Our Staff
Richard Thorning
Richard was appointed Director – Entrepreneurship & Executive Education at Curtin Business School in 2007, following a period as an Adjunct Professor. He had worked closely with the University since 2000 as an industry partner and was attracted to this new role, because he identified strongly with the themes of “helping businesses grow” and “lifelong learning”.
Richard’s business experience included thirty years in the information and communications technology industries, in the UK and three states of Australia. Over the last twenty years Richard has performed a series of executive roles for IBM, Telstra and Optus, leading sales and service business units and major change projects. Immediately prior to Curtin, Richard was General Manager – Western Australia for SingTel Optus.
Richard completed an executive MBA at Curtin in 2005 and this year is studying for a Graduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship & Innovation (just for fun).
Phil Doyle
Phil's first career was diplomacy. He joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra for 13 years and had postings to the Embassys in Jakarta and Seoul. He enjoyed the thrust and parry of diplomacy, but had a hankering to be involved in business.
He started a business consultancy that met with mixed success for 3 years and involved a lot of learning (read "mistakes"). Phil began working at Curtin in 1998. Over this period he held several roles and has been Growth Program Manager for 5 years. He has an affinity and great respect for business people and enjoys seeing them and their businesses develop. He sees no greater joy than have a business person tell him that a Curtin program has helped them change for the better.
Danelle Cross
Danelle is the newbie at the Centre for Entrepreneurship, and takes up her role as Growth Program Manager, moving from Marketing Manager at Curtin Business School. Prior to her time at Curtin, Danelle has worked in marketing for a number of large organisations including News Limited, Heinz Australasia and Deakin University.
With aspirations to have her own small business (one day!), Danelle is inspired by entrepreneurs and has been drawn to the unique and practical nature of the Curtin Growth Programs and its participants.
Julie Wigmore
Prior to her role as Administrative Officer with the Centre for Entrepreneurship, Julie worked as a Personal Assistant to senior business managers and owners in the private sector for nearly twenty years. Julie has worked for large corporations and small businesses, so is familiar with the day-to-day issues and difficulties that businesses face.
Julie has participated in most of the workshops that are conducted as part of the Growth Programs and has found that even though she is not a business owner, much of the knowledge she has learnt can be applied to any business role and has been integral to her own personal development. Every workshop has provided valuable tools to assist in coping with the changes and challenges that the 21st century has imposed.
Leah Natoli
Leah was born in Melbourne and moved to Perth when she was 3 years old. Spending her schooling years in Perth, she then decided to leave the home nest and head east again, this time to Sydney. Leah spent 5 years in Sydney working as a Cabinet Maker and then moved to careers as an Office Allrounder and Accounts Receivable/Office Manager. Leah’s return to Perth saw her continue her career as an Accounts Payable/Payroll Officer before taking time off to have her two children. Leah joined the Curtin Growth team in June 2007, as Finance Officer.
Matthew Winter
Matt is making a career in fence-sitting, working as a Program Manager within Curtin's Centre for Entrepreneurship whilst consulting in marketing and market research and running a SCUBA diving and whaleshark cruise business in Exmouth. (He's also completing a PhD and is a half-partner in an organic mango orchard that is about to enter commercial production.)
He has a background in lecturing in marketing and strategy to undergraduates and MBA students locally and throughout Asia, as Director of Consulting for a national planning and market research firm, and as an Instructor for Outward Bound Australia, a not-for-profit specialising in self-development through wilderness and outdoor education.