Faculty team and key staff
Our Faculty Team
All AMI Education lecturers meet the requirements of the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority. AMI Education selectively recruits faculty who are not only academically qualified, but also possess valuable industry experience and are passionate about providing quality education. They are led by the Directors of Studies of the various programs.
Esther Teo (Head of Academic Division)
MBA, Swinburne University of Technology
Held senior management positions in Coles Myer Ltd. Teaching appointments in RMIT, Swinburne, Monash.
Janine Rainbow (Department Head, Language)
M.Ed., Griffith University
Teaching appointments at various education institutions in Australia, China and Spain.
Reece Thomas (Department Head, Hospitality)
Advanced Diploma in Hospitality Management, Accredited OHS and Food Safety Supervisor
Respected Chef, Business Manager, Lecturer and Facilitator with 18 years of Hospitality Industry experience in locations including New Zealand, Melbourne, Perth, Canberra and Sydney.
Previous positions include 10 years catering roles with the Royal Australian Navy and 5 years as Chef de Cuisine of Margo’s Brasserie and Grill at the Five Star Crown Melbourne Entertainment Complex.
Jackie Cesnik (Department Head, Community Services)
Diploma of Community Services (Community Development)
Respected community development worker in Melbourne. Extensive experience in Management, Course Development and Education.
Dr. Ghasan Al Soboh (Senior Lecturer / Chair of Students Discipline Committee / Chair of Learning and Development Committee)
Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering Technology; M.Sc. Operations Research (Linear Programming), Quantitative Methods - Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
Has spent more than 30 years in academic and research positions in the USA, Middle East, North Africa, and Australia.
Key Staff
Our other Departments work closely with the faculty to provide a supporting and challenging environment for students.
Marissa M. Pacheco (Head of Operations Division)
MBA, University of the Philippines
Held senior roles in finance and administration in a number of companies in the Philippines including Les Laboratoires Servier and Sony Music Entertainment (Phils), Inc.
Former executive project officer of Key Employment, Training & Community Solutions, a not-for-profit organisation in Australia.
Eric Zhang (Head of Student Services Department)
Master of Business (Professional Accounting); Bachelor of Business (International Trade), Victoria University
Has over 4 years of experience in Australian education industry. Roles covered include finance, academic support, marketing, and managing China operations.
Valerie Ho (Head of Marketing, Student Recruitment and Corporate Communications Department)
Master of E-Commerce (Marketing and Web Technologies), Curtin University; Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) (Second Upper Honours), Curtin University; Bachelor of Arts (Asian Sudies and History), University of Western Australia
Has 9 years of experience in senior management roles covering marketing, sales, corporate communications, compliance, VRQA / VETAB / CRICOS / National Code ESOS / AUQA audits, events management, student administration and student services in the Australian education industry (University, Tafe and English).