brownfields projects in Australia and Brazil.
Matt holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) from Adelaide University and an MBA from Deakin University.
He is passionate about Alcoa’s social performance activities and partnerships worldwide, which aim to support the communities in which it operates.
Lesley Street
Non Executive Director
Master of Education, Bach. of Education, Dip. of Teaching
Lesley is an experienced and enthusiastic educator, who as principal in four Australian secondary schools and two international schools, all with diverse contexts, has gained district, state and national recognition for delivering successful outcomes for students.
Lesley is the current Principal for Mount Lawley Senior High School. Mount Lawley SHS is a large, complex multi-cultural school with 1985 students and approximately 200 staff and offers a breadth of curriculum choices. It has a rich history of student success and achievement, including where the EdConnect program originated from in WA.
Lesley is a strong communicator with well-honed change management, negotiation and public relations skills. She prides herself on her collaborative work to maximise student learning outcomes to enable them to become successful, confident global citizens.
Jo Teagle
Non Executive Director
Jo Teagle is a Partner at Clayton Utz in the Projects Group, with over 20 years of experience in commercial law. Her areas of speciality include procurement and construction, facilities management, services outsourcings, maintenance contracting, disaster recovery and work health and safety for the public and private sectors. Jo has worked on complex projects across various sectors such as logistics, transport, real estate, energy, telecommunications, defence, and correctional services.
Jo’s professional contributions extend beyond her legal practice, she is a Board member of the Facility Management Association of Australia and is actively involved in volunteering as a an official for the Royal Life Saving Australia, having recently travelled to be the Chief Referee at the Commonwealth Lifesaving Championships in Wales. Jo is committed via her board membership to contribute to positively impacting young people’s educational and life opportunities, including the Workplace Volunteering Buddies Program, which Clayton Utz has a long history of supporting.
Julie Fraser OAM
Non Executive Director
Julia Fraser OAM’s work reflects a deep dedication to building connected, resilient learning communities across local, national, and international contexts. Beginning as a Victorian secondary school educator and curriculum developer, Julia wrote texts published by MacMillan, for school students and their teachers providing contemporary perspectives of Asian nations. More recently as Associate Director of Asialink, Co-Director of Asia-Australia Mental Health, and Fellow of the University of Melbourne’s Department of Psychiatry, she built enduring cross-disciplinary partnerships and designed sustainable change strategies. Committed to lifelong learning, Julia has led stakeholder engagement processes, mentored emerging leaders, and authored academic and professional publications. She has created and delivered tailored training programs for diverse audiences, with a focus on cultural intelligence, leadership, project management, and mental health promotion. Her practical educational programs in Australia and across the Asia Pacific region empowered participants to lead with clarity and confidence.