Meet the Dedicated Team Behind EREA NSW Colleges

Sam Hardjono brings extensive board and executive leadership experience to his role as Chair of the Board for EREA NSW Colleges Ltd, spanning publicly listed companies, private enterprises, and both large and small charitable organisations. He currently serves as Chair of Finance at Healthy North Coast Ltd and Chair of Audit & Risk at Service & Creative Skills Australia Ltd (SaCSA). He is also an advisory board member to the Indonesia Project at the Australian National University (ACU). Sam’s past roles include Chairs of Audit & Risk, Cyber & Tech and the New South Wales board of the Australian Red Cross, Director/Trustee of the Little Company of Mary in Australia and New Zealand and Chair of school advisory council for Waverley College in Sydney. Sam holds a Bachelor of Business in Accounting and an MBA in International Business. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD).

Virginia Ryan (MEd, MA, BA, Grad Dip REd, Dip Ed) is currently the CEO of the Catholic Leadership Foundation. She previously held positions as Assistant Director Evangelisation and Catechesis Catholic and Acting Assistant Director Learning Improvement Program for Catholic schools Broken Bay, Executive Leadership Coach Canberra/Goulburn Catholic Schools and various Leadership roles at BBI- TAITE and Catholic secondary schools. Virginia’s current governance positions include Board Director EREA NSW Colleges Ltd and Chair, Safeguarding Committee. She was previously Chair of the Board, The Educational Centre for Christian Spirituality, founding Member of Good Samaritan Education (MPJP); Member/Chair Mount St Benedict College Board; Member/Chair Stella Maris College Board; Founding Member and Chair of BBI-TAITE.

Jonathan Rourke enjoyed a three-decade career in finance at Macquarie Group. He was involved in various customer-facing roles, in foreign exchange, resource finance and commodity finance. He also served as an Integrity Officer at Macquarie, acting as a confidential contact point for staff with concerns about potential breaches of Macquarie’s Code of Conduct, or more general integrity issues. Jonathan has served on the Council (Board) of Southern Cross University since 2017, chairs its Finance & Investment Committee and is also a member of the Audit & Risk and the People & Culture Committees. Jonathan is passionate about the impact a values-based education can have on the individual student and society at large, particularly for equity students for whom the path to education and opportunity is challenging.

Paul Murray is an experienced executive and company director with a strong record in governance, operational management, and strategy across education, technology, and community sectors. His career includes senior roles in education, CEO of an ICT services company, and advisory consultant for public and not-for-profit organisations. Paul’s expertise spans financial management, technology systems, human resources, and organisational administration. He has served on multiple boards, focusing on governance frameworks, digital transformation, and risk management. Currently, he is a non-executive director of an aged care organisation and President of his local surf lifesaving club. Paul holds degrees and/or postgraduate qualifications in finance, business, pure mathematics, computer science, and education, and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Sally brings extensive global executive and prior Board experience to the EREA NSW Board. Her previous non-executive roles include on the NSW Advisory Board and the National Board Remuneration Committee of the Australian Red Cross. Sally is currently the Head of Organisational Effectiveness and Leadership at Macquarie Group and prior to joining Macquarie Group held the position of Head of People Consulting at the Commonwealth Bank. Previously Sally held senior executive roles in HR, Talent, Leadership and Strategic Workforce Planning in Australia and the UK. She holds a Bachelor of Business and a Masters of Social Policy and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

James, his father and his son were all educated in the EREA tradition. James’ career spans over 30 years, predominantly as a General Counsel and Company Secretary in the real estate, infrastructure, construction, development and not-for-profit sectors. James is a currently the Deputy Chairman of Santa Sabina College and was a member and Chairman of the St Patrick's College Advisory Council (2017 -2022).

Dr Caroline Butler-Bowdon is the State Librarian at the State Library of NSW. She has been a senior public servant in NSW for the past 15 years including five years at NSW Planning and Transport for NSW. Her career has been dedicated to leadership that focuses on museums, libraries, public space, active transport and programs that connect citizens and visitors to special places, culture and heritage. Caroline serves on a range of juries, committees and boards including the NSW Creative Communities' Council to promote the power of place, community, heritage and public space in Australia.

Dr Mark J Askew served as Head of Educational Services in the Diocese of Broken Bay for 20 years, leading its transformation into a high-performing school system. He began as an English and History teacher and held curriculum and program management roles with Sydney Catholic schools and the NSW Catholic Education Commission. In 2010, he was seconded to ACARA to oversee Australian Curriculum development in History, Geography, and the Arts. Mark has contributed to various state and national education committees and supported religious congregations in school governance. He currently teaches at Australian Catholic University and works as an educational consultant, specialising in school and system reviews, curriculum development, and staff growth.