Our Team
Michelle Hill
With over 20 years of project leadership, stakeholder engagement and management consulting experience, Michelle has been deeply involved in a wide variety of sectors including chemicals, banking, insurance, airlines, motoring, postal services, public sector and higher education. Michelle holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and is finalising her PhD at Monash University, which has focused on designing and implementing interventions to help undergraduates improve their employability and make a positive transition from university to the workforce.
As a Program Manager, Michelle is driven by a desire to understand and meet each client’s needs and deliver programs that deeply engage students and build their employability and capacity to realise their potential.
Our Executives


Chief Executive Officer
Peter Cantwell
Peter Cantwell
With over 30 years of commercial, strategy and general management experience gained in Australia and internationally, Peter has held executive leadership roles in large multinational, private equity owned and ASX listed companies. Peter’s corporate roles have included Managing Director Sales for the Fosters Group, Managing Director of Lion Confectionery UK, General Manager Australia for Independent Distillers and both Commercial Strategy Director Africa and Middle East and Sales Strategy Director EMEA for Cadbury. Peter also holds a Bachelor of Business from Monash University.
Peter is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Career Ahead, bringing extensive leadership, industry, strategy and career development insights to education and organisational clients and individual program participants. As an industry and employability expert and passionate Career Coach, Peter has developed innovative programs and services that unlock real employability outcomes for government, educators, corporate partners, parents and students.


Managing Director
Katea Gidley
Katea Gidley
With over 25 years of human resource, career and talent management experience gained in a variety of industries, including FMCG, retail, financial services and property, Katea has worked as a Chief Human Resources Officer in two top 25 ASX listed companies, CUB and Colonial First State Global Asset Management (now Vicinity) leading the people agenda. She has also held senior HR and Organisational Development roles with the Country Road, L’Oréal and Federal Hotels Groups. In addition, has Board experience with the Melbourne Renegades. A recipient of a Dean’s List honour for her MBA at Monash University, Katea also has a Diploma in Training & Development from the University of Melbourne and a Graduate Certificate in Career Development from RMIT.
Katea is a co-founder and Managing Director of Career Ahead, with accountability for program innovation, solution design and key partner relationships. An experienced facilitator, career counsellor and executive coach, Katea brings substantial knowledge and experience to Career Ahead programs and services across talent management, career development, recruitment, succession and workforce planning.


Executive Director
Andrew Phillips
Andrew Phillips
Currently a non Executive Director of a large family company and Deputy Chair of a Not for Profit organisation, Andrew has extensive executive leadership experience in multinational, publicly listed and family companies. He has worked across four continents in Senior Marketing and CEO / General Management roles over a career spanning 33 years.
Our Operations Team


Head of Products and Services
Dr Jason Brown
Dr Jason Brown
An experienced career development leader and researcher, Jason has over 20 years' experience designing and delivering scalable and innovative career development programs and services in the higher education and employment services industries. At La Trobe University, Jason contributed to the development of student employability as head of the careers service, where he led the delivery of an innovative and successful employability award program and an institution-wide program to embed employability into the curriculum. As an academic, he coordinated and designed several subjects across career development, work integrated learning, and service learning.
With a recently completed a PhD, Jason’s continued research interests include investigating the personality and other factors that contribute to the development of employability, and the changing roles and professional development needs of career development practitioners.
As a leader in the career development profession, he has served on various committees for the National Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (NAGCAS) and the Career Development Association of Australia (CDAA). He has been recognised for his leadership and through receipt of the 2018 CDAA Excellence in Leadership Award.


Head of Career Development and Employability
Dr Michael Healy
Dr Michael Healy
Michael has more than a decade of experience as a careers and employability educator at several universities. He has led the development of a range of services and programs in and alongside the curriculum. Michael’s specialist expertise includes career education design and delivery, career counselling, and employer liaison. In particular, he is recognised for his expertise in the provision of online careers services.
Michael holds a PhD in careers and employability learning from the University of Southern Queensland and his research has been published in leading journals and edited books, including the Oxford Handbook of Career Development.
Michael’s excellence in career development research and practice has been recognised through multiple awards from the Career Development Association of Australia and the National Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services. Through his research and leadership, Michael seeks to innovate and elevate the career development profession in Australia and around the world.


Manager, Career Solutions
Sarah Valdez
Sarah Valdez
With over 15 years of career and talent management experience, Sarah has experience across a broad range of sectors including health, telecommunications, banking and finance, retail, hospitality and education, having worked with a number of blue-chip organisations including Austin Health, GE, HSBC and Telstra.


Program Manager, Career Services
Michelle Hill
With over 20 years of project leadership, stakeholder engagement and management consulting experience, Michelle has been deeply involved in a wide variety of sectors including chemicals, banking, insurance, airlines, motoring, postal services, public sector and higher education...
Michelle Hill
With over 20 years of project leadership, stakeholder engagement and management consulting experience, Michelle has been deeply involved in a wide variety of sectors including chemicals, banking, insurance, airlines, motoring, postal services, public sector and higher education. Michelle holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and is finalising her PhD at Monash University, which has focused on designing and implementing interventions to help undergraduates improve their employability and make a positive transition from university to the workforce.
As a Program Manager, Michelle is driven by a desire to understand and meet each client’s needs and deliver programs that deeply engage students and build their employability and capacity to realise their potential.


Senior Learning Designer, Career Services
Leona Norris
Leona Norris
Passionate about improving learner experience and learning outcomes, I have over 17 years of global experiences from across different educational sectors in Australia and the UK, spanning Government, Not-For-Profit, Private, College and Higher Education. With a MSc in Innovation, Creativity and Leadership (MICL) from City, University of London, I am also a Kaospilot Master Archer and certified ScrumMaster.
Across my career, I have gained experience in implementing transformative changes and shifting educational practice. I spent 10 years in London, pushing the boundaries of emerging technologies through the innovation of teaching and building practitioner networks. Since returning to Australia, I have continued to develop innovative educational practices through Kaospilot methodology and expanding my experience into the Australian start-up ecosystem. I now focus on the application of leading learning design practices across different contexts.


Senior Learning Designer, Career Services
Priscilla Trahar
With over 25 years of experience in roles in business, government and education, Priscilla brings her passion for a consistent and meaningful student experience along with extensive expertise in Learning Design and Educational Technologies to the Career Ahead team.
Priscilla Trahar
With over 25 years of experience in roles in business, government and education, Priscilla brings her passion for a consistent and meaningful student experience along with extensive expertise in Learning Design and Educational Technologies to the Career Ahead team.
Priscilla has worked as a Senior Learning Designer, Educational Designer and Implementation specialist across several tertiary institutions including University of Sunshine Coast, La Trobe University, Griffith University and Swinburne University. She has had extensive experience on projects ranging from university-wide employability portfolio solutions to program-specific solutions. Priscilla has focussed on university-wide employability solutions for Griffith University as well as for The Griffith Business School. At LaTrobe she was part of the team to design and implement 360 degree feedback solutions for oral health students and teaches these students how to prepare and present professional portfolios.
Priscilla has presented at multiple domestic and international conferences on topics including portfolio design and implementation, enterprise-wide learning technology solutions, making program-wide connections for student learning journeys, providing and collecting 360 degree feedback for student learning and assisting students to evidence professional competencies through portfolio-based learning. Priscilla’s work and presentations are published in ePortfolios in Australian Universities (2017), ePortfolios Australia Forum Conference Proceedings (2015 – 2019), Future Ready: Equipping learners for the Journey Ahead (2016), The Enterprise Endeavour - Scaling up personal learning (2018) and the 2019 ASCILITE Conference Proceedings.
Priscilla completed Bachelor of Communication (Honours) at the University of the Sunshine Coast and is a recognised leader in portfolio design and development. She offers a wealth of expert knowledge and skill in implementing creative solutions in the online learning space to engage students in meaningful learning activities.


Graphic Designer
Nikki Colliver
Nikki Colliver
Nikki is an experienced and passionate Graphic Designer, with a particular interest in finished art and web design. Having worked across a variety of creative industries such as print production, advertising, digital design, and corporate identity development, she combines her multi-channel knowledge and keen eye with her passion for solving problems to develop engaging and effective content.


Program and Insights Manager
Lindie Frier
Lindie Frier
With a Master of Industrial and Organisational Psychology from The University of Pretoria (South Africa), Honours of Industrial and Organisational Psychology from The University of South Africa, and Bachelor degree, specialising in Psychology and Education from The University of Pretoria; Lindie has gained experience in end-to-end recruitment and selection, performance management and reviews, organisational development, psychometry, training and development, and industrial relations management. She gained experience in various sector including Education, Health, Information Technology, Logistics and Distribution while previously working as a Human Resources Consultant.
As a Program and Insights Manager, Lindie prides herself in taking an evidence-based approach when conducting research; while keeping abreast with all the latest industry trends. She has a high regard for ethics and enjoys taking a detailed approach in completing daily tasks.


Finance Manager
Fionna Oliver-Taylor
Fionna Oliver-Taylor
With over 20 years in accounting and finance, Fionna has held a number of senior management roles across entertainment, professional services and FMCG including Coca-Cola Amatil, KordaMentha and Ernst & Young. Fionna holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Arts from The University of Melbourne, a Graduate Certificate in Applied Finance and a Graduate Diploma with the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
In her role as Finance Manager for Career Ahead, Fionna is tasked with managing the accounting function, as well as the administration systems and processes that underpin the business. Through an energetic and collaborative approach, Fionna works with our clients to ensure that we keep pace with ever-changing conditions and plays a key role in the commercial management of the business.


Finance and Program Coordinator
Leanne Sugden
Leanne Sudgen
Michael has more than a decade of experience as a careers and employability educator at several universities. He has led the development of a range of services and programs in and alongside the curriculum. Michael’s specialist expertise includes career education design and delivery, career counselling, and employer liaison. In particular, he is recognised for his expertise in the provision of online careers services.
Michael holds a PhD in careers and employability learning from the University of Southern Queensland and his research has been published in leading journals and edited books, including the Oxford Handbook of Career Development.
Michael’s excellence in career development research and practice has been recognised through multiple awards from the Career Development Association of Australia and the National Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services. Through his research and leadership, Michael seeks to innovate and elevate the career development profession in Australia and around the world.