Arnaud BENASSY
Teacher
Dominique BEKIARIAN
Teacher
Laureline MARTIN
Teacher
Julie RAPEBACH
Teacher/ Adult Courses Coordinator
Maud BOUCHER
Teacher/ Children Courses Coordinator
Sarah ZAGLIA
Teacher
Bastien PENAUD
Teacher
Bianca FISHER
Teacher Assistant
Hayli VERRIER
Teacher Assistant
Raphaëlle DELAUNAY
Director
Lesley COOPER
Office Administrator
Andrei PICK
Digital Marketing Officer
Graphic Designer
Doris ABBOUD
Bilingual Receptionist
Mathilde TEODOSIO
Bilingual Receptionist
The Alliance Française d'Adélaïde Executive Committee is a crucial part of the organisation. It is comprised of the Director of the Alliance Française d'Adélaïde and 8 volunteer community members. These members come from a wide range of professions and businesses, bringing expertise in governance, finance, law, education, business and communications to the committee.
Bryan FAHY
President | Bryan is a senior executive in a large government organisation in South Australia. He is an experienced board member with many years’ distinguished service as the President of the Board of Diabetes SA .In early 2014 he was elected chair of the Alliance Française committee. Bryan and his wife Kathy are keen francophiles, regularly enjoying time in France.
Stéphane COLLIGNON
Vice President | Stephane worked for IT companies like Burroughs in Paris and Honewell in Sydney. Stephane migrated to Australia in 1981. Stephane is a senior IT officer in the Department of Defence. He is also an active Health and Safety Representative in his working environment. Stephane was on the Board of the Alliance before and contributed to the addition of an extra-floor to the building.
Deborah LAVIS
Vice President | Deb is a multi-skilled business woman who established The Eco Tile Factory in 1986. She also works as a film producer within her own company, and is creator of ECOtvc film competition. Deb has significant board experience, including, among others, the Australia India Business Council and the Small Business Advisory Council.
Keith ROBINSON
Treasurer | Keith is a Chartered Accountant who started with Ernst & Young in 1989 before spending 8 years at Orlando Wyndham, part of the Pernod Ricard group. A visitor to France on a number of occasions, Keith is partner at Robinsons Chartered Accountants, a small tax and business advisory firm located in Adelaide CBD.
Lani CARTER
Public Officer/Secretary | Lani is an Insurance Lawyer at Sparke Helmore Lawyers in Adelaide. She recently completed a Masters in Law at the University of Melbourne, and studied at the Alliance Française in Rouen during her undergraduate degree. Lani has a love of all things French, and is a firm believer in the power of French champagne to facilitate the learning process.
Philippe GRAVIER
Committee Member | Philippe is manager at Seaway Logistics, International Freight forwarder. Originally from Lyon, he has worked in that industry since 1990 in Hong Kong, France and Australia. Philippe has significant board experience with the French Australian Chamber of Commerce (FACCI SA) in Adelaide.
Laurence POQUET-AUTRET
Committee Member | After living in France and the USA, Laurence has a great experience of governance in not-for-profit organisations. She is a current teacher in the French bilngual and binational programme at Highgate and a former teacher at the Alliance Française d'Adélaïde. Laurence is passionate about the French community in South Australia and a great supporter of the growing relationship between France and South Australia.
Benjamin McCANN
Committee Member | Ben McCann is Associate Professor of French Studies at the University of Adelaide. He is the co-editor of Michael Haneke: Europe Utopia (Columbia UP, 2011) and Framing French Culture (Adelaide UP, 2015) and the author of Ripping Open the Set: French Film Design, 1930-1939 (Peter Lang, 2013), Le Jour se lève (I.B. Tauris, 2013), Julien Duvivier (Manchester UP, 2017), and L’Auberge espagnole: European Youth on Film (Routledge, 2018). He is currently writing a book on the interface between French and Japanese cinema.
Emma GRIGSON-GAIR
Committee Member | Emma is an Executive Consultant and experienced Board member, who served within the Australian Defence Force as an Officer for over 18 years. She currently works with HRSA and the Adelaide Lightning as part of improving sports performance in SA. An avid student in many languages, but a lover of French, she understands the importance of cultural diversity, building relationships and is a supporter of educating children in French culture, politics and language to develop bonds between the two countries.
To express our gratitude for 37 years of dedicated and distinguished service, Andrew McKenzie was awarded the very first Alliance Française d’Adélaïde Honorary Life Membership.