Michael Smith | University Partnerships Manager
Mastery Schools Australia

Michael Smith the University Partnerships Manager for Mastery Schools Australia (MSA).His current role encompasses working with all Mastery Schools in Australia and currently 14 Universities across Australia, building meaningful partnerships, collaborations and connections between Mastery Schools and Universities. This work encompasses a range of projects where collaboration with, and seeking unique ways of working with Universities is ensuring that Mastery Schools Australia maintains its innovatiive and best practice philosophy. Michael is also the Chair for the University of Queensland's School of Education Advisory Council. Michael is a nationally and internationally recognised and award-winning Executive leader in the fields of Education and HR. Having won the prestigious Commonwealth Bank/Australian Schools Plus National Teaching Award in 2019, the AKS Global Teacher Award in 2020, a range of Educator 'Hot List' awards including most innovative and most influential in Austalia as well as being recognised as one of the the Leading HR leaders in Australia through HRD's HOT List. Additionally, in 2024, Michael was recognised by his regulatory body in Queensland for his long contribution to the teaching profession, most notable in the University and Initial Teacher Education Space and Early Career teacher support. Michael is a leader in recruiting, onboarding, partnerships, retention of staff and building comprehensive staff development and performance programs, having led programs that have won three times Best Professional Learning Program in Australia in the Australia Education Awards and Best Graduate Development Program and Best Learning and Development Program in Australia regardless of industry in the Australian HR Awards. He has developed innovative strategies to recruit the best staff possible through his strong team building and interpersonal skills developing comprehensive and strong partnerships with the University Sector. He has also led and designed award-winning Reward and Recognition programs that have supported staff retention across all career stages. His work has seen his workplaces regularly receive the coveted 5 Star Employer of Choice award in both HR and the Education Industry .Notably, Michael has demonstrated a proven track record in Leading, Inspiring, Engaging and Retaining Millennials and Gen Z's in the workforce with a 95% retention rate within the Education profession of Graduate Teachers against a national retention rate of 60%.  Michael also has extensive experience in compliance with government regulation and standards being an experienced panelist and panel chair for the accreditation of Initial Teacher Education Courses across Australia; he has a sat-on panels for the state regulation boards in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Michael has also sat on review panels for regulatory boards to provide feedback on their decision making processes. Michael has also sat on Advisory Boards for Business development and GreenTech groups, providing strong insights into partnership development and also the use of AI to streamline a range of processes within organisations including client identification, partnership pipelines and market insights. His work in developing AI programs centres on enhancing and complementing workflow processes for the benefit of the user, and maintaining the human as the one in control, not replacing the human fronting elements with AI. Michael also has a long-established reputation at the University level for providing high quality insights having established extensive partnerships with a range of Australian Universities including involvement at the decision-making level through roles, including Chair, of university faculty advisory groups and boards. Michael has also provided extensive feedback and advice on the development and implementation of University degrees at both Bachelor and Masters levels.