Executive Team

Kangan Institute's Executive Team is responsible for groups of departments and as well as cross-Institute strategic imperatives, such as government, industry, community and business development.

The Executive Officers of VETASSESS and e-Works, which are separate business units, report to the CEO.

The Executive Team consists of:

Richard Turnbull

Acting CEO and General Manager, Resource Management Group

Richard Turnbull commenced as General Manager of the Resource Management Group in 2002. His role includes overseeing the financial, marketing and corporate communications, facilities, capital development, purchasing and IT divisions. Richard also has strategic responsibility for the Institute's Systems and Processes. Richard is currently Acting CEO at Kangan Institute.

Richard came to Kangan Institute from the Melton Shire Council, where he was Corporate Services Director. Previously he has held various management and accounting positions with private and public organisations.

Richard has a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) and Bachelor of Business Administration, both from RMIT.

To contact Richard, please email Christine Linane, Group Secretary

Dianne Semmens

General Manager, Community, Youth & Health Group

Dianne had been working at Kangan Institute for five years and was most recently the Acting General Manager for Student Services Group and Manager of Centre for Better Living prior to her appointment to General Manager of Community, Youth and Health.

Prior to Kangan Institute, Dianne was in a leadership position at NMIT's Community Services and Health department as well as a TAFE teacher. She was once a secondary teacher before becoming a community services counsellor/crisis worker in the field of domestic violence, sexual assault and youth homelessness.

As a General Manager for the Community, Youth and Health teaching group, Dianne ensures Kangan Institute's educational objectives and strategic goals are deployed throughout her six departments of responsibility: Centre for Youth, Centre for Health and Nursing, Centre for Community Wellbeing, Centre for Corrections Education, IEC and Language Studies.

Dianne plays a role across the Institute to drive access, participation and social inclusion through our Indigenous Strategy, Youth Strategy and Community Engagement.

She has a passion for supporting the rights of women and children to be safe and treated fairly on a global scale. Locally, she hopes to make a difference to the quality of people's lives through educational opportunities.

Dianne is currently undertaking a Master of Social Sciences and holds a Graduate Diploma in Human Services Policy and Management, Graduate Diploma in Education and a Bachelor of Arts.

To contact Dianne, please email Deborah Rickards, Executive Assistant.

Phillip Murphy

General Manager, Technical Group

Phillip was appointed General Manager of the Technical Group in 2005. The Technical Group incorporates specialist trades such as automotive, aviation, built and natural environments, engineering and security, as well as the competitive manufacturing centre. Phillip also has strategic responsibility for Industry Liaison across the Institute, and also currently oversees the development of the Automotive Centre of Excellence at Docklands.

His previous roles include General Manager of Automotive and General Manager of Business. Phillip has also held a range of management positions within both Kangan Institute and the pre-merger Batman Institute of TAFE. He has also taught in secondary schools and other TAFE institutes.

Phillip has a Bachelor of Science, Graduate Diploma in Education, Graduate Diploma in Computing, a Master of Education, and a Graduate Certificate in Management (Training and Development).

To contact Phillip, please email Samantha Barter, Group Secretary

Brett MacLeod

General Manager, Business Services Group

Brett joined Kangan Institute in 2003 as Manager of the Built and Natural Environments Department. After several years developing the department, Brett was appointed as General Manager, Business Services Group in 2009.

Brett's extensive management and vocational education and training experience stands him in good stead for his role in providing executive leadership and accountability for the planning, management, and achievement of results for the Institute's activities in; Hospitality Tourism and Events, Information Communications Technology, Finance and BEC, Business and Management, Fashion and Retail.

He has also contributed to Kangan Institute's Streamlining project team to introduce Lean methodology into the Institute's operations.

Before joining Kangan Institute, Brett worked across a range of organisations including various roles with the Royal Australian Navy and a position with private Registered Training Organisation VICTEC Skills Centre - the Electrical Industry Training Centre.

Brett has a Master of Business Administration, Advanced Diploma in Management, Diploma in Training Management Systems and an Advanced Certificate in Vocational Training Systems. He is also an Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management.

To contact Brett, please email Marie Romeo, Group Secretary

Kelly Townson

General Manager, Client Services Group

Kelly joins Kangan Institute with a background in brand building and advocacy, consumer marketing and customer relationship management. She has extensive experience in managing and developing successful teams and implementing organisational change programs.

Over the past 18 years, Kelly has worked across both private and government sectors developing and delivering engaging consumer brands for national and global facing organisations including; Tourism Western Australia, Central Institute of Technology, Patersons Securities, GESB, Tourism Northern Territory, Wesfarmers CSBP, Lotterywest, DVG Automotive Group and McDonalds Australia.

Kelly has a strong interest in implementing customer centric cultures that deliver direct to consumer engagement and loyalty programs that build value over time.

Kelly has a Master's Degree in Electronic Marketing and Information Management from the University of Western Australia and Bachelor of Commerce in Management & Marketing from Curtin University. She is a Certified Practicing Marketer, an Associate Member of the Australian Marketing Institute, a Senior Member of the Australian Computer Society and an Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management.

To contact kelly, please email Kelly Townson

Louise Palmer

General Manager, People and Organisational Development

Louise joined Kangan Institute in May 2010 as General Manager, Strategy and Culture, with operational responsibility for the People and Organisational Development Group. She has more than 25 years' experience in the tertiary education sector and approximately 15 years' experience in senior and executive management roles across public sector and tertiary education organisations.

Prior to joining Kangan Institute, Louise held positions as Executive Director, Educational Development; Deputy Vice Chancellor and Director TAFE; and Executive Director, Sustainable Futures at Swinburne University. Originally from Adelaide, Louise moved to Victoria in late 1997 to take up a position at RMIT as Head of Department, Health and Biosciences and later as Associate Director TAFE (Science, Engineering and Technology).

Louise is a non-executive Director on the Boards of Engineering Education Australia and TMG. She is also a member of AVETRA.

Louise's qualifications include Associate Diploma of Arts (Health Education), Diploma of Teaching (Further Education), Graduate Certificate of Applied Science (Instructional Design) and Master of Education (VET).

To contact Louise, please email Vesna Grgic, Executive Assistant.

Genevieve Kelly

General Manager, Learning Services

Prior to joining Kangan Institute, Genevieve was the Director of the Learning School of Engineering Technology and Trades at Swinburne University of Technology where she was responsible for operational management across a range of disciplines. These included construction, engineering, automotive, aviation, transport and logistics, electro-technology and ICT. Her role also included strategic and business planning and had a focus on the development of teaching and learning excellence within the programs.

Prior to becoming Director of Learning at Swinburne, Genevieve was the Manager of Performance and Development for the School of Engineering. She has also worked in curriculum development and business consultancy roles in TAFE over many years, both nationally and internationally, commencing her TAFE career as a teacher after spending ten years as a teacher in the State secondary system.

Genevieve's current role as General Manager of Learning Services takes responsibility for the delivery of services to students through the operations of the Library Learning Centre (LLC) and the Student Records group. A key part of her role is the ongoing development of excellence in teaching and learning practice at Kangan Institute.

With a commitment to the role of TAFE in assisting individuals to achieve their learning goals and gaining the skills and knowledge they require to gain meaningful and rewarding employment, Genevieve is passionate about the role we play in helping businesses and the community thrive through the provision of training and education that is well designed and delivered while reflecting the current workplace needs.

Genevieve has a Bachelor of Arts, Diploma of Education, Graduate Certificate Leadership in Education and Training, Diploma of Sustainability, Diploma of Frontline Management and is a Fellow of the Gippsland Leadership Program.

To contact Genevieve, please email Deborah Rickards, Group Secretary

Karen Berkley

Executive Director, VETASSESS

Karen joined VETASSESS as Executive Director after 12 years in teaching, management and professional development within the Victorian Vocational Education and Training sector. Karen has worked extensively with public and private sector organisations on the design and development of a broad range of professional development, competency standards, curriculum and training resource materials and web-based systems. Her current clients include: the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, the Victorian TAFE Association, Education Queensland, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Philippines), Ministry of Education (China) and GTZ-Ethio-German TVET-Programme, Ministry of Education Addis Ababa/Ethiopia.

Karen has a Bachelor of Behavioural Sciences, Graduate Diploma of Humanities, Diploma of Education and Graduate Diploma of Internet Technologies.

To contact Karen, please email Sue Jamieson, Executive Assistant

Rodney Spark

Executive Director, e-Works

Rodney Spark is a member of the Institute's Executive Team with direct responsibility for e-Works. The e-Works business unit has been established at arms length from the Institute to provide e-learning strategic advisory and consultancy services to external clients and to manage major ICT change projects to increase participation and improve learning outcomes in the VET and ACE sectors. This includes managing the TAFE Virtual campus and a range of other state and national responsibilities on behalf of the Office of Training and Tertiary Education (OTTE).

Rodney is currently the Victorian representative on the national Flexible Learning Advisory Group (FLAG) and the cross-sectoral Australian ICT in Education Committee (AICTEC). He believes that the successful integration of online technologies in VET is a complex but essential change management process if providers are to remain relevant in the emerging information age. This business transformation will finally realise the full potential of flexible delivery and open learning practice for all TAFE clients, providing the driving focus for teaching and learning innovation.

Rodney came to Kangan Institute from OTTE where as the Assistant General Manager, Program Development he was responsible for the implementation of government training policy and directions in the areas of: Training Package implementation; information and communication technology (ICT); flexible learning including workplace training and e-learning and; increasing the participation of indigenous people, women and people with disabilities.

Rodney's qualifications include Diploma of Education (TAFE), Graduate Diploma of Instructional Design & Technology and Graduate Diploma of Applied Science (Technology Studies).

To contact Rodney, please email Donna McFarland, Executive Assistant

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