Meet our Board of Directors
IDP's Board of Directors is committed to making a difference in international education with their decades of combined experience and expertise.
Peter Polson
Non-Executive Director and Chair
Peter was appointed Non-Executive Director and Chair of IDP Education in March 2007 and became Chair of IDP Education Limited when the company was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in November 2015.
Peter has broad experience in the financial services industry, first as Managing Director of the international funds management business with the Colonial Group, then as an executive with the Commonwealth Banking Group with responsibility for all investment and insurance services.
He is currently Chairman of Avant Group Insurance Limited and Very Special Kids. Until October 2022, Peter was Chairman of Challenger Limited (ASX: CGF, listed company director from November 2003 to October 2022) and Challenger Life Company Limited.
Peter is also a Director of Avant Mutual Group Limited, Avant Group Holdings Limited and Copia Investment Partners.
Tennealle O’Shannessy
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director
Tennealle was appointed as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of IDP in February 2023.
Tennealle has over twenty-five years of professional experience, including scaling online education and employment platforms and e-commerce businesses. Prior to joining IDP, Tennealle was CEO of Adore Beauty, where she led the successful listing of the company on the ASX in 2020.
Prior to this role, Tennealle spent almost ten years with SEEK, a global market leader in online employment marketplaces and education services, where she held the role of Managing Director – Americas. Whilst at Seek, she also held a number of global strategy-focused positions, including the start-up and scaling of Online Education Services.
Earlier in her career, Tennealle was a consultant with global tier-one management consulting firm Kearney, focusing on strategic and operational CEO-agenda issues.
Andrew Barkla
Non-Executive Director
Andrew was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of IDP Education on 12 September 2023.
He has extensive experience in the technology, services, and software industry, with more than 20 years of senior management experience in roles across Australia, New Zealand, Asia and North America.
Andrew was CEO and Managing Director of IDP Education from August 2015 until September 2022. Prior to this role, he worked for SAP as President of Australia and New Zealand, and held leadership roles at Unisys, including Vice President of Unisys’ Asia Pacific Japan operations, Member of Unisys’ Global Executive Committee, and Chairman of Unisys West.
Earlier in his career, Andrew was Vice President and General Manager of PeopleSoft’s Asia Pacific region prior to the company’s acquisition by Oracle.
Andrew is currently Chair of Capsifi and on an Advisory Board Member at Guroo Learning.
Ariane Barker
Non-Executive Director
Ariane was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of IDP Education at the completion of its IPO in November 2015 and is Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee.
Ariane is a Board Member of Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation (CSC) since September 2016, is a member of the Remuneration and HR Committee and chairs ARIA Co Pty Ltd. She is also a member of the Investment Committee at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute since 2011; and a former Board Director of Atlas Arteria (ASX: ALX) and Emergency Services & State Superannuation (ESSSuper).
She has extensive experience in international finance, risk management, debt and equity capital markets and venture capital, with over 20 years in senior executive roles at JBWere (part of National Australia Bank), Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs and HSBC in the United States, Europe, Japan, Hong Kong and Australia. She was previously the CEO of Scale Investors from 2017 to February 2021.
Ariane is a Fellow and graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).
Chris Leptos AO
Non-Executive Director
Chris was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of IDP Education at the completion of its IPO in November 2015.
Chris is also the Chairman of Summer Foundation, Chairman of Liverty Housing, and the Independent Reviewer of the Food and Grocery Code under the Competition and Consumer Act.
He was previously a Senior Partner with KPMG and Managing Partner Government at Ernst & Young where he had national responsibility for leading the public sector and higher education practice.
In 2000, he was designated a Member of the Order of Australia for services to business and the community, and in 2022, he was designated an Officer of the Order of Australia for services to the public sector and education.
Chris is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a Fellow of the AICD.
Professor Colin Stirling
Non-Executive Director
Colin was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of IDP Education in February 2018.
He is the President and Vice-Chancellor of Flinders University and brings more than thirty years of experience in international education in Australia, the UK and the USA.
Colin is a Director of Education Australia Limited and has held various other board positions across health, academic and community organisations.
Educated at the University of Edinburgh and with a PhD from the University of Glasgow, Colin began his award-winning scientific career at the University of California, Berkeley.
Greg West
Non-Executive Director
Greg was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of IDP Education in December 2006.
Greg is on the Council of the University of Wollongong and a Director and Chair of the Audit Committee of UOWGE Limited.
Greg is also a Director and Chair of Education Australia Limited and Education Centre of Australia Limited and Director of St James Foundation Limited and Fertoz Limited (ASX: FTZ).
Previously, Greg was Chief Executive Officer of a dual-listed ASX biotech company. He was also formerly a Director of Tiny beans (ASX: TNY). He has worked at Price Waterhouse and has held senior finance executive roles in investment banking with Bankers Trust, Deutsche Bank, NZI and other financial institutions.
Greg is a Chartered Accountant with experience in the education sector, investment banking and financial services.
Michelle Tredenick
Non-Executive Director
Michelle was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of IDP Education in September 2022.
Michelle is a company director with extensive experience in businesses operating in a broad range of industries, including banking, insurance, wealth management, education services, health insurance, superannuation, and technology. She also runs her own corporate advisory business advising boards and CEOs on strategy and technology.
She currently serves on several listed and private company boards. She is on the board of Insurance Australia Limited (ASX: IAG, listed company director since March 2018), Urbis Pty Ltd, and First Sentier Investors Holdings Pty Ltd.
Michelle served as a Non-Executive Director of the Bank of Queensland (ASX: BOQ, listed company director from February 2011 to September 2020), Cricket Australia from 2015-2022 and was also formerly a director of the Ethics Centre and a Senate Member of the University of Queensland.
Tracey Horton AO
Non-Executive Director
Tracey was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of IDP Education in September 2022.
Tracey is an experienced company director with extensive international experience in leadership and senior management in the education industry and management consulting.
She is currently a Director and Chair of the Remuneration Committee of the GPT Group (ASX: GPT, listed company director since May 2019) and is on the board of IMDEX (ASX: IMD listed company director since November 2023). She is a Non-Executive Director of Campus Living Villages Pty Ltd and Acting President of the Australian Takeovers Panel.
Tracey has previously served on the Boards of leading listed companies, including as Chair of Navitas and Non-Executive Director at Automotive Holdings Group, Skilled Group and Nearmap. She has held several leadership roles in the not-for-profit sector, including President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA and Deputy Chair of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).