board members
Ed St John, Chairman
Ed St John is an experienced executive and company director who has been involved in the Australian music and media industries for 45 years. In the 70s and 80s, Ed was a music journalist, author and TV producer. Between 1993 and 2010, Ed was one of the leading executives in the Australian entertainment business, holding senior roles at Sony Music Australia (Director of Marketing), BMG Australia (Managing Director) and Warner Music Australia (President and CEO).
Ed was the decade-long Chairman of Australia’s leading music event, the ARIA Awards and a director and Chairman of peak industry association ARIA. More recently Ed was Executive General Manager of The Ethics Centre. Ed is a director of Music Australia and VA Media.
Marie Carroll, Director
Marie Carroll is a highly credentialed academic who obtained her PhD in Cognitive Psychology from Otago University in New Zealand. She has held a succession of senior roles including Foundation Professor of Psychology and Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Canberra. She held the role of Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs) and Acting DVC (Education) at the University of Sydney, with responsibilities for curriculum, graduate studies and higher degrees by research strategy, and teaching and learning. She is currently an Education Director at the Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney.
Oren RoNen, Director
Oren Ronen graduated with a Bachelor of Music Technology from Northeastern University in Boston. In Australia, he gained experience in the TV production industry, having worked on shows such as The Chase, Gogglebox, and Masterchef. Now at McGill University in Montreal, Oren is working towards a Master’s in Music Technology. He is a member of the Input Devices and Music Interaction Laboratory (IDMIL) and The Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology (CIRMMT). With a sincere interest in the intersection of music, education, and technology, Oren continues to explore and contribute to the evolving landscape of music technology and pedagogy.
ben o'hara, Director
Ben has 18 years’ experience in the creative industries and performing arts education sector including as Managing Director at Collarts (Australian College of the Arts) for five years, serving as Dean prior. Previously Ben was Head of Higher Education, Music Business, at Box Hill Institute. He has a strong background in academic leadership having taught and developed higher education and vocational programs across Australia. He holds a PhD in Music Industry Education from Monash and serves on the board of IHEA (Independent Higher Education Australia). Ben will simultaneously serve in the role of Chief Academic Officer.
senior management
john chalmers, Chief Executive Officer
With 25 years of international media, marketing, communications and content experience, John comes to the Australian Institute of Music having started his career in the music industry, and more immediately from the higher education sector where he was Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at University of Technology Sydney, leading a team of 100 in driving innovative marketing and communications strategy and content, to develop the fast growing UTS brand. Before that, John led marketing and communications at media intelligence company, Isentia, which spanned 18 APAC offices comprising the globally awarded Media Monitors, King Content, Brandtology and Two Social businesses. He was previously a music magazine editor at Onion, Rip It Up and Attitude magazines and the 8th inductee to the South Australian Dance Music Industry Hall of Fame for service to the music industry. Returning to Sydney, John was an editor and journalist including for Men’s Health magazine and in New York including at the New York Post. He brings a belief in the power of education to transform lives and a deep understanding of media and music, brand and reputation, and connecting with audiences. He has played rock guitar since age 8 and attended Adelaide University where he completed a Bachelor of Arts in history and politics.
GEORGINA GAUSSEN, Chief Financial and Operating Officer
Georgina is a fellow chartered accountant with a strong background in finance and began her career with KPMG. Following, she was a Financial Analyst at Walt Disney and a Management Accountant at Energizer in the UK then transitioned into strategic operational roles for a number of businesses and industries including COO at Fairfax Media’s Life Media & Events, GM of Strategy at Qantas Operations and CEO of the Qantas Foundation, Head of Transformation at Newscorp, Head of Continuous Improvement at Virgin Airlines and most recently as COO at Think Childcare, in early years education and care.