Ashlea Rodie

I began my professional career as a qualified nutritionist working in the fitness and wellness industry, where my husband and I also owned and operated several fitness businesses. Through this experience, I developed a strong interest in governance, compliance and commercial decision-making. When regulatory changes affected my ability to practise, I made the decision to retrain and enrolled in a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Accounting at CQUniversity. Based in Yeppoon at the time, CQU offered the flexibility and distance study options I needed while continuing to run our businesses.

My studies fundamentally reshaped the way I approach business and philanthropy. The law and accounting degrees gave me a practical, working understanding of governance, risk, financial accountability and regulatory frameworks, and the confidence to engage deeply with complex issues rather than outsourcing understanding. This capability now underpins all of my professional work.

Today, I am the founder of GC Active, an activewear brand, and operate an independent consultancy drafting governance, compliance and foundational documentation for philanthropic foundations, particularly founder-controlled and self-assessing entities. In parallel, I established and lead a private philanthropic foundation focused on supporting underprivileged children to excel in education, sport and personal development. My time at CQUniversity enabled me to bridge legal, financial and commercial perspectives, ensuring decisions are both ethically sound and operationally effective.