Case Studies31 March 2026
Jabiru Community College
Liza Page & Cassy Ciantar | Co-Principals & Co-CEO’s
Industry: Education, Special Assistance School
Scope of Work:
- Change Management Advisory
- Strategic Plan Implementation
- Senior Leadership Team Development
- Executive Coaching (1:1)
The Opportunity
Help Jabiru's co-principals translate a newly Board-approved strategic plan into day-to-day reality at Jabiru Community College, a single-campus Special Assistance School in Brisbane supporting students in Years 10 to 12 with complex social, emotional and cognitive needs, with no head office to lean on.
The Challenge
As Co-Principals and Co-CEOs, Liza and Cassy brought deep operational experience but had never led at this strategic, whole-of-organisation level before. They inherited a school that was non-compliant in multiple areas, and their first year was spent firefighting rather than leading, chasing urgent compliance issues just to keep the doors open, with no clear strategy beyond staying compliant. Layered on top of that was real change fatigue and resistance from a staff group already stretched thin.
“We started at a school that was non-compliant in many areas and we were putting out fires right from day one. It was like Whack a Mole for our first year here, and we both knew that was not sustainable.”
LIZA PAGE, CO-PRINCIPAL & CO-CEO
The Approach
Liza & Cassy had first heard Gayle speak on change management at an ISQ Leadership Masterclass in 2025, and both co-principals later attended Gayle's Leadership Essentials Retreat, where the impact was immediate enough that they invited her back for individual coaching. That coaching grew naturally into support for the whole School Leadership Team: a Change Management Advisory process working through leadership alignment, priority sequencing, change road-mapping and execution support. What stood out most was the clarity of it, pre-meetings where Thriving Minds pitched ideas and the co-principals workshopped them together, drawing out the specific nuances of Jabiru's context before anything was locked in. As Liza put it, they were working with professionals who have a very clear understanding of the strategic job at hand and could step them through it in a clear and direct way. The turning point came early, in the first workshop, when it became clear what they actually needed to do was enact the strategic plan already sitting on the shelf.
“Partnering with Gayle and Heidi was a game changer for our leadership team. They took the time to thoroughly understand our context, and what stood out most was their ability to pivot from the original plan whenever our priorities evolved, ensuring every session delivered real value.”
CASSY CIANTAR, CO-PRINCIPAL & CO-CEO
The Results & Impact
The shift shows up in how change happens now, not just whether it happens. Jabiru now has full leadership alignment and a living strategic roadmap with clear 30-, 60-and 90-day priority tiers to work towards, and where the message used to be blunt compliance pressure, Liza and Cassy can now walk their team through the reasoning and the plan behind a change, bringing people along for the journey rather than announcing it reactively.
“We've moved away from reactive firefighting and into shared clarity. We are finally speaking the same leadership language, working from a clear roadmap, and operating with a renewed sense of purpose and psychological safety.”
CASSY CIANTAR, CO-PRINCIPAL & CO-CEO
Advice for anyone wishing to work with Thriving Minds
Do it, you will not be disappointed. It's a genuinely good investment if you want long-term change and alignment in your organisation. For both of us personally, stress levels are down, our outlook is calmer, and for the first time in a long while there's real hope for what's ahead, built on a team that's finally speaking the same leadership language.
