Meet the Chair of the Governance Working Group: An Interview with Jennifer Caro

A conversation with Jennifer Caro, Technology Business Management Lead at Brisbane Catholic Education and Chair of the Catholic Network Australia’s Governance Working Group.

Jennifer Caro, Chair, Governance Working Group (GWG), Catholic Network Australia

Jennifer Caro, Chair of the Catholic Network Australia (CNA) Governance Working Group, is passionate about building governance capability across Catholic education systems to strengthen transparency, accountability and safeguarding. In this interview, she shares insights into the group’s mandate, current initiatives and vision for embedding a culture of governance excellence across CNA.

Q: What is your role within Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE)?

As the Technology Business Management Lead at BCE, I lead a small team that delivers shared language, visible practice and actionable insights to empower IT leaders to respond to changing market dynamics. We focus on optimising contract, vendor and financial management across BCE’s technology ecosystem.

Balancing that with my role as Chair of the Governance Working Group is possible because both are focused on governance, risk and strategic alignment. I’m supported by a strong team at CNA — including the Company Secretary, consultants and governance representatives from dioceses across Australia.

What drew me to this role was a passion for strengthening governance capability so that Catholic education organisations are equipped to meet future challenges with confidence and transparency.

Q: What is the role of the Governance Working Group (GWG) in supporting Catholic education?

The Governance Working Group plays a foundational role within CNA. We oversee material risks, develop policy frameworks and support compliance across the organisation.

Our work centres on collaboration. We engage closely with other CNA working groups, the Executive and the Board to ensure that governance processes are consistent, practical and transparent.

Ultimately, the GWG helps build a culture of governance awareness and capability across the network. By simplifying frameworks, reviewing policies and supporting risk management, we help ensure CNA and its members are well positioned to respond to emerging challenges with integrity and confidence.

Q: What are the current governance priorities for CNA?

Safeguarding remains a top priority. We’ve operationalised a risk management framework that includes regular policy reviews, clear escalation pathways and ongoing education for CNA participants.

We focus on identifying and addressing emerging risks — particularly those linked to technology adoption, event safety (WHS), data privacy and sovereignty, succession planning, and safeguarding young people and vulnerable adults.

Our work helps ensure CNA’s operations and partnerships meet the highest standards of accountability and care.

Q: What does effective compliance look like within CNA?

Effective compliance goes beyond meeting regulatory obligations. It’s about embedding a culture of accountability and transparency.

The GWG supports this by simplifying compliance processes, offering clear guidance to other working groups and ensuring the Executive and Board receive regular updates on progress and risk posture.

When compliance is integrated into day-to-day decision-making, it ceases to be a burden and becomes part of how we serve with integrity.

Q: How does CNA’s safeguarding framework operate in practice?

A robust safeguarding framework is not a “set and forget” process. It’s about creating an environment where everyone feels safe, respected and empowered to speak up.

In practice, CNA embeds safeguarding into all decision-making. For example, during procurement processes with major vendors such as Microsoft, CNA requires evidence of safeguarding compliance—covering data storage, privacy controls, ethical AI use and rapid response to incidents.

Our Governance Working Group ensures these standards are upheld across all vendor relationships and internal activities.

Q: What challenges have you faced in establishing the Governance Working Group?

Because CNA’s membership spans diverse dioceses — each with unique structures, capacities and cultures — there’s no one-size-fits-all approach.

We’ve built the group around capability, commitment and collaboration. A consistent meeting cadence and participation from the Company Secretary and governance consultants ensure continuity and accountability.

Our diversity is a strength. It allows us to tailor our approach and share best practice that meets the needs of large and small dioceses alike.

Q: What are the Governance Working Group’s future priorities?

The Governance Working Group is still relatively new, but it’s maturing quickly. Our three-year strategic plan focuses on continuous improvement, risk management and embedding governance into CNA’s culture.

We’re committed to leveraging data and feedback to refine frameworks, improve communication with members and strengthen CNA’s governance posture across all working groups.

Success, for us, means that governance is no longer something separate. It’s part of who we are and how we operate.

Q: What message would you share with the Catholic community about CNA’s governance reforms?

The reforms underway are designed to embed a strong risk management framework supported by real-time reporting, clear accountability and transparent decision-making.

These changes foster trust across Catholic institutions and align deeply with our mission and values. What gives me confidence is the collective commitment of Catholic education leaders nationwide to strengthen governance structures that are both operationally sound and spiritually grounded.

Together, we’re building a culture of trust, transparency and accountability that will sustain CNA well into the future.

If you’re interested in contributing your expertise in policy, compliance or safeguarding, consider joining the Governance Working Group to help strengthen governance capability across Catholic education.

🔗 Learn more at: cna.catholic.edu.au