In classrooms, in universities, in the boardroom, there emerges a new generation of women who redefine leadership in the field of education. In contrast to previous eras when hierarchies ruled the sector, those that are currently leading the field of education stand out in terms of empathy, resilience, and a readiness to break away from the old way of thinking to deliver better results to both students and communities. With their long careers in education, which usually last several decades, the lessons learned become proof that transformation in education does not occur immediately, but rather through hard work, courageous decisions and a strong belief in the power of education. One of such influential women in education is Emeritus Professor Helen Huntly OAM.
Early Beginnings
Professor Huntly’s connection to education began long before she stepped into a lecture hall or boardroom. Raised in a rural community and schooled in a one-teacher primary school, she developed an early appreciation for the opportunities education could unlock. That appreciation carried her from Teachers College in Brisbane in the late 1970s into classrooms across Brisbane and Bundaberg, where she taught senior Health and Physical Education and English. A casual tutoring role at the then Capricornia Institute of Advanced Education now Central Queensland University (CQU) redirected her path, drawing her toward teacher education and, ultimately, a career that would take her to the highest levels of university leadership.
Over more than three decades at CQU, Huntly progressed through a series of increasingly senior roles, including Dean of the School of Education and the Arts, Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Vocational Education and Training Division, and finally Vice President (Academic), where she oversaw the operations of the university’s Tertiary Education Division for six years. Her academic credentials, including a Doctor of Education and a Master of Education Studies, both from CQ University, underscore a career built as much on scholarship as on practical leadership.
A Journey Rooted in Purpose
Reflecting on the experiences that shaped her commitment to education, Huntly recalls a childhood marked by early leadership responsibility and a clear sense of purpose. Chosen as school captain at both primary and secondary level, she understood from a young age the role education plays in expanding life choices, particularly for young people in rural and regional communities. That understanding would go on to define her professional priorities. Her transition from the classroom to university teaching, and eventually into executive leadership, was driven not by ambition alone, but by a desire to make a sustainable contribution to the learning outcomes of regional students, a mission she pursued for nearly 35 years at CQU, an institution she describes as a perfect leadership fit given its shared belief that education at every level is the key to a prosperous, fulfilling future.
Career Milestones
Among the many milestones of her career, Huntly points to her 2010 promotion to Dean of the School of Education and the Arts as her first taste of senior university leadership, followed by her appointment as Deputy Vice Chancellor of Industry, Vocational Education and Training in 2015, when CQU merged with the Central Queensland Institute of Technical and Further Education. That merger placed her within an executive leadership team she remembers as both high-performing and deeply collegial, even during the most demanding periods. It was Huntly herself who advocated for a further structural change, encouraging her VC to merge the university’s separate education-delivery divisions into a single, unified division — an initiative she counts among her proudest achievements, and one that ultimately led to her appointment as Vice President (Academic), the role she describes as the most demanding yet most rewarding of her career.
Her contributions extended well beyond the university gates. Huntly held leadership positions with the Regional University Network, the Australian Council of Deans of Education and the Queensland Deans of Education Network, alongside invited roles with the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership, the Queensland College of Teachers, TAFE Directors Australia and the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy. Yet it was her Member of the Order of Australia award, granted for significant contribution to tertiary education in Central Queensland, that she regards as the most humbling recognition of her career made all the more meaningful by the fact that she was unaware of her nomination until the honour was announced.
Leading with People and Integrity
Huntly’s approach to leadership has been shaped by a clear and consistent set of principles, chief among them a focus on the people she leads. For her, effective leadership demands more than strategic vision; it requires a genuine investment in the wellbeing and development of one’s team. As she explains, “Throughout my career, my people have been and remain, THE most important aspect of my work.” That people-first philosophy is matched by an equally firm commitment to integrity, which Huntly identifies as non-negotiable in any leadership role. “Personal and professional integrity is a cornerstone of quality leadership, as is shared decision-making, transparency and collaboration,” she notes, underscoring the values that have guided her decision-making throughout her career.
That commitment to integrity has also extended beyond the university sector. Huntly has long been an advocate for giving back, supporting the education of children and young people who lack access to quality schooling, including through her personal and professional involvement with the Salaam Baalak Trust in India and Seven Women in Nepal causes closely aligned with CQU’s own commitment to supporting students both locally and internationally.
Navigating Challenges, Building Resilience
Leadership, however, has not been without its difficulties. Huntly is candid about the challenges that have tested her resolve, from delivering difficult news during organisational restructures to navigating the fair distribution of scarce resources. She recalls the discomfort of having to let a staff member go early in a new executive role, describing honesty and empathy as essential to ensuring colleagues could leave with their dignity intact. Such experiences, she believes, are formative rather than merely difficult moments that build resilience not only in leaders themselves, but in those they support through hard conversations. Notably, Huntly reflects that many of the barriers she encountered in her own career were self-imposed rather than externally created, admitting that in her earlier years she often hesitated to pursue opportunities out of a belief that someone else was better suited.
Advice for Aspiring Women Leaders
That insight now informs the advice she offers to aspiring women leaders in education. Huntly is direct in her encouragement for women to recognise and back their own capabilities, cautioning against the tendency to underestimate personal achievement and potential. “Back yourself. Many females underplay our achievements and underestimate our potential,” she says, adding that career advancement also requires a clear understanding of promotion pathways, openness to unconventional opportunities and a commitment to continuous learning, both formal and informal.
Empowering Women in Education
On the broader question of how women can shape a stronger, more inclusive future for education, Huntly is measured but optimistic. She points to the strength of Australia’s already highly feminised education workforce, while emphasising that leadership potential is not confined to gender. In her experience, many women bring heightened empathy and emotional intelligence to their roles, qualities she has seen used effectively to drive positive change in challenging circumstances, even as she stresses these strengths are not the exclusive domain of women.
Staying Ahead of a Changing Sector
Since retiring from her executive role at CQU, Huntly has continued to contribute to the sector in new ways, taking on the roles of Deputy Chair of the Board of Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service and Academic Board Chair for Griffith College in Brisbane. These positions keep her closely engaged with emerging issues shaping education and governance, from the ethical integration of artificial intelligence in graduate preparation to best practice in clinical and academic governance. She credits ongoing professional development, including her participation in the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ Company Directors course, along with active networking and engagement with industry conferences and research, as key to remaining informed in a rapidly evolving sector.
Looking to the Future
Looking to the future, Huntly remains committed to purposeful engagement rather than retirement in the conventional sense. Having stepped back from full-time executive life to spend more time with family while continuing to contribute meaningfully through board leadership, she describes her current roles as a source of both fulfilment and ongoing learning. Her hopes for the future of education extend well beyond her own career, centring on a vision in which all children and young people, regardless of geography or circumstance, have access to quality education that prepares them for meaningful study, employment and global citizenship.
It is a vision Huntly captures succinctly in the advice she offers to educators everywhere, a call to action that distils the values underpinning her entire career. “Dream Big I say to educators at all levels, and commit to contributing meaningfully to quality learning and teaching throughout your career!” For Helen Huntly OAM, that philosophy has not only shaped a distinguished career spanning more than three decades it continues to guide her contribution to the future of education today.
