Leslie Loble AM is a recognised leader of public purpose reform in Australia and the US, with a substantial track record delivering major organisational and policy innovations in education and related economic domains. Currently, she is a director of government and not-for profit entities, Industry Professor at UTS, a Fellow of Paul Ramsay Foundation and the Centre for Policy Development, amongst other appointments.
Her recent report, Shaping AI and education to tackle Australia’s learning divide, examines emerging technologies and implications for education and equity.
Leslie served as Deputy Secretary in the NSW Department of Education for some 20 years, driving strategy, innovation and delivery in Australia’s largest and most diverse education sector, across schooling, early childhood and tertiary education. She was long-term chair of the influential Schooling Policy Group, a core part of the Australian Education Ministerial Council. Her national leadership helped shape major school funding reforms, teaching quality, literacy and numeracy assessment and VET innovations. In NSW, she led Australia’s first-ever guarantee of two years’ preschool and established the awards-winning Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation, Centre for Learning Innovation and Catalyst Lab.
Leslie was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2022, named one of Australia’s top 50 school education innovators in 2019 and an Australian Financial Review Top 100 Women of Influence in 2013.
Prior to coming to Australia, Leslie was appointed by President Bill Clinton to high level executive roles, including Chief of Staff to Labor Secretary Robert B. Reich, Counsellor to the Secretary and acting Assistant Secretary for Policy. She holds degrees from Harvard University and Cornell University.