Adj Prof Susan Pascoe AM
BA, Dip Ed, GDSE, M Ed Admin, FAICD, FIPAA, FACE
Susan Pascoe is Adjunct Professor at the Australian Catholic University and the University of Western Australia. She is Principal of the consultancy company Kadisha Enterprises Pty Ltd, offering board, program and institutional reviews, and governance advisory services, particularly in the Not-for-Profit (NFP) sector.
Prof Pascoe was a member of the Methodology Commission planning the Synod on Synodality 2021 - 2024, facilitator for the Synod Assemblies, and chaired the Oceania Continental Taskforce.
Briefing Pope Francis on the progress of Synod planning 28th November 2023.
As facilitator of Assembly Table in 2024, including future Pope Leo XIV.
Prof Pascoe is a Trustee of St John of God Health and a Board Member of Mercy Health. She chairs the Community Directors Council. She was a member of the Governance Review Project Team established by the Australian Catholic Bishop’s Conference and Catholic Religious Australia which produced the 2020 Report, The Light from the Southern Cross: Promoting Co-responsible Governance in the Catholic Church in Australia. She is chaired a recent review of the Pacific Regional Seminary and leading an international project on lay governance of Church ministries. Prof Pascoe was independent Co-chair of the Victorian Social Services Regulation Taskforce 2023-24, and now chairs the Social Services Regulator’s Consultative Committee.
She was inaugural Commissioner for the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), Australia's first national, independent regulator of charities, 2012 - 2017. Prior to this appointment, Prof Pascoe was Commissioner in the State Services Authority in Victoria, the body which oversaw good governance and conduct of individuals and entities in the public service. In this role she chaired or co-chaired independent reviews for government. She was appointed in 2009 as one of three Commissioners to the Royal Commission into the Black Saturday Bushfires, after the loss of 173 lives and widespread destruction of flora, fauna and property.
Susan Pascoe’s earlier career was in education. She participated in state, national and international efforts to improve the quality and equity of education. She was Executive Director of Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Melbourne, Chief Executive and Chair of the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria, and a member of the National Catholic Education Commission. She served as President of the Australian College of Educators and CEO of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. In 2017 Prof Pascoe and Prof Deborah Brennan chaired a review into Early Childhood Education for the Council for the Australian Federation, culminating in the Lifting our Game report. Prof Pascoe was member and chair of the Australian National Commission for UNESCO 1999 - 2006, and was a Patron for the Melbourne Parliament for the World's Religions 2008 - 2009. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Institute of Public Administration of Australia and life member of the Australian College of Educators.
Susan was one of the inaugural group of women included in the Vatican Assembly in 2023.
Her leadership were acknowledged in 2007 when she was appointed Member of the Order of Australia for service to education through a range of executive roles, and international initiatives to support educators in the Pacific. In November 2016, she was awarded the Leadership in Government Award for her outstanding contribution to public administration in Australia and in 2024 conferred an honorary doctorate from Australian Catholic University.
Recieving an Honorary Doctorate from the Australian Catholic University in 2024.
Em Prof Robert Pascoe
Consultant historian for Kadisha.
Robert Pascoe is the president of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria.
From 1989 to 2005, Pascoe was the foundation dean of arts at Victoria University, in Melbourne's West, offering innovative programs in community development, computer mediated art, cultural studies, multimedia, psychology, and social work.
In 2025 Pascoe received an Australian Historical Association Lifetime Achievement Award for his work promoting history in Melbourne's West.
Author of three dozen books and technical reports in history, educational management, and popular culture. Recent works includes upcoming book series Streets Beneath our Feet.
Our Services
Strategic Planning
Kadisha can assist with the planning and conduct of all aspects of a strategic planning exercise, or with elements such as environmental scanning, conducting focus groups, or facilitating board processes.
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Strategic planning, setting medium- and long-term directions and targets
Board Review
Independent board reviews are conducted for boards that want a regular impartial assessment of performance, and for those that are having difficulties and are wanting assistance identifying and remediating the problem.
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Review of board governance practice and effectiveness
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Targeted review in instances of board difficulty (e.g. relationships, compliance, succession)
Governance Advice
From good practice to regulatory compliance, Kadisha offers advice on optimal board performance.
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Design and implementation of governance systems and processes suitable for business, government or NFP enterprises
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Review of governance practice within boards and other entities, and between entities
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Board coaching and chairperson mentoring
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Development of implementation plans for medium- to long-term change to work practice and work culture
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Advice on implementing change, including in situations of resistance or conflict
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Enhancement of strategic or business plans to include implementation of new or revised systems, policies or processes
Organisational and Program Review
Enterprises as small as a community organisation, or as large as a diocese are reviewed, both for an independent assessment of good governance practice, and to assist with difficulties within and between sub-sections of larger bodies.
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Review of organisational design, systems, processes and effectiveness
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Review of organisational units and divisions, and specific programs
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Appraisal of key personnel
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Inquiry into practice, policy and process (including the chairing of review as appropriate)
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Assessment of the effectiveness of initiatives and major projects from the perspective of intended and unintended impact, attainment of goals and targets, and value for money
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Evaluation of programs and projects within organisations assessing effectiveness and efficiency
