20 Independent School Leaders in Brisbane to Know

Brisbane's independent schools are led by people working across academic standards, student wellbeing, faith, community and the future of education. The leaders below include principals, headmasters and a head of college from schools across the city's north, south, east and western suburbs.

Each school has its own character. Some serve a single gender, some are coeducational, and others take distinctive approaches such as Montessori education, boarding or strong links with a church community.

1. Andre Casson

Headmaster, Brisbane Boys' College

Andre Casson is the tenth and current Headmaster of Brisbane Boys' College. He joined the College in 2022 after leading Australian International School in Singapore, bringing international school experience to a long-established Brisbane boys' school.

His role covers the whole College, from academic leadership and student wellbeing to community relationships. That breadth makes him a useful leader to watch as schools balance tradition with the changing needs of boys and families.

2. Anthony Micallef

Headmaster, Brisbane Grammar School

Anthony Micallef is the twelfth Headmaster of Brisbane Grammar School and has held the role since 2014. He has spent more than three decades connected with the school, giving him a long view of its culture, community and direction.

His leadership also reaches beyond the school itself through his involvement with the Board of the International Boys' Schools Coalition. That combination of local continuity and wider sector engagement gives his work a distinctive place in Brisbane education.

3. Paul Begg

Principal, Villanova College

Paul Begg is Principal of Villanova College, a Catholic boys' school in Brisbane's south-east. The current senior leadership team around him includes leaders for mission and identity, learning, wellbeing and the junior, middle and senior schools.

That structure places the Principal at the centre of the classroom, pastoral care and wider College life. It shows how modern school leadership depends on a connected team rather than one person carrying every responsibility alone.

4. Andrew Cousins

Principal, Clayfield College

Andrew Cousins became the seventh Principal of Clayfield College in January 2020. Before that, he worked as Deputy Principal at Presbyterian Ladies' College in Perth and as Dean of Somerset College on the Gold Coast.

His experience across senior leadership and student-facing school roles gives him a broad perspective on learning and culture. At Clayfield, that work sits within a coeducational school community with a long Brisbane history.

5. Deborah Priest

Principal, Somerville House

Dr Deborah Priest is Principal of Somerville House. She previously served as Head of Senior School and has led schools in both Australia and overseas, while also having a personal connection to the Somerville community as the parent of an Old Girl.

Her role brings together the daily work of an all-girls school with the longer task of sustaining its culture and direction. Somerville's focus on learning, character and community gives that work a clear setting.

6. Toni Riordan

Principal, St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School

Toni Riordan is Principal of St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School and has held the role since 2018. She first joined the school as Deputy Principal and brings more than 30 years of experience in education.

Her leadership is shaped by the particular opportunities and responsibilities of a single-gender school. At St Aidan's, the Principal's work includes supporting academic ambition, student confidence, relationships and a strong sense of community.

7. Lochie Bowie

Principal, Brisbane Independent School

Lochie Bowie is Principal of Brisbane Independent School. His background includes international travel and tour work, as well as a Bachelor of Education from The University of Queensland, where he graduated with first-class honours.

That mix of education and wider experience fits a school that presents learning as a shared journey. His role connects the everyday work of teachers with the school's wider approach to curiosity, participation and student growth.

8. Daniel Crump

Principal, Stuartholme School

Daniel Crump is Principal of Stuartholme School, a Catholic girls' school in Brisbane. The school's current leadership team includes dedicated leaders for wellbeing, boarding, teaching and learning innovation, and mission.

That range of portfolios reflects the complexity of leading a contemporary school. For the Principal, academic progress, pastoral care, residential life and faith are connected parts of the same student experience.

9. Mark Zietsch

Principal, Hillbrook Anglican School

Mark Zietsch is Principal of Hillbrook Anglican School. Hillbrook places a strong emphasis on distributive leadership, with people put ahead of systems and responsibility shared widely across the community.

That approach makes the Principal's role less about holding every decision and more about building the conditions for good decisions across the school. It is a useful model for leaders who want culture and responsibility to travel through an organisation.

10. Zoe Ezzard

Principal, Brisbane Montessori School

Zoe Ezzard is Principal of Brisbane Montessori School. She is part of the senior leadership group responsible for the daily management of a school community built around Montessori education.

Montessori schools ask leaders to think carefully about independence, environment, development and the pace of each learner. Zoe's role therefore sits at the intersection of operational leadership and a distinctive educational philosophy.

11. Trevor Goodwin

Principal and CEO, Iona College

Trevor Goodwin is Principal and CEO of Iona College. The role brings responsibility for the whole College, including its academic, pastoral, faith, co-curricular and operational life.

Iona's leadership structure includes dedicated leaders across mission, faith, learning and the different stages of the school. Trevor's position shows how a Principal and CEO must keep many parts of a large school community moving in the same direction.

12. Paul Sterling

Principal, Genesis Christian College

Paul Sterling is Principal of Genesis Christian College. His role sits within a Christian school community that brings together academic learning, pastoral care, co-curricular opportunities and faith formation.

That combination gives the Principal a broad leadership brief. The work is not only about results in the classroom, but also about the relationships, values and opportunities that shape a student's experience of school.

13. Michael Newman

Head of College, Marist College Ashgrove

Michael Newman is Head of College at Marist College Ashgrove. The College is a Catholic boys' school for Years 5 to 12, with day and boarding students and a long tradition in Brisbane's inner west.

His role is whole-school leadership across learning, formation, community and student life. In a school that combines boarding and day education, that work also depends on a clear sense of belonging beyond the classroom.

14. Brendan Cahill

Principal, Brigidine College

Brendan Cahill is Principal of Brigidine College. With 35 years as a teacher and educator, he brings long experience to a Catholic girls' school focused on helping young people flourish.

His work combines daily leadership with the longer task of shaping culture, opportunity and belonging. That is the kind of leadership students and families experience through the quality of the whole school, not just through one office.

15. Darrin Schumacher

Principal, Redeemer Lutheran College

Darrin Schumacher is Principal of Redeemer Lutheran College. His leadership emphasis includes servant leadership, student and staff wellbeing and a strong community where people are known and valued.

That focus connects the work of the Principal with everyday relationships between students, families and staff. It also gives wellbeing a central place in how the College understands leadership and learning.

16. Leighton Kuss

Principal, Northside Christian College

Leighton Kuss is Principal of Northside Christian College. The College describes education as a shared effort between the school, families and church, with collaboration at its centre.

His role therefore reaches across learning, faith, relationships and the wider community. For families, that kind of leadership is visible in the way a school makes its values part of daily life.

17. Sean G Morrison

College Principal, Brisbane Christian College

Sean G Morrison is College Principal of Brisbane Christian College. The school describes itself as a community where students can be known by name, while still having access to strong academic and co-curricular opportunities.

That combination gives the Principal a clear challenge: protect personal connection while supporting a broad education. It is a useful lens for understanding leadership in a growing Christian school community.

18. Gary O'Brien

Principal, Cannon Hill Anglican College

Gary O'Brien has been Principal of Cannon Hill Anglican College since 2019 and also serves as CEO and educational leader. The College places value on holistic education and on developing globally minded, critical thinkers.

His role combines operational responsibility with stewardship of a distinctive Anglican school culture. That means keeping the daily experience strong while also preparing students for a wider and more connected world.

19. Nicole Gregory

Principal, The Lakes College

Nicole Gregory is Principal of The Lakes College and the fourth person to hold the role. She joined the College in 2020 and leads a school community in Brisbane's northern suburbs.

Her work sits within a developing coeducational school with responsibility for sustaining its direction as its programs, families and community continue to grow. That makes continuity and connection important parts of the role.

20. John O'Sullivan Williams

Principal, St Paul's School

John O'Sullivan Williams is Principal of St Paul's School. He brings more than 25 years of experience in education across Australia, Japan and England.

His leadership gives strong attention to student safety and wellbeing, alongside the longer-term development of the school and its facilities. That balance matters in a large school community where care and future planning must work together.

Brisbane's school leaders.

These leaders work in very different school settings, but the central task is shared: build a place where students can learn well, belong fully and grow into responsibility. The strongest school leadership is practical, visible and connected to the daily experience of students, staff and families.

If your school or leadership team is working through culture and collaboration, you can explore our Working Genius FAQ and our strategy and leadership consulting. For a focused team experience, visit our team offsite enquiry page.

About the author.

Jonno White is a Brisbane-based leadership consultant, keynote speaker and Certified Working Genius Facilitator. He is the author of *Step Up or Step Out* and works with schools, organisations and leadership teams around the world.