About Us

SAFETY LEADERSHIP INTEGRITY INCLUSION CHILD-CENTRIC COLLABORATION.

Big Fat Smile has both humble beginnings and solid foundations. Established in 1981 as the Illawarra Children’s Services Action Group, we sought to bring positive, lasting change to the Illawarra region through active campaigning for the rights of families to affordable early education and care.

Big Fat Smile is a not-for-profit, sector-leading provider of child education, care, recreation, cultural and inclusion services in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

Fast forward 38-years, and we have grown into one of the largest and most respected providers of early education and inclusion services in our region. We exist for children and families, working to provide access to the highest quality early education and care in Australia. In fact, quality is central to everything we do.

We enrich the lives and minds of our children and families in their communities.

Board of directors

Big Fat Smile is governed by an elected Board of Directors. Their role and responsibility is to establish the strategic direction of the organisation, ensure an effective framework for the management of risk, and oversee executive and business performance.

Board Chair and Non Executive Director
Jeff Harvie
Jeff Harvie
BBus; CPS; MAICD
- - Board Chair
  - Non Executive Director of Big Fat Smile Group Ltd. since 2020
  - Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee member since 2020
Jeff brings more than 25 years’ experience in senior finance roles across not-for-profit, private and public sectors in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. He brings strategic experience having worked with, and held board roles, including a variety of non-executive director and audit and risk committee positions, across ASX listed and private companies as well as large not-for-profit organisations. This experience has developed the understanding and skills needed for the critical role of discipline, governance, accountability and transparency in the success of financially sustainable organisations.
Non Executive Director
Julia Davidson
Julia Davidson
BSc (Hons); MPA, MAICD
- - Non Executive Director of Big Fat Smile Group Ltd. since 2020
Julia has extensive Chief Executive Officer and senior management experience in the human services sector in Australia and the UK. Julia is on the Board of Cape York Girl Academy and has held a number of non-executive roles including Chair of Catherine House, a not-for-profit working to solve women’s homelessness, Director of Territory Insurance Office, NT and Director of Business SA. As a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School, Julia has a strong interest in Public Policy.
Non Executive Director
Dr Marina Papic
Dr Marina Papic
Dr of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- - Non Executive Director of Big Fat Smile Group Ltd. since 2020
Marina has worked in the education sector for 35 years and has held various teaching, academic and leadership roles including: Associate Professor (Mathematics Education); Head of Department, Institute of Early Childhood Macquarie University Sydney; Director of the Children and Families Research Centre, Macquarie University Sydney; Executive Officer Primary, Independent K-12 College; and Manager of Children’s Services, Blacktown City Council.
Non Executive Director
Gavin Bartlett
Gavin Bartlett
LL.B
- Non Executive Director of Big Fat Smile Group Ltd. since 2020
- Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee Chair since 2020
- Gavin has extensive General Counsel and legal experience supporting organisations in the early childhood sector in meeting their legal and governance needs. Gavin also has experience in the areas of commercial property, franchising, dispute resolution and litigation.
Non Executive Director
David Campbell
David Campbell
M MGMT; FAICD
- - Non Executive Director of Big Fat Smile Group Ltd. since 2014
  - Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee Member
David is a Fellow and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a retired Member of Parliament. NSW Treasury has also prequalified him for appointment to agency Audit and Risk Committees. David brings a strong understanding of the planning and delivery of major infrastructure projects.
Non Executive Director
Sophie Ray
Sophie Ray
BA (Hons) LLB (Hons) Grad Dip Leg Studs, GAICD
- - Non Executive Director of Big Fat Smile Group Ltd. since 2016
Sophie is an experienced Non-Executive Director, Board Chair and business owner, currently the Independent Chair of RSL NSW. She has spent two decades working in diverse sectors including law, professional services, agriculture, manufacturing, retail, hospitality & tourism, early childhood, migration and veteran’s support.
Non Executive Director
Jason Malone
Jason Malone
BComm, MBA, CPA
- - Non Executive Director of Big Fat Smile Group Ltd. since April 2018
  - Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee member since May 2018
Jason is an experienced CEO and CFO with nearly twenty years of experience in the area of commercial business partnering, financial control, business development, procurement, P&L line management and supply chain. Experience supported by Professional qualifications and an MBA.

Executive Leadership Team

Big Fat Smile is led by an executive leadership team based at the organisation’s Head Office in Corrimal.

CEO
Jenni Hutchins
Jenni Hutchins
B Arts (Welf, Psych), PG Dip (Child & Family, Psych, Intern Psychologist), R.Psych
- CEO, since February 2017
- Chair, Executive Leadership Team
Jenni leads the implementation of Big Fat Smile’s Strategic Plan with the outcome of enriching the lives and minds of our children and families in their communities.
General Manager, Operations
Justine Uluibau
Justine Uluibau
Dip (Children’s Services), Grad Dip (Public Sector Management), Cert IV Training and Assessment
- General Manager, Operations, since September 2020
Justine leads a team in the operations of Big Fat Smile’s portfolio of community preschools, long day care centres, Fun Clubs, school holiday care, Inclusion Agency and community support programs to enhance the education, care and wellbeing of children, families and communities.
Chief Financial Officer
Aidan Slevin
Aidan Slevin
- Chief Financial Officer, since August 2019
- Aidan has been employed with Big Fat Smile since 2017.
Aidan leads a team in the delivery of the finance, facilities and IT functions of the organisation.
Executive Manager, People & Culture
Nicole Dixon
Nicole Dixon
Bachelor of Business (Human Resource Management & Industrial Relations)
- Executive Manager, People & Culture, since May 2018
Nicole leads a team in the Human Resource functions and champions the Big Fat Smile culture, vision and values
Pedagogical Thinker in Residence
Michele Peden
Michele Peden
Associate Diploma of Social Science (Child Studies), BEd(EC), Cert IV Workplace Training Category 2, GDipAdultEd, Cert IV Training and Assessment, MEd(EC), PHD
- Pedagogical Thinker in Residence, since February 2018
Michele leads a team in developing an educational framework for children aged 0 – 12 to support Big Fat Smile’s services and enhance education and care outcomes.
Executive Manager- Experience & Development
Amanda Archer
Amanda Archer
Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood), Dip Quality Auditing, Adv Dip. Leadership & Management, Bachelor of Business- Marketing & Management (working towards)
- Executive Manager- Experience and Development, since November 2020
- Working for Big Fat Smile since 2017
Amanda leads the Compliance, Client Experience, Business Development and Marketing Teams toward synergistic goals to achieve our vision and values