Life Ed NSW/ACT farewells CEO Jonathon Peatfield after six years
Friday, 19 Dec 2025
Life Ed’s mission has always been to inspire and empower young people to make safe and healthy choices. Our continued success is driven by leaders who share that purpose and steer the organisation through evolving educational, social, and technological landscapes. After six years as CEO of Life Ed NSW/ACT, Jonathon (Jono) Peatfield has announced that he will be stepping down in January 2026, having guided the organisation through an era of significant innovation and strategic growth.
During his tenure, Jono led Life Ed NSW/ACT through one of the most challenging periods in the history of Life Ed: the COVID-19 pandemic. While many organisations faced fragmentation, Life Ed emerged stronger. He maintained full employment and high engagement across the team, the organisation adapting rapidly to deliver health education through new virtual classrooms and online offerings. This resilience of the organisation and team ensured that, even in isolation, children remained connected to the vital lessons Harold and the team provide.
Jono’s impact on the internal “engine” of the organisation has been equally transformative. He championed a values-based culture centred on staff wellbeing, transparency, and connection. This focus was validated by outstanding results in the McKinsey Organisational Health Index, where the organisation twice achieved a score of 93/100. By implementing a major systems transformation – including Salesforce, Employment Hero, strategy connect and the wellbeing platform Uprise – we have embedded data-informed decision-making and strategic thinking into our daily operations. These advancements have allowed our team to work more effectively, ensuring more time is spent where it matters most: with students and schools.
Our key developments over the past 6 years include the implementation of an evaluation framework capturing student and teacher voice, the redevelopment of Reality Now, the introduction of Talk About It, and a significant growth in our Early Years Learning Program, which surged from 10,000 to nearly 50,000 children in just five years. Our focus on robust strategy has guided the successful custodianship of the Peer Support Program, creating a holistic school health and wellbeing offering covering primary and secondary schools.
The launch of the Festival of Health initiative has become a cornerstone of community engagement, elevating our work in regional areas and demonstrating our unique ability to bring together families, local services, and schools.
Jono’s advocacy extended far beyond our internal operations. He represented Life Ed at the NSW Senate Inquiry into vaping, joined the Premier and Education Minister at the launch of the NSW Brighter Beginnings Fund and took Life Ed to Harvard. Whether he was presenting to government officials, playing hide-n-seek in the office or donning the “Big Harold” suit at a regional festival, Jono remained a champion for children’s health and wellbeing.
As Jono prepares to transition to his family Property in Armidale, he reflects on his time as “a period of challenge, growth, and immense pride in what the collective achievements of the team. I am so grateful to the entire team and board for the work they do every day to support our kids, all with a smile on their face”.
The Board of Life Ed NSW/ACT extends its sincere thanks to Jono for his vision and unwavering dedication. He leaves the organisation in a position of remarkable strength, ready to embrace a new era of innovation. We look forward to celebrating his achievements at the upcoming conference in January.
