Governance

Governing Council

Professor Brian English, formerly the Foundation Professor of Social Work and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Newcastle, is the Chair of the Governing Council at Southern Cross Institute (SCI). He brings forth a wealth of knowledge and has expertise in program development, accreditation and quality reviews within and across universities, as well as other tertiary institutions. Having served in roles such as Department Head, Dean, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic) and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Newcastle, Professor English is a leading figure in tertiary education management.

Professor English has served as Branch President and National Director at the social work professional body, the Australian Community Workers Association. He has also had extensive governance experience at community, local government, state and national levels in education, community development, health delivery and creative activities.

Professor English takes pride in his role in the development and oversight of SCI and values the opportunity to work with talented and dedicated colleagues to contribute to the development of the courses offered at SCI.

Associate Professor Alison Owens is the Chair of the Academic Board and serves as a distinguished member of the Governing Council, Course & Industry Advisory Committee and Learning & Teaching Committee at Southern Cross Institute (SCI). She is the Academic Lead, Scholarship and Professional Learning at the Centre for Education and Innovation at the Australian Catholic University (ACU).

Associate Professor Owens has over twenty-five years’ experience in teaching and researching in higher education. She is the recipient of multiple internal and external research grants and publishes widely on higher education topics. Her fields of interest and impact are the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and Creative Arts.

Associate Professor Owens completed her Doctorate in Education in 2006 (University of Technology Sydney) and completed a PhD in Creative Arts (Central Queensland University) in 2018. In recognition of her commitment to professional learning for academic staff and PhD supervisions, she was awarded the ACU Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Postgraduate Teaching Excellence in 2023.

Emeritus Professor Kevin Lyons serves as a distinguished member of the Governing Council at Southern Cross Institute (SCI). He has over 30 years of experience in higher education across Australia, Singapore, and the USA, serving as an academic leader, researcher, and educator. He has held a range of executive leadership roles, including appointments at the University of Newcastle as Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean.

He was also appointed CEO and Pro Vice-Chancellor of Newcastle Australia Institute of Higher Education Singapore (formerly UoN Singapore).

Over the course of his career, Emeritus Professor Lyons has established an international reputation as a leading researcher and scholar in the areas of tourism, hospitality, and management. Upon retirement in 2020, his contribution to the international academic community was recognised by the University of Newcastle who bestowed upon him the lifelong honorary appointment of Emeritus Professor. Emeritus Professor Lyons remains actively involved in higher education. He now provides consulting services to a number of private higher education organisations and has remained engaged with the University of Newcastle on a number of initiatives. He continues to publish in highly ranked scholarly journals, supervises research Higher degree candidates, and undertakes occasional sessional teaching in the MBA at the University of Newcastle.

Dr Steven Holliday serves as a distinguished member of the Governing Council at Southern Cross Institute (SCI). He is a Fellow of the CPA Australia and has been a member for more than 30 years. Dr Holliday has also been a member of the Governance Institute of Australia for more than 15 years.

He has more than 20 years of experience in the Higher Education sector. As a senior university staff member, Dr Holliday has had considerable governance and management experience. He has also had financial oversight in many of his university roles. Dr Holliday is passionate about the delivery of quality learning, teaching and student support, and brings considerable experience working with international students.

Dr Susan Loomes serves as a distinguished member of the Governing Council at Southern Cross Institute (SCI). She has extensive experience in higher education leadership, holding positions such as General Manager, Campus Director, Executive Director Business Operations and National Executive Director, HR. Dr Loomes is currently the Director of Student and Academic Services at Griffith College.

Dr Loomes has a strong commitment to student engagement, student retention and student success. Her doctoral studies were undertaken at the University of Wollongong and her research was on the recruitment and selection of senior academic leaders in Australian universities.

Mr Alex Malley serves as a distinguished member of the Governing Council at Southern Cross Institute (SCI). He brings a wealth of industry expertise in the realms of accounting and business management. Currently serving as the CEO of the Australian Chiropractors Association since 2022, he previously held the position of Chief Executive at CPA Australia from 2009 to 2017. Mr Malley is a renowned startup investor, mentor, and bestselling author of “The Naked CEO”. Beyond his roles in the corporate world, he is an accomplished television host who has interviewed notable figures like Neil Armstrong, reaching audiences worldwide.

A familiar presence in Australian media, he has contributed as a regular commentator on The Nine Network’s The Today Show, ABC Breakfast, and 2GB radio station. Recognised on The Accountant magazine’s Global Accounting Power 50 List, his influence extends beyond business to encompass national economic and political discussions. He has also served on The Prince of Wales Accounting for Sustainability Project.

Professor Asif Iqbal has over twenty years’ experience as an academic, most of it in academic management roles. Educated across several continents, Professor Iqbal completed his initial commerce degree in Pakistan, followed by a degree in the United Kingdom. He later worked as an academic at Assumption University in Bangkok and as Head of the Marketing Department at the Bradford University Bangkok Campus/Centre.

In Australia, Professor Iqbal lectured at the University of Wollongong, Australian Catholic University, Central Queensland University and the University of Newcastle. He worked at Central Queensland University for six years as a lecturer and Sub-Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law. In this role, Professor Iqbal led a team of more than 100 academics across a wide range of disciplines. As Sub-Dean, he also played a key role in establishing the university’s new Sydney campus.

In 2005, Professor Iqbal was instrumental in establishing the Sydney Campus of Curtin University of Technology, where he worked as Academic Director and led a large team of academics until 2009. He managed comprehensive campus audits conducted by the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) and served as Chair of the Academic Board at the Sydney Campus of Curtin University of Technology.

Professor Iqbal has been a member of various corporate and academic committees at Central Queensland University, Curtin University of Technology, the University of Wollongong, the University of Newcastle, the Australian Institute of Business and Queensland International Business Academy (QIBA Sydney).

As a member of the CPA Australia Universities Committee, he played a key role in establishing a new membership pathway through the completion of foundation courses.

Following his role at Curtin University and prior to joining Southern Cross School of Business (SCSB), Professor Iqbal established the higher education division of Williams Business College and successfully led it in gaining recognition as a non-self-accrediting higher education institution. The College Governing Council subsequently appointed him Campus Director and Dean of Williams Business College. Professor Iqbal also served as Chair of the Higher Education Executive Management Team and as a member of the Governing Council and Academic Board. He is well known for his expertise in higher education management and is widely consulted in relation to higher education registration, course accreditation and regulatory processes.

The Honourable Shaoquett Moselmane serves as the Ambassador and a member of the Governing Council at Southern Cross Institute (SCI). He brings to SCI with him 41 years of dedicated public and community service experience. His impressive career includes 14 years as a Member of the NSW Parliament’s Legislative Council and 16 years in local government. A prominent figure in Australian politics, he is recognised for his unwavering commitment to justice and his advocacy for migrant and First Nations communities.

The Honourable Moselmane has had a distinguished and multifaceted career in Australian politics and public service. He began as a Rockdale City Councillor in 1995, where he served multiple terms as Deputy Mayor and Mayor. In 2009, he was appointed to the Legislative Council of the NSW Parliament, and in 2015, he was re-elected and became the Opposition Whip, serving in that role for four and a half years. He was later elected as the Assistant President of the Legislative Council.

The Honourable Moselmane has a deep commitment to justice, Aboriginal Affairs, Local Government, Multicultural Affairs, and foreign affairs, advocating for migrant communities and the rights of First Nations peoples. His initiatives include the Multicultural and Indigenous Media Awards, the National Indigenous Human Rights Awards, and the establishment of the Sydney Institute for Public and International Affairs (SIPIA). He is also actively engaged in charitable works, both locally and internationally, and holds degrees in Law, Politics, and Government Administration, along with practicing law from 1999 to 2007. His extensive involvement in various organizations and communities underscores his dedication to public service and advocacy for a wide range of important causes.