Leadership Team

Pejman joined G8 Education as CEO and Managing Director in January 2023.

Prior to joining the Group, Pejman has 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. 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 delivered through a passionate and capable team of educators, teachers and support team.

He holds a BA Hons in Business Studies from Leeds Business School, with further executive education at Babson College (USA) and INSEAD (Singapore).

Linda joined G8 Education in June 2024 as Chief People Officer, bringing extensive experience in people, culture and organisational leadership. In July 2026, Linda was appointed Chief Operating Officer and is now responsible for leading operational performance across the organisation’s national network of early childhood education and care centres. This appointment reflects Linda’s significant contribution to the organisation and broad leadership capabilities.

With more than a decade of executive experience in the early childhood education and care sector, Linda is passionate about creating environments where both people and organisations can thrive, combining a people-first approach with a focus on operational excellence.

Linda holds a Master of Business Administration (Human Resource Management), Certificate IV in Occupational Health and Safety and in Training and Assessment.

Steven Becker joined G8 Education as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in January 2025, bringing 35 years of extensive experience in finance and financial leadership. Having worked across diverse industries and organisational structures, Steven offers a broad skill set and expertise to his role.

Passionate about the impact of Early Childhood Education and Care on future generations, Steven combines his sector-specific knowledge with strong capabilities in strategic financial planning, governance, and operational efficiency.

Steven is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce, a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment, and a Master of Business Administration. He is also a Fellow of the Finance and Securities Institute of Australia.

Josie King joined G8 Education in August 2024 in the role of Chief Legal, Quality and Risk Officer, and Company Secretary.

Josie has more than 25 years’ experience in executive leadership, general counsel, company secretarial, corporate governance, risk management and compliance roles across a variety of sectors including financial services, resources, transport and retail. Josie’s experience includes mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, enterprise risk management and insurance.

Josie holds a Bachelor of Commerce, a Bachelor of Laws (Hons I) and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance. Ms King is a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute and the Governance Institute of Australia and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (Order of Merit).

Calvin, Chief Digital Officer at G8 Education, is a seasoned C-suite executive with over 15 years of experience in technology, customer experience, and marketing within ASX-listed companies across diverse industries. A champion of customer-centric digital solutions, he focuses on leveraging technology to enhance customer experiences and deliver measurable business outcomes.

At G8 Education, Calvin leads digital innovation, optimises marketing strategies, and strengthens customer engagement, contributing to the organisation’s position as an industry leader. His commitment to innovation aligns with G8’s mission of providing exceptional experiences for children and families. Calvin holds a degree in Information Technology with an extended major in Information Systems and several post-degree executive certifications.

Stewart commenced with G8 Education in 2019 and was appointed Chief People Officer in July 2026. Since joining the organisation, Stewart has held a number of senior leadership roles across the people and culture team, supporting major business transformation initiatives and leading strategies focused on capability, culture, engagement and organisational performance. Stewart is passionate about creating environments where people can thrive, grow and deliver exceptional outcomes.

With more than 25 years of human resources and people leadership experience, Stewart has worked across the early childhood education and care, retail and consumer sectors. His expertise spans people strategy, organisational transformation, workplace culture, leadership development, employee engagement and operational people management, with a strong focus on aligning people outcomes to business success.

Stewart holds a Graduate Diploma in Human Resources and Industrial Relations and a Bachelor of Arts in Organisational Communication.

Ali joined G8 Education in February 2022 as the Head of Early Learning and Education. She has worked in education for more than 30 years in roles that have focused on quality teaching and learning, leadership and mentoring, curriculum development, community partnerships, research, inclusion and wellbeing.

Ali has held senior roles across large early learning providers as well as roles in the tertiary sector. More recently she has held positions developing, leading and embedding strategic programs focussing on education, quality, reconciliation, inclusion and wellbeing.

Ali holds a Master of Educational Leadership and Policy and Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and Care. In 2023 she was nominated to a National Board position on Early Childhood Australia as well as being a member of the Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership Leadership Table.