Headquarters:

24 Glen Huntly Road, Elwood, Vic 3184

Year founded:

1918

Number of employees:

Phone:

03 9531 6560

Email:

office@scelwood.catholic.edu.au

Website:

stcolumbasprimary.org

LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/in/daniella-maddalena-49b30b340

“We prioritise embracing cutting-edge technologies, creative problem solving and continuous improvement to enhance our premium funding solutions and provide exceptional value to our clients”

Daniella Maddalena

Principal

Rachael Bulcock

STEAM Leader

Natalie Cromie

Deputy Principal

Leadership

Daniella Maddalena has led St Columba’s Primary School in Elwood as principal since 2015, guiding its evolution into a thriving IB PYP school focused on innovation, compassion and holistic education. Under her leadership, the school achieved IB World School status in 2021 and earned The Educator’s 5-Star Innovative Schools award in 2024 for its excellence in sustainability, student agency and future-focused learning. With over 30 years of experience and a Master of Educational Leadership, she champions inclusive, evidence-informed teaching, wellbeing initiatives, community engagement and global-minded inquiry.

Principal

Daniella Maddalena

Rachael Bulcock brings warmth, creativity and a passion for innovation to her role on the leadership team at St Columba’s Primary School. She loves inspiring students through hands-on STEAM learning, leading programs such as Robotics, STEAM Club and the school’s digital wellbeing initiatives. With over 13 years of teaching experience, Bulcock combines her love of technology with a strong focus on student wellbeing, ensuring every child feels valued and supported. She is proud to help shape a school where curiosity, compassion and innovation come together and where students are encouraged to dream big and make a difference.

STEAM Leader

Rachael Bulcock

Natalie Cromie is the deputy principal at St Columba’s Primary School, bringing over 20 years of experience across Catholic education. With a background in teaching all primary year levels and holding multiple leadership positions, she is highly respected for her expertise in learning diversity and inclusive education. She is passionate about ensuring every child has equitable access to learning, guided by her philosophy: “good for one, useful for all.” A mentor to colleagues and an advocate for innovation, Cromie fosters collaboration, risk-taking and student-centred practice, helping shape a school culture where both staff and students thrive.

Deputy Principal

Natalie Cromie

BRETT BASTOW, IQUMULATE PREMIUM FUNDINGs

Leadership

Nicole Spence

PYP Coordinator

Nicole Spence is an experienced educator with over 20 years in the classroom, 15 of those within IB World Schools. She has a deep commitment to both student learning and environmental care, encouraging young people to think big and believe in their potential. She loves helping students take ownership of their learning while guiding them to appreciate the world around them. She also supports her fellow teachers by fostering creativity and innovation in their practice. Spence’s goal is simple: to inspire a community where students and teachers feel confident, capable and motivated to keep learning throughout life.

PYP Coordinator

Nicole Spence

Bern Bradley

Wellbeing Leader

Bern Bradley is a much-loved wellbeing leader and a true cornerstone of St Columba’s. Having served as deputy principal for more than 15 years, she has guided countless students, families and staff with her wisdom, warmth and steady presence. She is passionate about creating a safe and supportive environment where every child feels they belong and can thrive. Bradley leads the school’s wellbeing programs, helping students grow in resilience, kindness and confidence while also supporting teachers and families with care and expertise. Her unwavering commitment has shaped the heart of the school community for decades.

Wellbeing Leader

Bern Bradley

Stevens & Associates Lawyers is a leading and trusted employment law firm based in Sydney known for delivering high-quality legal expertise in the area of employment law and industrial relations across Australia, alongside a proven track record of effectively and swiftly resolving a variety of workplace law issues. In the past year, the firm’s growth has been notable. It has: • experienced a 213% growth in the number of client matters, increasing from 149 client matters in the 2022 financial year to 390 client matters in the 2023 financial year • improved its online visibility, leading to over 50 online enquiries each month and a conversion rate of client leads of up to 40% • significantly expanded the breadth and type of matters that it advises on day to day, which has increased the firm’s skillsets, diversity and resilience • expanded its community outreach by collaborating with local Sydney venues for client seminars and continuing active participation in a Sydney small/family business group Stevens & Associates Lawyers has adapted to digital trends by implementing an effective strategy with SEO and web design, resulting in a structural shift that has seen increased representation of employees where the firm previously mainly advised employers. The firm’s recognition as a “Fast Firm” attests to its momentum in the employment law space.

“IQumulate is on a technology journey, and we’re just getting started”

Wayne Tower, IQumulate Premium Funding

Jane Dixon

Senior Leader

Meaghan Payne

Junior Leader

Kathy Pallasis

Manager, Human Resources

Pam Chhabra

Manager – Residential Strata

Jane Dixon is a dedicated educator with a strong focus on student wellbeing and inclusivity. She is passionate about building meaningful relationships with students and fostering a culture of belonging where every child feels valued and supported. Dixon is a strong advocate for the IB inquiry-based approach at St Columba’s, believing that preparing students for the future requires nurturing critical and creative thinkers. In her leadership role, she prioritises collaboration with colleagues, ensuring that teaching and learning strategies empower students to be curious, confident and resilient learners who are eager to embrace challenges and make a positive impact.

Senior Leader

Jane Dixon

Meaghan Payne is an accomplished educator with more than 18 years of experience across diverse educational settings, both in Australia and internationally. At St Columba’s, she is dedicated to fostering inclusive, student-centred learning environments where every child feels valued and empowered. With extensive expertise in IB schools, Payne is deeply committed to inquiry-based learning, encouraging student agency, critical thinking and responsibility towards others. She is highly skilled at adapting teaching strategies to meet the unique needs of her learners and demonstrates a strong commitment to professional growth. In her leadership role, Payne supports the junior school team to deliver engaging, high-quality teaching and learning. Her work contributes significantly to St Columba’s mission of inclusivity, innovation and holistic education.

Junior Leader

Meaghan Payne

Kathy Pallasis, manager, human resources at Frontier Software, leads HR strategy and operations from Melbourne. She oversees policy development, employee relations, and internal communications, working closely with senior leadership and cross-functional teams. Pallasis is known for her clear, responsive communication and collaborative approach. She manages employee records, supports strategic planning and coordinates workplace logistics. With experience in enterprise software, payroll systems and governance, Pallasis is a trusted resource for internal stakeholders. She holds a humanities degree, is a member of AHRI, and actively contributes to continuous improvement and inclusive workplace practices through policy and operational leadership.

Manager, Human Resources

Kathy Pallasis

Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager. As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.

Commercial Manager

Stephen McMillan

One culmination of these efforts has been the real-world, needs-based IQEdge solution. A one-stop online quoting tool designed for both the Australian and New Zealand markets, IQEdge delivers quotes in under 60 seconds. Plus, the solution offers quote comparison and quote versioning capabilities, enabling users to review vital historical and financial data in a single page view. IQEdge can streamline and automate application processing, underwriting document verification and payment collection, cutting the need for manual labour and minimising processing errors. A digital “self-service” platform, IQEdge, reduces the need for customer and administrative support. Meanwhile, borrowers can access their accounts, make payments and manage their policies independently and through sales and support teams, which are always available for further assistance. “We’ve created a quality platform that simplifies the quoting process yet amplifies the customer experience,” says Gordon. “It’s a real game changer.” IQumulate offers an online digital quoting tool to clients. The best-in-market solution enables IQumulate to tailor funding offerings to brokers that align with their prefered distribution channel.

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What does IQumulate have in mind for the future? “IQumulate is on a technology journey, and we’re just getting started,” says Wayne Tower, CEO. “Through continuous engagement with our clients, partners, marketplace and industry, we will listen to the needs as they arise and position our business to be agile and respond to changes as they occur. “Faster decision-making innovations such as AI-powered decision support systems can expedite the underwriting and approval process, leading to quicker responses to clients. This can improve client satisfaction and potentially attract more business, creating a competitive advantage with the potential to allow IQumulate to command premium pricing or capture a larger market share. “As forward-thinkers with a digital and ‘do it better’ mindset, we collectively and proactively look to learn and improve on our customer experience for our clients, paving the way for successful business outcomes for our clients and our business in the coming years ahead. “We’re excited for the future and look forward to what’s on the horizon.”

Adam Basaldella

Manager – Claims

Product Manager

Claire Watson

Commercial Manager

Stephen McMillan

Claire Watson

Product Manager

Claire Watson

Product Manager

Claire Watson

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Spokesperson, Salesian College Chadstone

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Spokesperson, Salesian College Chadstone

Ivan Verescuk

Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director

Shaun O’Brien

Head of Underwriting

Emily Walker

Head of Strata and Development

Rex Oakman

Head of Operations and Risk

Sandy Newton

Head of Underwriting

Andrew Mitchell

Manager – NSW

Michael Prokopis

Manager – Southern Region

Pam Chhabra

Manager – Residential Strata

Jeffrey Valdivia

Manager – Commercial Strata

Adam Basaldella

Manager – Claims

St Columba’s Primary School is a dynamic IB PYP World School where innovation meets heart. Grounded in Catholic values of service, respect and justice, the school cultivates global citizenship, environmental stewardship and a deep sense of community. Every child is known, valued and supported to grow, academically, socially and spiritually. With its boutique size, St Columba’s offers truly personalised learning, ensuring students are both supported and challenged. Led by Principal Daniella Maddalena and a dedicated leadership team specialising in wellbeing, learning diversity and specialist areas, the school fosters a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement and innovation. St Columba’s blends academic excellence with authentic, real-world learning. Students achieve award-winning results in mathematics and thrive in innovative STEAM programs that spark creativity, problem-solving and critical thinking. Technology enhances learning at every level, empowering students to explore, create and problem-solve in authentic ways. From the junior years, students begin coding with Bee-Bots, progressing to Sphero robotics in the middle and senior years. They explore engineering and design with LEGO WeDo, Makey-Makey electronics and an upgraded 3D printer in Years 3–6. STEAM and classroom iPads/laptops support digital literacy and creativity across the curriculum. In Media Arts, students engage with professional tools such as stop motion animation, green screen technology and film lighting equipment, producing high-quality digital projects that build storytelling and technical skills. To ensure learning is safe and effective, Hapara monitoring software is used to guide responsible digital behaviour, and the Compass LMS streamlines communication, wellbeing tracking and reporting. Extracurricular opportunities, from Robotics and Eco Warriors to Dance, Sport and Games Club, allow students to explore passions and build connections across year levels. Leadership and voice are central, with an active SRC, student-led sustainability programs, and partnerships that connect learning to the wider community. Wellbeing is embedded in every facet of school life through a tiered framework led by a dedicated Wellbeing Coordinator, supported by initiatives such as The Resilience Project, Inform & Empower Digital Wellbeing and St Columba’s Kids. Diversity and inclusion are celebrated through curriculum, events and enrolment practices, ensuring every student feels a sense of belonging. At St Columba’s, the mission is clear: to educate the whole child. Through inquiry, faith formation, extracurricular opportunities, sustainability projects and community connections, students graduate as confident, capable and compassionate global citizens, ready to shape the future with curiosity and courage.

IQumulate invests in education and people, which are vital to attracting new business and talent to the company. “We have long tenures for several of our key staff, including some in leadership positions, and this sound working knowledge of our business, practices and industry provides great insights and a wealth of experience to offer our clients,” says Bastow. “Our new head of sales, Graeme Gordon, formerly manager for New Zealand, joins us in Australia to drive our sales strategy and lead our team to successful outcomes for our clients and our business. We look forward to great things ahead with Graeme as he continues to be active and present in the New Zealand market as well as building sound working relationships and new connections in Australia.” Clients can also expect a lot from working with IQumulate. “Through active engagement with our trusted broker network, IQumulate provides relevant information, education and training content,” says Graeme Gordon, head of sales. “Our clients can expect IQumulate to support their business in several ways, providing an understanding of what premium funding solutions are available and how IQumulate can spread the cost of insurance and help borrowers get the right level of insurance cover to free up their cash flow for other expenses or business growth opportunities. Premium funding is often considered a tool for those who simply cannot afford to pay their premiums in full. While this is certainly a significant driver for many, it is also successfully used by profitable companies who use premium funding to manage their cash flows more wisely or better manage their liquidity.”

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Overall

Under the leadership of Principal Mark Ashmore and the College Board, Salesian College Chadstone fosters a positive, professional and growth-oriented environment. With a focus on continuous improvement, the college has achieved record academic results, rising ATAR scores, stronger attendance and national recognition in child safety, including the 2025 Victorian Protecting Children Award. The college celebrated the outstanding achievement of Year 12 student Thomas Maguire-Nguyen, who was named Overall VCE Leader of the Year by the Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Nina Taylor MP. The college has also proudly led the way in innovation through its partnership with Uniform Group and designer Peter Morrissey to launch Australia’s first bespoke, designer-curated school uniform collection, coinciding with the opening of the new Year 7 and 8 Precinct campus in 2026. Salesian College Chadstone’s extra-curricular program develops students’ talents and passions in team environments. Key activities include house sports, debating, peer mentoring, Associated Catholic Colleges (ACC) sports across 55 teams, instrumental music and public speaking. The college collaborates with its partner Girls Schools Sacred Heart Girls College and Avila College for musical productions, leadership experiences and community events, providing the opportunity for cross-school teamwork and connection, reinforcing the college’s commitment to holistic development, leadership and community engagement. Technology is another priority and underpins the college’s strategy of delivering a contemporary education. Over the last 12 months, the college has introduced a series of initiatives: ICT Future Directions committee – exploring the use of technology for communication, data analysis and learning Risk Wizard – risk management, incident tracking and compliance monitoring software Employee Connect – HR and onboarding software Alumnly – integrated cloud-based Alumni Networking and Management Platform for Alumni of Salesian College Chadstone Vivi – whole school wireless mirroring system for efficient classroom displays Intellischools – data platform for student results, attendance and security, aggregating student data for school improvement IVR (Interactive Voice Response) – system for telephone enquiry management Committed to diversity and inclusion, the college’s Learning Diversity team ensures the varied needs of students are met in an environment where every student can thrive. Salesian College Chadstone is a place where academic excellence, personal growth and community spirit converge, preparing young men for an interconnected world while staying true to its Salesian values.