Council

Council Chair

Mr Nigel Smalls is a business owner with over 35 years of experience in the public and private corporate world. His background includes roles as Chief Executive Officer both in Australia and overseas. Mr Smalls holds a BA (Joint Hons) in Economics and History, an MBA and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Mr Smalls has had an interest in education, training and self-development since being part of a team that worked on management behavioural competencies in the early 1990s. He has been advising the AEG Group since 2013 and offers practical business insights as well as skills in governance and strategic thinking to the AIHE Council.

Member

Mr Don Chen is the Founder and President of the Adelaide Education Group (AEG), a dynamic education ecosystem spanning secondary, vocational, higher education, and research. Arriving in Australia as a young international student in the early 1990s, Mr Chen began his career as an IT consultant. However, inspired by his upbringing as the son of a teacher, he was always driven by a deep passion for education.

In 2000, he founded an international education agency, marking the start of his journey in the sector. This led to the successful launch of the Adelaide Institute of Business and Technology (AIBT) in 2009, Adelaide International School (AIS) in 2016, and Adelaide Institute of Higher Education (AIHE) in 2019.

Mr Chen’s strength lies in strategic business development and international collaboration. He has forged numerous transnational partnerships with institutions across the globe, facilitating study opportunities for tens of thousands of international students in Australia.

Member

Mr Scott Edwards is a Partner and Director of Y Partners Business Services. He has 30 years of experience providing accounting services, assisting businesses, and providing advice to clients on a range of strategic, general business, and taxation matters. Mr Edwards sits on various committees, boards and councils, across a range of industries, including media companies, education providers, sporting clubs, and agricultural organisations.

Member

Mr Sebastian Raneskold is a dynamic executive leader with 25 years’ experience in public and private higher education and proven success in expanding global markets, increasing revenue, and leading high-performing teams.

Mr Raneskold is the former Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International) at Flinders University, a senior executive role he held for 9 years. At Flinders, Mr Raneskold drove business growth through strategic partnerships and commercial ventures, delivering strong financial outcomes and long-term institutional growth. He founded Flinders University Academy, the University’s own wholly owned but independently operated pathway provider, and served as its first Chair of the Board.

Earlier leadership positions include various Director of Marketing roles with the Navitas group, Country Director at IDP Education Australia, Regional Manager at the UniSA and Coordinator International Programs at Örebro University, Sweden. 

Member

Dr Riaz Esmailzadeh has over 37 years of experience as a researcher, entrepreneur, CEO, CTO, educator, consultant, board member, and angel investor. He is currently the CEO of IoT Consultants, a Lot Fourteen based software company specialising in digital twin platforms. He has worked with global firms including Apple, Softbank, Telstra, Samsung, Docomo, Ericsson, and Hitachi. He has served as an expert witness in high-profile patent cases, advised Apple on cryptography patents, and led technology due diligence for a 20-billion-dollar 3G network rollout. A prolific innovator, he has filed more than 50 patents, authored three books and over 50 peer-reviewed articles, and continues to teach as an adjunct professor in Australia and Japan, sharing his expertise in digital transformation, telecommunications, and cybersecurity.

Ex Officio Member

Dr Vicki Feast is currently the Chair of AIHE Academic Board. Prior to this AIHE role Vicki worked as a consultant at the University of South Australia (UniSA) for six years. However, for most of her working life (23 years) prior to this Vicki worked at the UniSA in a range of different roles including as Associate Professor and Dean: Teaching and Learning and Dean: International. Vicki’s discipline expertise is in Economics. Vicki taught Economics in a range of onshore and transnational programs in Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Hong throughout her career at UniSA.

Ex Officio Member

Fatima Reyes is a strategic and values-driven executive with over 20 years of experience spanning higher education, government, and the corporate sector. Currently serving as CEO of the Adelaide Institute of Higher Education and Executive Director for Strategy and Growth for the Adelaide Education Group. She leads transformation across an integrated education ecosystem comprising higher education, vocational education, and secondary schooling.

In her leadership roles, she oversees academic quality, regulatory compliance, brand strategy, governance, and operational performance. She drives institutional excellence and sustainability through collaboration, innovation, and integrity. With a BA in Political Science, Juris Doctor, an MBA, and a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Management, Fatima brings a multidisciplinary perspective to education leadership and enterprise growth.

Her achievements have been recognised through the 2025 Filipino-Australia Leadership Award by the Filipino Communities of Australia and the 2025 Achiever of the Year in Career by the Filipino Settlement Coordinating Council of South Australia.