School Council

BEc, MEc

John Down has extensive private and public sector experience. He has significant Board experience in both public and private companies. Currently the Chairman of Asia Pacific Aircraft Solutions Ltd and Nutrafruit Pty Ltd, his former Board appointments include AUSTRADE (Deputy Chairman), Export Finance Insurance Corporation; QCT Resources Ltd; Anaconda Nickel Ltd; Santos Ltd – UK and USA; and Herron Pharmaceutical where he served on the advisory board.

In 1997 he founded Viking Industries Ltd., a multi-faceted marine industrial business which was subsequently sold as a mid-cap publicly listed company to private equity in 2008.

He was appointed to the position of Co-ordinator General and Director-General, in the Office of Major Projects, by the Premier of Queensland in 1993, and held this position until 1996. In 1970, John co-founded the GRM Group of Companies, a multifaceted agribusiness with operations in over 50 countries, which was also sold to private equity in 1992.

BA (magna cum laude); JD, LLB, MA, PhD, Grad Cert (Urb&Reg Plan)

Dr Bridget Cullen is a full-time member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (cross allocated to the Migration and General Divisions) and is a member of the Queensland Bar Association. She is also a nationally accredited mediator, with extensive alternative dispute resolution experience.

Bridget is a member of the PMSA Board and is familiar with subcommittees of the PMSA as she has served as a member of both the PMSA’s Policy Committee and the PMSA’s Nominations and Human Resources Committee. Bridget is an Adjunct Professor at the Griffith University Law School and is the Convenor of the Evidence subject. Bridget was appointed to the Clayfield College Council in 2019 and to the Brisbane Boys’ College Council as Deputy Chair in 2020.

Bridget is the mother of a Brisbane Boys’ College graduate, and step-mother of a Junior School boy, and has a strong knowledge of the PMSA schools. Bridget brings her legal knowledge, particularly in anti-discrimination, employment, and administrative law, and her abilities as a professional decision maker to the PMSA.

Key current and previous appointments, roles and qualifications include:

• PMSA Board member (first appointed 2020, current term until 2023)
• Deputy Chair – Brisbane Boys’ College Council (appointed 2020)
• Deputy Chair – Clayfield College Council (appointed 2019)
• Member – Queensland Bar Association and New York State Bar Association
• National Accredited Mediator
• Accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner
• Adjunct Professor – Griffith University Law School

DFP

Vaughan Henry has more 34 years’ experience in financial services having held senior advisory and distribution positions within both local and international institutions including HSBC, Qld Treasury, GoldmanSachs, JBWere and Certitude Global

He is currently the executive director of distribution and investor services at Blue Sky Alternative Investments in Brisbane. He is responsible for relationships within the Australian financial advisory, family office and private client markets.

Vaughan specialises in the provision and distribution of investment solutions through a broad network of financial planners, accountants and family offices.

BN (Hons), MN, PhD

Marion has many years teaching and learning and leadership experience in the higher education sector.

Marion has broad experience in academic leadership roles and in leading curriculum design, implementation and review and has been involved in numerous research projects around students’ experiences of university, student engagement and supporting and assessing students’ learning.

Her research interests include the student experience of university, assessment of learning, supporting casual academic staff, education and clinical decision making. Marion also supervises several PhD students across a range of interests and research methodologies.

She is also Deputy Chair and a board director for Metro South Hospital and Health Services and is Chair of the Metro South Hospital and Health Services Safety and Quality committee.

Marion completed a Bachelor of Nursing (Hons) in Sydney and has worked across NSW, VIC and QLD. She completed a Master of Nursing through QUT and a PhD at Griffith University.

LLB

Michael Goss joined the BBC Council in early 2020 as an experienced lawyer currently operating his own practice. Michael views the College Council as an opportunity to bring his life experience and professional skills to bear in the important sphere of boys’ education and personal development.

He has more than 35 years legal experience working in large and small Queensland and national firms on complex matters in banking & finance, insolvency and general commercial law. In addition to his legal expertise, Michael has strong risk assessment and risk mitigation skills. A BBC Old Collegian (1981), Michael will apply these skills and his governance knowledge and experience to work collaboratively within the Council in the pursuit of BBC’s mission and strategic goals. Michael also takes a keen interest in the development of young professionals in various sectors through structured mentoring.

In addition to his legal career and his role on the BBC Council, Michael also holds several other directorships and has board experience in financial services, aged care and supported living, waste-to-energy and professional services. He also owns a coffee plantation with his wife which keeps them active and busy when not practising law and raising two daughters.

B.A. (ENG/HIST), M.A. (ENG) (MERIT) (UNI SYD), CERT HRM (MGSM), MACEL, MAHRI

Mr Paul Brown was officially commissioned as the ninth Headmaster of Brisbane Boys’ College in February 2018 and has more than 20 years’ leadership experience in leading Independent Schools such as Methodist Ladies’ College (Sydney), Knox Grammar School (Sydney) and St Ignatius’ College, Riverview (Sydney).

An educator of high calibre and demonstrated achievement, he holds graduate and post-graduate qualifications from the University of Sydney and Macquarie Graduate School of Management and has also completed a school leadership program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Paul not only brings to the College outstanding achievements in the academic arena, but also the business world. As a visionary with a clear sense of purpose, he will no doubt influence the College’s future in boys’ education.

His strong commitment to education, academic excellence, and to Christian leadership stands him in good stead to shape a future for BBC where each and every student is supported to reach their potential and prepared to take their place in the world as confident, competent and compassionate young men who will contribute to the health, wellbeing and prosperity of their community and the nation at large.

Read the Headmaster’s Welcome