Executive leadership shakeup at Affinity Education

Affinity Education Group has entered a period of significant leadership change, with both its Chief Executive Officer, Tim Hickey, and Chief Operating Officer, Nishad Alani, having “stepped down from their roles and left the organisation.”

The departures come amid mounting scrutiny over safety and regulatory failures at several of the group’s childcare centres, including revelations made during a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry into early childhood education and care standards.

In response, Glen Hurley, formerly Senior Adviser for Compliance & Quality, was appointed Chief Executive Officer. Hurley’s appointment signals a shift toward stabilising the organisation through strengthened compliance and governance. His experience in quality and safety oversight is expected to play a key role as the organisation seeks to rebuild confidence.

Dr Lesley Jones has long been a central figure in Affinity’s education and quality leadership. In August 2024, she was promoted from Head of Education to Chief Compliance & Quality Officer, overseeing safety, compliance and quality across all centres. However, she retired in June 2025.

Affinity announced in June 2024 that Rolanda Mitchell would join the organisation as Chief People Officer, commencing July 2024, taking over leadership of the People & Culture team. Her tenure at Affinity ended in June 2025, prior to the October leadership reshuffle. Jane Sherlock is currently serving as interim Chief People Officer.

With Glen Hurley now at the helm and scrutiny from regulators ongoing, Affinity Education’s next steps will be closely watched by the sector.

Questions remain about the stability of its executive and senior leadership team, particularly the current status of Dr Lesley Jones and how the group plans to address compliance, safety and workforce culture as it moves into 2026.

Recent appearances by other large providers at the NSW parliamentary inquiry have placed further focus on systemic issues in the sector. Specifically on quality, the role of executive remuneration, and the impact of occupancy-driven business models on educational outcomes and workforce wellbeing. As these inquiries continue, the spotlight on accountability, workforce investment and educational quality is likely to intensify across the early childhood education and care landscape.

In this climate, questions may emerge around leadership stability across the sector more broadly. It remains to be seen whether other organisations will undertake executive structural or leadership changes in response to increased scrutiny. As oversight intensifies, the sector may experience further shifts in governance and accountability frameworks, with implications yet to be fully realised.