Our Board

Our Vision, Way and Impact

Vision

To inspire, connect and enrich our diverse community though the power of music and creativity.

Purpose

To be the trusted go-to provider, supporter and enabler of quality music education, performance and creativity for everyone in our region.

Way

By providing:

the opportunity for people of all ages to learn about music and learn to play a musical instrument through our music school.
a broad-reaching in-schools music program.
opportunities for community engagement through a range of community music programs.
opportunities for community engagement through a range of community music programs.
opportunities for the community to hire venues and purchase music and related materials.

Impact

A community that is engaged, connected, educated and entertained through the creation, performance, presentation and learning of music, enriching the cultural and musical life of the region and enhancing the life skills of the region’s young people.

Our Chief Executive

George Brenan is a leader with 20 years experience as an executive and ‘for purpose’ board member, having spent most of his career improving processes, sustainability and resilience in organisations large and small. He moved to Goulburn in 2021 from Yass Valley and joined the Board of Hume Conservatorium in March 2022. He has been the chief executive of the Conservatorium since September 2022, and hopes to help the Con reach it’s full potential over coming years. A musician since childhood he has a particular interest in vocal, early music and 20^th century choral music. He is also a pianist and renaissance winds player.

Our Board of Directors

Hume Conservatorium has a dedicated skills-based board of directors who guide and nurture our vision while overseeing our governance and finances. Our Board are hard working, hands on, creative and active in pursuing the best opportunities for the Conservatorium to increase our impact across the region.

Robert Hunt - Chair

Robert has over 30 years of experience in executive positions in a diverse range of organisations and industries. As a qualified Accountant, fellow of CPA Australia and a graduate of the well-known and highly respected Directors Course run by the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Robert brings a wealth of skills and experience to the Board. Robert’s skills include of course the financial, compliance and risk management elements of his training but also importantly for us Robert has a keen intertest in income generation through philanthropy programs. Robert has also considerable experience in government relations which will come in handy working with the Board and management to met and exceed the requirements of the Hume’s Government funding bodies.
Whilst living and working in Canberra for some time now, music and Goulburn have played a large part in Robert’s life. Apart from regularly playing the piano in his formative years, up until very recently Robert was heavily involved in the Hunt family sheep property that was held by the family for over 180 years until sold in 2022. The farm “Joppa” is located only a few kilometres from the City’s precinct on the Hume Highway. The Hunt family has a deep-rooted connection to Goulburn and Robert jumped at the chance to reconnect to the area through Board membership of the Hume Conservatorium

Alice McKellar - Director

Alice is a proud Goulburn local who has worked in senior Hospital Pharmacy roles in the District for 25 years. As a local, Alice has keenly watched young family and friends learn and develop their love of music at “The Con” since 1985. Advocating that it is never too late to start, Alice is an adult learner of violin and piano. This experience has enhanced the appreciation of how important music education is in childhood. Alice joined the Board in 2023 to advance and promote music learning opportunities for all ages.

Alex Francois - Director

Alex is a seasoned executive having held senior roles in the financial services industry across the Financial Planning, Retail distribution, Institutional asset management and Superannuation segments, having worked at Legal and General, ING (NZ), Schroders, Principal Global Investors, William Blair Investment Management and most recently at DWS. He is currently Head of Australia and NZ for Munich Re Investment Partners, part of the Munich Reinsurance group. He has been responsible, for over 30 yrs , for the Sales and marketing strategy within the funds management industry. As a board member, he has assisted with the setting the strategic direction for the Hume conservatorium and is the chair for the Fund raising and Philanthropy committee, responsible for maintaining the support of the conservatorium’s program beyond the current grant programs.
Being the father of a 13 yr. old son, he has a deep passion for music as a key area of personal development for children within our education system. He is a keen musician and enjoys playing the guitar with his son. He studied Pure and applied maths at Sydney University and holds a Grad Dip in Funds Management and an MBA, specialising in Strategy and Marketing from Macquarie University’s Graduate school of management.

Ed Suttle - Director

Ed brings to the Board a mixture of business and music experience. For 25 years he ran his own Executive Search business working with many of Australia’s leading consumer goods companies; he also completed the AICD Director course and was an Executive Director of an ASX listed company.
A classically trained baritone, Ed has sung as a chorus member with Opera Australia, as a Principal with Endangered Productions, and has performed with Sydney Chamber Choir for 20 years. He started learning the ‘cello as a 5yo, and soon after took up the oboe, tuba and euphonium. Music was “IT” for Ed as a kid, and it’s lasted all his life.
Ed is on the Board because he experienced the enjoyment and learning of music as a child. He is a firm believer in the benefits of music education, of practice and individual and ensemble performance, and gets a thrill from seeing the satisfaction and smiles on the faces of HC students as they sing and play.

Mark Bradbury - Director

Mark Bradbury joined the Conservatorium Board in 2023. He has practised as a solicitor in Goulburn, Cooma and Canberra for the last 29 years. Mark moved to Goulburn in 1995 and established Mark Bradbury Legal in January 2014. He is also a board member and Vice Chairman of Southern Tablelands Arts, and Vice-President of the Goulburn Chamber of Commerce. With strong business and community relationships as well as an interest in the arts, he is a valued and respected member of the board.

We acknowledge the traditional Custodians of this Land, where the Aboriginal People have performed age-old ceremonies of storytelling, music, dance and celebration. As a traditional meeting place, many first nations peoples came to this region. Underneath our buildings and roads this Land always will be traditional Aboriginal Land. in the same way, all music making genres and practices come from our musical elders, so we acknowledge those on whose skills and wisdom we draw.