Rami Abi Jomaa is an advancement professional with 14 years of experience in supporting education.  

As the former Chief Advancement Officer at King’s Academy, Jordan, Abi Jooma led the advancement office's fundraising, alumni relations, advancement services, events, and communications functions, as well as managed a multi-year capital campaign. Prior to King’s Academy, Abi Jooma was the Director of Advancement Services at American University of Beirut, where he led several advancement functions. Abi Jomaa has successfully completed complex projects related to building advancement systems, structures, processes, and capital campaigns infrastructure. He is experienced in annual giving, technology management, human resources, and business processes development.  
 
Abi Jomaa holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and information systems and a master’s degree in sociology.

After graduating from university, Colin Allen held sales and marketing positions with a variety of sports organisations across the United Kingdom and the United States, including Oakland Raiders and IMG. It was an experience working with a large health care network at one of these organisations that he realised that his passion is working with non-profit organisations.

Regardless of the type of organisation, Allen has successfully found innovative ways to increase revenue, but always with a focus on relationships. In the non-profit space, Allen has led teams in the United States and Australia. He believes in the role of philanthropy to solve problems and enjoys creating donor-centric experiences to achieve an organisation’s mission.

Allen was also a trustee at Ronald McDonald House in San Francisco. He holds an undergraduate degree from Bates College and a master’s degree in business administration from Johns Hopkins University.

Sherif Andrawes is the Global Head of Natural Resources for BDO and the leader of BDO’s Corporate Finance Team in Perth. He has a focus on business valuations, mergers and takeovers, and initial public offerings. Andrawes is the former President of East Fremantle Tricolore Soccer Club and he is currently the Chair of Football West. He is also the President of St Hilda’s Foundation, a body that focuses on philanthropy and investment of funds for the long-term benefit of the St Hilda’s School, and a director of the Australia-Africa Minerals and Energy Group.

Dr. Imad B. Baalbaki is Vice President for Advancement and Business Development at American University of Beirut (AUB). Dr. Baalbaki works closely with AUB’s trustees, president, and senior leadership in support of AUB's academic and healthcare mission. He played a key role in AUB's Campaign for Excellence (2002-2007), and is currently leading BOLDLY AUB: The Campaign to Lead, Innovate, and Serve – a $650 million fundraising campaign. Dr. Baalbaki earned his bachelor’s degree in arts and master’s degree in business administration from AUB, and doctoral degree in marketing from Georgia Institute of Technology. A faculty member at AUB's Suliman S. Olayan School of Business since 1993, he is also the author of numerous publications in marketing and co-author of two leading English-language marketing textbooks for the Arab world.

Steven Barwald joined The University of Sydney as Associate Director, Prospect Development at the start of 2020, diving straight into onboarding a newly formed and expanded team remotely.

Currently, Barwald’s focus is on growing The University of Sydney’s prospect pool, increasing prospects development’s collaboration across the advancement portfolio, and designing due diligence methodologies and principles.

Barwald has 10 years of commercial and management experience. Prior to prospect development, he worked in sales research, sales operations, and specialty research positions across a variety of industries including e-commerce, human resources technology, and market research – having handled research, lead management, and process implementation in all roles. 

Some of his core skills include prospect identification, pipeline management and CRM database management and reporting.

Barwald is also the President of, Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (Apra-Australia).

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve01/ 

Simon Bate is State Director and Head of Kantar Public NSW within Kantar Public Australia. He is a passionate and experienced qualitative and quantitative research specialist who uses deep understanding of people to help bring about large-scale social change.

Having spent several years in the commercial sector helping major global brands connect with their consumers, Bate now applies this experience to  Australian federal and state government departments and agencies in some of the most pressing problems facing Australians, from violence against women, to aged care, to COVID-19. 

Bate has a bachelor’s degree (honours) in sociology and English language and is a member of The Research Society (formerly AMSRS). He is also a Professional Association of Diving Instructors Divemaster and a proud dad of two.

Matt Beard is a philosopher, dad, husband, pop culture nerd, and moral philosopher and ethicist with a special interest in leadership, military ethics, technology, and applied ethics. 
 
He is the Program Director of Vincent Fairfax Fellowship at Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership, the resident philosopher on the hit ABC podcast Short & Curly, and a member of the ethics advisory committee for the National Gallery of Australia. 
 
A widely sought-after keynote speaker and panellist known for his playful and innovative style, Beard has presented at major public and industry conferences around the world, worked with the boards and executive teams of some of Australia's leading companies, and been a leading voice for ethics and leadership in Australian public discourse.

Eric Billman previously served as Director of Advancement for The University of Melbourne and The University of Queensland and Senior Director of Development at Georgetown University and University of Wisconsin. He started his development career at his alma mater, Carnegie Mellon University and served as Campaign Consultant for Ketchum, Inc. (now Pursuant). 

Billman has provided campaign leadership in over 25 campaigns that collectively raised over $5 billion, including four that each raised over $1 billion.

He is co-author of a book, The Art and Science of Donor Bliss: Raise (More) Money, Make Friends and Embrace the Joy of Giving, a handbook for donors and development officers that encourages donors to create sustainable impact through their giving. 

Billman earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Purdue University and received his master’s degree in business administration from Carnegie Mellon University. 

Amanda Briggs is currently the Associate Director of Alumni Relations Engagement at The University of Queensland. She is an accomplished alumni engagement professional with 15 years of experience in the sector. In her current role, she designs and implements a broad range of strategic, high impact programmes with a focus on audience segmentation. Throughout her career, programmes she has implemented included mentoring, alumni awards, reunions, board management, international engagement, and a comprehensive suite of events. Briggs is passionate about developing and leading teams.
 
Briggs has previously held roles with Mercer and Lifeline Community Care, and has a bachelor’s degree in economics from The University of Queensland.

A senior leader and passionate storyteller specialising in strategic and structural transformation, Tracy Chalk joined The University of Newcastle in 2018 as Chief Marketing Officer overseeing the centralisation of branding, marketing, communication, and student recruitment. This followed two years at University of the West of England where she led a complex transformation of marketing, communication, internal engagement, alumni relations, and philanthropy. Chalk entered the higher education sector at Australian National University where she spent seven years leading the development of the university’s brand and marketing strategies.

With a personal vision to make a real impact in helping to achieve a world of equality Ziqiao Chen’s advancement journey began in 2018 as a CASE Graduate Trainee. Following the conclusion of his Graduate year, Chen was appointed as Monash’s first dedicated internationally focused fundraiser in 2019, delivering the design and implementation of the university's fundraising strategy for Asia.

Chen successfully led the launched of a series of philanthropic initiatives in Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Notably, he raised over 7 figures annually amid the global pandemic in these markets since 2020.

His work has culminated in the creation of Monash's flagship philanthropic program in Asia - The Asia Equity Scholarship program, which has been featured in The Standard & The Sing Tao Daily - Hong Kong's most circulated newspapers, as well as winning the CASE Circle of Excellence 2022 - Best of Asia-Pacific Awards.

As the Executive Director of Campaign and Advancement at INSEAD, Holman Chin advances the school’s vision to be a force for good in the world. He oversees the INSEAD campaign and campaign board, donor relations, digital marketing, advancement communications, as well as several global foundations and blockchain projects for the school. Having spent the last 14 years in development fundraising and operations, he is passionate about discovering new philanthropic innovations and models of giving. He has worked extensively with volunteers at every level and personally dedicates his time to helping many regional non-profit organisations. A native of California, he has a background in finance, marketing, media, and film. Chin has a vivid imagination and is an avid storyteller — much to the delight of his son.

Jenny Cooke Smith is the Senior Director of CASE Insights Solutions at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, CASE and specialises in analysing advancement trends, interpreting comparison benchmarks, and helping people understand the "stories behind the data". Prior to joining CASE, Smith spent 15 years in a variety of positions within Blackbaud’s Target Analytics, most recently leading donorCentrics™ benchmarking cohorts, providing opportunities for institutions and organisations globally to review and discuss direct marketing and annual giving trends. She joined CASE in 2019 to help members find value through using data and is most proud that through projects like CASE’s Alumni Engagement Metrics, institutions can begin to answer questions such as ‘we know engagement leads to giving, but how do we show it?’. Smith is currently co-teaching a course on CASE’s Global Reporting Standards and researching the latest trends on alumni engagement globally, enjoying opportunities to present again in-person, and working individually with CASE member institutions to develop strategies using CASE data and benchmarks.

Anthea Cuddihy is the Deputy Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations at CQUniversity Australia. Her dual portfolios incorporate advancement data accessibility, credibility, and application, as well as stakeholder engagement for CQUniversity’s global dual-sector alumni cohort. 

Cuddihy is a proud alumna of CQUniversity, University of Tasmania, and Charles Sturt University. Her master’s thesis examined skill sets and professional development preferences of Australian alumni relations managers, and she now leads the Community of Practice for alumni relations practitioners in Australia’s Regional University Network.

Eric De Haan joined Seoul Foreign School as Director of Alumni Relations in August 2020 after 13 years in the United States working as the inaugural Senior Director of International Alumni Relations and then Associate Vice President for International Development at Indiana University (IU). Prior to his tenure at IU, he held administrative roles at international schools in Europe for 14 years, including Director of Resident Life at Black Forest Academy in Germany, High School Principal at Riverside School in Prague, and Principal at Colegio ECAS in Madrid, Spain.

De Haan is a graduate of Taylor University and Indiana State University.

Paul Dennett has 25 years of experience in educational fundraising, spanning universities and schools in both the U.K. and Australia. Dennett is currently founding a new development office at Queenwood School in Sydney, Australia. He previously led advancement at Macquarie University and held senior roles at University College London and the British Library. As a consultant with More Partnership, he worked with a number of schools and universities, including supporting benchmarking between the colleges of University of Oxford. For several years, Dennett volunteered as an editorial board member of the CASE Support of Education Survey, Australia and New Zealand, a benchmarking study for universities in Australia and New Zealand. A former school governor, he is currently the President of Ryde Secondary College Parents & Citizens Association and a committee member of Educate Plus NSW/ACT Chapter.

Paul Donohue is the Talent Management and Coaching Consultant for Development at The Australian National University. Donohue has over three decades of experience working in various management and human resources roles, and is a qualified executive coach.

Dr. Jessica Elmore, a dynamic scholar-practitioner, and expert in educational advancement and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), is dedicated to transforming and elevating the landscape of philanthropic engagement through innovative DEIB strategies. With over a decade of experience, Dr. Elmore's work bridges the gap between cultural community engagement and educational advancement, ensuring that all voices and experiences are heard and valued.

Dr. Elmore joined CASE as the Senior Director of Cross-Cultural Learnings within the CASE OIC: Opportunities and Inclusion Centerᵀᴹ. In this role, she has been instrumental in developing CASE’s first online DEIB course, "The Journey Starts with You: DEIB in Advancement," and delivering bespoke training through CASE@Campus. Jessica is responsible for developing the training and content vision for upskilling, enhancing job performance, boosting organizational culture and contributing to the overall growth of an organization's outreach and engagement with their diverse alumni, donors and stakeholders.   

Previously, the California native relocated to the Midwest and served as the point person and leader for community relationship building and engagement programming for diverse domestic and international alumni and students for the Kansas State University Alumni Association. In Dr. Elmore’s progressive role, she cultivated over $600,000 from diverse donors and organizations; established a successful diverse volunteer leaders board pipeline, executed over 300 cultural-affiliated alumni and student events, garnering national recognition and professional organization industry awards; served as co-editor for the Association’s first diversity-devoted alumni magazine issue, and was a steadfast campus connector who accumulated an immense amount of social capital resulting in successful collaborations with various campus entities including but not limited to, international programs, athletics, and campus administration.

Jessica's expertise lies in creating award-winning external programming and cultivating relationships with domestic multicultural and international alumni and students. She is an interactive trainer and communicator with a proven track record of helping individuals grasp complex concepts through engaging and approachable methods. Her ability to create environments where people feel confident to navigate new spaces and contribute meaningfully sets her apart in the field of educational advancement. Jessica excels in breaking down intricate ideas into easily digestible insights, empowering participants to not only understand but also apply their knowledge in impactful ways.

Dr. Elmore holds a doctorate in educational leadership, a master’s degree in business administration from Kansas State University, and a mass communication degree from Grambling State University. Her diverse educational background equips her with a unique perspective on the interconnection and nuances of educational advancement.

Driven by a vision of inclusive excellence and social mobility, Dr. Elmore believes in the transformative power of education to create equitable opportunities for all. Her approach is rooted in empathy, collaboration, and a deep understanding of the diverse needs of alumni and donor communities.

Cecilia Fan is the Publisher and Managing Consultant of CHE EduConnect, an international education platform and service provider with a China/Asia focus. 

Prior to working in education, Fan worked for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Guangzhou, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission in Nanjing, and a leading U.S. consulting firm in Beijing. 

Fan also served as a member in the international committee of  Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, Australia, for three years. She has been the Executive Convener for Australia China Alumni Association (ACAA) for the last eight years.

Sirine Ghalayini is a skilled marketer and communicator with more than 10 years of professional experience in the philanthropy and the education sector in the Middle East and North Africa region. Currently, Ghalayini is a freelance consultant in fundraising and alumni engagement strategy for educational institutions and non-governmental organisations. Previously, Ghalayini worked at International College, a private school located in Lebanon with 35,000 alumni worldwide, and before that at American University of Beirut, a private university with more than 65,000 alumni worldwide. She is a storyteller, social media aficionado, and emerging technologies fan. She has a master’s degree in global media communication from SOAS University of London.

Ken Gideon is the Director (Alumni) at the University of Southern Queensland.  He has been working in higher education for more than 30 years, both in the USA and Australia.  He is the Co-Founder and Co-Chair of AUAPG (Australian Universities Alumni Professionals Group).  He has co-chaired both the APAC Alumni Relations and Road Map to Advancement tracks on multiple occasions and is a CASE Fellow.  He has given more than 20 presentations about Alumni Relations across the sector at many national and international conferences.  Previously, he was also the Alumni Manager at the Queensland University of Technology and he was the founding Alumni Manager at the University of Queensland School of Medicine.  He has been a CASE volunteer for more than a decade and is thrilled to be Co-Chair of the 2024 CASE APAC Conference.

The Hutchins School is a K-12 independent school in Hobart, Tasmania, and John Groom was approached in late 2017 to return to his alma mater in the capacity of Director of Advancement and Alumni Engagement. Groom has a professional services and corporate background and had previously served on the school council, and was well known throughout the school’s community, including as a member of The Hutchins Foundation.

Following an external review in 2019, the school’s foundation board recommended to its members that it be wound up. That recommendation was unanimously carried at a special meeting of members and The Hutchins Foundation formally ceased to exist in early 2020. Groom oversaw an extensive consultation process that led to this outcome.

While Groom is extremely dedicated to his work, he is also a husband, father to three busy children, an occasional golfer, and adventurous traveller.

Heather Hamilton oversees the Council for Advancement and Support of Education Asia-Pacific membership and the development of educational programmes for the region. Hamilton’s career spans 30 years in leadership roles, helping organisations in education and not-for-profit sectors drive cultural change, enhance their reputation, and pursue diversified funding. While working throughout Australia, Asia, and Canada, she developed expertise in stakeholder relations, fundraising, industry partnerships, volunteer management, marketing, and communications. Previously, Hamilton served as Director of External Relations at The University of Western Australia, Director of Advancement at The University of Queensland, and Executive Director of Community Relations at Brisbane Grammar School.

Hamilton also volunteers on the foundation of St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls in Perth, Australia. Previously, she served on the CASE Commission, and as host, track chair and speaker for APAC, as well as a judge for CASE Circle of Excellence Awards.

An international leader, Kalea Haran is passionate about progress in education that meets the needs of today's students. With a background in business, law, and education, Haran is committed to positive change, focusing on how student readiness and outcomes can be improved.

Haran started her career with the Harris Federation, which educates 16,000+ students throughout London from extremely challenging backgrounds, aiming to rapidly improve academic performance, personal development, and aspiration. As Assistant Principal at one of the U.K.'s highest-performing specialised academies, Haran was awarded Chartered London Teacher status in 2009 in recognition for her achievement in raising the standard of teaching and learning across London. 

In Singapore, Kalea spent eight years working for a global organisation, with 85 international schools. As Head of Secondary School at the Australian International School, Singapore, she was involved in the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the International Baccalaureate. Haran is now Principal of Penrhos College in Perth, Australia.

Haran is a passionate believer in providing students with opportunities to become well-equipped for their future and a strong advocate for innovation and change in education.

Dr. Ashley Hay is an award-winning novelist and essayist whose work has been praised for its "incandescent intelligence and a rare sensibility". Her prizes include the Foundation of Australian Literary Studies’ Colin Roderick Award, the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards - Peoples’ Choice, and the Bragg UNSW Press Prize for Science Writing. Her books – including The Railwayman’s Wife and A Hundred Small Lessons – have been published to critical acclaim and commercial success in Australia, the United States, the U.K., and in translation.

Dr. Hay has a diverse background spanning 30 years in writing, journalism, facilitation, and editing, and is the current editor of Australia’s leading literary journal, the quarterly Griffith Review. She lives in Brisbane.

Rebecca Hazell is a highly motivated advancement leader who is passionate about philanthropy, alumni and community engagement, with particular interest in building a philanthropic culture in higher education and connectivity with community.

Rebecca has held leadership roles at Western Sydney University and Queensland University of Technology. In 2010, Rebecca established a fundraising consultancy called Giving Capacity and shared her experience and knowledge with a broader range of non-profit and education-based organisations, including consulting on an award winning capital campaign.

Rebecca is currently the Director of Advancement at the University of Newcastle where she joined in 2013. Rebecca has led the establishment of an integrated University wide approach to advancement bringing together fundraising, alumni and community engagement programs into one office as well as further developing the strategy, culture and programs to enable a sustained, meaningful and next practice approach to engaging with alumni, community and donors across the globe.

Crickett Kasper joined CASE as Director of Schools in August 2023. Most recently Kasper served as the Chief Advancement Officer at Singapore American School (SAS) where she was responsible for leading a unified community engagement approach through the integration of parent relations, alumni relations, annual giving, and major giving. With more than 16 years of advancement experience, Kasper has hosted a variety of events to support school communities and non-profit organizations. Prior to joining SAS in July 2019, she led fundraising efforts at Shanghai American School as Director of Development and Alumni Relations for five years. Her background is in advancement in U.S. independent schools, universities, and non-profit radio.

Jocelyn Kelty set up Richmond Associates’ Australia office in 2010, when she returned home after working in the London office for two years. Since joining Richmond Associates, Kelty has worked with a wide variety of clients on both sides of the globe – from those at the pinnacle of the performing and visual arts sector in London, Sydney, and Melbourne, to others building significant fundraising teams for growing operations at King’s College London, The University of Melbourne, The Australian National University, The University of Queensland, and UNSW Sydney among many more. 

Kelty is also inspired by the challenge of helping smaller organisations establish fundraising and advancement operations in the health, broader non-profit, and independent schools sectors. She currently serves on the CASE Industry Advisory Council, enjoying the continued partnership between CASE and Richmond Associates.  

Tracey King is a development manager leading the rapidly expanding gifts in wills programme at Deakin University, one of Australia’s youngest and most progressive universities. With a diverse background in hospitality and small business ownership in the regional city of Bendigo, King pivoted careers to the charity sector in Melbourne eight years ago, with roles at World Vision Australia, Cancer Council Victoria, Wesley Mission, and Uniting. It was her experiences in these roles that led to her specialising in the gifts in wills space. 

Since starting at Deakin University in 2018, King has expanded the pipeline by almost 300% and built a five-year strategic plan which includes a gifts in wills digital acquisition campaign in 2021, a first for any university in Australia. 

In this past year, King also co-created a Gifts in Wills University Network to share best practices and knowledge amongst advancement peers. The group has quickly grown to include over 40 bequest specialists from across 30 universities throughout Australia and New Zealand. 

Mark Koenig is the Vice President, Technology and Chief Innovation Officer for Oregon State University (OSU) Foundation. In this role, he serves as the foundation’s technology strategist, including oversight of research, relationship management, information technology services, and customer relationship management operations. In addition to his roles with the OSU Foundation, Koenig is the past chair of Ellucian Advancement Executive Advisory Committee and the immediate past chair of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District VIII. In 2019, he received the Distinguished Service Award from CASE District VIII, recognising his many years of service to the organisation. Koenig earned his bachelor’s degree in history and economics from University of Houston and a master’s degree in adult education and organisational capacity from OSU.

Dr. Bervyn Lee joined Singapore Management University (SMU) in January 2013 as the Director of Office of Student Life. In June 2015, he moved on to the role of Associate Dean of Students before taking over as Director of Office of Alumni Relations (OAR) in 2018. An educator at heart and in the early years of his career, Dr. Lee believes in the importance of education, lifelong learning, and thus the role that an alumni office can play in one’s continued growth and development.

Valerie Lee is presently Deputy Director and Head of Development at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. She started off her development career at the central NUS development office (DVO) before taking on the post at the medical school.

Prior to her career in advancement, she was a journalist and sub-editor for most of her professional life. She worked primarily at Thomson Reuters, mostly as a financial journalist covering anything from day-to-day financial markets gyrations to takeovers, market meltdowns and oil crises, but also including the world of political and general reporting, which saw her traipsing into a refugee camp riot, waiting outside a prison for a hanging and following pop stars around.

She has found the qualities of resilience, and the ability to listen and synthesise the requests of other people, which she learnt as a journalist, invaluable in the work of fundraising.

Peta Magee is a demonstrated leader in advancement, with over 20 years of experience in secondary and tertiary education and medical philanthropy. Magee has a background in alumni and community relations with a particular emphasis on developing major and principal philanthropic supporter relationships. She is committed to high standards of stakeholder service and leadership and has a deep personal passion to hear, communicate, and facilitate life-changing stories of the power of education, community service, and advances in research.

Magee currently serves as the Executive Director, Development, Health and Medical Sciences at The University of Sydney, providing leadership, and strategic direction for major, planned, and principal gifts in support of the university’s Faculty of Medicine and Health. She also leads six multidisciplinary initiatives which encompass nanoscience, the environment and policy, as well as a campaign partner hospital and medical research institute.

Magee strives to elevate the advancement sector and believes strongly that organisational culture is the foundation of employee engagement, empowerment, and motivation, and that the advancement profession can provide a meaningful and purpose-driven career.

Daniel Martin is the Director of Foundation at St Aloysius’ College, a Catholic boys independent school based in Milsons Point, New South Wales in Australia. He serves on the college’s leadership team, and as Executive Officer for the St Aloysius’ College Foundation.

Daniel has over 20 years of experience working for leading health-related charities, universities, and schools, and previously held senior leadership positions at UNSW Sydney (medicine and science faculties) and The University of Sydney (medicine and nursing facilities) , where he contributed over six years towards the $1 billion INSPIRED philanthropic campaign. Daniel volunteers for a range of non-profit committees and associations.

Currently the Director of Marketing and Customer Experience at The University of Queensland, Jeremy Medina has over 25 years of experience using data to drive customer experience, operational excellence, and company revenues within travel, hospitality, retail, and gaming industries in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Medina has led large scale technology projects to transform businesses from "feeling organisations" to "knowing organisations" – giving knowledge, insight, and control back to businesses to exceed customer expectations.

Merrell Milano is the Director of Advancement Services at the University of Queensland (UQ). Prior to her time at UQ, Milano was Associate Vice President at BWF specialising in fundraising operations and systems and served client organisations worldwide. Milano’s experience spans business process development, change management, project management, and operations alignment with an institution’s unique needs and best practices.  

Aliaa Nader has been part of the advancement team at The American University in Cairo (AUC) since 1996 and is a seasoned professional with more than 23 years of experience in the areas of advancement services, fundraising, gifts processing, donor stewardship, research, and prospect management. She is a recipient of the Centennial Excellence Outstanding Award. Aliaa leads the operations of advancement services and sets the strategy for its various functions.

Nader’s expertise in fundraising utilises her financial background for non-profit educational organisations. She is proficient in interpreting Internal Revenue Service regulations and CASE guidelines.

Nader was a member of the search, conversion, and implementation committee on migrating to Salesforce Customer relationship management. During AUC’s Centennial Campaign, she was responsible for all the financial, analytical, and progress reporting of the campaign, building gifts pyramids, and preparing prospect data for decision-making.

Newly relocated to Hong Kong, Jane is currently leading Advancement for the Chinese International School, (CIS), as it envisages the future of the school in the current context as it approaches its 50th anniversary in 2033.  

Previously based in California, Jane was Senior Vice President for Graham Pelton Consulting, a leading global philanthropic consulting company, heading up the business development and consulting team on the West Coast.  

Jane equally provided strategic counsel to international schools in Paris and Barcelona, where she was Director of Development. Prior to that, Jane had experience working across different sectors, leading charitable organisations in Paraguay and Nicaragua as well as working with the Symphony Orchestra in Chicago.  

Fluent in Spanish and French, Jane has given talks on fundraising in various institutions in the U.S., France, Spain, and Latin America. She has served on the ECIS Development committee as well as the CASE Planning Committee and has spoken at numerous conferences in the U.S. and around Europe. Jane serves on multiple boards including the board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals based in San Francisco.  

Jane holds an MBA from the University of Wales.  

Ruth O'Hanlon is a philanthropy professional with over 20 years of experience in the education and international charity sectors. 

O'Hanlon discovered the joys and sorrows of fundraising through planned giving at The University of Queensland, Australia, where she headed the programme for eight years, raising over AU$67.72 million and adding over AU$50 million into the legacy pipeline.

Now in the U.K., O'Hanlon has led advancement at SOAS University of London and served as the Director of Development at Sevenoaks School in Kent. She is currently helping a new London-based think tank lay the groundwork for international major gift fundraising.

In much earlier days, O'Hanlon spent five years living in China and Central Asia, and is a lifelong student of Mandarin Chinese, Uighur, and Russian languages. 

John Phillips is Director of Advancement at Brighton Grammar School in Melbourne, Australia, with particular expertise in the area of business development pursuing mutually beneficial cross-sectoral partnerships. Phillips’ expertise also extends into community engagement and philanthropy, instigating and driving successful major fundraising campaigns and community engagement initiatives. Phillips’ school pioneered 24-hour giving days in Australia back in 2017 and the lessons learnt continue to ensure highly successful campaigns on every occasion.

As Director of University of Toronto Asia-Pacific Advancement Office (founded 1994), Michelle Poon is the university’s senior advancement professional in Asia. Her role includes fundraising and alumni relations across the Asia-Pacific region, in addition to managing activities of the University of Toronto (Hong Kong) Foundation. Before starting her career in advancement, Poon had extensive experience in comparative education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and environmental management from University of Toronto.

Lindsay Robinson is the Chief Development Officer at UNSW Sydney, leading the university’s strategic fundraising activities, including the continuation of its inaugural philanthropic campaign.  

Robinson joined UNSW Sydney in early 2021 following nearly two decades of fundraising experience, most recently as Director of Development (Major and Planned Gifts) at The University of Sydney. In that role, Robinson made a significant contribution to the success of the university’s flagship campaign, INSPIRED, supporting her team to raise more than $100 million annually. While at The University of Sydney, Robinson also championed fundraising in support of STEM and business, and led the planned giving programme which generated around $300 million for the INSPIRED campaign. She also helped to secure significant philanthropic support for the university’s Chau Chak Wing Museum, as well as funds to establish a Chair in Architectural Design. 

Robinson graduated from Royal Academy of Music in 2001 and has since worked in the U.K. and Australia across the higher education, arts, and not-for-profit sectors. This includes organisations such as Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in the U.K. 

William Roth began his role as the Executive Director for Major Gifts at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, where he leads a growing team of fundraisers in July 2021.

Originally from Pennsylvania, United States, Roth has been in advancement for more than two decades, primarily focussing on major and principal gifts. Initially, he served small liberal arts colleges, Haverford College, and Goucher College in the United States, and more international research universities including University of Pennsylvania, University of Oxford (as Development Fellow for University College Oxford), and University of Toronto. Before joining NTU, he was the Associate Dean at the School for Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.

Roth has a 16 year old daughter and he enjoys sport (watching and playing) and classic films.

Adam Ruble developed a passion for fundraising as an undergraduate and started working in higher education fundraising in the United States upon graduation. He moved to Australia to expand his understanding of the field at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), through the CASE Graduate Trainee Programme – Asia Pacific. At QUT, Ruble used this experience to inform the plan for QUT’s inaugural Giving Day.

Ruble now works in a major gift capacity at Illinois College, overseeing fundraising for the east coast of the United States. He is also co-chair for the development track of CASE District V Annual Conference.

Prof. Chris Rudd OBE is Deputy Vice Chancellor and Head of Singapore Campus for James Cook University. He also holds a wider brief, responsible for the internationalisation of James Cook University, Australia. Prior to his appointment in Singapore, Rudd was Pro-Vice-Chancellor of University of Nottingham and Provost of University of Nottingham Ningbo China. Rudd holds a personal chair in mechanical engineering and has research interests in composite materials and lightweight structures. He is a fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and board member of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Singapore.

Nada Sbaiti is the Director of Prospect Research at the American University of Beirut since January 2013. Sbaiti is responsible for leading and strategically managing the prospect research and management team. She works closely with the development staff on all aspects of prospect/donor research, the prospect/donor pipeline and prospect/donor portfolios. She ensures the quality and accuracy of AUB’s information on alumni, donors and friends, in support of fundraising, alumni relations, and communications.  

Sbaiti has been AUB's founding webmaster and more recently AUB's website services manager for the past 14 years. She has led redesigns of the website and worked closely with administrators, developers, content editors, and end users.  

Sbaiti is an LAU graduate in Business Computing. She is a certified Competent Communicator from Toastmasters International.

With a career spanning over 20 years, David Sloan is currently the Development Manager of Corporate Giving at Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

Sloan has previously held commercial and service development roles in non-profit organisations across the U.K. and Australia that enabled impactful multi-sector partnerships. New to QUT, his previous role was at The Smith Family where he was responsible for overseeing corporate giving and managing a national team of corporate fundraising professionals. 

Sloan has a depth of experience in strategy, business development, and people leadership, which fuels his desire to collaborate for social change. In 2021, he was part of the judging panel for the Workplace Giving Excellence Awards that recognise outstanding workplace giving programmes in Australia. 

Sloan holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in social science from Queen’s University Belfast, and is currently taking a master's degree in business (philanthropy and nonprofit studies) at QUT.

Ann Snyder is Senior Director, Communities Engagement at Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Prior to joining CASE, she was Director of External Affairs at Stuart Hall School in Virginia, United States. With more than a decade of experience in student and family marketing, school leadership, enrolment, fundraising, and external affairs, Snyder is a seasoned school leader and industry expert. 

In her role at CASE, Snyder serves as the industry insider, expert, and thought leader for schools globally. Professional facilitation and speaking engagements include serving as a key speaker and collaborator for the Canadian Association of Independent Schools, the National Association of Independent Schools (U.S.), the Association of American Schools in South America, and regional associations throughout the United States.

Deb Taft is CEO of Lindauer, a premier global executive search and talent firm. She was previously Senior Executive Vice President and Managing Director for Grenzebach Glier and Associates (GG+A) and for most of her career, held executive and chief fundraising roles in universities, schools, academic medical centers, and global charities. Taft’s expertise includes governance, leadership strategy, management, and talent. A respected speaker known for her inclusion, equity, and diversity work, Taft serves on the editorial board of Giving USA, the boards of The Giving Institute and Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, ex-officio on the CASE Board of Trustees, and recently led the Board of Directors for the Human Rights Campaign Foundation in Washington, D.C. She is a graduate of Harvard University with a master’s degree in business administration from Simmons University.

Bernard Toh first joined National University of Singapore (NUS) in April 2005 as its corporate communications director. After four years in that role, he was appointed to the Office of the President, leading strategic projects and communications (one of which included leading the development of Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum). He also served as Secretariat Director of the International Alliance of Research Universities from 2009 to 2013, building relationships and opportunities with 10 of the world’s leading research universities. In July 2016, Toh was appointed Director of Alumni Relations which he continues to this day, working with a dynamic team to build meaningful and lifelong relationships with its 330,000 alumni family.

Prior to joining the university, Toh spent 20 years in the Republic of Singapore Air Force attaining the rank of full colonel. He graduated from NUS with a bachelor’s degree in architectural studies in 1985 and obtained a master’s degree in business administration from Cranfield University, U.K. in 1998, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching from Lancaster University, U.K., in 2008.

Penny Tribe is an experienced major gift, corporate partnerships, and Trusts and Foundations fundraiser with a passion for changing lives through philanthropy, and has managed high-performing teams.

Following a career working in Australia and internationally across the music and arts world, Tribe was an integral part of transformational growth at The Fred Hollows Foundation for over 10 years. She then joined Western Sydney University as the Executive Director, Advancement, driving a team through some of the most challenging fundraising times. Tribe is about to embark on a new role as National Manager, Revenue, for the Heart Foundation – a role that brings together her skills in corporate partnership, community engagement, and major gift fundraising.

With over 15 years of advancement experience, Fabienne Vonarburg joined Curtin University in late 2018 to lead the fundraising and engagement efforts of the Faculty of Health Sciences. Since then, she has been instrumental in creating a culture of philanthropy, underpinned by strong relationship building principles. This has led to a five-fold increase in donations for research, scholarships, and student projects within the faculty. Prior to this, Vonarburg was the general manager of a hospital-based foundation in Western Australia, and worked for nearly a decade in development and alumni relations at The University of Western Australia. With a background in health administration in Australia and community development in Switzerland, she has the skills and experience to make fundraising an enjoyable yet humbling experience.

Chris Walker has worked in the advancement and community relations department at Brisbane Grammar School for seven years. He has managed communications for the school through a Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and more recently, in response to COVID-19. Walker also manages marketing for the school. He is a graduate of The University of Queensland, where he completed a bachelor’s degree in journalism and bachelor’s degree in arts, majoring in media studies. He also completed journalism studies at City University in London. Walker worked as a journalist for almost six years in Sydney and Brisbane with his work appearing in major Australian publications. His work as a freelance journalist and photographer has been featured in several travel magazines.

Ann Wardwell currently serves as Chief Advancement Officer at Hong Kong International School (HKIS) in Hong Kong, where leads a team of nine, responsible for fundraising, alumni relations, marketing, and communications. Prior to joining HKIS, Wardwell served as Director of Advancement at Fay School in Southborough, Massachusetts, Director of Advancement at The Governor’s Academy in Byfield, Massachusetts, and Director of Development at Choate Rosemary Hall. Wardwell began her fundraising career in healthcare at Boston Children's Hospital. Earlier in her career, Wardwell held various management positions at Boston Convention and Visitors' Bureau, American Express, and Marriott Corporation. 

Denise Wong’s development experience spans some 30 years and she served her last position at National University of Singapore (NUS) as Deputy Director of Principal Gifts and Legacy Giving, until her retirement in January 2022. Before that, Wong was Deputy Director of the stewardship team at NUS Development Office. Wong was actively involved with several transformational gifts including one that led to the successful establishment of a new School of Public Health at the university, as well as the establishment of a child development and learning institute at NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

Wong has worked on several major campaigns for NUS, the latest of which raised up to S$1.3 billion. During this time, Wong has worked with various campaign chairpersons in strategic planning, fund raising, stewardship, and communications. She is proud to be part of the evolution of the NUS Development Office from a small shop to its current comprehensive office with a staff strength of 70.