Trent Smyth AM
Chief Executive Officer
Trent served as the Honorary Consul for Malawi for nine years and the Secretary of the Consular Corps Melbourne between 2014-2021. Trent is the founder of the Sports Diplomacy Foundation and a former Director of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation and holds a Bachelor of Commerce and an MBA from the University of Melbourne. In 2021, Mr Smyth was awarded an Order of Australia for services to international relations, motorsport and business.
Jeremy Costa
Chief of Staff to the CEO
A master’s graduate of international relations at the University of Melbourne, Jeremy is an experienced writer on Australian foreign policy, previously working for international affairs think tanks Asialink and the Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA). Jeremy is passionate about connecting people and believes strongly in the power of diplomacy.
Nicholas Langford
Events Manager
After reading Classics at the University of Cambridge, Nicholas worked as a political staffer and civil servant. He managed the office of an Australian parliamentarian before serving as Aide to the Governor of Victoria. Most recently Nicholas was an advisor on trade policy and diplomatic relations, focusing on the Middle East, Türkiye and Africa. He is passionate about the power of networks to support learning across disparate disciplines and cultures.
Saira Latif
Customer Success Manager
Saira has a diverse background that includes experience in administration, procurement, member services, and event management in both the private and public sectors. She has also worked for a women’s charity, where she played an active role in raising awareness about domestic violence, FGM, and forced marriage. Saira is passionate about interacting with people and enjoys learning about their upcoming projects, organizational strategies, and personal interests. Saira’s curiosity and willingness to learn make her a valuable asset in any team.
Meena Vahabzadeh
Membership Engagement Manager
Meena is an International Development graduate who has worked in India and Sri Lanka, overseeing operations and communications across several development initiatives. She was chief of staff to an ultra-high-net-worth principal based in Austria and the Isle of Man before resuming work in communications strategy.
Richard Williams
Director of Education
Richard has built his career at the nexus of education, community and technology. An Australian native he was worked for global companies in New York, San Francisco, Accra and London. He has served as the chief of staff at Change.org, Operations Associate at Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Startup Consultant at Harambeans and Senior Instructor Manager at General Assembly.
Erin Sanders
Intern – Learning and Development
Caroline Scotter Mainprize
Chief Editor
Caroline is a writer, editor, and communications advisor, working mostly for organisations involved in research and education. Clients have included Oxford University Press, Saïd Business School, Bayes Business School, and the international development and publishing organisation CABI. She has edited a number of books, annual reports, and journals, and written practitioner-focused research reports, including Oxford’s The Museum Leaders Report and Understanding Chief Digital Officers.Before freelancing she was responsible for the corporate communications at Oxford University Press. She had previously worked for a London PR consultancy and as a journalist on a business newspaper.
Isolde Willats
Learning and Development Associate
Isolde is an Organisational Psychology master’s graduate with a keen interest in unveiling the factors that contribute to a healthy and productive workforce through quantitative and qualitative research. Isolde’s professional background has been centred around providing support to small businesses and entrepreneurs in the education sector. This has included project management, academic programme development, event coordination and DE&I assistance.
Aicha Daneliuc
Marketing Manager
Mike Jernigan
Director of Mentorship Programme
Mike has 30 years’ experience as a United States Marine. He has served as interim Chief of Staff for U. S. Forces Japan and as Chief of Staff for Marine Corps Installations East. He currently is the Director of the Mentorship Programme with The Chief of Staff Association.
Mike is passionate about the value productive Chiefs of Staff add to organizations and recognizes to be successful, a Chief of Staff must be an effective arbiter of competing priorities, a trusted agent for leaders of all levels in the organization, and a practitioner of lateral communication in order to understand its value in keeping organizations operating at peak efficiency.