Dr Laura Allison

Laura Allison PhD (MAPS, AHPRA) is the Chief Psychologist for Catholic Education in Western Australia. Dr Allison has worked in education across the Government, Catholic and Independent sectors and has been the Director of Wellbeing in two schools. Laura sits on numerous State and National steering and advisory committees for mental health, wellbeing and suicide prevention.

She has expertise relating to school psychology, mental illness prevention and wellbeing promotion and was the recipient of the 2015 WA School Psychologist of the Year Award.

Laura completed her PhD with the University of Melbourne, researching a system informed positive psychology, context-focused approach to develop the Flourishing Classroom System Observation Framework. Laura’s research on positive systems has been published in scientific journals.

Dr Mathilda Joubert

Dr Mathilda Joubert is President of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders in Western Australia and Executive Principal at Sheridan Institute of Higher Education.

An experienced teacher, education leader and advocate for innovation in education, she has facilitated school improvement programs in more than 500 schools around the world. Mathilda has worked with Sir Ken Robinson to advise the UK government on how education can create a nation of innovators and has been advisor to the Australian, British, and Lithuanian governments on education policy, including as expert advisor to ACARA.

She has previously worked as international Innovation Consultant with businesses such as Coco-Cola in London, Diageo in the Netherlands, Philips in Belgium and Unilever in Argentina.

Mathilda is a true lifelong learner with two bachelor’s and three master’s degrees (in music, languages, education, cognitive neuropsychology, and business) and a PhD in Education, focused on the assessment of student creative thinking skills.

Professor Brother David Hall

Professor Br David Hall, a Marist Brother, is the foundation Dean of the La Salle Academy at the Australian Catholic University (ACU).

La Salle has responsibility for programs that the university offers in the areas of Educational Leadership and Governance, Faith Formation and Religious Education.

He took up this position after thirty years in Catholic education, filling roles that included principal and Executive Director of the Marist Ministries Office.