Alex Symonds, Public Education Economist, Reserve Bank of Australia
Alex is Acting Manager of the Education Team at the Reserve Bank of Australia. Prior to joining the Bank, Alex was a high school teacher and taught senior Economics and Business Studies, as well as a range of junior subjects. As a teacher Alex created a suite of online econommaics resources that have been used by teachers and students around the world.

Alice McKay, Christian College Geelong
Alice is a VCE Commerce teacher at Christian College Geelong. She completed the Masters of Teaching (Secondary) Internship program through the University of Melbourne in 2022, having worked in professional services for the first chapter of her career. She is currently teaching Accounting and Business Management, and enjoys helping students to make connections between the curriculum and their future pathways.

The Honourable Justice Andrew Tinney, Supreme Court of Victoria
The Honourable Justice Andrew Tinney was appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria on 16 July 2018, sitting in the Criminal Division. Prior to his Honour’s appointment, he was a Crown Prosecutor (March 2006–July 2010) and Senior Crown Prosecutor (July 2010–July 2018).  His Honour worked across several Purana-related murder prosecutions in the Supreme Court, including those of Carl Williams, Tony Mokbel and Stephen Asling, as well as other high-profile prosecutions, including the re-trial of Robert Farquharson in 2010.
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Dr Aneeq Sawar, Senior Manager, Workforce Planning and Policy, AUSMASA
Experienced research leader with experience managing quantitative and qualitative research projects across industry, academia and for government. Widely published with various national and international bodies (including the OECD). Passionate about leveraging data insights to drive decision-making that benefits society and communities. Enthusiastic about engaging with diverse and varied client and audiences and presenting economic solutions and updates. 

The Honourable Anthony North KC, Chairperson, Victorian Law Reform Commission
Currently Chair of the Victorian Law Reform Commission, with a distinguished career spanning over 45 years, the Hon. Anthony North KC is a former judge of the Federal Court and the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory. Admitted to the Victorian Bar in 1976, he was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1989. In 1995, Mr North was made judge of the Federal Court of Australia, where he served until his retirement in 2018. From 2004, he also served as additional judge of the Supreme Court of the ACT. As both a barrister and a Federal Court judge, Mr North has been involved in some of the largest cases in Australian history, including the pilots’ strike in the late 1980s, the Patricks waterfront dispute, the Tampa Affair and multiple native title cases. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws with Honours from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Laws from the University of London. In January 2024, Mr North was appointed Commissioner of the Yoorrook Justice Commission. He was elected president of the Commonwealth Association of Law Reform Agencies (CALRAs) in April 2025.

Anthony Simmons, Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School
Anthony Simmons (B.Comm, Dip.Ed, M.Ed) is Head of McNab House at Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School, and lead author of the Cambridge VCE Accounting textbook series. Since becoming a teacher of VCE Accounting in 1994, he has made important contributions to understanding how students think about Accounting, and how that should influence the way in which the subject is taught. Anthony continues to be heavily involved in VCE Accounting, from development of the curriculum to assessment of student understanding.
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Cathy Menz, Ringwood Secondary College
Cathy has been teaching VCE Business Management for 18 years at Ringwood Secondary College, working with colleagues to continually adapt activities and help students learn business skills. She has worked in Senior School Coordination or as a Head of Senior School for nine of the 18 years, and in these roles she is able to blend her well-rounded knowledge of curriculum and VCAA requirements for use in the classroom. Cathy is focused on building skills, and providing practical opportunities wherever possible, especially at Year 11.
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David Adam, Northcote High School
David Adam obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of Melbourne in 2014, and his Master of Teaching in 2016. He has been a frequent presenter with the VCTA over the years, with a focus on games, simulations and, experiential learning in Legal Studies. He is currently teaching Legal Studies and Humanities at Northcote High School.

Harpreet Singh, Wyndham Central College
Harpreet Singh is a Leading Teacher at Wyndham Central College, specialising in VCE Accounting. He has served as a VCE examination assessor for VCE Accounting and Business Management. Before teaching, Harpreet worked for over 10 years as a Chartered Accountant in public practice and was a registered tax agent and finance broker, bringing industry expertise into education.  Harpreet holds a Master of Professional Accounting from the University of Southern Queensland and a Master of Teaching (Secondary Education) from Monash University. 
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Heidi Cornelissen, Brentwood Secondary College
Heidi, a VCE educator specialising in Business Management, Economics, and Accounting, brings a unique blend of experience to the classroom. After launching her career as an Accountant, she obtained an MBA and managed her own successful business for a decade. Heidi's educational journey led her to earn a Graduate Diploma in Psychology, ultimately guiding her to a fulfilling teaching career. She thrives in the classroom, imparting a practical perspective to commerce subjects. Heidi's passion for innovation drives her to regularly explore new teaching approaches, ensuring dynamic and engaging learning experiences for her students.
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Professor Jeff Borland, Truby Williams Professor of Economics, University of Melbourne
Jeff Borland is Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor of Economics at the University of Melbourne and a labour economist with 40 years’ experience in studying the Australian labour market. He is currently a member of the Commonwealth Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee. In 2020, he received the annual Distinguished Fellow Award from the Economic Society of Australia. His main current fields of teaching are microeconomics, economic analysis of public policy and economic history. He has authored the textbook Microeconomics: Case Studies and Applications, now in its 4th edition. At University of Melbourne, Jeff has been a recipient of the Ed Brown University Teaching Prize and the Ross Williams Award for Career Achievement in Teaching in the Faculty of Business and Economics.
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Jess Read, Assistant Commissioner, Industry & Trade, Productivity Commission
Jess Read is the Assistant Commissioner, Industry and Trade at the Productivity Commission. In her time working at the Commission, Jess has overseen work on Commonwealth-State relations and the annual Report on Government Services, and led inquiries into the National School Reform Agreement and Building a skilled and adaptable workforce (currently underway). 

Dr Jessica Lake, Senior Lecturer, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne
Dr Jessica Lake is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Melbourne Law School at the University of Melbourne, specialising in the areas of privacy, defamation and technology law, past and present. Her first book, The Face that Launched a Thousand Lawsuits: the American Women Who Forged a Right to Privacy, was published by Yale University Press in 2016. Her second book, Special Damage: The Slander of Women and the Gendered History of Defamation Law, will be published with Stanford University Press in December 2025. In 2022, Dr Lake was awarded a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award by the Australian Research Council.  Prior to academia, she practiced for several years as a media and intellectual property lawyer.
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Jim Ouliaris, Canterbury Girls' Secondary College
Jim Ouliaris is currently an Assistant Principal at Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College. He has taught Legal Studies since 1989 and currently teachers two Unit 3 & 4 Legal Studies classes. He is a co-author of the textbook Money, Markets and Citizenship.  He has also been a textbook author of for VCE Legal Studies with text ranging from Units 1 to 4. Jim is current the VCTA President and has been on the VCTA board for 10 years. He has presented for the VCTA on a range of topics such as ‘Surviving to Thriving for both Units 1 and 2’ and Preparing for the End of Year Exam. Jim has also been an advocate for the VCTA Advisory Groups, assisting in the past with Legal Studies. Jim has also done work for the VCAA coving areas such as VCE Legal Studies Study Design re re-accreditation, resource development, exam and sample exam development.
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Kaz Abdulrahman, General Manager, Assets, CDC Victoria
With over 15 years of leadership experience in asset management, distribution, change management, and business operations within the transport sector, Kaz is a performance-driven executive known for delivering strategic growth and operational excellence. He currently oversees more than 100 staff and manages over 700 government-contracted buses across metropolitan routes, ensuring compliance, public safety, and service quality. Kaz holds a Graduate Certificate in Business and is currently completing his MBA. He specialises in stakeholder engagement and is a proven change specialist, passionate about continuous improvement. His strengths lie in streamlining systems, restoring stakeholder confidence, and driving innovation in public transport. His leadership style is humble yet influential, backed by deep experience in managing complex service contracts and operational transformation.
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Kevser Gunduz, Haileybury College
Kevser Gunduz is a nationally accredited Lead Teacher (HALT), VCE Economics and Business Management educator, exam assessor, and assessment writer with a passion for transforming the way students engage with economics. Drawing on years of classroom experience, she champions explicit teaching practices that make complex concepts accessible, memorable, and relevant. As a passionate advocate for women in economics and business, Kevser works to broaden participation and inspire future leaders in the field. Her expertise spans curriculum design, high-stakes assessment, and innovative pedagogy, but her true strength lies in creating classrooms where every student can connect economic theory to the real world with confidence and curiosity.

Komal Ashika Devi, Cranbourne Secondary College
Komal graduated in 2018 from the University of the South Pacific, where she earned a Bachelor of Commerce with a Graduate Certificate in Education, majoring in Accounting, Economics, and Education. Since then, Komal has deepened her specialization in Professional and Forensic Accounting, earning both a Diploma and a Master’s degree in Commerce.  She is currently furthering her expertise with a Master’s in Secondary Education at Victoria University, and she brings nearly three years of hands-on teaching experience to the classroom. Professionally, she has contributed to AIESEC, one of the world’s largest youth organizations, where she honed her leadership, collaboration, and global-mindedness. Whether in the classroom, the accounting field, or through volunteer leadership, Komal brings thoughtful dedication and a friendly, grounded presence.
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Senior Constable Voidis has served with Victoria Police for over ten years, working in specialised roles such as Police Prosecutions and the Proactive Policing Unit’s youth division. Currently completing her Master of Criminology at Deakin University, she is dedicated to social justice, education, and early intervention to support and empower young people.  

Marlee Zirkler, Northcote High School
Marlee Zirkler is an experienced Legal Studies teacher at Northcote High School. She has been heavily involved in VCTA’s efforts to support teachers new to Legal Studies with her delivery of the Empowering Educators program, and participation in the Legal Studies Mentoring Program.

Martin Frauenfelder, Director Small Business Experience, Australian Taxation Office
Martin has over 20 years of experience at the ATO, where he built a diverse career across key areas including individuals, superannuation, and learning and development. This breadth of experience gave him a deep understanding of the tax and regulatory landscape, but his true passion has always been supporting small businesses. Before joining the public service, Martin worked across a range of industries—building and construction, civil engineering, retail, and hospitality. He also ran his own small business, which inspired him to pursue a Commerce degree to better support others on their small business journey. This hands-on experience gives him a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities faced by entrepreneurs, and continues to inspire his work today.
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Matthew Lovell, Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School
Before teaching, Matthew worked in finance, primarily within the 'big four' banks in Business and Private Banking. His career provides him with real-world insights, which he uses in the classroom to bridge theory and practical application. An experienced teacher in both public and private schools, Matthew has contributed to the VCTA advisory groups for Economics and more recently, Business Management.

Megan Dixon, Woodleigh School
Megan is an experienced commerce and humanities teacher in Melbourne’s south-east. She has taught VCE Business Management and began teaching VCE Unit 3/4 Accounting in 2025. Passionate about student growth, Megan emphasises teaching through case studies, while embedding Excel skills to equip students with confidence and real-world capability. 

Naarm Law Students
Naarm Law Students is a not-for-profit organisation specialising in providing legal information to young people about their rights. We focus on areas which are most relevant to young people in everyday life. Our sessions are created and run by young people, which enables us to deliver information in a way that is both engaging and informative.

Octavian Simu, Senior Legal Policy Officer, Victorian Sentencing Advisory Council
Octavian is a Senior Legal Policy Officer at the Victorian Sentencing Advisory Council. His work covers diverse areas of sentencing law, including the sentencing of children held on remand, the effect that sentencing reforms have had on sentencing practices for sex offences, and most recently, responding to the Victorian Government’s terms of reference asking the Council to investigate sentencing practices for occupational health and safety offences. As part of that project, he facilitated state-wide public consultation gauging community expectations around sentencing practices for OHS offences, sparking insightful conversations on the consequences of work-related harm, and notions of deterrence, remorse, and just punishment in the OHS context.

Rachel Johnson, Head of Corporate Affairs, Hydro Tasmania
Rachel is the Head of Corporate Affairs at Hydro Tasmania. Rachel has spent over 20 years in the energy sector, commencing with Hydro Tasmania in 2002.  She has worked across the business in a range of roles with responsibility for government relations, policy, regulation, communications, marketing and engagement. Rachel has also been Senior Advisor to the Energy Minister, leading the work on major energy projects. She is a graduate of the AICD. Rachel grew up in Tasmania and holds a Bachelor of Economics (analytical major) and a Masters of Regulatory Economics.
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Saul Eslake, Economist, In Economics
Saul Eslake worked as an economist in the Australian financial markets for more than 25 years, including as Chief Economist at McIntosh Securities (a stockbroking firm) in the late 1980s, Chief Economist (International) at National Mutual Funds Management in the early 1990s, as Chief Economist at the Australia & New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) from 1995 to 2009, and as Chief Economist (Australia & New Zealand) for Bank of America Merrill Lynch from 2011 until June 2015. In between these last two positions he was Director of the Productivity Growth program at the then newly-established Grattan Institute, a ‘think tank’. In July 2015 Saul started up his own economics consultancy business, operating out of Hobart, and in April 2016 took up a part-time position as a Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Tasmania.

Last year he completed an Independent Review of Tasmania’s Public Sector Finances, pursuant to the agreement between the Premier of Tasmania and members of the Jacqui Lambie Network in the aftermath of the 2024 state election. This year he was asked to undertake an assessment of the cases for and against the possible privatisation or divestment of 16 different business entities owned by the Tasmanian State Government – until the Government decided it no longer wanted that advice. 

Saul is a member of the Australian Parliamentary Budget Office’s Advisory Panel; the Australian Taxation Office’s ‘Tax Gap’ Advisory Panel; is on the Advisory Board of Jamieson CooteBonds, a Melbourne-based specialist bond investment manager; and is a member of the Board of the Council on the Ageing. 

Saul has a first class honours degree in Economics from the University of Tasmania, and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment from the Securities Institute of Australia. In December 2012 he was awarded an Honorary LLD degree by the University of Tasmania. He has also completed the Senior Executive Program at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business in New York.
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Timmee Grinham, Fintona Girls' School
Timmee is a highly experienced Economics and Commerce teacher, and also delivers Economics education consultancy. She is passionate about promoting broader Economic literacy throughout the community, using knowledge of Economics for the promotion of social justice, and encouraging more girls to study Economics. From 2017 to 2025, Timmee was a member of the Reserve Bank of Australia's Educators Advisory Panel. She writes for VCE Economics students and teachers, and she co-authors a number of VCE and middle-school economics textbooks. Timmee currently teaches at Fintona Girls' School.