Our Board and Staff

As Chair of the Board, Mr James Hunter’s expertise in leadership and education stems from his extensive background in the private sector, education and defence. After serving as an officer in the Royal Australian Navy, Mr Hunter’s focus shifted to education; working as a teacher and Housemaster at Shore School, while completing an MBA and subsequently working at a range of major companies including Boral, Origin, Capgemini and most recently KPMG. At KPMG, Mr Hunter led the national consulting practice, and between 2013 to 2020 was a national managing partner with responsibilities nationally, as well as regionally and globally.

Mr Hunter is a GAICD, a board member of Association of Independent Schools (AIS NSW/ACT), and chairs the Management Council of ChairConnect, AIS which supports chairs of almost 1,500 independent schools nationally.

He is married to Katrina and they have three children; Charlie, Harry and Lexie, who graduated from Pymble Ladies’ College in 2015.

A parent of two Pymble graduates, Mrs Melinda Graham is Deputy Chair of the Board and Chair of the Pymble Ladies’ College Foundation. She is a partner at corporate law firm Thomson Geer and has been admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales and Queensland. She has been recommended by her colleagues for inclusion in Doyle’s Guide and Best Lawyers Australia and was recognised by The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific (2017 to 2019). She is a member of the Property Council of Australia, Corenet Global, and associate member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Australasia).

Eve Clark is an Executive Director, Real Estate Asset Management for Goldman Sachs. Prior to that, she was a Senior Development Manager for AMP Capital for significant real estate developments with national oversight in design direction to ensure design excellence and commercial performance. Eve sits on the Property Council of Australia’s national Development Academy Committee and has held numerous committee positions for the Property Council of Australia and the British Council for Offices in the UK. Prior to her career in property development, Eve was a registered Architect working on globally significant projects at firms in both Australia and in London. Eve holds a Bachelor of Architecture (1st Class Honors) and a Bachelor of Science (Arch), both from the University of Sydney. Eve is an ex-student of Pymble (1997) and is a mother to two children.

Mr Chris Fydler is Chief Executive Officer of technology solutions provider Tambla, having previously headed the Microsoft Gold-partnered Oriel Technologies. A former competitive swimmer, Mr Fydler represented Australia at three consecutive Olympic Games, three World Championships and three Commonwealth Games. For his efforts he was awarded Medal of the Order of Australia in 2001 and was Deputy Chef de Mission for the Australian Olympic Team in the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics. Mr Fydler is Swimming New South Wales President, board member of the NSW Institute of Sport, and is Patron of Swimming Metro North East. Mr Fydler has two daughters, who are both Pymble girls.

Lee Goddard was appointed as a Director on the Pymble board in October 2023 and serves on the Asset Management Committee.

Lee is an Executive Leader who continues to serve as a Royal Australian Navy active reserve officer (rank Rear Admiral) following 34 years full time service until January 2021. He recently completed the Chief of Defence Force Inclusive Leadership Review.

He is married to Alexandra who is a Pymble graduate, and they have three children: Dom, Asha and Mathilde, with both his daughters currently at Pymble Ladies’ College.

Lee is the Executive Director of the Australian Missile Corporation, as well as a Non-Executive Director of AUSTAL and the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation, an Advisor to the Minderoo Foundation and OCIUS Technologies, and the Chairman (Race Director) of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

Prior to assuming his current industry roles, he was dual appointed as Commander, Maritime Border Command and Operation Sovereign Borders, responsible for the law enforcement and operational oversight of Australia’s maritime economic and security zones; covering more than 10% of the earths’ surface across the Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans, Antarctic Territory and Australia’s northern maritime approaches. This was preceded by a two-year secondment into the Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet.

On promotion to Commodore in late 2014, Lee assumed the role of Commander Surface Fleet, commanding 18 major warships and over 3,500 personnel. He has Commanded warships and joint-agency Taskforce’s at every senior Navy rank from Commander to Rear Admiral.

He has numerous post graduate qualifications and has contributed to a range of professional and academic journals focused on leadership, national security and international affairs.

Rev Dr Chris Goringe is the Minister at Roseville Uniting Church. Having obtained his doctorate in Quantum Chemistry from Oxford University he worked as part of the UK Supercomputing Grand Challenge Project from where he moved to a research position at the University of Sydney. He left academia to work for ten years in the IT industry, specialising in telecommunications IT strategy before returning to university to study Theology. He was ordained in the Uniting Church in 2011.

Dr Kate Highfield has been on the Pymble board since 2018. She is a researcher and academic, recognised as a leader in research translation. Dr Highfield’s PhD explored robotics in the early years, examining opportunities for problem-solving. Her current research explores effective technology use in teacher education, adult learning and documentation of learning. She has extensive work in ‘healthy’ technology use and in how smart devices impact engagement, learning and teaching in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM).

Ms Koo is a Founding Partner and Head of People and Culture at Barrenjoey Capital Partners. She has extensive experience in the areas of people and culture, strategy and finance, having worked at global firms such as Barclays Bank, Morgan Stanley, The Boston Consulting Group and Macquarie Bank. She has an MBA from the AGSM, where she was an AGSM and Chief Executive Women’s Scholar, and was awarded an exchange to The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, USA. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Economics from the University of Sydney.

Ms Koo is an ex-student of Pymble (1991) and was the President of Pymble’s Ex-Student Union for 3 years. She worked in Hong Kong for 11 years and speaks conversational Cantonese Chinese. She has a daughter (Pymble, 2022) and son, both studying at university.

Suzy is a global technology executive who has led digital organisations from Silicon Valley, Asia and now Tel Aviv. She is currently the Vice President of the Japan Asia-Pacific region for Yotpo, having previously served as Twitter Australia’s Managing Director for 5 years. A California native, Suzy was a foundational member of Google’s early sales operations in Australia in 2008 and led Google Australia’s education line of business shortly thereafter. She is a member of Chief Executive Women, and resides in Sydney with her husband and 3 young daughters.

Dr Roughley is a commercial and public law barrister. She received her LLM from the University of Cambridge as a Gates Scholar funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, her PhD from the Australian National University, and her BA and LLB from the University of Sydney, graduating with the University Medal in Law, the University Medal in English, and the University’s Convocation Medal. Dr Roughley is an ex-student of Pymble.

Mrs Kristen Wydell has been on the Pymble board since 2018 and is the Chair of the Audit, Risk and Finance Committee. She is also the General Manager Professional Standards at chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand. Mrs Wydell previously held senior roles at Deloitte and Ernst & Young and has provided advice to the Australian Government’s Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, until her retirement from the role in December 2013.

I was blessed to grow up on a property between Goondiwindi and St George in rural Queensland where I learned so many important life skills that have remained with me to this day and assist me in my role of Principal of Pymble Ladies’ College.

My first job after leaving university was teaching a combined kindergarten to year three class, and since then I have held various teaching and leadership roles from kindergarten to year 12, including boarding, at schools in most states across the nation.

I have also worked as a Senior Research Fellow at the Child Health Promotion Research Centre and Senior Lecturer at Edith Cowan University where I remain an Adjunct Research Fellow.

I truly love being part of the development of a young person’s life and supporting their journey, knowing that, in some small way, you have helped mould who they will become.

At Pymble, we encourage and teach our girls ways to look after their health and wellbeing. If you want students – and staff – to show up as their best selves each day, you need to practise that same self-care.

For me, that involves spending quality time with my beautiful family, which includes my parents and two sisters, my husband Matt, our five children, their partners and our two dogs. I also try to run five kilometres each day, partake in Pilates and exercises classes and consume a mental diet of inspiring books and podcasts.

Our College values of care, courage, integrity, respect and responsibility are embedded in our community, and I see firsthand our staff, students and families demonstrating them in action each and every day, even when no one is looking.

Pymble creates a safe, challenging and empowering environment for girls to have a go, try new subjects and sports, assume leadership roles and find their voices. It is incredibly rewarding to watch our students discover strengths and skills they didn’t know they possessed and develop a growing awareness that they can do anything they put their minds to.

We want our students to be courageous deep thinkers and adept users of technology, and we want them to celebrate diversity in all its forms and to be caring and respectful. We believe these attributes will equip Pymble girls to change the world in a positive and meaningful way.

I am so proud to be the leader of such a special team. Our staff members are hard-working, talented, can share a good laugh and are deeply caring. I love the way they care for our students and each other, and I learn from them every day.

For someone who is thinking of joining Pymble, what are you waiting for? Come exactly as you are and meet our family. Each member brings a different skillset and story, and we can’t wait to hear yours.

After spending my younger years in Lebanon and France, my family and I migrated to Sydney in 1988. My mother and maternal aunts are all teachers, and growing up I was, and still am, inspired by the great work that they do with and for young people.

Outside of Pymble, you will either find me walking, doing Pilates or spending time with my beautiful nieces and nephew, however I’m a firm believer in creating a harmony between work and family life and keeping both sides aware and informed about the demands on my time.

As Deputy Principal, I’m truly privileged to work in a role with such a great level of responsibility alongside a team of like-minded, dedicated colleagues who all play their part in delivering the highest quality education and guidance to every one of our 2,000+ students.

It’s so rewarding coming to work each day and having the opportunity to help empower our young women to feel confident to face challenges and solve them with agility. The joy of watching our students celebrate their achievements and watching them grow into caring, compassionate citizens is second to none.

Pymble is a school that gives staff and students alike a space in which they can thrive and grow. The College declaration ‘Watch Us Change the World’ encourages students to be bold, courageous and explore their passion, whatever that may be, and the suite of learning offerings at Pymble both in and out of the classroom play a big role in facilitating that.

For aspiring teachers and staff members: if you want to grow professionally, be a valued member of a community, work in a caring and exciting environment and help guide a cohort of intelligent, curious young women who are thirsty for a holistic education, Pymble is most certainly the place for you.

I grew up in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney and have always loved spending time outdoors kayaking and running. Throughout my career I have had the privilege to teach across several subject areas and have professional experience in the IT sector, which probably explains my passion for information technology and data science.   

My colleagues would describe me as calm, adventurous and dependable; traits that I find are quite helpful in my role as Deputy Principal helping lead over 2,000 energetic, talented young ladies.

As the leader responsible for all aspects of Pymble’s academic curriculum, I spend time working with teachers across all subject areas to ensure we are delivering an exceptional education experience for our girls. 

The greatest joy in my role comes from helping teachers make a difference, lighting their fire in taking on new challenges and providing coaching for professional growth. What I love most about working with my Pymble colleagues is the passion and expertise that we all share. It is a pleasure to work with such an incredible group of educators. 

Pymble is a big school and its size and scale provide many opportunities. For our staff, it provides an incredible amount of career opportunities (both roles and professional learning).  For students, they have the world at their feet. From academic subjects through to co-curricular, everything they could ever imagine, plus more, is available to them. 

The advice I would give to someone thinking of joining Pymble is do not hesitate; jump in and become part of the family. You will be challenged, you will grow and you will be surrounded by like-minded professionals who are committed to excellence. 

I grew up in the south of England and spent a lot of my younger years moving around the country due to my father’s job. I started my career as a family and criminal lawyer and continued in this profession after moving to Sydney in 1999.

It was not until my eldest daughter commenced kindergarten that I decided to retrain to become a teacher, much to the delight of my family who joked that I ‘saw the light’ as I come from a long line of educators. In fact, I’m the fourth generation of Heads of Junior School on my mother’s side of the family!

I chose teaching as I was seeking more joy in my everyday life and wanted a career that would give me more opportunities to be creative and a greater sense of optimism – things I’ve certainly found here at Pymble.

The greatest joy in my role no doubt comes from the girls. I am constantly inspired by their curiosity and their passion for learning, their joy of connecting with one another and their hope and desire to have a positive impact on the world. The future is in very safe hands with these amazing young women.

Pymble is a dynamic community where you can dream big knowing that you will be supported in pursuing those dreams. Girls and staff alike are empowered to celebrate themselves, to explore and develop personal strengths and then use those strengths to change the world for the better.

After spending my younger years in a small town named Abergavenny in South Wales, I crossed the border into England to attend university where I studied to become a qualified chartered accountant. I secured a job at Ernst & Young straight out of university and worked there for five years before an opportunity arose within the company to relocate to Sydney in 1983.

The blue, sunny skies and the world-famous beaches were too hard to resist, so I jumped at the opportunity and made the move. It turned out to be a worthwhile decision as I continued working at Ernst & Young for almost 39 years before joining Pymble as Chief Financial Officer in 2018.

My time at Pymble has no doubt featured some of the best years of my professional career. Our girls are absolutely extraordinary and it’s a pleasure to work alongside my fellow colleagues who are 100 per cent committed to the development and success of not only the students but the College itself.

The depth and breadth of opportunities provided to both students and staff at Pymble are second to none, with equally outstanding support systems in place to help us seize these opportunities and achieve more than we could have ever imagined.

I was given this advice on my first day at the College and it’s the same advice I would give to anyone thinking about joining Pymble, whether that be as a student or staff member: grab the opportunity with both hands and the possibilities are endless.

I am originally from Central Queensland and more recently have lived in Bathurst in regional New South Wales and in Darwin in the Northern Territory. I have spent the past 30 years working in universities, where I started my career as an executive assistant, and after many years in different and ever more senior roles I ultimately had the privilege of being appointed as a deputy vice-chancellor and vice president responsible for a range of services which supported the corporate functions of the university and the student journey.   

In my role as Chief Operating Officer, I am responsible for professional services at the College, and I am very fortunate to manage great teams in Community Engagement and Advancement, Facilities Management, College Services, Master Planning, Project Management and Risk and Compliance. Our team is highly skilled, solutions-focussed and committed to providing an excellent service to our staff, students and the community.

Many people ask me about the differences between working at a university and a school like Pymble. Whilst the obvious answer is that our students are children, where at a university they are mostly adults, there are undoubtedly more similarities than differences. Pymble has excellent learning and teaching classrooms and facilities, state-of-the-art technology, amazing specialist co-curricular and sports spaces and beautiful, serene grounds.  

As a mum to two young women, there is nothing more important to me than the education of girls and for them to know their power and ability to do anything they dream of in life. I am a staunch advocate for gender equity and inclusion, and I love working at a school like Pymble that is committed to educating girls and young women and empowering them to change the world.

Pymble is a beautiful place to work. Not only does it look beautiful in terms of its grounds and facilities, but it is the people who make it beautiful. They are caring, friendly, welcoming and committed, which makes for a fabulous workplace.

I was born in Melbourne and grew up both there and in Sydney, however I have Swiss/German and Irish/English roots from several generations back. My career began as a secondary teacher in the Catholic system, but after a few years I moved into learning and development in corporate and professional services.

As Chief People and Culture Officer at Pymble, my role is about partnering with the leadership group to help nurture an authentic and caring workplace culture for all our staff. I also assist in finding great new employees and coming up with ways to help staff members flourish throughout their careers and embrace ways to maintain their health and wellbeing.

The staff at Pymble are amazingly passionate, energetic, innovative, humble and caring education professionals. It’s an absolute pleasure to work with such a highly collaborative and fun group of people who are always striving to deliver their best to our girls.

While my role is centred around staff, I am also a feminist and believe strongly in girls’ education, actively supporting gender equity and providing young women every opportunity to flourish and reach their potential as individuals, both in the community and globally.

Pymble is big, beautiful, caring and a truly amazing place to work and learn. Our size and scale mean we have significant career opportunities, resources and variety in the work we do, and is a place where you can help change the world for our women of the future.

I grew up in Sydney and became a teacher at the age of 22 after graduating from university. After nine years of teaching, I founded a company that just so happened to work closely with schools, before selling it after 15 years and once again becoming a teacher.

Outside of the classroom – a place I’ve worked in or been closely involved with since I was four – I enjoy relaxing, listening to podcasts and spending time with my beautiful family. I’m not the greatest at exercising but I have a constant stream of energy, which must burn a few calories, right?

My role as Director of Innovative Learning Technologies involves developing, overseeing and maintaining all the technology at Pymble Ladies’ College. It’s a given that, at times, technology will let us down, but our staff are gracious and appreciative of the work my team does, both in the good times and the bad.

Pymble is an amazing place to learn and grow for students and staff alike. There are no barriers for our young women, no cultural limitations of what is possible and the support you receive for who you are and want to become is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. A great example of this is that we boast the largest all-female robotics team in the world.

At Pymble, there is a place and opportunity for everyone, no matter your interests. Students and staff work together to create and scale excellence, and we have the resources to make dreams come true.

While my family has Scottish heritage, I was born and have lived in Sydney my entire life. My first career was as a social educator for adults with intellectual disabilities; a role within a very important group where I learned an incredible amount that has stuck with me to this day.

After a few years working in disability services, I decided to become a high school English and History teacher due to my desire to work with young people, and because my own teachers had inspired me so significantly when I was in school.

My role as Director of Research and Development at Pymble is centred around leading professional learning and research, so my main duty is creating amazingly inspiring and thought-provoking opportunities for my experienced, committed and motivated colleagues.

Working in education – especially at Pymble – means you are very close to touching the future. This is an important time in history and girls and young women are shaping it in ways that will lead the world in a new direction.

With a couple of thousand inspirational girls and young women and over 500 devoted staff members, at Pymble, no project or idea is too quirky, too big or too complex to explore. The number of people within the College brings incredible diversity and creates the chance to make a lot of fantastic friends.

My dad was born in Australia and my mum grew up in England and Northern Ireland, however I grew up in Sydney’s western suburbs. I always wanted to be a teacher from my earliest school days, and when I reached high school and started learning languages, I knew it was the job for me.

Alongside my passion for teaching, I love taking walks along the coast, reading books and cooking meals for family and friends. I also enjoy walking my dog, playing tennis and listening to music. You could say I live and breathe the simple life.

I have been in my current position of Director of Staff at Pymble for two years, however most of my time spent at the College has been as Director of Studies, a role which I held for almost 16 years.

Pymble Ladies’ College is an incredible place to work. My role involves a lot of interaction with staff from every department and corner of the school, and it’s so wonderful to see the depth of knowledge, professionalism and desire to make a difference to the students’ lives shown by every single one of my colleagues.

Pymble girls are so talented, intelligent and aspirational, each in their own ways, and it’s fantastic how eager they are to seize the incredible opportunities afforded to them at this great school.

One of the best things about the College is that students and staff are able, and encouraged, to make a difference, no matter how small. You will work hard, but the rewards and self-satisfaction will always be a testament of your efforts.

Growing up in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, I have fond memories of spending time at the beach, listening to music and playing as many sports as humanly possible.

My professional career began as a Geography and Business Studies teacher working in several independent boys’ schools for more than 15 years before my passion for sport lured me in a new direction. I moved from Assistant Deputy Headmaster at Waverley College to Education Manager at Rugby Australia. From there, I was fortunate to work for iconic state sporting associations Athletics NSW and Surf Life Saving Australia as CEO and General Manager, respectively.

In 2020, I returned to my schooling roots when I was appointed Director of Sport at Pymble. This role allowed me to combine my passion for sport with my experience in education, which has been incredibly rewarding on many levels. Now as Executive Director of Co-curricular, I am responsible for leading the broad spectrum of co-curricular programs for students within Performing Arts, Sports and Extended Learning.

What makes Pymble special is the breadth and diversity of opportunities on offer for both students and staff. We understand that everyone has different needs, abilities and aspirations, and we strive to cater for every individual. As for the workplace environment, Pymble is big and vibrant with staff who are talented, dedicated and, above all, caring. It’s a great place to work and an honour to be part of such a dynamic, successful team.