Executive Management Group
Scott Robertson
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Scott Robertson is a seasoned leader with two decades of experience managing international education institutions. As Managing Director of Universal Learning Group, incorporating Universal Higher Education and Universal English, Scott combines strategic vision with operational expertise, honed through years of hands-on leadership in both the Canadian and Australian education sectors, with extensive experience overseeing campus operations. Before transitioning into education, Scott had a successful career in hospitality and hotel management. His journey began in Switzerland, where he studied hotel management, laying the foundation for his focus on customer service and operational excellence. This background has seamlessly translated into his work in education management, where he creates student-centred environments that ensure students receive a quality education in a supportive and enriching campus life. Scott has built a reputation for fostering strong learning communities, enhancing student satisfaction, and driving institutional growth. His customer-centric approach has been crucial in aligning educational offerings with student needs, consistently delivering outstanding outcomes.
Dr. Grace Yan
DIRECTOR OF GOVERNANCE & QUALITY ASSURANCE
Dr. Grace Yan is a highly experienced education specialist with over 15 years of leadership in governance, compliance, and institutional quality assurance in the Australian education sector. Her career spans higher education, VET, and ELICOS, giving her a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory frameworks that govern the sector, including the ESOS Act, National Code, HESF, ELICOS Standards, RTO Standards, and NEAS Quality Assurance Framework. Before relocating to Australia, Grace spent 16 years in academia in China, focusing on teaching, course development, and research in cultural studies, bilingual education, and applied linguistics. She holds a PhD from Griffith University, and her academic background informs her strong grounding in pedagogy, student learning, and evidence-based practice. Since completing her PhD in 2011, Grace has held a range of senior leadership roles across Australian higher education and ELICOS providers, including Dean, COO, Governance and Compliance Manager, CEO, Academic Director, and Admissions and Academic Services Manager. She has deep expertise in governance and risk management and has successfully led major institutional projects such as TEQSA re-registration, course accreditation and re-accreditation, CRICOS and ELICOS regulatory submissions, VET audit compliance, and the development of organisation-wide frameworks for quality assurance and risk mitigation. Grace’s in-depth regulatory knowledge, combined with her operational leadership across HE, VET and ELICOS, enables her to expertly navigate complex compliance landscapes, strengthen governance, and drive sustainable institutional performance and excellence.
Jane Wheen
Academic Manager
Jane has five years of senior Academic Management and Academic Co-ordination experience, supported by a further decade of English language teaching in Australia and overseas. Jane’s teaching career began in 2011, with roles in Indonesia, Japan and Germany. In the subsequent decade, she taught hundreds of students from South America, South-East Asia, the sub-continent, East Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. She feels that having taught students with such diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds has been a great privilege. She joined Universal English's teaching team in 2016, and delivered Cambridge FCE and CAE, EAP/IELTS exam preparation and the full General English suite before transitioning into academic leadership. Jane holds a Master of Applied Linguistics (TESOL), a Bachelor of Arts (Political Science & History), and a Pass A in the Certificate in English Language Teaching to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA). Her academic foundation, combined with extensive experience working across multiple cultural contexts, shapes her highly student-centred approach to curriculum, pedagogy and teacher development. Under her leadership, Universal English continues to record exceptional outcomes in student satisfaction, retention and progression. Students consistently describe feeling supported, challenged and motivated, and frequently attribute their academic success to the learning environment and pastoral support fostered by Jane and her team. Her greatest professional motivation comes from two places: being a part of teachers’ growth in confidence and expertise through collaborative development, and seeing students meet their goals while using a shared language to build genuine connections that transcend cultural boundaries.