About

Welcome from the Interim General Manager

Welcome from the Interim General Manager

A warm welcome to 2025 at CIT Solutions, proudly owned by the ACT’s public provider of vocational education and training, the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT), serving the needs of students, industry, government, and the community since 1928.

Aligned with CIT, our commitment is clear: empower you to unlock potential, adapt to change, and achieve aspirations, contributing to local communities and beyond.

We offer an unrivalled learning journey, whether you choose to engage on campus, virtually, or through online learning—a journey continually enriched to meet your evolving needs. At CIT Solutions, the learning landscape evolves. Our courses provide flexibility, featuring more blended, online, and virtual study options. We're here to support your endeavours, guiding you towards personal and career goals, ensuring you graduate with industry-relevant skills for a competitive edge.

Looking ahead, our focus is on enriching your student experience and enhancing your learning outcomes. Your ideas and feedback are invaluable, shaping the vibrant CIT Solutions community. In embracing technology, we eagerly explore how advancements, including AI, can contribute to a more impactful learning experience.

Our team is committed to excellence, aiming to create a meaningful, memorable, and valuable learning journey. Your success is our success. Seize every opportunity for growth within classrooms, workplaces, and beyond.

With genuine excitement for the possibilities the future holds, I look forward to another year of shared success!

Warm regards,

Dr Rochelle Christian
Interim General Manager
CIT Solutions Pty Ltd

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CIT Solutions Team

People

  • Natalie Howsen
    Natalie Howson Chair of the Board

    Natalie has 25 years' experience in senior executive roles in the state and federal public service. She has established and lead a commonwealth statutory authority and been Director General of two ACT Government Directorates. Her experience also includes senior executive roles in the largest agencies of the Australian Government -Medicare Australia, Centrelink and Defence. These roles focused on policy development, service delivery reform, complex program management, regulation and change leadership.


    She has a proven track record in leadership, stakeholder collaboration, public sector reform and service delivery. In delivering change across human service and technology-based environments, Natalie has established successful partnerships in many diverse sectors. She is an experienced chair and an accomplished spokesperson who has been a member of international and national policy and regulatory committees. Natalie commenced her working life as a secondary teacher and then curriculum adviser with the Queensland Education Department. She was CEO of the Australian Sports Drug Agency in the leadup to the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.


    In 2000 she was the ACT Telstra Businesswoman of the Year. Natalie retired from the public service in July 2019 after eight years as an ACT Director General in the Housing and Community Service and Education Directorates. In 2020 Natalie was appointed Chair of the Teacher Quality Institute. Natalie has a master degree in International Education Leadership and Educational Research. She is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Natalie founded the successful children’s charity Boundless Canberra in 2012 and currently supports Yerrabi Yurwang, an Aboriginal child and family support organisation.

  • Rochelle Christian Dr Rochelle Christian (PhD, GAICD) Interim General Manager

    Rochelle comes to CIT Solutions as a well-rounded senior executive leader with over 20 years' experience within the tertiary education and government sectors. She is excited about creating value for shareholders and improving governance and business impact for sustainability and equity.


    Rochelle’s interdisciplinary career has progressed from a doctorate at the Australian National University in science, through diverse experience in government spanning the agriculture, climate change, environment, health, and social services portfolios. Her past roles have ranged through corporate, policy, and programs. She has a track record of trusted strategic advice; leadership with purpose to execute strategy into operations; investing in people to build inclusive, high integrity cultures and high performing compliant organisations; and responsive customer service in complex dynamic contexts.


    Rochelle is passionate about making a positive difference. She strongly believes in empowering people for transformation.

  • Sue Chapman
    Sue Chapman Board Member

    Sue Chapman has had a long career in the public sector in both State and Commonwealth Senior Executive positions as well as in the ACT. She retired from the position of Deputy Director-General of the ACT Community Services Directorate in 2016 after holding various SES positions in the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department and the Department of Human Services for over a decade.


    Sue has experience in the tertiary sector having held the role of Registrar and Deputy Principal at the University of Sydney for a number of years. She also was a member of the Council of the University of Wollongong for many years, culminating in her appointment as Deputy Chancellor of the University.


    Sue was the CEO of NCS International, a wholly owned subsidiary of NATA, for seven years, during which time the company grew to be a major force in the management systems certification industry in Australia, with offices across Australia and in a number of countries outside Australia. Through this experience, Sue developed a good understanding of how to provide value to a parent company through creating business opportunities.


    She has considerable Board and Audit Committee experience across many sectors, including being the Chair of a variety of boards. Sue is currently an independent member of the Audit and Risk Committee of Justice and Community Safety Directorate in the ACT and is the Chair of the Registration Standards Advisory Committee in the ACT.

    Sue looks forward to being a useful addition to the CIT Solutions Board.


  • Tahlia-Rose Vanissum
    Tahlia-Rose Vanissum Board Member

    Tahlia-Rose Vanissum is a proud Woppaburra woman and Traditional Owner of the Keppel Islands, which sits off the coast of central Queensland, Australia. Tahlia-Rose works across the intersections of social, health and First Nations policy in the federal public service and is currently undertaking a Master of Culture, Health, and Medicine at the Australian National University (ANU).


    Tahlia-Rose is a Director on the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) Governing Board, is passionate about governance, safety and First Nations excellence, has experience in roles across the policy lifecycle and brings a considered intersectional perspective to the CIT Solutions (CITSOL) Board. In addition, Tahlia-Rose brings insight into student experiences through her own experience obtaining vocational qualifications from both CIT and CITSOL.


    Tahlia-Rose's experience includes various positions across the not-for-profit and public sectors to drive the inclusion and prioritisation of First Nations peoples, women and girls, and people with disability across all aspects of organisations' undertakings. Tahlia-Rose holds vocational qualifications in government, business, leadership, and human resources management and a Bachelor of Criminology from the ANU.

  • Linda spurr
    Linda Spurr (FCPA FAICD) Board Member & Audit Committee Chair

    Linda Spurr is an experienced board director and accomplished senior executive, having held leadership roles in government, defence, academic and private sector environments.


    Linda is passionate about skills and training, bringing considerable expertise, including major reform of Airservices Learning Academy, as their RTO CEO, and more recently roles with the Australian National University, Swinburne University, RMIT University and Industry Skills Australia.


    In addition to serving on the CIT Solutions board and Audit Committee, Linda works as the Director of Leadership Talent and Culture at Raytheon Australia and is a Director of Safeskies Australia and NORTEC.


    She is a Telstra Business Women Awards Finalist, Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards winner and past CPA Australia Public Sector Accountant of the Year. Linda is a Fellow Certified Practising Accountant (FCPA) and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD).


  • James Goodwin
    James Goodwin Board and Audit Committee Member

    James Goodwin is an experienced executive and non-executive with a background in media, corporate affairs and public policy. He has particular interests in the tourism, visitor economy, transport, infrastructure and education sectors. James is the Chief Executive Officer at Accommodation Australia - the national body representing the interests of hotels, motels, serviced apartments, caravan parks and short-term rental providers. James leads members in presenting a united voice to advocate for national policy which address industry challenges and deliver growth for all parts of the accommodation sector.


    Prior to his role at Accommodation Australia, James was appointed Chief Executive of the Australian Airports Association (AAA) in early 2020, at a time when the aviation industry was being heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and leading the aviation sector through the recovery period including the development of a comprehensive response to the Aviation White Paper.


    Prior to his role at the AAA, Mr Goodwin was the Chief Executive of Australia’s leading vehicle safety advocate, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) from 2015. Before joining ANCAP, Mr Goodwin held the position of Director – Government Relations & Communications at the Australian Automobile Association and was also acting Chief Executive. He also held a high-profile senior community and corporate affairs position at Air Services Australia – the provider of air traffic control and aviation firefighting in Australia. James was also Head of Media & Communications with the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries – representing the vehicle and motorcycle brands in Australia.


    Mr Goodwin is the Chair of St John Ambulance ACT and is a member of the National St John Ambulance Board. He has previously been a Board Member of the ACT Road Safety Advisory Board – appointed by the Transport Minister - a Mentor in the Women in Aviation program and non-executive director of Auto Skills Australia, the organisation tasked with reforming vocational education and training within the automotive industry. James was previously a reporter and newsreader in Sydney and Canberra – including periods in the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Politics.

  • Miranda Garnett
    Dr Lyndal Thorburn Audit Committee Member

    Lyndal Thorburn is a non-executive director with a recent role on the Regional Development Australia (ACT) Board (to May 2024), in addition to current roles on the Fisheries R&D Corporation (FRDC) (since 2021) and as adviser to the ACT government on investments in its Priority Investment Program. With over 30 years’ Board experience, she brings skills in business and risk management, industry development, innovation and entrepreneurship, stakeholder engagement, finance, education and public administration.

    Prior to her appointment to FRDC, Lyndal worked as an evaluation specialist for Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, spent 17 years in government agencies and government business enterprises, and has C-suite experience in four organisations. She has spent the last 8 years mentoring technology-based startups in the ACT and elsewhere, in part as an active angel investor with the Griffin Accelerator. Lyndal trained as a biologist and completed a PhD exploring regional and industry development in technology-based sectors. She has education industry experience on the Council of Charles Sturt University (2019-2023) and, earlier, Ainslie School and the West Queanbeyan Neighbourhood Centre.

    Lyndal is a graduate and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is a former member of the Institute of Public Accountants. As a business owner, she is also a past winner of the ACT Telstra Businesswomen’s Awards. Lyndal was born in Sydney but has lived for the last 45 years in the ACT and regional New South Wales. She has work experience in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Lyndal holds a BSc (Hons), Grad Dip Legal Studies, Grad Dip Ed and Dip Accounting.

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