Our Team

Denis has extensive experience in education, having taught across a range of educational settings in Sydney and various countries around the world.

He also brings to his current role the unique skillset he acquired during a rich career in business and commercial diving, as well as his enthusiasm for new technologies.

In Sydney, Denis has found the perfect setting to combine his passion for promoting French language and culture and his love of the ocean, the great outdoors and photography.

Virginie is our Sales and Operations Manager, responsible for overseeing all adult courses, coordinating customer service, and providing support to both the General Manager and the Finance and Administration Manager.

Between 2019 and 2021, Virginie worked for Alliance Française de Sydney as the Customer Service Coordinator.

With over 15 years of experience, Virginie has held various roles in the travel, leisure, and luxury industries, where she has successfully managed a diverse range of activities.
Prior to her time in Sydney, she lived in Indonesia, where she managed a diving experience company.

Philippe is the Coordinator of the Alliance Française French Film Festival Sydney. Prior to joining the company, he was the CEO and head of publishing of major French and Belgian comic book publisher, Dargaud.

Prior to this, he began his career at EY and then worked for many years for the leading French cultural magazine, Télérama.

Sophie has extensive experience in education, having previously taught in various countries before permanently settling down in Sydney.

Within her role at the AFS, Sophie fulfills her passion for teaching students of all ages, particularly in nurturing her youngest learners as they grow up reach language milestones. 

When not at work, Sophie likes to do judo, eat a lot of Cheese and travel around Australia.

Lauriane joined Alliance Francaise Sydney as a French teacher in 2016.
She thoroughly enjoys getting to know her students and their motivation for learning and  helping them to achieve their goals.

Lauriane studied anthropology and sociology and her background is a unique blend of French cultural influences. Her grandparents are from Normandy, her parents from Paris, and she grew up in the countryside of Aveyron before studying in Toulouse.

She may not have a southern accent, but she appreciates olive oil as much as crème fraiche and butter.

Julian is a recently graduated teacher with a passion for phonetics, psychology and class dynamics.

After a first experience at AFS in 2022, Julian is back in Australia for a new challenge. His training in the latest cognitive and teaching methods, his attention to his students and his passion for new technologies make him the perfect match for our teaching team.

Julian is also a proud Gascon (land of foie gras, Armagnac and d'Artagnan) who fell in love with Australia’s wildlife, landscapes and cultural diversity.

Louise completed her Master’s degree in Strategic Marketing, with a dissertation focused on satisfaction to improve the student experience. After joining us, she quickly became a key member of the team, leading initiatives to promote French culture in Australia.

She develops and implements marketing campaigns to promote Alliance Française de Sydney’s courses and events, manages social media and coordinates events such as Bastille Day celebrations.

She also collaborates with internal teams and external partners to optimise marketing performance and results.

Passionate about French culture, Louise works to strengthen the connection between it and Australian audiences.

Laura joined Alliance Française de Sydney in April 2023! At the Alliance Française de Sydney, she is thrilled to support our students and members.

Having been captivated by Australia since her childhood, Laura made the decision to embrace the challenge of living and studying in this country she had longed to explore—especially to catch a glimpse of koalas! With a strong desire to work internationally and promote French culture worldwide, it was only natural for her to join us.

When she's not at Alliance Française, Laura is studying a master degree of International Relations! She also likes doing sport, exploring the wonders of Australia, taking leisurely strolls around Bondi Beach, reading and savouring delicious food. Her secret guilty pleasure lies in relishing brioche and croissants!

Agnieszka joined Alliance Francaise de Sydney in June 2023, dedicated to delivering friendly and professional service to our students and members.

She brings a wealth of experience to the role, having spent a decade in the European tourism industry, specialising in customer service and organising trips for tourists.

Her fascination with the French language and culture began during her school years and today, she is an absolute Francophile and passionate traveler.

Outside of work, she delights in uncovering hidden gems "off the beaten track," immersing herself in new cultures, sampling new flavours and venturing outside of her comfort zone.

Elisabeth joined Alliance Francaise Sydney as a customer service officer in August 2022.

She is a dedicated team member in supporting our students and members.

Outside of her work at Alliance Française, Elisabeth is studying a bachelor of nursing to become a registered nurse !

When she is not studying at Uni or working with the customer service team of the Alliance Française de Sydney, Elisabeth enjoys her passion for dance, hiking and sport in general.

BA (Hons) Business and Finance

François Romanet is a senior executive with experience with multinationals corporations and not-for-profit organisations.

Francois previously worked as CEO for SAFRAN Pacific (Aeronautics, Defense & Security) and Managing Director of Safran Electronics & Defense Australasia for 13 years. From 2017 to 2022, he was Chairman and CEO for Naval Group Pacific, a world leader in naval defence.
He is currently a Board Member of the European Australian Business Council (EABC) and appointed French Foreign Trade Advisors since 2006.

He was Federal President of the French-Australian Chamber of Commerce (FACCI) for 5 years and Chairman of the Board of the French International School of Sydney (Lycée Condorcet) for 3 years. Francois is Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite.

BA Law, BLS

Hannah is currently working as a lawyer at Gilbert + Tobin (Restructuring + Insolvency) in Sydney.

She previously worked as a lawyer (Restructuring) in London, UK, at Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft LLP and at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley and McCloy LLP, and as a lawyer (Corporate Advisory) at Corrs Chambers Westgarth in Sydney.

Hannah was admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW (2014) and as a Solicitor of the High Court of Australia (2016).

BA Law, BLS, MBA, DECS (France)

Patrick is a Senior Corporate and Institutional Banking executive with an extensive network of relationships at Board and senior management levels.

He has led various banking businesses in France, Australia, Spain and the United States for Credit Agricole, CIB and the Westpac Group.

Patrick is an MBA and Accounting graduate with a passion for diversity, sustainability and the performing arts.

MA, BA (Hons), Grad. Dip. Ed. (UNSW, Sydney), Dip. Supérieur de Français des Affaires (CCI Paris)

Dominique has an extensive teaching experience in independent, selective and comprehensive public schools in Sydney. She has worked at the Board of Studies (now, NESA) for over 20 years as an HSC examiner and Senior Marker.

Dominique is a passionate advocate of French language learning and has been actively involved in the Modern Language Teachers Association of NSW  (MLTA of NSW) and the NSW Association of French Teachers (NAFT). She is a Past President of NAFT and a Past Vice-President of the Federation of Associations of Teachers of French in Australia (FATFA). 

M Com, B. Bus

Amaury is Co-Founder of Bread Agency (www.breadagency.com.au) a Social Media Agency with Social Commerce at its core. With over 15 years of combined marketing and communications experience on both agency and client sides, Amaury has proven through-the-line experience including TV, print, social media and digital. After launching Sixtine, a creative studio specialised in content production back in Paris, Amaury is now focusing his efforts in creating and implementing social and digital strategies for clients across a wide range of industries. In his ‘dawntime’, he’s taking photos for his blog Morning Bondi.

B.Sc. (Hons), B.Arch. (Hons)

Isabelle is a director of Aileen Sage Architects. She is a graduate from the University of Sydney (2003). She has worked overseas in Paris for Lipsky + Rollet and Shigeru Ban Architects Europe, and in Sydney for Toland Architects and Neeson Murcutt Architects prior to establishing Aileen Sage with Amelia Sage Holliday in 2013. Isabelle and Amelia were Creative Directors for the 2016 Australian Exhibition at the Venice Architecture Biennale and they have received numerous awards including the 2018 AIA NSW Emerging Architects Prize, 2018 AIA NSW Robert Woodward Award & 2020 AIA NSW Small Project Award.

Isabelle has taught and critiques regularly at all the Sydney Architecture Schools. She was a member of the 2018-2020 State Design Review Panel for the NSW Government Architect and has participated on numerous awards juries and design review panels. Her experience has ranged from complex residential and urban community projects to remote temporary campsites and large-scale public art and cultural strategies.

BA

Anthony was the Chief Operating Officer at Actors Centre Australia, one of Australia’s leading performing arts institutions.

Prior to this, Anthony was the General Manager of Film Festivals, Australian Cinema and Programs with Event Cinemas.
He has extensive experience in cinema theatre management with Event Hospitality and Entertainment (EVT), working across exhibition and distribution.

Anthony is an ambassador and juror for SF3 a screen advisor for WEOFF and worked extensive with many of Australia’s largest and culturally prominent film festivals and organisations.

He currently produces new and exciting works in the arts sector with an Australian production Company.

MBA

Alison is a former lawyer who has transitioned over her professional life into performing business, strategy, development and chief of staff style roles.
Most recently she was the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at one of Australia’s top tier law firms. There she was instrumental in elevating diversity and inclusion to a strategic priority and drove a cultural change that delivered results internally and which were recognised by the broader business community.

Alison has an Executive MBA from Ecole des Ponts in Paris and is a Graduate of the AICD's Company Directors’ course.

She is a former director of the French-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and is currently active with other Not-for profit committees.

BA

Jeanne Ryckmans has worked for two decades in Australian publishing. Co-founder of Key People Literary Management, she is a former book publisher at Random House, HarperCollins Australia and was the artistic director of the Canberra Writers Festival.

Prior to publishing, Jeanne worked in arts television at France 2 (Bouillon de Culture) and SBS Television as an on-air reporter/presenter (Masterpiece/Imagine) documentary producer/director and was features editor at Elle Magazine and books editor for Vogue Australia. A portrait of Jeanne by artist Mathew Lynn was Runner Up in the Archibald Prize and Winner of the Archibald Prize People's Choice Award (1997).

Jeanne is the author of three books, the latest is Trust: A Fractured Fable (Upswell Publishing).