Our People
Our Directors
We are proud to introduce you to our directors
Vanessa
Co-DirectorStarting off by completing a Bachelor of Music, majoring in Music Therapy...
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Mark Richards
Co-DirectorTwenty years ago, I never thought I would end up living in Australia...
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Vanessa
Co-Director
Starting off by completing a Bachelor of Music, majoring in Music Therapy, I am not your typical Education Consultant. I am creative, and despite this, I fell into the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector!
Within the sector, I discovered a love for working with people and organisations. Throughout the last 15 years working in this sector, I have had the opportunity to work with some of the most inspiring and wonderful people and build up my own knowledge and skills to become an expert in this area. I have also had the opportunity to work for and with various organisations that made poor business decisions and whose values did not align with my own. This is where I have learnt the most, from seeing people and organisations make poor decisions, leading to poor compliance and student outcomes.
Throughout the last 15 years working in this sector I have managed to teach and train across the world, partner with various organisations of varying size and write nationally accredited curriculum. Being compliance-focused, I have successfully supported organisations with
- Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) applications to become a Registered Training Organisation (RTO)
- Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA) to become a Higher Education Provider.
- Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) applications to become CRICOS registered
Regardless of your business size, goal size or industry, we believe we can help you through our flexible and personalised approach. Download my professional profile HERE for more information on my skills, knowledge and experience.
Our Collaborators
With every great business there is a great team and this is ours!
Steffi Cook
Specialist ConsultantEducational Research
As an experienced social science researcher...
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Anna Madariaga
Academic Support CoordinatorI am a motivated and meticulous documentation expert...
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Keish David
Academic Support CoordinatorI provide majority of support in various aspects of business including but not limited to systems handling, website updates, data administration and finance.
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Mark Richards
Co-Director
Twenty years ago, I never thought I would end up living in Australia, married to an Aussie, have an energetic 3-year-old son and working in senior management in education. In fact, almost twenty years ago I had just completed my Masters in Astrophysics and Cosmology, with dreams of being an astronaut, living in the United Kingdom in a shared flat with my schoolmates, and working as a physicist at a large bank.
Twenty years on, two masters and a graduate diploma later, a wealth of experience as a Registered Teacher (working in a range of schools), RTO leader and in Senior Leadership and Board positions exclusive schools, I have been able to cement my values of integrity, adaptability, and passion. These are at the core core of everything that I do.
Personally, I believe an investment in knowledge pays the best interest and it is a privilege to be involved in shaping minds, characters. I flourish when working with leaders who are courageous, honest and enjoy creating workplace environments that are innovative and will drive education forward. I have a passion to develop and empower staff to achieve their goals and to improve themselves to progress their careers. This, in collaboration with a student-centred focus, enables me to inspire others to grow professionally and embrace change. I am always looking for ways to improve, driving innovation forward and adapting to different roles and challenges.
You never truly understand the impact you make as a teacher until much later, the fostering of relationships and understanding the motivations, values and needs of young adults takes time and effort. It takes giving a part of yourself and can be both mentally exhausting as well as incredibly rewarding.
Sometimes you don’t even know the influence you can have, one experience I had with a student in a tutor group constantly reminds me that education is a people’s profession. One of my tutees came up to me on my final day, she was one of those quiet and withdrawn types that sat at the edges of the commotion and humdrum of the class and watches. I had always tried to include her, drawing her in by finding out what her interests were, what she strives to achieve. I didn’t think I was successful, but I preserved anyway, never wanting someone to feel left out. On that final day, as I was packing up, she stayed behind, a few supporters lingering in the doorway.
“Sir,” she said, “you were there to catch me, and you didn’t even know I was falling. Thank you.”
This has shaped my views on what we do, we do not know the impacts, both positive and negative, we are making every day by our actions, words, and inactions. We must make sure all of them are professional and have the best interests of others at their heart, regardless.
Steffi Cook
Specialist Consultant – Educational Research
As an experienced social science researcher, I have spent the last 10-years working in research for government and universities. Since completing my Bachelor of Psychological Sciences from The University of Queensland, I have furthered my studies and enjoy constantly learning. Currently, I am completing my Masters in Data Science from James Cook University.
My career in research has led me down the path of using mixed methods designs in the areas of education and public policy as well as in health and evaluation. To date, I have conducted over one-hundred interviews in the course of my work, gaining expertise and insights in interviewing techniques for the purpose of data collection. Through this, coupled with my psychology degree I have had the privilege of gaining deep insights into how people work, how organisations work and how people learn.
Currently, I am teaching short courses in research design and qualitative methods, which are used throughout educational research. A career milestone was contributing to the large scale collection and analysis of participant interview data including with participants in vulnerable circumstances and children as to how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their learning. Education is one of the most powerful ways to influence someone’s life course, and I am passionate about creating equitable opportunities for students.
As a quantitative data analysis specialist, my everyday work involves coding using a variety of statistical packages and data visualisation and translation. My goals through working with Infinite Education and Training are to apply my knowledge of data and research design to improve student outcomes!
My extensive experience in managing projects has come in handy over the last few years. I’ve been able to apply these professional skills to my everyday life, including visiting family in New Zealand during a pandemic!
Micah Salian
Administration and Student Support
I am a qualified English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher, with a passion for education. Currently studying my Bachelor of Secondary Education, majoring in Mathematics, I have a passion for education and enjoy the supportive environment of Infinite Education and Training. In my spare time, I enjoy playing musical instruments, writing songs and poems, and volunteering at a children’s feeding program.
Anna Madariaga
Project Management
I am a motivated and meticulous documentation expert, with a strong understanding of documentation security principles. My Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Secondary Education, majoring in English and ISO audit experience has led me to work with various Registered Training Organisations within Australia, as well as those delivering qualifications internationally. Experienced in writing, editing and quality assurance, coupled with my passion for education I enjoy all aspects of project management, including the development of quality policies, procedures, processes, and manuals.
Having worked with Vanessa at a previous RTO, I know the Infinite Education and Training values align with my own. At Infinite Education and Training, I apply my knowledge, skills and experience to support the directors and their clients in all aspects of project management and compliance.
I am a mum, a wife and have a love of coffee! I enjoy running our family coffee export business from the Philippines and enjoy spending time with my children and husband.