FEATURED EXCELLENCE AWARDEE

Adrian Camm

“I had a picture of a house, and the house was Premiere Mortgage Centre”

Kerri Reed, Premiere Mortgage Centre

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WINNER: Australian School Principal of the Year

www.westbournegrammar.com

Westbourne Grammar School

info@westbourne.vic.edu.au

03 9731 9444

300 Sayers Road, Truganina VIC 3029

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WINNER: Australian School Principal of the Year

Dr Adrian Camm

facebook.com/lindisfarnegrammar

@stmichaelsgrammarschool

1188 Whakue St, Rotorua Central, Rotorua

@WindangPS

Adrian Camm isn’t just passionate about education – he’s passionate about empowering the people around him who live and breathe it in their day-to-day work. As principal of Westbourne Grammar School, Adrian has redefined what leadership looks like through a forward-thinking distributed leadership model, ensuring every staff member has a voice, a purpose and a pathway to make meaningful change.

Invico Capital Corporation (“Invico”) is an award-winning Canadian investment fund management firm that has been providing alternative investing and financing solutions in Canada and the U.S. since its inception in 2005. The Calgary-based firm offers a range of private debt, energy, and real estate financing solutions that assist corporations in pursuing strategic acquisitions, financing capital expenditures and growth programs, and supporting working capital requirements. Invico currently serves as the Investment Fund Manager for six funds, including the award-winning Invico Diversified Income Fund, which seeks to generate monthly returns for unitholders through a diversified portfolio of high-yield lending strategies and energy working interests across North America. This investment strategy serves as the foundation for the Fund’s niche hybrid structure, which combines approximately two-thirds privately negotiated debt with one-third direct participation in oil and gas wells. The success of Invico and IDIF’s strategy was made clear in 2022, with the firm’s assets under management (AUM) growing from $1.4 billion to over $2.1 billion and IDIF’s AUM rising from $342 million to over $424 million. Additionally, IDIF’s innovative investment approach achieved several milestones over a 12-month period, including the issuance of over 100 consecutive distributions, a record annual capital raise, the sale of a subsidiary business for over $51 million, which was returned to the Fund, and the announcement of four additional distributions above the targeted rate of return. Beyond the portfolio benefits offered by IDIF, Invico stands out in the Canadian private capital markets as a leader in diversity and inclusion efforts. The firm is overseen by one of the investment industry’s few female CEOs, Allison Taylor, and is proud to have a majority-female workforce that includes a C-suite comprised of 60% women and an investment team comprised of 56% women. Additionally, as a member of the 30% Club Canada, the company promotes gender balance at the board and management levels of both public and private companies. Invico is also deeply committed to the broader community and has demonstrated various charitable initiatives, including introducing a charitable matching policy and a separate volunteer hours policy to encourage staff engagement. This initiative complements Invico’s extensive charity work, which included donations to over 22 local and national charities in 2022. Further, Invico offers extensive advisory support and boasts a dedicated nationwide sales team, which includes native French-speaking members that service both the exempt market and Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (“CIRO,” formerly the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada) channels. Invico is also pleased to provide an in-house Investor Portal that has garnered attention from other private capital funds, with three additional entities adopting it for their use. With the capacity to generate over 22,000 investor statements each quarter and manage upwards of 24,000 accounts, the Investor Portal is a key tool in managing investors’ portfolios from 11 provinces and territories across Canada. Lastly, as the winner of the Alternative Investment Solutions Provider of the Year at the 2023 Wealth Professional Awards, Invico is well-positioned to further its mission of transforming the Canadian investment landscape.

The Lakes College Culinary Club (TLCCC) started with a team of 12 students and has now expanded to over 30 members, showcasing its continued success through participation in college events and even catering for local community organisations. This program not only imparts valuable culinary skills but also teaches the significance of community service, fosters practical abilities and cultivates a professional work ethic. Spanning ages 11 to 18, the Culinary Club challenges students to create elaborate six-course degustation dinners and manage large-scale catering for college gatherings. Chloe, a Year 7 student, praises the program for imparting essential life skills in an enjoyable way among friends. Likewise, Emily values the connections she forms despite the program’s demanding pace. Under the guidance of Chef Joel, TLCCC contributes to the college’s ethos and the students’ personal growth. The program’s commitment to local ingredients and culinary adventures is evident as it expands to include barista training and Responsible Service of Alcohol certification. The program seamlessly merges science, art and food technology, promoting discipline and shared responsibility. TLCCC embodies a commitment to service, community engagement and student leadership, cementing its unique character and contribution to The Lakes College.

youtube.com/@canterburycollege-waterford

Principal and Managing Director

By flattening hierarchies and amplifying voices across the school, this approach has sparked cultural transformation, laying the groundwork for national recognition and setting a benchmark for school leadership in the 21st century. At the Australian Education Awards 2025 on Friday 8 August, Adrian was recognised as the Compass Australian School Principal of the Year, also bagging several other awards on behalf of his school. Westbourne Grammar took home the School Principal of the Year – Non-government and Innovation in Curriculum Design accolades, including Excellence Awards in the categories of Best Use of Technology, Innovation in Learning Environment Design and Best School Strategic Plan. ‘Great school leaders embrace people first’ In an interview with The Educator following the Awards, Adrian said great school leaders of today adopt a pedagogy of listening and use what they hear to shape their school for the better. “Great school leaders embrace people first,” Adrian told The Educator. “They grow and empower people, elevate the profession publicly and provide pathways that retain and attract talent.” Another key attribute of a great school leader, said Adrian, is challenging the status quo. “They think differently and are not constrained by the structures of the world around them – they push through perceived and real barriers in order to achieve better outcomes for their community,” he said. “Great leaders also respect the history and tradition of their schools, and yet they think systemically, embrace innovation and are constantly looking to the future, ensuring they are engaging and inspiring the eager young minds of tomorrow.” ‘People understand there is a pathway for them at the school’ Adrian said distributed leadership at Westbourne has lifted wellbeing, retention and culture. “By spreading decision-making across the school, we have reduced bottlenecks, accelerated change, and staff are contributing to the advancement of the school in many different ways,” he said. “Workloads are more balanced, timelines are shaped by those closest to the work, and workplace flexibility has contributed to a psychologically safe environment.” Adrian said staff retention is stronger at Westbourne Grammar because people understand that there is a pathway for them here at the school. “Our attrition is as low as it has ever been. We continue to attract the very best people who want to work here,” he said. “Culture has improved dramatically over the last four years as people are seen, heard and valued.” The school measures all this in a variety of ways. “One of the most compelling anecdotes is the fact we had 45 staff on our digital transformation committee,” Adrian said. “Via our distributed leadership model, everyone on this committee, whether you were a Year 2 teacher or our database manager, was given the end-to-end responsibility for the delivery of a key strategic priority.” Adrian said this empowers staff, building their capacity, confidence and connectedness to the school while also accelerating positive change. People will need to be a strategic focus for leaders Amid a changing economic, political and social landscape, there are many challenges that will continue over the next five to 10 years, said Adrian. “Teacher, student and principal wellbeing continues to be an issue for schools,” he said. “Teacher shortages are endemic in some areas, exacerbated by the constant negative rhetoric from some media outlets, positioning teachers and schools as the ones to blame for anything and everything.” Despite the challenges, Adrian believes it is the most exciting time in history to be leading and teaching in schools. “I am an optimist, and the future is arriving faster than we think,” he said. “The advancement of AI is the biggest technological transformation the world has seen since the widespread adoption of the internet, so whether we like it or not, it is here to stay, and we need to adapt.” Adrian said that while schools must continue providing young people with opportunities to learn languages, philosophy, music and the arts, they must also think beyond the curricula of the last 100 years to maintain relevance. “That’s how we honour our heritage and deliver for today’s and tomorrow’s families,” he said. “The next decade will demand more from school leaders perhaps than in any time before.” People will need to be a strategic focus for leaders, Adrian said. “Indeed, people will increasingly become the strategy. Place, in terms of facilities and culture, will become the enabler and programs the unique promise. “The best leaders over the next decade will be the best learners and those who build the very best teams of people,” he added. “The best leaders will then get out of their way, enabling them to do their best work.”

Principal and Managing Director

PhD, MSL, Grad Dip Ed, B App Sci, FACEL, GAICD