The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) has named Lisa Rodgers as its new CEO, replacing the Council’s outgoing head, Professor Geoff Masters, who steps down in August 2024.
Announcing the move today, ACER Board Chair Emeritus Professor Bill Louden said Rogers was a ‘strong fit’, holding several high-profile positions within Australia’s education system.
Rodgers was CEO of the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) until January 2019 when she left the Institute to take up the position of secretary at the Department of Education and Training in Western Australia.
“I am personally very excited for Lisa to join ACER and believe she will be a strong fit with deep strategic and commercial skills, government relations and technology leadership experience,” Professor Louden said in a statement today.
“She is exactly the right person to take ACER into the next step of its evolution, continuing its strategy to be a global leader in preparing people for their future and ensuring everyone learns successfully.”
Professor Louden congratulated Professor Masters on his long and successful tenure, saying he had overseen ACER’s growth from a $25 million business when he was appointed CEO, to a global organisation with $100m-plus in revenue.
“I want to thank Geoff for his distinguished leadership and service to ACER and education research more broadly. He has been an excellent steward of the organisation and an invaluable colleague and friend,” he said.
Professor Masters said it was “a great honour to work with so many very clever and dedicated colleagues whose expertise over decades has built ACER into the world-leading research institute it is today.”
“ACER’s work has positively impacted the lives and opportunities of children and other learners across the globe, and this impact continues to grow.”
Rodgers will join ACER formally on 23 September 2024