In 2022 Ms Peta Grenfell commenced as College Board Chair and Director, taking the baton from past Chair, Mr Evan Gilbert. Peta invests considerable time, expertise and care in our Flinders community and brings vast experience and passion to her role.
Peta is a qualified Accountant and Partner of Bentleys QLD, a Top 100 accounting firm. She has overseen the operation of the Sunshine Coast office for over 15 years and has strong connections with the Sunshine Coast business community. Peta is a CPA and a licensed financial adviser with extensive experience providing business and taxation advice across a range of industries, including professional services, superannuation, foreign tax, business restructuring, succession and governance.
With two children at the school, Peta has been part of the Matthew Flinders Anglican College community since 2015, volunteering her time with school sport, activities and College governance.
Through this Q&A profile, Peta shares more about her career, sense of purpose and the outdoor adventures she enjoys around our beautiful Sunshine Coast in her spare time.
What does your role involve as part of the Matthew Flinders Anglican College Board?
My main role as Board Chair is to work with my fellow directors, including Principal Stuart Meade, to plan and implement the overall strategies for the College. This includes preparing our College Strategic Plan (of which, a new one is due to commence in 2023), monitoring the progress of the implementation and generally overseeing the performance of the College.
What do you enjoy about being involved in the College Board?
Of course I enjoy seeing the College continue to grow. It’s been very exciting to see the Flinders Masterplan progress with the opening of the Flagship Centre, the Wonderarium and the Year 7 Precinct.
But what I really love is seeing our students enjoying their days at school. Our board meetings are held in the boardroom that overlooks the Anthony Vincent Oval, and I love watching the students playing sport or moving around the College engaged in excited conversation with their friends.
I’m also grateful to get an insight into the dedication and genuine passion of the Flinders leadership team, who often engage with the Board, passionately sharing stories of student achievements and their goals for the future. The team does an outstanding job and should be very proud of what they do.
Aside from being on the College Board, what is your link to the College community?
My two boys attend the College, and have been here since they were a part of the Flinders Early Learning Centre. Over this time I have developed great relationships with many Flinders families and feel very much a part of the Flinders community.
What is your career role, and why are you passionate about your job?
I’m an accountant ‘by trade’, and my day job is Partner of Bentleys Accountants. I’m involved with many of the family-owned businesses here on the Sunshine Coast; in fact, quite a few of them are also Flinders families! I’m passionate about helping businesses grow and navigate the financial challenges, and ultimately seeing them reach their goals.
How else are you involved in the wider community?
Like many of us, I wasn’t born on the Coast but have called it home since 2005 (not sure if that makes me a local yet or not!). During this time our business has been involved with the Sunshine Coast Business Women’s Network, Master Builders Qld, HIA and the Chambers of Commerce. We have also been keen supporters of Compass Inc and LifeFlight over the years.
What are your hobbies?
I love getting outdoors, which might be a symptom of sitting in an air conditioned office all day! Our family regularly camps and we all love fishing, boating and the beach (my idea of fishing is to read a good book while the kids fish!). I have recently started challenging myself to some multi-day hikes and have been reminded of the beauty and diversity of the Sunshine Coast region.
What is your favourite book that you would recommend others read?
I don’t actually have one favourite book, though I’m very much a Ken Follett fan. I’m an avid reader, and always have a book on the go, but I would say my favourite reading experience was reading the Harry Potter series to my kids when they were younger. I hadn’t read the series myself before, so I was as excited as the kids to read the next chapter each night.
What do you enjoy about living on the Sunshine Coast?
I travel to Brisbane regularly for work, and each time I come back I appreciate the beauty of the coast, and how easy it is to get wherever you want to go. I don’t get to the beach, or out on the water as much as I would like to, but love it when I do get the chance.
What are some of your favourite spots to visit on the Sunshine Coast?
We live in Maroochydore, so I love walking along the river. In fact, the walk from Maroochydore all the way along the beach to the spit at Mooloolaba is one of my favorite things to do. And, since my kids and husband don’t share my love for walking long distances, it's also a great way to get in some ‘me-time’!
What did you love about your schooling years?
I’m certain it's not the right answer, but I loved the social aspect of school…a lot!
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
‘Work hard, be kind, show gratitude.’
To learn more about our College leadership approach and Board members, please visit our website here.
