Board of Directors

Debra Singh has over 30 years’ retail experience in C suite roles across business transformation, general management, retail operations, change management and human resources. Debra was the first woman to run a trading division at Woolworths where she spent 11 years working across supermarkets, operations and consumer electronics. In more recent years, Debra was also the CEO of Fantastic Furniture, Group CEO of Greenlit Brands Household Goods and Board Director of Hypnos Group. Debra is also a Non Executive Director of the Shaver Shop, Baby Bunting Group and The Kids Cancer Project boards.

Special responsibilities:

• Chair of the Board
• Member of Audit and Risk Management Committee
• Member of Nomination Committee
• Member of People, Culture and Education Committee

 
Other current listed public Company Directorships:

• Shaver Shop Group Limited (appointed 2 September 2020)
• Baby Bunting Group Limited (appointed 21 May 2025)

 
Former listed public Company Directorships in the last three years: Nil

Pejman Okhovat joined G8 Education as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director in January 2023. Prior to joining the Group, Pejman held senior leadership positions across a number of well known retail organisations in Australia and internationally, including as the Managing Director of BIG W, Chief Executive Officer of NZX listed retailer The Warehouse and as a senior leader at UK retailers Marks and Spencer, Sainsburys and ASDA/Walmart. Pejman has experience with charitable organisations as director of Variety NZ and chair of The Warehouse Trust in New Zealand. He has extensive experience in leading large teams within geographically dispersed networks, with a strong focus on customer service, business transformation and delivering value for all stakeholders. Pejman is committed to continuing G8 Education’s purpose led approach to delivering meaningful societal impact through quality early childhood education and care delivered through a passionate and capable team of educators and support teams. He holds a BA Hons in Business Studies from Leeds Business School, with further executive education at Babson College (USA) and the AMP course at INSEAD (Singapore).

Special responsibilities: Nil

Other current listed public Company Directorships:

• Shaver Shop Group Limited (appointed 2 September 2020)
• Baby Bunting Group Limited (appointed 21 May 2025)

 
Former listed public Company Directorships in the last three years: Nil

Professor Julie Cogin has worked in the Australian education sector for more than 30 years. In addition to her Non Executive Director responsibilities, Professor Cogin is the Provost at Australian Catholic University (ACU), ranked in the global top 2% of all universities. In this role, she is responsible for education and research outcomes, the student experience, financial performance and global operations. As the Chief Academic Officer of the university, Professor Cogin holds accountability for the quality and integrity of all academic work. Prior to ACU, she was Deputy Vice Chancellor and Vice President at RMIT University, Australia’s largest multisector university and accountable for financial, people, legal and student experience outcomes in Australia, Vietnam, Singapore and China. Over the last two decades, Professor Cogin has held a number of senior academic leadership positions, including Dean and Head of UQ Business School at the University of Queensland and Director of the Australian Graduate School of Management, University of New South Wales. She has also Chaired the Board of two education entities which were subsidiaries of universities. Professor Cogin has made numerous leadership contributions while achieving substantial research and education outcomes.

She is a recognised thought leader in strategy implementation, high performing workplaces, corporate culture and executive remuneration, having authored books and world leading academic articles. Professor Cogin has received prestigious education awards at university, national and international levels and delivered education or consulting engagements for many leading companies throughout Australia, Asia and the USA.

Professor Cogin has been engaged as an expert witness in a number of tribunals and courts of Australia. In 2016, she was named as one of Australia’s Women of Influence for her work to address gender imbalance in leadership. Professor Cogin is a member of Chief Executive Women (CEW) and a Fellow of the AICD.

Special responsibilities:

• Chair of the People, Culture and Education Committee
• Chair Education Advisory Committee
• Member of the Nomination Committee

 
Other current listed public Company Directorships: Nil

Former listed public Company Directorships in the last three years: Nil

Peter Trimble is an experienced Non-Executive Director and finance executive of publicly listed companies having held roles at CSR Limited, Rinker Limited, ABC Learning Limited and Sugar Terminals Limited. These roles have crossed a diverse range of industries comprising education, construction materials, manufacturing, infrastructure and agriculture and includes 12 years of experience in the USA.

Peter has an extensive background in child care operations, having joined ABC Learning in 2008 (now Goodstart Early Learning) as Chief Financial Officer immediately prior to the group going into administration and being a critical part of the team that managed, restructured and prepared the child care business for sale. Peter also has a background in governance, risk management, strategy and planning, merger and acquisitions and business restructuring and improvement.

Special responsibilities:

• Chair of Audit and Risk Management Committee
• Member of Nomination Committee

 
Other current listed public Company Directorships:

• Sugar Terminals Limited (appointed 18 December 2024 and Interim Executive Chair from 16 December 2025)

 
Former listed public Company Directorships in the last three years: Nil

Margaret Zabel is a specialist in customer centred business transformation, brand strategy, innovation, digital communications, customer experience and change leadership. She has 20 years’ senior executive experience working across major companies and brands in FMCG, food, technology and communications industries including multinationals, ASX 100 and not for profits. Her previous roles include National Marketing Director for Lion, VP Marketing for McDonald’s Australia, CEO and Board Director of The Advertising Council of Australia and Board Director of The Reject Shop Limited. Margaret has also served as a Board Director for the mental health charity R U OK? and is currently a Non Executive Director on the Boards of Select Harvests, Collective Wellness Group and Australian Vintage.

Special responsibilities:

• Chair of Nomination Committee
• Member of People, Culture and Education Committee

 
Other current listed public Company Directorships:

• Select Harvests (appointed 1 Oct 2022)
• Australian Vintage (appointed 23 July 2024)

 
Former listed public Company Directorships in the last three years:

• The Reject Shop Limited (resigned 22 July 2025)

Toni Thornton has worked in corporate finance agencies for more than 15 years. She brings a strategic commercial focus to the G8 Education Board, having previously held senior positions with JBWere, Goldman Sachs and NAB. Toni has more than 15 years’ experience in audit at board level and holds a Master of Law in Enterprise Governance through Bond University. Toni is a Founding Director of the private child care enterprise Habitat Early Learning. Toni was previously a Board Member of CS Energy, South Bank Corporation, boutique developer Devcorp, the Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation and Star Entertainment Group. During her time with a leading global investment bank, Toni gained significant strategic advisory experience with prominent Queensland listed companies, large private companies and Profit for Purpose groups including a number of Queensland’s major hospital groups.

Special responsibilities:

• Member of the Audit and Risk Management Committee
• Member of the Nomination Committee

 
Other current listed public Company Directorships: Nil

Former listed public Company Directorships in the last three years:

• Star Entertainment Group (resigned 16 December 2025)

 
*Full name Antonia Thornton.

Stephen Heath is a highly accomplished Chair and NonExecutive Director with extensive experience leading and growing prominent consumer brands across Australia, New Zealand and Asia. His 15-year executive career includes CEO and Managing Director roles at major companies such as Rebel Sport and Fantastic Holdings, where he demonstrated expertise in retail operations, strategic management and driving shareholder value. Mr. Heath currently serves as Chair of Temple & Webster Group Limited and Sapphire Group Pty Ltd, Sapphire Group Holdings Pty Ltd and Sapphire Retail Pty Ltd. Previously, Mr. Heath has also held board positions at Best & Less Holdings Limited, Total Tools Pty Ltd and Redhill Education Limited. His board experience spans diverse sectors, including e-commerce, retail, education and early childhood learning, showcasing his adaptability and strategic acumen.

Mr. Heath possesses deep expertise in complex business models, including multi-country operations and vertically integrated supply chains. He is adept at navigating various strategic scenarios, from IPOs and takeovers to capital raises and business turnarounds. His early career in software engineering provides a unique technology perspective, particularly relevant in his current focus on AI integration at Temple & Webster.

Special responsibilities:

• Member of the Nomination Committee
• Member of the People, Culture and Education Committee

 
Other current listed public Company Directorships:

• Temple & Webster Group Limited (appointed 1 May 2016)

 
Former listed public Company Directorships in the last three years:

• Best & Less Holdings (retired 30 September 2023)