B.Soc.Sci. (Hons), University of Singapore; FFin, FAICD, FCIS, FSCA
Group Managing Director and CEO of Academies Australasia Group Limited (‘AKG’).
On the AAPoly Board since 2011.
More than 20 years’ experience in the education sector in Australia. Academies Australasia is made up of 18 separately licensed colleges, 17 of which are in Australia. Operations include Higher Education, VET, ELICOS and Senior High School. AKG has been operating for 112 years and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange for 43 years. Prior to entering the education sector, spent more than 25 years in banking (central, investment and commercial) and then managing a national financial planning group.
BBus, Swinburne University of Technology; Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management
Over 30 years’ experience in academia and industry. Served as the Vice President of DMR Asia Pacific, responsible for Practice & Resources and as Principal for the Southern Region with Unisys Australia. Served as Managing Principal for Unisys’ Asian Pacific operations based in Singapore, overseeing 600 professionals across 10 countries. Served as Vice President of the Unisys Corporation, responsible for the company’s World Wide Work Flow and Imaging program. Based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, supported a US$150m program across 38 countries of Central & South America, the Asia Pacific, North America and Europe. Worked for IBM Australia and Arthur Young & Co. and spent many years in consulting with management and IT strategic planning specialisations. Lectured for Swinburne’s undergraduate programs and as adjunct teaching fellow for Swinburne’s Master of Information Systems Program.
B.Comp.Sci., Technological University Institute Antonio Jose de Sucre, Venezuela; B.Sc.Sys.Eng, University Institute Santiago Marino, Venezuela
Deputy Group Managing Director and Group COO of AKG. Also Deputy Chair of Independent Higher Education Australia (IHEA).
On the AAPoly Board since 2011.
Gabriela joined AKG in 2001 as a lecturer in IT and moved through its leadership group holding positions in marketing, curriculum development and regulatory compliance. Also held senior management responsibilities in acquisitions, corporate restructure and financial management.
Gabriela has been on the AKG board for more than 9 years and holds Board positions on each of the group’s 18 colleges.
BCom, University of Melbourne; AAIB, Associate of the Australian Institute of Bankers
4 decades of experience in the banking industry. Served in senior positions with the Commercial Bank of Australia Limited. Company Director and consultant of Westpac Banking Corporation. President of Small Business Mentoring Service with extensive involvement in business mentoring and training. In 2013, received Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to business and commerce, and to the community.
MEd, University of Melbourne; MA (Organisational Psychology), University of Melbourne; BEd (Educational Psychology), Monash University; GradDip (Criminology), University of Melbourne; BComm, University of Melbourne; MAICD
Director and principal consultant of Global Leadership Centre, a consulting firm engaged in the provision of leadership development programs globally. Adjunct senior lecturer and program coordinator for Federation University Australia, teaching leadership and management subjects such as organization behaviour, change management and strategic management in different locations in Asia. Mayor of Bayside City Council (2008-2012).
GAICD
Former Chief Executive Officer of peak body Council of Private Higher Education, established by John with leading private sector institutions in the late 1990’s to effectively represent Australian private higher education institutions. Promoted good policy within the higher education sector and led in advocacy, seeing the introduction of FEE-HELP in the HESA and engaging in issues arising since.
Sold his digital mapping company to Telstra (rebranded as Whereis) and helped establish an innovative private institution linked with Macquarie University in Sydney. Worked for two decades in academic, technical, medical and scholarly publishing in a market spanning all Australian universities and colleges.
MBA, Torrens University Australia; Masters (Marketing and Management), University of Economics, Poland; Diploma of Community Welfare, MIT International College
As the Chief Executive Officer of Academies Australasia Polytechnic, Joanna Kelly is responsible for managing the overall operations and resources of the company and its academic and corporate activities. With almost 2 decades’ experience in international education management, working both domestically and overseas, she also holds the position of Chief Executive Officer at Discover English, Skills Training Australia and Language Links International, which are part of Academies Australasia Group. She has served as a member of the senior management team of Academies Australasia as Group General Manager, English. Utilising her diverse skillset in marketing, management, operations and student services and a focus on best practice teaching and learning, she strives to deliver excellent student experiences while achieving business goals. Joanna is a Board Member of English Australia and Language Links International, sought after for her focus on business strategy and quality education.
Dr. Sunny Vinnakota is a distinguished academic leader with over 22 years of experience in higher education, curriculum development, and institutional leadership. Currently serving as Academic Dean at Academies Australasia Polytechnic, he excels in teaching, research, and academic administration, with expertise in business, digital marketing, hospitality, psychology, and management. His focus areas include digital transformation, innovation, and quality assurance in education. Dr. Vinnakota holds a PhD (Management & Marketing) (2018), with a dissertation on “Digital Marketing Adoption in an Emerging Economy: Consumer’s Perspective”, and is pursuing a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Global Business Innovation, along with ongoing studies in Master of Applied Artificial Intelligence and Master of Autism and Neurodivergent Studies. His qualifications include a Master of Education (E-Learning & Digital Pedagogies) (2024), focusing on digital technologies and AI in education, a Master of Tertiary Education (Management) (2022), specialising in quality assurance and institutional leadership, and a Master of Business Administration (Innovation & R&D) (2011), with expertise in strategic marketing and change management. He also holds a Master of Business Hospitality Management (2009), a Master of Arts in Psychology (2012), a Master of Arts in Tourism Psychology (2004), and a Master of Marketing Management (2002), along with multiple diplomas and certificates in community services, early childhood education, marketing, and hospitality management.
Dr. Vinnakota has held leadership roles such as Associate Dean (Education) (2020–2024) and Program and Technology Enhanced Learning Director (2018–2019) at Academies Australasia Polytechnic, driving curriculum innovation and digital learning integration. He has also served as Course Coordinator at various universities in Australia (2015–2018) and Change Management Project Leader at Public Transport Victoria (2008–2010). With over two decades of teaching experience, he has delivered programs like Bachelor of Business and MBA at RMIT University, Charles Darwin University, Charles Sturt University, Federation University, University of Canberra, University of Sunshine Coast, and Victoria University, emphasising innovative pedagogy and digital tools. An active member of professional organisations, including Certified Practising Marketer (CPM) and Academy of Management, Dr. Vinnakota has completed advanced professional development programs, such as Executive Coaching at the University of Cambridge. His expertise includes educational technologies (Moodle, Canvas, Adobe Suite), data analysis (SPSS, NVivo), and project management (PRINCE2, Six Sigma).
Dr. Vinnakota’s research focuses on digital transformation in business, tourism and hospitality innovation and quality assurance in higher education, exploring Digital Learning Technologies, AI in Education, and Digital Pedagogy to enhance teaching and learning through technology-driven solutions.
