Who we are

Specialists Who Know This Sector.

Leadership Team

Rebecca Hutchison

Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder

Rebecca co-founded ELM after 30 years working across every layer of the childcare sector, from educator to provider. She leads with a clear focus: give operators the tools to thrive without losing what makes their service their own.

John Hutchison

Co-Founder & Advisor

John co-founded Early Learning Management drawing on over 35 years in childcare strategy, operations, and governance. He now contributes to ELM in an advisory capacity, bringing a legacy of transformational sector leadership.

Sandi Fern

Chief Development Officer

Sandi has over 25 years in early childhood and has been with ELM since 2010. She leads every new service development from planning and construction through to licensing, approval, and opening day.

Chloe Barton

Chief Financial Officer

Chloe brings over 10 years of commercial and chartered accounting experience to ELM, including a Master's in Professional Accounting and an unusual background in psychology that shapes how she leads.

Operations Team

Leonie Shears

Senior Operational Consultant

Leonie is a Senior Operations Manager with deep expertise in the National Quality Framework, ACECQA requirements, and the commercial metrics that determine whether a childcare service is genuinely sustainable.

Simone Thompson

Operational Consultant

Simone has 25 years of childcare experience and a deep command of the National Quality Framework and Education and Care Services legislation. Her strength is leading teams to consistently high operational, pedagogical, and financial performance.

Amy Wood

Operational Consultant

Amy has over 20 years in early childhood education, including 15 in senior leadership, and an Advanced Diploma in Children's Services. She has guided multiple services through NQF assessment and rating with consistently strong results.

Tess Abdallah

Operational Consultant

Tess has worked at every level of childcare, from educator to educational leader to head of people and culture, and brings that full-spectrum experience to her work as an Operations Manager.

Shelley McVicar

Operational Consultant

Shelley brings over two decades of operations and leadership experience across some of Australia's leading childcare organisations, including roles as Operations Manager, Area Manager, and Acting Territory Manager.

Melissa Foster

Operational Consultant

Melissa's 20-year career spans owner-operator, educational leader, compliance manager, and centre director, giving her an unusually complete picture of how childcare services work at every level.

Jodie Tucker

Operational Consultant

Jodie is best known for results: she took one centre from 37% occupancy to 100% within two years and achieved Exceeding ratings across all quality areas. She brings that same transformative approach to every service she manages at ELM.

Quality Team

Pedagogy & Compliance

Katie Flanagan

Pedagogy & Practice Coordinator

Katie holds a Bachelor of Teaching and Learning (ECE) from the University of Canterbury and brings over 15 years of early childhood experience across New Zealand and Australia, including leading services to Exceeding ratings under the NQF.

Alicia Turner

Child Safeguarding & Compliance Officer

Alicia specialises in regulatory oversight, policy management, and compliance governance across the childcare sector, ensuring every service ELM supports operates within best practice frameworks.

Finance Team

Shannon Sutton

Senior Finance Officer

Shannon holds a Bachelor of Commerce and brings over 10 years of high-level financial experience to ELM, covering everything from reconciliations and payroll to financial statements and statutory reporting.

Jack Hutchison

Senior Finance Officer

Jack recently completed a Bachelor of Commerce with a double major in Finance and Accounting, and brings a sharp analytical eye to ELM's financial reporting, tax compliance, and bookkeeping functions.

Nicole McGrath

Senior Finance Officer

Nicole has over two decades of payroll and finance experience, holding a Certificate IV in Financial Services and proficiency across MYOB, Xero, and Microsoft Office.

Yonathan Quintero

Senior Finance Officer

Yonathan brings a background spanning commercial accounting, hospitality management, and public accounting to his role in ELM's finance and payroll team.

Jomelyn Dungon

Finance and Payroll Officer

Jomelyn brings close to three years of accounting experience across accounts payable, accounts receivable, and financial reporting, with strong working knowledge of QuickBooks, ZOHO, and Cargowise.

Mary Rose Rosales

Finance and Payroll Officer

Mary Rose is a Certified Xero Advisor with over eight years of accounting experience, including direct bookkeeping and payroll support for ELM. She graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy.

Nicole Campania

Finance and Payroll Assistant

Nicole holds a Bachelor of Management Accounting and brings hands-on experience in accounts receivable, account reconciliation, sales auditing, and tax compliance, with a strong track record for accuracy and process efficiency.

Don Joshua Abello

Finance and Payroll Assistant

Don holds a Bachelor of Science in Management Accounting and brings hands-on experience in full-cycle bookkeeping, payroll processing, and financial reporting across multiple clients simultaneously.

Growth Team

Marketing & Business Development

Melanie Evans

Business Development & Project Manager

As Business Development and Project Manager, Melanie drives new partnerships and manages key projects at ELM, backed by over six years of administration leadership across automotive, hospitality, and creative industries.

Charlie Hutchison

Marketing Coordinator

Charlie is ELM's Marketing Coordinator, currently completing a Bachelor of Business with a double major in Marketing and Marketing Communications. He is responsible for brand campaigns, content, social media, website development, and marketing support for the centres ELM manages.

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