Our Team
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE BOARD
Renrong (Jack) Shen
Deputy Chair & Founder BA, MA, JP
Mr. Renrong (Jack) Shen has had more than twenty years’ experience in international education and holds the Managing Director and CEO positions at Australian Ideal College. He has diverse experience and involvement in multiple areas of private education, including ELICOS, vocational, senior high school and higher education. He oversaw the initial founding of both institutions and continues to oversee processes day to day management. The sustained growth of AIC and SIHE bears testimony to his managerial skills and his key focus areas: business development, administration, and financial control.
Graham Ford AO
Chair MBA FAICD
Graham has 30 years’ experience in Corporate Governance and has held numerous Board Director and Chair roles across several sectors encompassing a wide range of businesses nationally and internationally. Graham has a deep understanding and experience in delivering sound corporate governance practices to ensure organisations deliver on their strategic objectives and priorities. Graham has operated in highly regulatory environments in the for profit and not for profit sectors in both corporate and academic higher education and vocational education environments. Graham has a proven track record in delivering sound governance and focus on the effectiveness and contestable collegiality of Boards to deliver gold standard corporate operations. Graham was the Chair of Australia’s largest Not for Profit for 11 years and continues as Chair of a Global Not for Profit with some 135 nations and 30 million members. Graham was awarded Member of the Order of Australia AM in 2015 for his service to community and Officer of the Order of Australia AO in 2023 for his Distinguished service of a high degree to the Australian and International community. Graham is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Dr Nigel Finch
President, CEO and Executive Dean MCom LLM MBA PhD CA FCPA FGIA FAICD
Dr Nigel Finch is the Principal Executive Officer at Sydney Institute of Higher Education. Nigel’s research has international impact in both academia and practice and he is rated among the top 10% academic authors on SSRN. His weekly StockDoc market commentary podcasts are streamed on Spotify by Stockhead reaching a national audience of institutional financial market participants. Nigel holds degrees in accounting, business and law plus a PhD in business law. His professional qualifications include Certified Practising Accountant, Chartered Accountant and a fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia, the Australian Institute of Company Directors and CPA Australia. Nigel is a former Associate Dean and Associate Professor in Accounting at the University of Sydney. Nigel has held senior roles as a financial controller, investment manager and executive director across a variety of industries. He is the author of more than 100 academic publications including several books on finance and investment including Contemporary Issues in Mining: Leading Practice in Australia and Emerging Markets and Sovereign Risk.
Dr Steve Bouzalakos
External Member PhD, MBA, MSc, DIC, GradCert, BEng, JP, MIEAust
Dr Steve Bouzalakos has over 15 years' experience across several sectors including higher education, community services, financial services and mining at universities, corporate and not-for-profit organisations in the UK and Australia. He is currently leading the quality and service improvement function of a large not-for-profit provider and has experience in policy governance, quality assurance and continuous improvement. Within academia, Steve has authored 24 international peer-reviewed original research and conference articles and book chapters. Steve has experience as researcher at Cranfield University, Imperial College London, University of Nottingham and UNSW Sydney and as lecturer at University College London predominantly focusing on environmental aspects of mining and carbon sequestration.
Prof Andrew Terry
Deputy Chair, Honorary Dean LLB (Hons.), LLM (Hons.), Barrister and Solicitor
Prof Andrew Terry has wide experience in teaching, and researching, business law in faculties of business, law and management and has published extensively with over 400 articles and papers in academic and professional journals including 10 books. His research interest is franchising law, practice and development and he has been active in this field in both Australia and internationally. He is currently a Professor of Business Regulation in the University of Sydney Business School and an Emeritus Professor of the University of New South Wales. Andrew is a member of The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Small Business and Franchising Consultative Committee and has been inducted into the Australian Franchising Hall of Fame.
Caxton Pang
External Member BCom, MCom, CA, FCPA, JP
Mr Caxton Pang took a leap of faith in 2007 when he quit his high paid salary job at a top second tier accounting firm to start up his own boutique accounting and business advisory practice from only minimum capital and a tiny home office. His focus was on the Business Advisory and ongoing clients’ relationship with the SME sectors and HNWI rather than setting up another traditional accounting practice. Caxton is seen by his clients as a ‘Trusted Advisor’. He is passionate about the importance of building strong client relationships to be one of the keys to a successful business. Caxton always believed his reputation is his best asset, as he treats everyone with respect and care, and have a genuine interest in their business and personal life.
ACADEMIC BOARD
Prof Richard Petty
Chair PhD, MCom (Hons.), BBus (Hons.1), FCPA ,FCA, FAICD
Professor Richard Petty has been a professor or visiting academic and delivered lectures and keynote addresses at a number of universities around the world. Richard has authored and/or co-authored many academic and professional works especially in the areas of accounting and intellectual capital. He has a professional career spanning both business and academia. Richard is an active investor and has served on numerous public and private company boards.
Dr Nigel Finch
President, CEO and Executive Dean MCom LLM MBA PhD CA FCPA FGIA FAICD
Dr Nigel Finch is the Principal Executive Officer at Sydney Institute of Higher Education. Nigel’s research has international impact in both academia and practice and he is rated among the top 10% academic authors on SSRN. His weekly StockDoc market commentary podcasts are streamed on Spotify by Stockhead reaching a national audience of institutional financial market participants. Nigel holds degrees in accounting, business and law plus a PhD in business law. His professional qualifications include Certified Practising Accountant, Chartered Accountant and a fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia, the Australian Institute of Company Directors and CPA Australia. Nigel is a former Associate Dean and Associate Professor in Accounting at the University of Sydney. Nigel has held senior roles as a financial controller, investment manager and executive director across a variety of industries. He is the author of more than 100 academic publications including several books on finance and investment including Contemporary Issues in Mining: Leading Practice in Australia and Emerging Markets and Sovereign Risk.
Prof Andrew Terry
Deputy Chair, Honorary Dean LLB (Hons.), LLM (Hons.), Barrister and Solicitor
Prof Andrew Terry has wide experience in teaching, and researching, business law in faculties of business, law and management and has published extensively with over 400 articles and papers in academic and professional journals including 10 books. His research interest is franchising law, practice and development and he has been active in this field in both Australia and internationally. He is currently a Professor of Business Regulation in the University of Sydney Business School and an Emeritus Professor of the University of New South Wales. Andrew is a member of The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Small Business and Franchising Consultative Committee and has been inducted into the Australian Franchising Hall of Fame.
Dr Ruth Ferraro
External Member PhD, MoB, MAdEd, BA
Dr Ruth Ferraro has 25 years of executive experience in ‘the business of education’, most recently as Head of Education Delivery at the Australian Institute of Company Directors and General Manager of Education and Professional Standards at The Tax Institute. She is currently a TEQSA Expert Panellist and has a portfolio career including non-executive director roles on three higher education provider boards as well as consulting to professional bodies. Having successfully led cross-disciplinary faculties based on her career ethos of ‘education as service’, Ruth has played an integral role in the design and development of education programs in multiple disciplines. Ruth’s career has combined the design and development of professional education - both technical and humanity programs.