Ryan Trainor - Managing Director

Ryan Trainor started his first company, a labour hire business in 1997 at the age of 23. After three years he was servicing most major retail outlets in Australia, contracting more than 500 staff a week. He sold to a large multinational in 2000. Since then, Ryan has founded and grown several businesses including a National Training business that was sold to a publicly listed company in late 2003 and was contracted by Deloitte for 18 months as their ‘Entrepreneur in Residence’ in Australia.

Ryan founded Franklyn Scholar with the vision to create Australia’s largest and most respected workplace training company challenging the traditional status quo of the industry.

Ryan’s entrepreneurial reputation has seen him recognised in 2000 and 2001 as a finalist in the National Australia Day Young Achiever of the Year Awards and is the past President for the Entrepreneurs Organisation (EO) in Melbourne Australia. He is currently completing the Entrepreneurial Masters Program at MIT in the USA. Ryan is also a finalist in the 2010 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award for more information click here.

Follow Ryan on at http://twitter.com/RyanFTrainor.

 

Kate Spargo - Director

Kate Spargo brings a wealth of experience to Frankly Scholar. She is a lawyer by profession having practised as both a defence and prosecuting attorney. Kate has also had experience as a professional services practice manager and as a business consultant in her own consulting firm. In this latter capacity Kate spent a number of years providing corporate advice and delivering training services. She is now a full time non-executive Director on boards operating within a variety of business sectors including infrastructure, banking, finance and energy. Kate is the chair of the Accounting Professional and Ethical Standards Board. Kate’s varied work life from mortuary slab to boardroom table ensures her contributions are well grounded and enables her to contribute commonsense practical advice as well as innovation strategic vision for Franklyn Scholar and our clients.

 

Ralph Willis - Director

Employed by Federal Department of Trade and Federal Department of Labor and National Service in 1959. Appointed in January 1960 as Assistant to ACTU Research Officer and Advocate, Bob Hawke.In December 1969 appointed ACTU Research Officer and Advocate after Bob Hawke was elected as ACTU President. Elected to Federal Parliament as House of Representatives Member for Gellibrand in December 1972. Various Opposition and Ministerial positions held from 1976 through to 1998.

Retired from Parliament at 1998 Federal election.
Current positions:
- Chair, Western Health Service
- Treasurer, Mietta Foundation
- Director, Melbourne City Opera
- Chair, Lead West Ltd
- Director, Franklyn Scholar Pty Ltd
- Director, Victoria University Foundation
- Director, Melba Foundation

Links to: Management Team | Some of Our Team Members