Leadership
team

A transformational leader with almost 20 years’ experience as a CEO in the not-for-profit sector, coupled with extensive senior management experience in the private sector and over 20 years’ experience working within collaborative models.

Marion joined the Engagement Institute (then IAP2 Australasia) in August 2017. Under her leadership, the organisation focused on delivering a suite of valued initiatives to members which has resulted in tremendous growth, membership has more than tripled to almost 16,000 and revenues have likewise increased.

Marion has an MBA from Henley Management College, UK. She has been married to Kevin for over 30 years and is enormously proud of her two adult sons.

A resourceful optimist, she grew up in the Northern Territory, and much of her life has been shaped by her dad’s words “well it can’t be that hard”.

Magdalena’s responsibilities extend to developing and leading the membership strategies to grow Engagement Institute’s membership base and ensure you get the most out of being a member.

She has over 15 years’ experience across membership, professional services, and research organisations. Prior to joining Engagement Institute, she spent 13 years at The Law Society of New South Wales, one of the largest and most resilient voluntary direct membership legal associations internationally, where she held a number of roles, including as Executive Director (Corporate and Member Services), and as the General Manager of The Law Association for Asia and the Pacific, a regional membership association that advocates for the interests and concerns of the Asia-Pacific legal profession.

Originally from Sydney, she moved to Brisbane, following the move up north in the wake of COVID. She lives with her husband, daughter, their cat, Tea Party, and dog Chilli.

Erin’s responsibilities include developing the overarching Marketing and Sales strategy for Engagement Institute to grow the brand in Australasia while achieving sales targets across the organisation.

She has over 30 years’ experience across private, government and corporate organisations. Prior to joining Engagement Institute, she was the Global Head of Marketing at Law In Order, a legal technology company where she spearheaded their global marketing strategy. She also held key leadership positions at a number of membership associations including General Manager, Marketing and Membership at the Financial Services Institute of Australasia and General Manager, Marketing and Communications at the Queensland Law Society.

Giorgia leads the development and delivery of the Engagement Institute’s education program, focusing on providing impactful learning experiences that support professional growth and engagement excellence. With over 18 years’ experience spanning learning and development, legal practice and project leadership, she brings a wealth of experience in designing and managing education programs, stakeholder engagement and delivering measurable outcomes.

Prior to joining the Engagement Institute, she spent nearly 10 years at the Queensland Law Society, where she designed and led a broad range of learning initiatives, reaching thousands of legal professionals annually. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated strong skills and instincts in leadership, strategy, risk management, project management, and fostering collaborative relationships with stakeholders across diverse sectors.

A lifelong learning enthusiast, she is currently completing a Master of Business Psychology at the University of Queensland, having recently completed a Professional Certificate in Positive Psychology from the University of Melbourne. She is energised by meaningful work that empowers others to grow and believes in creating learning environments where people feel connected, capable and inspired.

Born in Italy, she completed her primary schooling there before attending high school in New Zealand and has made Brisbane her home for the past 20 years. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her husband, two young children and close friends.

Sharon is the trusted right hand to our busy CEO, providing high-level executive support to ensure excellence in service delivery across the organisation and to our members. In addition to her role as Executive Manager, she plays a pivotal part in delivering effective, compliant, and responsive generalist human resources advisory and administrative services to both internal and external stakeholders.

With a career spanning over 25 years, Sharon brings a wealth of experience supporting senior leadership across a variety of sectors. She began her professional journey in the Finance industry, moved into Entertainment, and then spent 13 successful years in the Travel industry. After relocating from Sydney to Brisbane in 2015 with her family, she transitioned into the Aged Care sector and prior to joining the Engagement Institute Sharon was working for a training organisation specialising in Dementia Care.

Sharon is passionate about helping teams thrive and achieve their goals. She takes pride in finding ways to improve how things are done—always looking for opportunities to boost efficiency, streamline processes, and make the workplace more enjoyable for everyone. With her friendly, proactive approach and natural ability to keep things running smoothly, Sharon plays a vital role in supporting both the people and the purpose of the organisation.

Sharon lives in Brisbane with her husband, Leigh, and their two teenage sons Hayden and Callum.

Michele has joined the Engagement Institute as the Head of Corporate Services. Her focus is to elevate and embed Engagement Institute’s financial and information and communication technology systems to support a values driven and exceptional team culture.

She brings to this role financial and strategic leadership experience gained across not‑for‑profit, government‑owned, and commercial organisations. She is recognised for her expertise in financial governance, business transformation, risk management, and sustainable growth, and for her ability to partner effectively with Boards and executive teams to deliver long‑term value.

Prior to joining the Engagement Institute, Michele was the Chief Financial Officer at Healthy Land and Water Ltd. Here she led the Business Services portfolio supporting an organisation managing more than $20 million in annual revenue. Her role encompassed finance, compliance, IT, risk, audit, and quality systems, and she played a key role in strengthening performance reporting, implementing activity‑based costing, and enhancing ESG frameworks.

A lifelong resident of the Redlands area in Brisbane, she enjoys spending time with her husband enjoying the natural beauty spots and great fishing locations South East Queensland has to offer.