Universal English Committee
Scott Robertson
MANAGING DIRECTOR (CHAIR)
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. John C Wood
DIRECTOR
Dr. John Wood has served on an extensive range of Boards. Currently John is the Chair of UTS Insearch Global and a non-executive director of Universal Higher Education, Kings University College, Malaysia and the Australian Data and Cyber Institute. He has been a board member of a diverse range of organisations including , HBF, Australia’s fourth largest health insurance and general insurance, Nuffield College, Oxford and numerous Navitas college boards. Currently he is the Head of Business Development for Oxford International Education Group (Part time) and Managing Director of Leviathan International. The former CEO of Navitas University Partnerships, John has an intimate knowledge of Universities, international education, global private providers and regulatory and operating environments. At Navitas John oversaw the growth of private- public partnerships for pathway colleges and managed campuses in 10 countries. John’s career has spanned academia, government and the private sector. John graduated with first class honors in Economics from the University of Western Australia and Oxford where he also taught economics. Prior to his 11 years with Navitas, John was Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Edith Cowan, Foundation Professor and Dean of the College of Business at the University of Notre Dame, where he was also the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic). John has also occupied Government positions including as Speechwriter to Prime Minister Hawke. He held senior Government positions and served Ministers from all major political parties and was appointed by the Ministerial Council to serve on the Australian Qualifications Framework Council. His private sector positions included a period as Chief Economist with Ernst & Young. He has consulted for the World Bank, to various Governments and to small and large private organisations. John has an international reputation as an author writing 2 books and editing 115 volumes in the Croom Helm/Routledge Series on great economists and is joint editor of the 30 volume Critical Evaluations of Management Thinkers series. He is a life member of the Oxford Business Alumni. John is also the co- founder with his wife, Caroline, of the Centre for Stories as an inclusive literary and cultural organisation which uses storytelling to inspire social cohesion and improve understanding of diverse communities.
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.
Catherine Parle
ELICOS TEACHER
Prior to becoming an ELICOS teacher, Catherine worked as an actor and for many years as an administrator/tour manager for various Performance-In-Education companies. Originally from Sydney, Catherine studied CELTA at International House, Sydney, graduating at the end of 2019. Unfortunately, due to COVID lockdowns she was unable to pursue teaching opportunities until she moved to Melbourne in 2022 and began working at Universal English, now Oxford English in July of that year. Communication has been an important aspect of all her jobs, so helping international students communicate in a new and challenging language is a positive and rewarding focus for her. Catherine enjoys discovering Melbourne and its surrounds but still can’t wrap her head around the weather!
Goda Starolyte
STUDENT SERVICES & DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT
Goda Starolyte has over five years of experience in the education sector, specialising in Student Services and Digital Engagement. At Universal Learning Group, she captures and curates high-quality visual content, manages social media platforms, creates engaging campaigns, and plans and delivers student events that build community and enhance the campus experience. Supporting the student groups of Universal English and Universal Higher Education, she works closely with leadership and internal teams to develop content and engagement strategies, design marketing materials, and ensure every initiative resonates with students, contributing to overall student satisfaction. Prior to focusing on education, Goda gained extensive experience as an illustrator and photographer, specialising in music and lifestyle visual work, blackwork illustration, and digital asset production. She holds a BA (Hons) in Illustration & Visual Communication from the University of Westminster, London, UK, and combines creative expertise with a deep understanding of student engagement to deliver content and experiences that are both dynamic and impactful.