While Queensland is home to some of Australia’s leading schools and universities, who really calls the shots?

The people who made the cut in The Courier-Mail’s exclusive top 50 were assessed on this criteria: their ability to influence the decisions that matter in Queensland education.

They were also critiqued on how effectively they use their influence.

This Power List project is one that only The Courier-Mail has the resources and courage to undertake.

POWER 100: Queensland’s most powerful people 100-51

SPORT: Queensland’s 65 most powerful sporting identities

BUSINESS:Queensland’s 60 most powerful business leaders

CELEBRITY: 65 most influential in arts and entertainment

PROPERTY: Queensland’s most powerful property players

TOMORROW: The Tourism/Hospitality Power List

WEDNESDAY: The Health Power List

THURSDAY: Queensland’s Top 50 Most Powerful

Scroll to the bottom to read how we selected the list.

1. KATE RUTTIMAN

Queensland Teachers Union General secretary

As the hands-on administrator of the state’s powerful teachers’ union, Kate Ruttiman has paramount influence on Queensland’s public education system. Many say she runs the show, with an iron fist.

The QTU represents the interests of 48,000 member teachers in the state’s primary, secondary and special schools, colleges, TAFE institutes and other educational facilities. And under a Labor government such as this, almost nothing happens in Queensland state education without union approval, with Education Minister Grace Grace regularly pushed into embarrassing backflips on decisions that don’t wash with the QTU.

The union’s influence stretches beyond the public system due to its impact on policy and workplace decisions that often spill into the independent, private and religious schools’ sectors.

Ruttiman has worked for the QTU for more than 24 years. A former economics teacher, she is also a trustee of QSuper and honorary president of the Queensland Council of Unions.

2. GARY BULLOCK

United Workers Union national political director

With a nickname of “Blocker”, Gary Bullock is not afraid to throw his weight around – and this extends to the education sector, where he is a surprising but big player.

Among the 150,000 workers the UWU represents from its South Brisbane headquarters are early childhood educators, teacher aides, education assistants and cleaners.

Bullock is influential not simply because of the sheer number of different jobs that fall under the UWU umbrella but because he bankrolled the campaigns of a large number of now-Labor MPs when the party was considered a slim chance to win the 2015 election.

3. CRESTA RICHARDSON

Queensland Teachers Union president

She forms a formidable duo with QTU general secretary Kate Ruttiman, effectively telling the state government how education in Queensland should be done, with the interests of teachers at the forefront.

Cresta Richardson, the public face of the QTU, replaced Kevin Bates (who moved to the Australian Education Union in early 2021) and has slid easily into the job, having been its vice president.

A former teacher, head of curriculum and deputy principal, Richardson also sits on the board of the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority.

4. GRACE GRACE

Minister for Education

Since being appointed to this key role in 2017, Grace Grace has been the face of public education in Queensland, making announcements, opening schools and fronting up to press conferences to celebrate Year 12 results.

Having lost her seat in the 2012 election, she returned as the Member for Brisbane Central (later renamed McConnel) in 2015, and has been part of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s inner sanctum ever since.

More than a few people with an astute inside view insist that while she undoubtedly wields significant power and influence over the sector, she is quick to call on the judgment of the powerful teachers’ union. Perhaps this is unsurprising – Grace has a strong union background and was, after all, the first female head of the Queensland Council of Unions.

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5. MICHEAL DE’ATH

Queensland Education Department director-general

This former principal runs the Department of Education as its top bureaucrat. Since his appointment in late November following an open recruitment process after Tony Cook stepped down, Michael De’Ath has set about giving the department of more than 80,000 employees a shake-up.

It has undergone significant restructuring, with several senior executives exiting. Given there are more than 1200 state schools for half a million students, the influence of De’Ath’s direction has a strong ripple effect in the lives of many Queenslanders.

He is also a board member of the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority.

6. KEVIN BATES

Australian Education Union federal secretary

He may be gone from the mighty Queensland Teachers Union but Kevin Bates remains influential through his 2021 appointment to the AEU, which represents Australian public school, early childhood and TAFE teachers, education leaders and education support staff.

The QTU is considered its state branch. During his time at the QTU, Bates reshaped the education department’s response to natural disasters during the South East Queensland and Townsville floods and several cyclones.

He also scored the highest ever salary increases in arbitration in 2000 to bring senior teachers’ salaries to $50,000 a year for the first time.

Bates would still have Education Minister Grace Grace on speed dial.

7. TERRY BURKE

Independent Education Union Queensland secretary

With 16 per cent of Queensland children attending an independent school – a figure that is growing – Terry Burke’s is a voice that echoes in the corridors of power.

Like the QTU, the IEU has demonstrated this year just how much influence it holds, particularly when it comes to government decisions which deeply impact teachers. It was instrumental in the backflip of the proposed extension of the 2022 school year.

Burke has held the role for a remarkable 27 years, building some of the best contacts across both independent and public education sectors.

8. DEBORAH TERRY

University of Queensland vice-chancellor

As the head of Queensland’s largest university, Deborah Terry has enormous power and influence over not just the students and staff at UQ, but many facets of the goings on of the state.

With well over 50,000 students, revenue of more than $2.3 billion and research income of close to half a billion dollars, Terry has one of the biggest jobs in Queensland education. Since taking up the role in mid-2020 – with the Covid pandemic and lockdowns still in full swing – Terry has been a guiding force as the university navigated closed international borders, while UQ researchers worked on a Covid vaccine.

She is also deputy chair of the National Schools Resourcing Board, which provides independent oversight of different parts of the Commonwealth schools funding model.

9. LEE-ANNE PERRY

Queensland Catholic Education Commission executive director

Head of the QCEC, Lee-Anne Perry is one of the most revered people in Queensland education, and now represents the state’s 22 Catholic school authorities. She was previously principal of several top schools, including All Hallows’ in Brisbane city.

Perry holds board positions with the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority and Non-State Schools Accreditation Board and is a member of the QUT Council.

She was also a member of the Gonski review and the Premier’s anti-cyber bullying taskforce.

10. JACQUELINE WILTON

Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority chief executive

As the body responsible for what our children learn from kindergarten through to year 12, the QCAA has wide-reaching influence over the sector.

The change from the OP system to the new Queensland Certificate of Education system was one of the biggest shake-ups in decades, and as a key executive director of the QCAA much of that responsibility fell to Jacqueline Wilton.

A former head of school and dean of studies at two of the state’s top public schools – Brisbane State High School and Queensland Academy for Science Mathematics and Technology – she took over the top job from outgoing boss Chris Rider in July.

11. CAROLYN EVANS

Griffith University vice-chancellor

The third of Queensland’s major universities is in the hands of a highly respected leader with a wealth of industry experience.

And like UQ and QUT, Griffith University has had a tough two years navigating the Covid pandemic, but that has not diminished its power or influence in the sector.

With five campuses across the southeast corner, Griffith has grown to 50,000 students and 4000 staff, and has become a big player in Australia’s university network. Carolyn Evans has been at the helm since February 2019, having previously been deputy vice-chancellor at the University of Melbourne.

She and husband Stephen Donaghue, the federal government’s chief legal advisor as Solicitor-General, are considered very much a power couple.

12. PETER COALDRAKE

Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency chief commissioner

He’s been in the news for his 2022 scathing report into the culture and accountability of the Queensland public sector, but Peter Coaldrake’s other big job is running Australia’s higher education regulatory agency. He took up that role in March 2021.

Coaldrake was vice-chancellor and CEO of QUT from 2003 to 2017 and his reach in the education sector remains deceptively strong.

In 2018 he was appointed by the federal education minister to conduct a review into the higher education provider category standards. He also undertook two reviews for the state government: one on the present and future public sector workforce; the other on the future of vocational education, training and skilling in central-western Queensland.

Coaldrake also chairs the board of trustees governing the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.

13. CAROL NICOLL

Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority chair

The QCAA is a statutory body of the Queensland Government and plays a critical role in the design and delivery of education.

Carol Nicoll is relatively new to the role, after Brian Short (a former Brisbane Grammar School headmaster) stood down in July. But Nicoll has the runs on the board. As former executive dean of the faculty of education at QUT, she was in charge of one of Queensland’s largest providers of graduate teachers.

Nicoll, a former English teacher, has served in a variety of roles in the QCAA’s predecessor bodies.

14. ANDREW FRASER

Griffith University incoming chancellor

Definitely one to watch, particularly given his strong links to the Labor Party, and as he moves up the ranks. Andrew Fraser takes over in October following the retirement of Henry Smerdon.

He was appointed after an independent search chaired by former Griffith Council member and Queensland premier, Rob Borbidge. They didn’t have to look far – Fraser is currently the deputy chancellor.

He is also chair of OrangeSky Australia and president of Motorsport Australia and serves on a range of boards, including the Brisbane Broncos.

Fraser was a member of parliament from 2004-12, serving as deputy premier, treasurer and in other ministerial portfolios.

15. MARGARET SHEIL

Queensland University of Technology vice-chancellor

With more than 50,000 students and 4600 staff, Margaret Sheil has held one of the state’s top education jobs since 2018.

But it hasn’t been smooth sailing, with staff complaints of bullying and a toxic workplace environment rocking the university last year, and leading to public acknowledgment and reform.

A restructure of the university’s medical centres led to six health professionals walking out of a contract dispute in September, with staff and students distressed about the potential flow-on effects.

With Sheil recently signing a new five-year contract, it is clear she is willing to take the knocks and press on.

Sheil is also chair of the Queensland Museum Network, deputy chair of the Board of Universities Australia, and lead vice-chancellor for Research and Innovation for Universities Australia.

Sheil’s right-hand person at QUT is vice-president and registrar Leanne Harvey. Having worked together at the Australian Research Council – where Sheil was CEO from 2007 to 2012 – the pair is known to be tight, with Harvey having direct oversight of the inner-workings of the university.

In August, Federal Education Minister Jason Clare announced Sheil would head the Australian Research Council review.

16. ANTHONY MICALLEF

Brisbane Grammar School headmaster

As head of Queensland’s most expensive independent school, Anthony Micallef mingles with some of the state’s most influential people who choose BGS for their sons.

The power of the school itself also influences the sector. With its stellar academic results and state-of-the-art facilities, BGS – like sister school Brisbane Girls Grammar – is seen as an aspirational benchmark against which other schools measure their outcomes. In 2021, 11 of the 32 Queensland students to achieve a perfect ATAR were from BGS.

When a Covid outbreak plunged the school community into 14 days’ quarantine, it took most of the city’s surgeons with it.

BGS, like the other seven grammar schools, are statutory bodies whose annual reports are submitted to the Minister for Education. Micallef answers to the BGS board of trustees for the management and performance of the school.

17. JACINDA EULER

Brisbane Girls Grammar School principal

Jacinda Euler has made a name for herself within the education sector over the past decade for driving ever higher the performance of the state’s top girls’ school.

Like her counterpart at neighbouring Brisbane Grammar School, Euler mixes with Queensland’s movers and shakers who entrust her with their children.

Her power comes from not only the role she is paid top dollar to do – Euler is the highest-earning grammar school principal in the state – but through her connections within and outside the education sector. Euler taught at BGGS for seven years before a stint in Sydney as deputy principal of SCECGS Redlands and her ultimate return to become principal in 2013.

18. PETER VARGHESE

University of Queensland chancellor

Now into his second term, Peter Varghese brings a wealth of high-level public service and diplomacy experience to his oversight of Queensland’s sandstone university.

Prior to his 2016 appointment, Varghese held senior positions in foreign affairs, trade policy and intelligence. Most recently, he served as secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Previous senior appointments included high commissioner to India, high commissioner to Malaysia, director-general of the Office of National Assessments, and senior advisor (international) to the Prime Minister.

19. SHERRIL BUTTERWORTH

Anglican Schools Commission for Queensland executive director

Lawyer Sherril Butterworth was appointed to this post in 2014. The commission is the backstop in crisis management for 20 schools, including the elite Churchie, St Hilda’s, St Paul’s and Toowoomba Anglican.

It provides strategic direction and policy development, liaison between the diocese and federal, state and local governments, and monitors the operations and financial management of all Anglican Church Southern Queensland schools.

20. WADE HAYNES

Brisbane State High School executive principal

In a state-run system where the voices of unionists ring loudly and many principals say they feel unheard, Wade Haynes is a person whose opinions are taken seriously by the education department.

He has been at BSHS for 11 years and there are few public state high schools more in demand, and certainly none with a better academic reputation.

BSHS records similar academic results to the top private schools, while managing a student population of more than 3000.

21. TIM BRAILSFORD

Bond University vice-chancellor

It might be relatively small compared to Queensland’s other universities, but Bond’s stellar reputation in the sector has thrived the past few years. It has rocketed up student satisfaction ratings and been named as one of the world’s best small universities.

Some of Queensland’s richest families send their children to Bond.

Tim Brailsford has been at the helm for a decade, with the professor previously holding top jobs at esteemed institutions including the University of Melbourne, Australian National University, Monash University and the University of Queensland.

22. WENDY PATTON

Queensland College of Teachers board chair

The QCT is the regulatory body for the teaching profession in Queensland. As such, it has the power to strike off poor or law-breaking teachers after an investigation.

Wendy Patton, a nominee of the Minister for Education, has been chair of the 15-member board since 2017 and her stint is due to finish at the end of 2022.

Patton was made emeritus professor of Queensland University of Technology in 2016 and is former executive dean of its faculty of education.

23. SIMON BIGGS

James Cook University vice-chancellor

Simon Biggs replaced long-serving James Cook University Vice-Chancellor Sandra Harding in February.

A previous executive dean of the faculty of engineering, architecture and IT at UQ, the professor now oversees more than 17,000 students at Queensland’s second oldest university.

JCU is renowned for its medicine degree courses, turning out graduates who work in remote and indigenous communities, and for its marine biology research.

24. BRIAN SHORT

Non-State Schools Accreditation Board director

Most recently chair of the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority chair and a former headmaster of Brisbane Grammar School, Brian Short is a name well known particularly in the independent sector.

The Queensland government’s Non-State Schools Accreditation Board works predominantly with governing bodies of schools on accreditation and funding eligibility.

Short is also deputy chair of the Block Grant Authority, which receives and distributes capital funds to independent schools.

25. KAREN SPILLER

Independent Schools Queensland chair

She may be retiring at the end of 2022 when she finishes up as principal of John Paul College but Karen Spiller is still a force in the education sector and her contact networks run deep.

She heads the peak body for independent schools which are now responsible for educating 16 per cent of all school-age children. Also on the ISQ board are other top principals from around the state.

Spiller, a former long-serving principal of St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School in Corinda, will remain a member of the QUT Council in 2023.

26. ANN SHERRY

Queensland University of Technology chancellor

All eyes will be on this well-known businesswoman to see how she shapes QUT going forward. Commencing in August, Ann Sherry was appointed two months after the resignation of previous incumbent Xiaoling Liu.

Sherry is a non-executive director of the National Australia Bank and a former CEO and executive chair of leisure company Carnival Australia.

She is also chair of UNICEF Australia.

27. CHRIS MOUNTFORD

Independent Schools Queensland chief executive

Chris Mountford took over when the Covid pandemic was still dramatically disrupting school life.

Unusual for the education sector, which tends to be fairly insular, Mountford does not have a previous teaching background.

But as a former executive director of the Queensland Property Council, he is a strong leader for the body which represents 220 schools across the state.

Mountford is also on the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority board.

28. MARK BRECKENRIDGE

Queensland Secondary Principals’ Association president

As the head of the key representative body of almost 600 school leaders in the state, the QSPA is a strong lobbyist of government and stakeholders on issues affecting Queensland schools.

Mark Breckenridge has been the head of the association for more than four years and is considered a great supporter of principals.

29. NICK KLOMP

Central Queensland University vice-chancellor

Australia’s largest regional university is headed by Nick Klomp, who has held the top job since 2019.

It goes without saying those few years have been tough, what with a pandemic wreaking havoc on the university sector as a whole, leading CQU to make job cuts and close campuses.

However the university’s most recent annual report paints a much brighter future, with more than 30,000 students studying online and on campus.

30. GERALDINE MACKENZIE

University of Southern Queensland vice-chancellor

Geraldine Mackenzie has been VC since 2017 and the professor also serves as chair of the Queensland Vice-Chancellors’ Committee as well as on the boards of Universities Australia, Regional Australia Institute and Ipswich Hospital Foundation.

31. LYNNE DONELEY

Australian Christian Schools Association executive director

The influence of Christian schools in the education sector is ramping up in light of the contentious religious discrimination legislation.

Lynne Doneley is among those lobbying the Albanese Government to commit to a time for the bill that was sensationally shelved in February 2022 to be reintroduced to Parliament.

The AACS is an advocacy group representing the interests of more than 100 Christian schools including 10 in Queensland.

Doneley is also deputy board chair of Independent Schools Queensland.

32. TRACY TULLY

Teachers Professional Association of Queensland secretary

It might be a relatively minor player compared with the mighty and long-running QTU, but TPAQ has managed to grow its membership base rapidly over the past few years, and is not shy about making some noise.

While the organisation had faced criticism for not having many former school leaders on staff, the appointment of former principal Tracy Tully has given them a new insight and leverage into highlighting some of the more serious issues going on in schools. The TPAQ was quick to call out the state government’s controversial decision to dock the pay of school staff who did not get vaccinated by the due date, despite the vaccination mandate being lifted months later.

33. CHRISTIAN ROWAN

Shadow Minister for Education

Appointed to the shadow portfolio in November 2020, Christian Rowan, a medical doctor, has put significant pressure on the State Government to lift its game, particularly around accountability for key appointments and its response to Covid-led changes in the schooling system.

A Churchie old boy like Treasurer Cameron Dick, he and wife Jane have chosen private schools for their four children but he is considered a passionate advocate for quality education in general.

While his power may be seen to be limited due to being in Opposition, by exposing flaws in the state government’s management of education his voice matters.

34. PHILLIP MOULDS

Rockhampton Grammar School headmaster

The long-serving boss of this elite school added a Queen’s Birthday honour to his list of accolades in June, recognition for his years of service in the field.

Moulds is one of the state’s most well-connected private school leaders, having spent 18 years at Brisbane Grammar School, including as deputy headmaster, before moving to Rockhampton in 2009. RGS is Queensland’s largest boarding school, with some of the state’s most illustrious families choosing it for their children.

Moulds will wield even more influence in 2023 as the new chair of Independent Schools Queensland, the not-for-profit peak body that champions the interests of independent schools across the state.

He is currently chair of ISQ’s education committee and will replace Karen Spiller.

35. TANYA CROOKS

Lutheran Education Queensland executive director

Appointed this year Tanya Crooks, a former principal of Redeemer Lutheran College in Rochedale in Brisbane’s south, has taken on a major role in the broader education sector.

More than 25 schools and 18,000 students fall under the Lutheran Education Queensland banner, including institutions such as St Peter’s Lutheran College (Indooroopilly) and Grace Lutheran College (Caboolture, Rothwell and Googa).

36. ANDREW PEACH

NRL Schools participation manager

After a lauded transformation of Marsden State High School as its executive principal, Andrew Peach is now charged with driving the growth of rugby league in Queensland schools.

Peach, on leave from the Department of Education, is a former president of Queensland School Sport Rugby League (13-18 years).

While he was running Marsden, the Logan school reversed its high-turnover rate of teachers to achieve 94 percent retention. The number of student suspensions also fell and the school’s academic performance improved.

With more than 3600 students, Marsden is now Australia’s largest high school. Peach was named Principal of the Year at last year’s Australian Education Awards and Marsden swept the floor at the awards again in 2022, including being named secondary school of the year (government).

37. MARY CAMPBELL

TAFE Queensland CEO

The influence of TAFE should not be underestimated, with the sector only predicted to continue to boom further in the coming year. Already more than 120,000 students will turn to TAFE every year, with about 4000 staff across 56 Queensland locations.

Mary Campbell has more than 30 years of experience working in the VET sector and has been in the top job since mid-2018.

38. CHRIS IVEY

Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia chair

AHISA is a key education body, representing the heads of 442 schools across the country, with more than 430,000 students and 55,000 staff.

Queensland-based national chair, the Reverend Chris Ivey has held the role since 2019 and is also principal of St Andrew’s Anglican College in Peregian Springs.

39. MICHAEL McNALLY

National Tertiary Education Union Queensland secretary

For more than seven years Michael McNally has served as the head of NTEU’s Queensland branch, and has cemented himself as a strong voice for those working in the higher education sector.

As the Covid pandemic wreaked havoc on jobs in the tertiary field, McNally has been a powerful advocate, with the union even taking the University of the Sunshine Coast to court over alleged unfair workloads following a landmark win at the Fair Work Commission.

40. HELEN BARTLETT

University of the Sunshine Coast vice-chancellor

Helen Bartlett has led the university since 2020, having previously served as vice-chancellor of Federation University and chair of the Regional Universities Network.

A research specialist in health and aged care, Bartlett now oversees more than 18,000 students and more than 1000 staff.

USC, which opened in 1996 with just 524 students, has campuses at Sippy Downs, Hervey Bay, Gympie, Caboolture and Petrie.

In the 2020 Student Experience Survey, it ranked within the top five universities in Australia for teaching quality.

41. ROS CURTIS

St Margaret’s Anglican Girls’ School principal

As the head of one of Brisbane’s top private girls’ schools for more than a decade, Ros Curtis is one of the best known leaders in her field.

Under her leadership, the elite pre-prep to Year 12 Ascot school has grown from fewer than 800 students to more than 1300, with it rocketing up the NAPLAN and academic leader boards.

Curtis is also chair of the state branch of the Australian Heads of Independent Schools Association and a director of Independent Schools Queensland.

42. JOHN KINNIBURGH

Toowoomba Grammar School headmaster and GPS Association chair

John Kinniburgh leads this prestigious Darling Downs institution, which is favoured by many of Queensland’s most famous farming families. He took over the top job at the beginning of last year, at a time when travel was still restricted.

He also is chair of the GPS Association, a powerful position given the competitiveness between member schools.

43. LLEW PAULGER

Kelvin Grove State College executive principal

Llew Paulger is responsible for one of the largest cohorts of students in the country.

He is known as a passionate advocate for his patch and during his time as executive principal has overseen a number of Queensland’s most significant state school projects, including the opening of a new $17.7m Queensland Ballet Academy and a new $8.7m junior school facility.

Paulger has been at Kelvin Grove since 2015 and has held various principal roles across the state since 2010.

44. PETER CHAPMAN

Edmund Rice Education Australian Northern Region Schools director

After 11 years as the highly respected principal of St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace, Peter Chapman was appointed to lead the vision of Edmund Rice in its member and affiliated Catholic schools across Queensland.

These include Terrace (Spring Hill), Ambrose Treacy (Indooroopilly), Clairvaux MacKillop (Upper Mt Gravatt), Aquinas (Ashmore), St Brendan’s (Yeppoon), Ignatius Park (Townsville), Good Shepherd (Mount Isa) and a host of flexi-schools.

It is understood he will retire from this role at the end of 2022.

45. ALAN CAMPBELL

Anglican Church Grammar School headmaster

Serving as headmaster of “Churchie” since 2014 and deputy headmaster for eight years prior, Alan Campbell is a well-known face in Queensland education circles.

Churchie has long been one of the city’s most prestigious schools.

Campbell is also a board director of Independent Schools Queensland and a director of the college council of St John’s College at the University of Queensland.

46. ALANA MOLLER

Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association federal president

This Clermont grazier leads the voluntary body that represents more than 1200 Queensland families – those who are regional, rural and remote, children pre-schooling, attending state schools, boarding schools or schools of distance education, as well as those with tertiary-level students.

She has been particularly vocal during the home schooling dramas of Covid, helping families adjust to the changing landscape.

The 45 ICPA member groups across the state are wooed by representatives of elite Queensland boarding schools to bolster student enrolments.

47. ​ANTHONY LANSKEY

Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League president

With a career in Education Queensland spanning more than three decades, Anthony Lanskey has also made his mark in his beloved sport of rugby league.

The principal of Gympie State High has nurtured a passion for the game in young people, particularly in his region where he has led the Wide Bay-Burnett school for seven years.

As president of the ASSRL, he is charged with bringing new blood into the sport. He is also an independent director of the Queensland Rugby League Central Division Board.

48. TISHA MORRELL

University of Queensland School of Education head

The University of Queensland comes in at equal third (with Deakin and after Melbourne and Monash) as the best university in Australia for education degrees in 2022, according to the Times Higher Education World University Ranking.

UQ is generally where next-gen teachers are hand-picked by the state’s top schools, and the person who runs the department is Tish Morrell. She has taught in a large private school in New York and spent more than 20 years working with preservice and in-service teachers at the University of Portland where she also created and directed its STEM Education and Outreach Centre.

Morrell’s research focuses on best practices for science teacher preparation, with an emphasis on professional development, but she also is involved in curriculum development.

49. JOHN HUMPHREY

Brisbane Grammar School board of trustees chair

Experienced lawyer John Humphrey is responsible for the governance of Brisbane’s most prestigious school.

This includes risk management and external scrutiny, putting Humphrey in the box seat for the handling of matters such as the school’s response to claims of historic sexual abuse by former students.

He signs off on the annual report which is submitted to the Minister of Education, in accordance with statutory requirements.

On the board also is fellow old boy Steve Bizzell, chairman of Bizzell Capital financing firm, and GP Angela Ryan whose ophthalmologist husband Michael Forrest is the immediate past president of the Old Boys’ Association.

Humphrey was appointed to the board of trustees in 2018 and was elected chair the following year.

Previously he was executive dean of the Faculty of Law of Queensland University of Technology and a senior partner at King & Wood Mallesons where he specialised in corporate mergers and acquisitions.

50. DAN O’CONNOR

Anglican Church Grammar School council chair

Dan O’Connor was appointed chair of the school council in 2013 and is the nominee of the Anglican Schools Commission.

The vice president of the Industrial Court of Queensland and chief executive of the Bar Association, O’Connor joined the council in 2009 as the nominee of the Old Boys’ Association.

He is a polarising figure who has angered some old boys loyal to the legacy of former headmaster Henry Emmanuel “Harry” Roberts.

Following allegations of historic child sex abuse by staff, O’Connor reversed a decision to name a building after Roberts. In a letter to the school community, he said Roberts’ actions of removing the staff embroiled in the allegations may have been acceptable in the past but did not meet current standards.

O’Connor is also the long-serving senior vice president of the Royal National Agricultural & Industrial Association of Queensland.

HOW DID WE DETERMINE THE LISTS?

Firstly, The Courier-Mail senior leadership team engaged the newsroom – reporters on the ground and in the know, those whose job it is to cover these sectors every single day.

The leadership team then used its combined years of experience and extensive contacts to brainstorm more names, adding and culling – all the while consulting with external experts and trusted sources in relevant fields.

We have excluded current executives and editors of News Corp, The Courier-Mail, Foxtel and Fox Sports. That is because News Corp Australia is the publisher of The Courier-Mail, and owns 65 per cent of Foxtel.

We understand that any such list is bound to be subjective, and is by no means exhaustive – but this list is as accurate a one as possible to produce in terms of where things are right now.

It is a unique insight into who calls the shots in Queensland. And as a subscriber it is yours exclusively.

But remember that power is more often than not temporary. Who plays large in 2022 might not be so powerful in 2023. Watch this space.