About our Leaders Forum Speakers
Read all about our speakers participating at the TEFMA Leaders Forum 2025.
Prof. Tyronne Carlin
Speaking:
- How will international Student Caps, if approved, impact on campus development in supporting institutional goals?
Professor Tyrone Carlin was appointed Vice-Chancellor and President of Southern Cross University on 26 September 2020. From 2018 – 2020, Professor Carlin held the role of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at Southern Cross University. In this role, he had University-wide responsibility for teaching and learning renewal, the University’s strategic partnerships and its online educational presence. He was also responsible for the University’s international portfolio.
Before joining Southern Cross University, Professor Carlin occupied the positions of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Registrar), Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education Operations), Professor of Financial Reporting and Regulation at the University of Sydney, and Co-Dean of the University of Sydney Business School.
Professor Carlin holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Masters of Commerce with Honours, both majoring in Accounting, and also holds a Bachelor of Laws with first class honours and a Master of Laws. He also holds a PhD from Macquarie Garduate Schoole of Management.
Professor Carlin is also the current Chair of Regional Universities Network where he promotes and delivers vital changes within the higher education section and regional Australia
Johanna Trickett
Speaking:
- Setting the Scene - What insights do the TEFMA benchmarks provide into the higher education project landscape?
- Morning Panel Discussion
Johanna leads Arup's Education Business across Australia, offering a wealth of experience and insights, regularly engaging with key universities across the region and being connected to Arup's wider global network.
On behalf of Arup, Johanna has been leading the development of the TEFMA Benchmark and Insights publication for the last three years. Johanna is a well-versed project leader, regularly managing multi-disciplinary teams and collaborating with a diverse range of stakeholders.
Her background in architecture and engineering results in a consolidated project approach, balancing design and technical solutions
Dr. Stephen Weller
Medical Research Institute
Speaking:
- View from a COO
- Morning Panel Discussion
Dr. Weller is the Chief Operating Officer of QIMR Medical Research Institute. As COO he leads the Services Division to enable better health and wellbeing through impactful medical research.
Dr. Weller previously was the Chief Operative Officer and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Australia Catholic University.
Clinton Ostwald
Speaking:
- Student Accommodation - what does benchmarking data reveal and what opportunities lie ahead?
- Morning Panel Discussion
Clinton Ostwald is an expert in economics and property investment, specialising in the development of urban environments to deliver tangible benefits to both clients and the community.
With over 30 years of experience, Clinton has honed his skills in the preparation of market and economic insights that shape the development of diverse places, including town centre mixed-use precincts, residential areas, employment nodes and health and education hubs.
His collaboration with universities and education providers across the Asia-Pacific has allowed him to meaningfully influence the master planning of campuses, with an industry leading knowledge of the drivers of successful student accommodation. This recently culminated with the launch of the Urbis Student Accommodation Benchmarks, a data product that tracks the performance of Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) across Australia.
Meaghan Dwyer
Speaking:
- Afternoon Panel Discussion - a view from the design consulting industry
Meaghan has worked with numerous universities across the country to design and deliver substantial capital works projects. The diversity of approaches she is seeing in the current market suggests the need for new ways of working together to address complex and diverse requirements. She welcomes the opportunity for this exchange.
Adrian Stanic
Speaking:
- Afternoon Panel Discussion - A view from the design consulting industry
Adrian Stanic, a Director at Lyons, is a recognised leader in the university sector, bringing over two decades of expertise in campus design, strategic master planning, and large-scale educational developments. He has successfully led projects that redefine the relationship between architecture, student experience, and the urban environment, demonstrating a deep understanding of the evolving demands on higher education campuses.
Adrian’s work includes award-winning facilities such as the RMIT Swanston Academic Building and the Western Sydney University Bankstown City Campus, which exemplify his ability to deliver adaptive, forward-thinking spaces that align with institutional goals and community aspirations. His multidisciplinary approach integrates urban, architectural, and interior design to create dynamic and inclusive environments for students, staff, and industry partners.
Adrian’s leadership in university campus transformation is underpinned by his collaborative engagement with stakeholders and commitment to delivering innovative, sustainable, and strategically aligned outcomes.
Carolin Funcke
Speaking:
- Afternoon Panel Discussion - A view from the design consulting industry
With over 15 years of experience across Australia and Europe, Carolin Funcke excels in design leadership and project management for large-scale public, educational, mixed-use and urban design projects.
Carolin is passionate about developing transformative designs that set new standards in education and research environments, unlock opportunities in sustainable design and foster collaboration and innovation. Her track record of leading high-profile, award-winning projects that encourage creativity and inclusivity within educational spaces reflects this.
As a Co-leader of Education and Science for Hassell, Carolin works with the firm’s global team of knowledge leaders to shape the future of education and research environments. Places in our global cities, which she believes, are constantly evolving and need to adapt to new ways of working, learning and collaborating.
