Hilary is Director and Principal of Hilary Winchester Pty Ltd, specialising in Higher Education Quality Assurance, audits, reviews and compliance assessment.

Hilary was the recipient of the 2011 Australian Higher Education Quality Award and was a finalist in the Telstra Business Women’s Awards 2016 (Queensland).

Hilary was Provost at CQUniversity from 2012-2016, including a period as Interim Vice-Chancellor July-October 2016. Her portfolio included the Offices of Research, Learning & Teaching and Indigenous Engagement, and all six higher education schools. Results in the Australian Research Council’s Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) initiative improved dramatically under her leadership.

Hilary’s previous senior appointments include Pro Vice Chancellor: Strategy & Planning at the University of South Australia, Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic) at Flinders University, and President of Academic Senate at the University of Newcastle.

In recognition of these achievements, Hilary has been awarded the title of Emeritus Professor of the University of South Australia and of CQUniversity.

She was an AUQA auditor for 10 years and has been a panel member for the Australian Research Council and an assessor for the former Australian Learning & Teaching Council. She is an international auditor for quality agencies in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and the Middle East.

Hilary has been co-convenor of the group of Executive Women affiliated to and supported by Universities Australia. In this role, she spear-headed the development of the sector-wide Second Action Plan for Women, which established targets for women’s participation in senior roles in Universities.

Hilary holds undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from the University of Oxford and has a background in social geography with an emphasis on migrant and marginal groups. She has been elected as a Fellow of the Institute of Australian Geographers.

Hilary is currently a member of the TEQSA Register of Experts, Chair of Academic Board at the Australian Institute of Business and Adjunct Professor at Flinders University.