Our Staff

Dr Mark Schembri was appointed as the 21st Rector of St John’s College in July 2022. He has been an educational leader at university colleges more than 20 years at Harvard, UNSW, and the University of Sydney.

A graduate in both Veterinary Science and Human Medicine from the University of Sydney with First Class Honours, and a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Harvard, Mark’s career has taken him from Dubai to Royal Randwick and to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where he served as a veterinarian for the Australian Equine Olympic Team. In 2009 he was awarded the General John Monash Scholarship for study at Harvard University and was an academic tutor at Kirkland House. There he rowed for Dudley House and was veterinarian to the Harvard horse polo team.

Mark has a distinguished record as an equine veterinarian where he also serves as a member of the Australian College of Veterinary Surgeons in Theriogenology. In 2007 he was elected the youngest-ever councillor of the Royal Agricultural Society and presently serves as its Vice-President. He remains a veterinarian for the Australian Turf Club and he loves working at the beloved Randwick racecourse. He was a Crown Prince of Dubai scholar in 2001 working in the world-renowned Dubai Equine Clinic. Mark now also works as a doctor in women’s health at Royal North Shore Hospital, after having completed his internship and resident years at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

Mark currently serves on the Board of the General John Monash Foundation and is Vice President of the Sydney University Rugby Club. He is a keen musician (clarinet and trumpet) and he is the Musical Conductor and Director of the Sydney World Youth Day Orchestra, with which he continues to organise annual Christmas Carols and community musical events. In 2001, he presented the World Youth Day Sydney bid to Pope John Paul II on behalf of the youth organising committee.

Peter Cunich has been College Historian since 2022 and was appointed Vice-Rector in 2025, but his connection with the College stretches back to the 1980s when he was Tutor in History from 1985 and Senior Tutor in 1987. Leaving Sydney University with a Masters degree in late Medieval History, Peter completed his doctoral studies in Tudor economic and ecclesiastical history under Sir Geoffrey Elton at Cambridge University in 1990, and was a Fellow of Magdalene College until 1993.

The majority of Peter’s career as a late Medieval and Early Modern historian was spent at the University of Hong Kong, where he taught for nearly thirty years, retiring in 2021. During that time, he was Head of Department, Associate Dean, and chairman of numerous committees involving undergraduate teaching, postgraduate research, and campus development. From 1999 to 2021 he was Director of the Hong Kong University Centenary History Project.

Peter plans to complete his history of St John’s College during the 2026 academic year.

For 25 years Christie was the Director of Christie Breakspear and Associates P/L, a consultancy specialising in discrimination and harassment law, workplace mediation, conflict resolution, diversity management, training and policy development. She has also been a university tutor, lecturer and researcher in the area of workplace relations/organisational behaviour at the University of Sydney (USYD) and the University of NSW (UNSW).

She has worked in the public, private and higher education sectors as an educator, mediator, facilitator and investigator. Clients include the Macquarie Group, JP Morgan, Deloitte Australia, Westmead Hospital, USYD, UNSW, UTS, Australian National University, University of Canberra, and the Federal Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

From 2010-2021, Christie was the external consultant to the six residential colleges at USYD. In this capacity, she provided professional advice to executive staff, carried out numerous reviews, presented sessions on harassment, discrimination, bullying and hazing to staff and students and conducted investigations into complaints of sexual harassment and assault. Christie is passionate about the issues of gender equity, diversity and work/life balance. She practises Pilates, ocean swims, jogs, walks and is a keen student of Spanish.

The Hon John Sackar AM KC holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Laws from the University of Sydney.

He was admitted to the New South Wales Bar in 1975 and appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1987. During his distinguished career at the Bar, he practised extensively across all Australian jurisdictions at both trial and appellate level, and also appeared in courts in Asia and the United Kingdom. His practice encompassed a broad range of complex commercial and equity matters.

In February 2011, he was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, sitting in the Equity Division, where he served with distinction until his retirement in February 2024.

In recognition of his service to the law and the judiciary, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2024 Australia Day Honours. In 2022 he was appointed by Premier Dominic Perrottet to inquire into a number of alleged unsolved homicides in the LGBTI community. He delivered his report in December 2023. In 2025, he was appointed by the NSW Government to conduct an independent review into criminal law protections against the incitement of hatred for vulnerable communities, with his report delivered to Government in November 2025. In 2026, he was appointed an Ordinary Bencher (Master of the Bench) of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, a senior honorary position within one of the Inns of Court in London, awarded to distinguished members of the legal profession in recognition of their contribution to the law.

He is a highly respected jurist, and students, especially those studying law, at St John’s College are privileged to benefit from his wisdom, experience, and continued contribution to the legal profession.

Christina Goh is an experienced higher education professional with over 16 years in university college administration. As Registrar, she oversees the full admissions cycle for both new and returning students, with a focus on strengthening the College’s ability to attract a diverse and high-quality applicant pool across residential and affiliate pathways.

In her role as Executive Officer, Christina works closely with senior College staff to coordinate meetings, prepare agenda materials, and monitor the progress of key actions, ensuring effective governance and operational continuity.

Outside of her professional responsibilities, Christina is a devoted mother and wife who enjoys exploring food and spending time with her dog, Alfie.

Richard Perrignon studied violin under Eva Kelly of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra while on scholarship at the NSW State Conservatorium of Music, later studying under Dorel Tincu of the Sydney String Quartet.

He studied organ under the Principal Organist of Sydney University, Norman Johnston. For 16 years he served as organist to the Blessed Sacrament Fathers at Haymarket, in the City of Sydney, and is now organist at the historic church of St Mary Immaculate and St Athanasius, Manly.

He was appointed Director of Music at Holy Name Priory, Wahroonga, from 1996 to 2000, before becoming artistic director of vocal ensemble Capella Sublima in 2000, with which he has recorded for the ABC among others. In 2007 he was appointed to the Music Committee of World Youth Day Week, and in 2008 conducted the first musical performance for World Youth Day in the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House.

He was commissioned by the Dominican Order to compose and conduct Vespers for World Youth Day Week at the Great Hall of Sydney University for the Primate of Austria, Cardinal Schonborn OP. He has conducted choirs at St Mary’s Cathedral for 25 years, including at the annual Red Mass. Richard was elected a Fellow of the College from 2006 to 2010. He was appointed the College’s Master of Sacred Music from 2008, and later its Director of Music. He is a composer of sacred music and writes regularly for Masses at the College. He is also organist and choirmaster at the University of Notre Dame at St Benedict’s Church, Broadway campus.

He plays organ during the Easter Triduum in Holy Week each year in Rome at the baroque Basilica Santi XII Apostoli.

Ivan Head is the College Librarian. He has a lifelong engagement with books, curriculum and learning in university settings. He has been a student at the University of Western Australia, the University of Melbourne, Glasgow University and the University of Divinity (Melbourne). He taught at Murdoch University WA. His doctorate is from Glasgow, in the discipline of New Testament Language and Literature. His first major was in philosophy, and he reads widely in history, the history of ideas and in English language poetry.

About a hundred of his own poems have found publication, and his poems, essays and reviews appear regularly in the Australian monthly, Quadrant. He was head of two university colleges for a total of 27 years, Christ College Hobart and St Paul’s College Sydney. He welcomes discussion and questions from students on any topic or research area.

Jacob is the Dean of Students (Student Affairs) at the College. He has undergraduate degrees in Economics and Law from the University of Sydney, the latter with First Class Honours. His academic record includes both the University of Sydney Academic Merit Prize and the Dean’s List of Academic Excellence. In his role at the College he advises on events, activities and culture-setting within the student body. He is currently studying for the Bachelor of Civil Law at the University of Oxford as the Peter Cameron Sydney Oxford Scholar, while on leave from his role as a solicitor in commercial and environmental litigation at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer.

At the start of his career, Jacob was Researcher to the Chief Justice at the Supreme Court of New South Wales, in which capacity he assisted the Chief Justice with a wide variety of legal and historical research. He was also an Associate to Justice Hmelnitsky in the Court’s Equity Division.

Jacob was born and raised in New Zealand and remains a passionate supporter of the All Blacks. His interests include current affairs, modern art and jazz music.

Matt has been a counsellor for our students since August 2022. Matt graduated in Medicine from the University of NSW with the University Medal before completing a Masters in Neuroscience at the University of Oxford as the inaugural Tim Fisher-General Sir John Monash Scholar.

He works clinically in the Department of Psychiatry, Royal North Shore Hospital. He offers counselling, advice and mentorship for St John’s students. Matt offers positive professional support to bring out the best life for our students. While at university Matt founded Springboard Education, a charitable tutoring organisation that has provided free tutoring and educational resources to thousands of students in rural Australia. He has worked extensively within the Australian Medical Association and the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing to resolve challenges in aged care for rural and remote Australia.

Matt is a passionate and talented singer and has performed with the Sydney Philharmonic Choir. He enjoys rugby union, running triathlons, writing poetry and performing with his guitar.

Jessica holds a Master of Counselling from the University of New England and is involved as a Crisis Supporter at Lifeline Australia.

After graduating from the University of Sydney in 2013 with a Bachelor of Political, Economic and Social Sciences, Jessica worked in the not-for-profit sector for over a decade, supporting causes in health, welfare and education.

Jessica provides confidential counselling to students at St John’s College, supporting their wellbeing as they navigate the challenges of university life.

Outside of work, Jessica enjoys reading and kayaking.

Mary-Jean O’Doherty is an international opera singer with degrees in Voice and Flute Performance, and Psychology. She commenced the role of Dean of Students (Arts) in August 2022. Mary-Jean was the first recipient of the Australian International Opera Award to study at the Cardiff International Academy of Voice in Wales at Cardiff University, UK.

Mary-Jean has performed the roles of Naiad and Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos for Welsh National Opera. She performed the title role of Lucia in Prague State Opera’s production of Lucia di Lammermoor. Mary-Jean made her debut at the Royal Albert Hall, London, singing the “Queen of the Night’s vengeance aria” in Raymond Gubbay’s Classical Spectacular concert. She won first prize in the 2013 Paris Opera Awards, performing Lakme’s Bell Song in the Salle Gaveau with orchestra.

In May 2015 Mary-Jean represented Armenia as part of the group Genealogy at the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. In 2019 Mary-Jean performed the role of the Italian Princess in London Armenian Opera’s production of Stepanian’s Kaj Nazar. She also sang as the soprano soloist for Rossini’s Stabat Mater in Llandaff Cathedral, Wales. She has also performed roles with the English National Opera, Longborough Festival Opera, Tiroler Festpiele Erl, and Teatro Communale Bolzano.

Mary-Jean has an abiding passion for positive influence of music in the lives of young people. During her post-graduate course at the International Academy of Voice in Cardiff, she participated in a project which involved a collaboration with local schools in creating an opera-scenes show. Mary-Jean is lead soprano in the St John’s College choir and loves singing with students at Formal Dinner.

Joseph Suttie is our Dean of Students (Professional Development). He holds degrees in medicine, law and philosophy, with a doctorate from Oxford as a General Sir John Monash Scholar.

He also studied genetics at Cambridge on a Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Scholarship. He completed post-doctoral studies at Oxford as a Nuffield Fellow and supervised public health research at Harvard Medical School. He returned to the Riverina ten years ago, where he is head of the rural medical school and runs a small cattle farm. Working between the Riverina and Sydney, he is the Director of the Royal Agricultural Society Public Health Unit.

His current research group uses Artificial Intelligence applications to address rural health challenges include disease prevention and medical education.

Nathan Charles is a St John’s alumnus (2007), having begun study in Bachelor of Arts and Science (History and Business Management) at the University of Sydney in the same year. Nathan represented the St John’s College Heavies in the Rawson Cup Rugby, winning the Fresher game vs St Andrew’s being the lone try scorer in a 5-0 victory, along with playing for Sydney University Football Club. Nathan went on to become a professional rugby player from 2009-2018, having represented Super Rugby sides in Australia, Premiership teams in England and France, with his proudest moment in representing the Australian Wallabies.

Since retirement from professional rugby in 2018 at the age of 29 and completion of a Masters in Applied Project Management (UniSA), Nathan transitioned successfully into sports administration, successfully administering roles such as: General Manager of Pathways at Athletics West (2018-19), CEO of RugbyWA (2020-22) and now Executive General Manager of Sydney University Football Club (2023-current). At College, Nathan has administrative responsibility for all Rawson and Rosebowl sports.

Lucas is a Resident Academic Dean at St John’s College. He holds an undergraduate degree in Commerce, with majors in Finance and Banking, and is currently studying a Juris Doctor degree at the University of Sydney.

Lucas was inducted as a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honour Society for ranking in the top 10% of his undergraduate degree cohort. Over his time as a student at St John’s College, he was a member of various Rawson and Palladian Cup teams, the Student Managed Investment Fund, and was a manager of the College bar, the Dail. In 2023, Lucas was the recipient of the Morgan Scholarship and was elected as the Treasurer of the Students’ Club.

Lucas has experience in the banking industry, having worked at National Australia Bank, and is currently employed at a boutique commercial law firm.

Indigo completed a Bachelor of Medical Science at the University of Sydney and is currently undertaking an Honours in Science. She was at St John’s College from 2021 to 2023, where she served as House Secretary in her final year. During her time at the College, Indigo was actively involved in both sports and music, particularly excelling in piano.

Indigo also has professional experience in hospital and clinical settings, where she worked alongside multidisciplinary teams to provide medical care. This experience has given her a strong understanding of the importance of academic discipline, consistency, and sustained engagement in higher education. Her Honours project, which involves working closely with university students, reflects her dedication to supporting them and fostering an environment that promotes both academic success and personal development.

Indigo greatly values her time at St John’s College and the holistic development it provided — academic, social, and pastoral.

Will is a final-year Aeronautical Engineering and Financial Mathematics & Statistics student at the University of Sydney. He was a student resident of St John’s College from 2022–2024 and was a member of the Student Managed Fund, as well as several Rawson Cup teams. He also played rugby for Sydney University Football Club during his time at the College.

More recently, Will completed a semester abroad in Copenhagen at the Technical University of Denmark. He has completed multiple internships, including as an energy analyst and, most recently, as a quantitative trading intern at Optiver. Will brings a high level of mathematical and engineering knowledge to this role.

Edwina joined St John’s College in 2025 as the Student Services Lead (Reception). After completing her schooling at Loreto Kirribilli and her university studies at the Australian Catholic University and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), she has enjoyed a rewarding 33-year career as a Registered Nurse and Midwife.

Edwina continues to work part-time as a midwife at Royal North Shore Hospital and values the opportunity to support people in both roles. She enjoys being a welcoming point of contact for students and visitors. One of the aspects she most values about her role is working with the College’s impressive and inspiring young people.

Outside of work, Edwina enjoys reading, watching rugby, and spending quality time with family and friends. She is also a busy mother of two teenage boys and a much-loved dog.

Tom grew up in Sydney and attended St Ignatius’ College, Riverview, graduating in 2012. Tom was School Captain and graduated as Proxime Accessit (second academic rank in the year). He also played Second XV Rugby and was a GPS Opens Shot Put representative. After leaving school, Tom studied Commerce and Law at the University of Sydney. He was awarded the University of Sydney Business School Scholarship (with Distinction) for All-Round Excellence.

While at University, Tom was the student representative on the Business School’s Undergraduate Studies Board and also a member of the University Boxing Club. Tom also completed a Summer internship in Los Angeles for a senior criminal judge of LA County, helping to project manage the development of an alternative sentencing program for at-risk offenders. After University, Tom worked at Credit Suisse, first in Equities Research and then Investment Banking. He left Credit Suisse after three years to work for Tribeca Investment Partners, a boutique hedge fund, as an investment analyst.

He recently moved to another fund manager, Ausbil Investment Management, where he now works. Tom also recently became a Chartered Financial Analyst. Tom has been actively involved in volunteering work since leaving school. He was a regular volunteer at Teresa House homeless shelter since 2013, where he was also a volunteer manager. Today, he volunteers at De Porres House, an accommodation program for men transitioning from prison, and is actively involved with the Order of Malta and their outreach programs. Tom is also a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

As the Licensee of the College Bar, Jeff is committed to creating and maintaining a safe, responsible and inclusive environment for all students, staff and patrons. He oversees College Bar operations, and works closely with senior College staff to ensure the College Bar as a space for positive social amenity.

Jeff holds undergraduate degrees in commerce and engineering from the University of Sydney, having majored in finance and civil engineering. Since graduating, Jeff has worked in the financial services sector, and is currently an analyst in private wealth.

Jeff is an enthusiastic runner and cyclist, as well as a keen tennis player. With a longstanding passion for classical music, he is also a pianist with a forte for the music of Claude Debussy, as well as a practised vocalist who sings in the College Chapel Choir.