Chisholm has been structured to encourage innovative and responsive leadership from within and across all levels. Teaching and professional business areas are organised in business groups under the responsibility of directors.

Stephen Varty

Chief Executive Officer

Stephen Varty was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Chisholm Institute in November 2019.

Stephen most recently held the position of Chief of Education, having joined Chisholm in 2015 from Victoria University where he was the Director of Innovation and Engagement. 

Stephen has held a number of senior managerial leadership positions across the VET and HE sectors both in the UK and Australia. 

Stephen’s vast experience in the Education and Training sectors supports his position to lead the Institute through a positive phase of strong student growth and investment in infrastructure.  

His passion is education and implementation of innovative practice, creative training solutions, coaching and leadership execution to transform and increase the competence and productivity of individuals and business. 

He holds a Bachelor of Education - VET (Charles Sturt University), a Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership (Victoria University) and a Masters of Education (Victoria University).

Jane McLennan

Chief of Student Success and Support

Jane joined Chisholm in March 2018 as the Chief of Staff, with a focus on external and government relations, and broader communication for the Institute. Jane has extensive experience across the VET sector at both stand-alone TAFE Institutes and Dual Sector Universities. Prior to commencing at Chisholm, she was the Assistant Director Vocational Education at RMIT where she was providing high-level strategic advice for the Vocational Education (VE) sector and advising on issues affecting the educational outcome of VE activities within the University. Jane has also held various senior positions at Victoria University and Melbourne Polytechnic that have ranged from VET Practitioner, Head of School and Senior Executive.

Jane has studied a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physical Education), has Graduate Certificates in Management, Educational Leadership and Tertiary Education and has a Master’s in Education (VET). She is passionate about high quality education and the broad impact it can have on individuals and the wider community.

Toniann Stitz

Chief Financial Officer

Toniann Stitz officially commenced as Chisholm’s CFO on 18th March 2019, after working in the position ad interim from November 2018, on secondment from the Department of Education.

Prior to Chisholm, Toniann was CFO for the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation, and most recently worked as Director, Schools Finance and Resources, supporting the financial management of a $435M budget.

Toniann’s achievements and wide-ranging experience include a variety of public sector organisations like Departments of Primary Industries, Premier, Cabinet, and Defence, in such positions as CFO, Deputy CFO, Assistant Director Finance and Governance, Assistant General Manager Finance and Facilities, and Director Financial and Management Reporting.

Toniann is a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA), holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Diploma of Resource Management.

Damien Van Eyk

Chief Commercial Officer

Damien joined Chisholm in May 2021 as the Chief Commercial Officer. Damien’s focus is on securing, developing and strengthening relationships with local, national and international partners to deliver on the commercial objectives of the Institute.

Damien is an experienced senior executive and commercial sales leader who has worked in large international companies in Australia, across Asia and in the Middle East, as well working with small to medium enterprises across many geographic and cultural locations. In his last role as General Manager with Air New Zealand, Damien successfully established the company’s presence in Taiwan.

Damian’s success has covered a broad range of industries including aviation, wholesale and retail trade based in Australia, Taiwan, Dubai and Cambodia.

Damien holds an Executive Masters in Business Administration from RMIT University.

Jessica Corbett

Chief of Staff

Jessica commenced as the Chief of Staff in September 2021. Jessica is accountable for managing the Office of the CEO, the portfolios of strategy and business planning, Chisholm’s strategic projects, organisation performance targets, as well as the Board and executive secretariat. The Chief of Staff also supports the CEO and executive team with cross-functional collaboration, external stakeholder engagement and responding to government policy changes and initiatives.

Jess is an experienced leader who has worked across both public and private sectors, implementing complex projects across her career. Prior to working at Chisholm, Jess was a Principal Consultant who provided strategy and design consultancy services to TAFE providers across Victoria. Jess has held various leadership positions within the Victorian Department of Education and Training, including policy and implementation roles. Prior to working in the public sector, Jess was the Manager for Service Design and Strategy at Deloitte Digital.

Jess holds a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne and is currently undertaking the Master of Education at the University of Melbourne.

Conor Mullan

Chief of Education

Conor joined Chisholm in 2009 and has since held a number of roles including Teacher, Manager, General Manager and Associate Director. Conor commenced as the Chief of Education in August 2021, overseeing education delivery and development across the Institute.

Conor is passionate about supporting students to reach their educational aspirations and has built high-performing, effective and resilient teams, systems and programs that support Chisholm students and staff. Most recently, Conor played an integral role in developing Chisholm’s 2021-2023 Strategy and the Education Quality Framework.

Conor holds a Masters of Education, Bachelor of Education and a Diploma of Outdoor Education.

Margie Fixter

Chief Academic Excellence and Innovation

Margie joined Chisholm in November 2021 as Chief of Academic Excellence and Innovation.  This position leads the development and implementation of quality frameworks for all Chisholm programs and supports teaching and learning. The focus is to ensure a high quality learning experience for all students, and includes Chisholm Online, a specific entity focussed on servicing students and industries through digital delivery.

Margie has extensive experience in the VET sector across three jurisdictions, and was most recently the Executive Director of Quality Teaching and Learning at TAFE South Australia, based in Adelaide.

Margie is a member of the Australian Skills  Quality Authority (ASQA) Stakeholder Liaison Group, the Education Industry Reference Group (IRC) and chairs the TAFE Directors Association Quality, Compliance and Regulation Network.

Margie holds an Executive Masters of Public Administration from ANU, and a Masters of Arts for UWS, and a Bachelor of Science from University of Sydney. She is committed to ensuring that education is accessible to everyone regardless of geography or background.

Delia McIver

Chief People Officer