Frances Valintine CNZM is a passionate educator and technologist who is focused on developing education opportunities that connect professionals to the knowledge they need to be successful in today’s rapidly advancing world. For 25 years she has been dedicated to shifting education and business practice to develop the capabilities, knowledge and mindset needed to respond to the future of work, changing societal expectations and the protection of the planet.
We know what we're building. And why.
Our leaders have built institutions, led organisations through real disruption, and chosen to keep going. Their credentials are below. What has brought them here is the same thing that keeps them here: a genuine belief that learning has the potential to change lives.
Chief Executive Officer
Glenn Elith
Glenn is a Chartered Accountant and member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Before joining aEX Education Group he spent more than 13 years as CEO of ASX-listed tertiary education organisations RedHill Education Limited and NextEd Group Limited, leading both through significant growth and transformation.
Before education, Glenn held senior finance and executive roles across FMCG, retail and hospitality. That broad background shapes how he approaches technology: adopt it where it improves outcomes for learners and organisations and keep people accountable for the decisions it informs. At aEX Education Group his focus is building a trans-Tasman group that helps professionals and organisations build capability with judgment, not hype.
Executive General Manager, academyEX
Chris Stevens
Chris Stevens brings over 25 years of experience in software companies both in New Zealand and globally, blending a strong technical foundation with leadership in sales, contract negotiation, and account management.
Chris is fascinated by the transformative role of AI across education, business, and technology, balanced with the growing need for critical thinking in an increasingly complex world.
Head of Accredited Learning
Kala Philip
Kala brings over 30 years of global experience in training and education spanning Asia, the Middle East, and Australia. She has held multiple executive and board positions, contributes to several industry committees, and represents Australia internationally through Austrade skills missions. A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, she is currently completing her doctorate in international business.
At aEX Education Group, Kala draws on deep expertise in vocational education, accredited learning, and capability development. Her strengths include partnering with government and corporate clients to design leadership competency frameworks.
Head of Growth
Ana Ivanovic-Tongue
Ana believes that navigating the changing world demands a relentless focus on creativity and critical thinking. With a career spanning arts, culture, digital transformation and EdTech, Ana works with government and enterprise leaders to reimagine how contemporary learning happens at scale.
Prior to her role as Head of Growth, Ana guided innovation at academyEX, overseeing a portfolio of digital platform projects that resulted in high-impact learning experiences. Whether she is experimenting with AI, or thinking about the future of work, Ana’s mission is clear: helping organisations upskill and grow with confidence in the age of disruption.
Head of Marketing
Perrin Rowland
Perrin leads marketing across the aEX group, which means brand, demand, community, and the harder question underneath all of it: how do you make something genuinely good legible to the people who need it most?
She works at the intersection of strategic thinking and hands-on execution, with a particular focus on closing the gap between what an organisation actually is and how it shows up in the world.
She is fluent in AI as both a practitioner and a sceptic: the right combination for someone building marketing inside an institution that teaches others to lead through disruption.
She is still becoming. Like everyone here.
Head of Finance
Shoaib Raphi Ahmed
Shoaib brings over 15 years of international experience in senior finance roles with private education providers in the Middle East, where he led core finance and accounting functions, supported private equity transactions, and played a key role in setting and executing financial strategy. As Head of Finance at aEX Education Group, he is responsible for leading the organisation’s financial strategy, overseeing budgeting and reporting, and supporting data-driven decision-making across the business.
Shoaib is focused on contributing his global experience to the regional education and training landscape, helping drive impact in societies. With a keen interest in travel, the business world and the use of data and technology to drive efficiency, Shoaib believes in lifelong learning and rediscovering yourself.
