Our Team | IHEA

Executive leadership

IHEA’s executive team provides expert representation, support and service to our members. All of our team are committed to building respect and recognition for independent higher education and supporting our members to be leaders in best practice and quality.

The Hon. Dr Peter Hendy

IHEA Chief Executive Officer

Peter is the CEO of Independent Higher Education Australia. Most recently he has been an economic consultant with a number of board memberships and was a Commissioner on the Commonwealth Grants Commission in Australia.

He was the Chief Economist in the Prime Minister’s Office 2016-17, and immediately before that, as a Member of Parliament and as a Federal Minister of State (ie the Assistant Minister for Finance, Assistant Cabinet Secretary, Assistant Minister for Productivity and Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister), he was involved in the key policy debates and regularly attended Cabinet meetings.

He has worked extensively internationally as a consultant, principally in Asia and the Middle East. He was an Executive Director of the Bahrain Economic Development Board in 2009-2010. Between 2002 and 2008 he was the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry where he was a leading spokesman on behalf of the Australian business community. He was also chairman of International Chamber of Commerce (Australia).

Peter has also been a member of the audit board for a major review of the Australian University Qualities Agency, the forerunner of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA). He was also a member of the CEOs committee of the former Australian National Training Authority; a member of a national review undertaken by the Training and Technical Education Advisory Committee; and a member of the Business and Industry Higher Education Council. He has also served on the advisory committee of the former Australian Education International.

Besides working in the Prime Minister’s Office, Peter has also previously been the Chief of Staff of the Minister for Defence; of the Federal Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business; and of the Federal Minister for Education, Science and Training. He has also been Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Federal Opposition in 2008. In total he has spent 19 years working in Parliament House.

In 2003, he was awarded a Centenary Medal by the Governor General for “service to Australian society in business leadership”. He has a PhD (thesis on Economics & Government) and started his career in the Australian Treasury. He is the author of three books.

Scott Clayton

IHEA Operations Manager

Scott has extensive experience in business operations and has held roles in a number of industries including management consulting, IT, finance and HR.

Scott also understands the unique concerns of the independent higher education sector, having worked as Chief Operations Officer for an independent provider. Scott’s sound knowledge of HR policies and procedures, financial management and business administration has enabled him to bring innovative and efficient systems to IHEA’s operations.

Dr James Hart

IHEA Chief of Policy

James has extensive experience in higher education policy and research having worked for the last nine years at the Australian Government Department of Education and Training, and prior to that, Department of Industry, Science and Resources.

Within his career at the Department of Education and Training, James has provided leadership as Acting Deputy Secretary for Skills and Training as well as in a number of First Assistant Secretary roles, including higher education, research and economics, strategic policy and data analytics.

James also played a key role in the development of the inaugural international education strategy.

At the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, James led the consolidation and streamlining of Australian Government skills’ programs and led tertiary infrastructure policy and programs.