We Are Associations Campaign
Ambassador Case Study

Graham’s story is about how associations create trusted platforms where people can come together, look beyond individual interests and work collectively for the future of an entire sector.

NAME: Graham Catt
ORGANISATION: Independent Schools Australia
POSITION: CEO
INDUSTRY: Education
STATE/COUNTRY: Australia
YEARS IN ASSOCIATIONS: 20 years

ROLES:
Present:

• Independent Schools Australia, Chief Executive Officer
• Education Services Australia (ESA), Non-Executive Director
• St John Ambulance ACT, Non-Executive Director

WE ARE ASSOCIATIONS | ASSOCIATION PROFESSIONAL STORIES

The We Are Associations campaign celebrates the people behind associations. Through the stories of Association Professionals, AuSAE showcases the people, purpose and impact behind the organisations that strengthen industries, professions and communities across Australia and New Zealand.

Graham Catt, Chief Executive Officer, Independent Schools Australia
Creating Trusted Platforms for Collective Progress

Across more than 20 years in association leadership, Graham Catt has worked with sectors as varied as health, veterinary science, agriculture, racing, small business and education.

Each role has given him the opportunity to understand a profession or industry in a way few people outside it ever can.

“You get to learn about a sector in a depth that not many other people do.”

Today, as Chief Executive Officer of Independent Schools Australia, Graham leads the national body representing the interests of Australia’s independent school sector.

For Graham, the purpose of association leadership is fundamentally about helping.

It means helping people, organisations and sectors navigate complexity, to access opportunities and achieve outcomes that would be difficult to secure alone.

“When it all comes together well, it can make a huge difference.”

That sense of purpose is strongest when the support provided is genuinely needed and its value is recognised by the people and organisations it was designed to serve.

Yet when Graham reflects on what makes him most proud, he returns to people rather than policies or projects.

Recently, he provided a reference for someone who had worked with him 15 years earlier. It reminded him that one of the most enduring impacts of leadership is the contribution made to the careers of others.

“Ultimately, it’s about the people you’ve been able to mentor and see grow along the way.”

For Graham, that is what being an Association Professional is all about: supporting people and sectors progress while creating opportunities for others to lead in the future.

CREATING IMPACT

Graham sees associations as platforms.

Their value lies in creating the space, structure and trust required for people and organisations to come together around the common interests of a sector.

Independent Schools Australia provides a national platform where member organisations can move beyond their individual priorities and focus collectively on the broader needs of independent schools across the country.

“We provide the platform for everyone to come together and focus on a common objective, not just their own interests.”

This collective approach gives the sector access, influence and expertise that no individual member could generate alone.

One example is the relationship Independent Schools Australia facilitates between its members, schools and the Australian Government.

Each year, the Federal Minister for Education meets with the organisation’s Board. Independent Schools Australia has also brought school representatives and member organisations to Canberra to meet directly with the Minister.

Neither the individual schools nor the member organisations would be able to create those opportunities independently.

By bringing them together through a trusted national body, the association enables the sector to communicate its experiences, priorities and concerns directly to decision-makers.

It creates a space where diverse perspectives can be heard while maintaining a focus on the shared interests of the sector.

WHY ASSOCIATIONS MATTER

Graham believes associations are frequently misunderstood because they are often viewed as voluntary groups made up of members of a profession or industry.

While associations represent members, the role is distinct from the sectors served.

Associations are professional organisations that require unique leadership, expertise and capabilities.

Association Professionals must understand whose interests are being represented, bring diverse views together and translate those views into collective priorities, services and advocacy.

Graham believes association management is a profession with a distinct and transferable skill set.

His aspiration is for it to become a career people can enter, develop within and move beyond, with pathways flowing both into and out of association roles.

Association Professionals can build expertise across leadership, governance, strategy, advocacy, stakeholder engagement and organisational management. Those capabilities are valuable both within associations and well beyond the association sector."

Moving between sectors enables Association Professionals to apply their expertise in new environments while continuing to learn from different industries, professions and communities.

Graham also believes associations play an increasingly important role as trusted institutions.

At a time when trust in many institutions and organisations is declining, associations can provide safe and credible places where people come together, share expertise and address common challenges.

“They create faith, trust and safe places where people can come together.”

Without Independent Schools Australia, the sector would lose the organisation with national perspective spanning every state and territory.

Australia’s education system involves complex relationships between governments, jurisdictions, school systems and individual schools. Understanding how those relationships connect is beyond the capacity of any one member organisation.

Independent Schools Australia brings together expertise from all its members and schools to interpret those complexities, engage with national issues and represent the sector with a coordinated voice.

LOOKING AHEAD

Graham believes associations will need to evolve as the volume of available information continues to grow.

Rather than simply creating and distributing content, associations will increasingly become trusted curators – helping members identify what is relevant, understand what it means and apply it effectively.

The ability to navigate information, think critically and make informed decisions will become increasingly valuable.

Associations can help members retain those essential skills while supporting more personalised approaches to learning and professional development.

Graham also sees an opportunity for associations to become navigators of people’s careers, helping them identify pathways, build capability and access the knowledge and connections they need at different stages of their working lives.

By continuing to provide trusted platforms, credible information and opportunities for collective action, associations can help future generations navigate increasingly complex professions and industries.

Graham’s story is one of many that demonstrate the power of Association Professionals. Together, they are strengthening industries, supporting communities and helping shape the future across Australia and New Zealand.

We Are Associations.

ABOUT GRAHAM

Graham Catt is Chief Executive Officer of Independent Schools Australia and an experienced association leader with more than 20 years working across education, health, pharmacy, veterinary science, small business and other sectors. He has held senior executive, governance and advisory positions with a range of national and state organisations, including serving as Board Chair and President of the Australasian Society of Association Executives. Graham is passionate about creating trusted platforms where people can come together around shared interests, strengthening organisations and sectors, and mentoring the next generation of leaders.

ABOUT THE ORGANISATION

Independent Schools Australia is the national peak body for the independent school sector. It represents the interests of independent schools through its member associations in each Australian state and territory. Working across complex national and intergovernmental education issues, the organisation provides research, policy analysis and advocacy on behalf of the sector. Independent Schools Australia brings together the expertise and perspectives of its members and schools to promote informed policy development and support a strong, diverse and sustainable independent education sector.  www.isa.edu.au