Our Staff
Alana Anderson
Chief Executive Officer
Alana is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Alana Kaye College. Prior to starting up Alana Kaye College in 2011, Alana worked extensively in both private and public enterprises around Australia in Human Resource Management and Development.
Alana’s training and lecturing experience includes Higher Education, Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Corporate Training. Her expertise is in Strategic Planning, Business Planning, Leadership and Management training and the ongoing development of trainers in the VET sector.
Alana is an accredited Myers Briggs (MBTI) facilitator, Team Management Index (TMI) facilitator and DiSC Profile System trainer and provides consulting and training services to corporate clients across Australia.
Alana is the Chair of the Northern Territory Independent Tertiary Education Council of Australia (ITECA) Committee and on the National Board of ITECA. Alana’s experience is supported by her Master of Education (Leadership and Management), Med (L’ship&M’ment) and her Bachelor of Adult and Vocational Education (B.AVE).
Marcus Thomson
General Manager
Marcus is our General Manager responsible for the overall daily operations of the College and has been with Alana Kaye College since its inception in 2011. Previous to this position he was our National Training Manager for over six years. Marcus commenced his training careers many years ago when he began his first work experience job supporting corporate groups in their team training endeavours in the pursuit of a Total Quality management philosophy.
He then began work with a Corporate Training Company in South Australia. He worked closely with schools and underprivileged children providing training and adventurous pursuits, including abseiling, navigational exercises, canoeing and rafting experiences.
Marcus’ extensive experience is supported by his qualifications in Training and Assessment, Leadership and Management, Work Health and Safety, Security and Risk Management and he has completed his Diploma of Vocational Education and Training, Diploma of Training Design and Development and his Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management.
David Thomson
Manager International Operations
David joined us as our Operations Manager, initially responsible for implementing our capability in the security field and associated advanced technologies. David has since moved into the role of Manager International Operations, responsible for building relationships in all areas of International associations and business growth.
His background is extensive with over 20 years policing experience with both the Northern Territory Police and the Australian Federal Police (AFP). In his position with the AFP he held the dual rank of Federal Agent and Detective Leading Senior Constable and has experience both nationally and internationally.
David has a significant background in investigations, along with experience in both overt and covert methodologies. He has been the recipient of numerous medals and awards for his service, including Australia Day Achievement Medallion, Australian Federal Police Service Medal, National Police Service Medal, Commissioners Certificate, National Medal and AFP Operations Medal with several bars. David is a skilled communicator with extensive experience in management and leadership, training, coaching and mentoring. He is also skilled in the production and dissemination of intelligence and evidence and conducting high-level investigations across various crime types.
This vast experience is supported by his qualifications and training in Security Operations, Leadership and Management (Advanced Diploma), Diploma of Public Safety (Policing), Advanced Human Source Management, Counter Surveillance, National Surveillance and Remote Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) qualified and licensed. David is a champion of learning and empowerment of team members through leadership, management, motivation and mentoring in both high stress and challenging scenarios.
Catherine Beagley
National Training Manager
Catherine has worked with Alana Kaye College for over 10 years in varying capacities, most recently as State Manager for QLD and has now been appointed to the role of National Training Manager with overall responsibility for training operations and compliance. Catherine is also a highly experienced Training and Assessment, Business and Leadership and Management trainer and assessor and has a great reputation as a trainer in these areas.
Her knowledge of the vocational education and training sector is comprehensive and her experience and time with Alana Kaye College and in the VET industry, makes her an excellent leader for our training and compliance operations.
Catherine has numerous vocational qualifications including the Diploma of Training Design and Development, Diploma of Quality Auditing and the Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management and is currently undertaking the Graduate Diploma of Management.
Megan Johnston
RTO Branch Manager - Northern Territory
Megan has worked in the RTO industry for over five years, within multiple RTO’s in multiple positions such as Administrative Assistant, Campus Coordinator, and Training Support Coordinator and has now taken on the position of Branch Manager in our Northern Territory Campus . She is a strong leader of this team and an excellent support for both staff and students.
In 2019 she was a finalist for the GTNT trainee of the year award and was awarded an ‘Individually Tailored Personal Development Program’ from Biznorth.
During her years working in the RTO industry, she has successfully completed two business apprenticeships and well as her Certificate II in Retail Services, Certificate III in Business, Certificate IV in Business Administration, and Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, Diploma of Leadership and Management and Diploma of Training Design and Development.
Maria Cowell
International Partnerships Administrator
Maria is our Course Advisor and Student Recruitment Officer located in our Gold Coast Campus and we are very happy to have her on board. She comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the international student space and is an experienced customer service and public relations operator.
She has over 10 years experience in client services roles in a range of industries including academia, communications, student support and hospitality and holds a Bachelor in Journalism, a Diploma of Business and she is currently enrolled in TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
Maria started her journey in Australia on a working holiday from Chile in South America and then commenced as an international student in the Gold Coast in Queensland. She is now a proud Australian Citizen and, as a consequence of this, has an excellent understanding of the Australian student journey. Outside of her work Maria also loves reading, travelling and engaging in the many outdoor activities that Australia has to offer.
She has come on board at an exciting time in both the vocational industry in Australia, the international student space and Alana Kaye College and is looking forward to providing advice to potential and existing students throughout their journeys and to liaise with our key partners.
Allanah Bahnsen
Academic Manager - ELICOS
Allanah as our Academic Manager has a passion for education, learning and development. She has experience in both VET and ELICOS English College environments and is an advocate for quality standards in teaching and training. With a wealth of experience spanning over three decades, Allanah has extensive experience as a trainer, teacher, mentor, and facilitator. She has TAE40116 and TESOL certifications and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Communication from SCU.
Her background is in helping people and students achieve their goals through performance coaching, compliance, innovating business systems, identifying risk, TNA and LNA (Learning needs analysis), and developing learning resources and assessments. She has a strong affinity for logic and creativity which supports good student retention and satisfaction rates.
Allanah’s extensive experience is supported by her other qualifications in training and assessment, business, TESOL training, employability skills, workplace training, and human resources. She also has career experience as an internet radio host, author and editor, dance teacher, small business manager, relationship and trauma counsellor, and a career and job coach.
Brooke Lyons
Course and Field Placement Coordinator
Brooke in the past has completed studies in Retail Management and Makeup and Skin Care and has a strong background in retail management and visual merchandising with close to 10 years experience. Brooke is now completing her Certificate III in Business with plans to grow her knowledge and experience in the administration industry.
Jordy Thomson
Administration Assistant - ELICOS
Jordy has commenced work with Alana Kaye College and is responsible for student engagement and the administrative support for our Alana Kaye English College. She has previously worked in the Real Estate, Hospitality and Retail sectors which has given her a broad knowledge of the value of customer service and business environments.
Having completed her Bachelor of Psychological Science with Flinders University she is now looking forward to expanding her experience in the Education sector where she can utilise the knowledge she has gained through her studies.
Cordelia Thomson
Administration Assistant - Gold Coast
Cordelia has recently started with Alana Kaye College in our Gold Coast Campus as an Administration Assistant. Her role is to assist students and staff with the learning journey they are about to undertake. She has extensive experience in customer service and administrative support and is now completing TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
Sofia Oranles
Admissions Officer
Sofia is our Admission Officer and manages all of our admissions in both domestic and international enrolments. She has over 7 years of comprehensive experience and demonstrated expertise in supporting organisations by providing them with consistent administrative support. Sofia has administrative and human resource experience in an educational institution and real estate company, respectively.
She possesses effective time management to appropriately prioritise tasks and ensure timeliness of work completion while being proficient in offering high-quality services and providing professional and remarkable client support and experience.
Faye Abarquez
Admissions Officer
Jessica Francisco
Training Coordinator
Gail Cruz
Administrator
Gail is our first point of contact for telephone international student enquiries. She was introduced to the Australian RTO sector over twelve months ago and then commenced work with Alana Kaye College in December 2022. She has over eight years of experience working in an administration role including, accounts and billing, technical and customer support for United States, Canada and other international clients. She also spent three years working in Japan and this international experience has well prepared her to work for our international college. She is responsible for our accounts section, webpage updates and international phone enquiries.
To support her experience, Gail has completed her Digital marketing Certificate and is currently completing a User Experience (UX) Design course.
Kristal Formanes
Administrative Assistant
Kristal is multi-disciplined, specialising in visual identity design, marketing and editorial design, and digital illustrations. She started professionally designing in 2010, while working as a civil engineer. She has then further mastered the craft, and has been helping Alana Kaye College achieve marketing success by providing effective graphic design solutions. She is responsible for our branding and material design and helps and supports with administrative tasks as required.
Ross Lindsay
Trainer and Assessor (Training and Assessment and Project Management)
Ross has been with Alana Kaye College as our TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment trainer and assessor for over eighteen months and has extensive experience in the Vocational Training Sector. His training style is very interactive and inclusive and he spends considerable time with his students to help them through their studies. He specialises mainly in our training and assessment and project management qualifications.
Ross’s experience is supported by his qualifications in Diploma of Training Design and Development and the Diploma of Project Management.
Laura Ortiz
Trainer and Assessor (Individual Support, Ageing Support and Community Services)
Laura Ortiz is an experienced Collage Trainer who specialises in Certificate III in Individual Support, Certificate IV in Ageing Support and Diploma of Community Services. Originally from Colombia, Laura graduated from medical school in 2013 and has more than five years of experience working as a GP before moving to Australia in 2018. Since then, Laura has been actively involved in the Australian health sector with a focus on Aged Care and Community Services.
With Laura’s extensive background in medicine and healthcare, they bring a unique perspective to her role as a Trainer and Assessor. She has a passion for helping students gain practical skills and knowledge they can apply in real-world situations. Her goal is to provide a supportive learning environment that encourages growth and success for all students.
If you are willing to start your carrier in Australian’s health sector, Laura is an excellent resource for your training needs. She is dedicated to helping students achieve their professional goals and make a meaningful impact in the healthcare sector.
Kim Theyers
Trainer and Assessor (Early Childhood Education and Care)
Kim has been working in the Early Childhood sector for 27 years, 10 of those years as a Trainer and Assessor.
Kim has worked in various Early Childhood settings, primarily as a Diploma qualified Assistant Director, Director and as a Home-based Educator. She holds a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care, Diploma of School Aged Education and Care, as well as the TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
As a Trainer and Assessor, Kim acknowledges the value of continuous improvement, and reminds her students that learning does not stop on the day they complete their training – learning is a lifelong process. Her commitment to her students is exemplary as she continually works hard to offer provocation, motivation and delivers high quality teaching and support. Kim adapts her teaching mythology depending on the needs of her students, her approach is actively led by meeting the needs of the individual learner.
Kim demonstrates that she is passionate about VET, training and is committed to ensuring that her students are both job ready and/or prepared for further study.
Kylie Bennett
Trainer and Assessor (Business and Project Management)
Kylie has worked in the Business and Community Services industry for over 10 years and has over 11 years experience as a Trainer and Assessor at TAFE and University in the VET sector.
Kylie has managed her own Business area in local government and has worked in various Community Services settings, primarily specialising in Youth Services. She has completed a bachelor’s degree of social work and holds a Diploma of Management, Project Management, as well as the TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and is currently completing her Post-graduate in Vocational Education and Training. As a Trainer and Assessor, Kylie is passionate about providing meaningful training to students and believes learning is ongoing throughout life and teaching is about the student experience from start to finish.
Rhea Eugene
Trainer and Assessor (Community Services)
Rhea has been working in the Community care sector for many years and has worked closely with people in need for over 15 years. She has extensive experience working with the assessment of mental illness, ageing support, Alcohol and Other Drugs and has provided counselling, emotional support, referrals and case management throughout her working career. Rhea’s feedback from her students is excellent and she supports her students through their learning experience with sound advice and practical applications wherever possible.
Rhea’s experience in this sector is supported by her Master of Social Work with specialisation in Medical and Psychiatric Social Work and her Bachelors in Rehabilitation Science gained overseas at the Stella Maris College and the Holy Cross College.
Geoffrey Hickey
Consultant
Geoffrey Hickey has worked in the aviation industry for over 40 years as a pilot and captain of Boeing 747 and 777 aircraft. He has worked extensively in Australia, Asia, the Pacific and the Middle East. He has been a Captain with Emirates Airlines for ten years, Training Captain on B747 aircraft with China Airlines and his most recent position was with Qatar Airways as a Simulator Instructor and Examiner on the B777 aircraft.
Geoff has wide-ranging experience in managing long haul aircraft with a staff of over 20 and full capacity passengers of 400 or more. His leadership experience is extensive and he has managed staff during sometimes difficult situations. Geoff first commenced as a Pilot with Ansett Airways and has also been a flying instructor during his time in Australia.
Geoff comes on board as a consultant working closely with us to increase our capability, particularly in the aviation sector. Along with his experience, Geoff has also completed a Bachelor of Economics from Sydney University and is currently completing his training and assessing qualification.
Consultants
The Alana Kaye team are supported by a number of highly experienced consultants in our Gold Coast and Darwin schools who work closely with us to facilitate the learning process for our students. These include consultants in First Aid, Advanced Business and Leadership and Management, Work Health and Safety and Early Childhood Education and Care. These consultants have extensive industry experience with high level qualifications to support this work experience. They provide training in both qualification and short course requirements for students and corporate clients.