Our Committee
Michelle Royer - President
Originally from Paris, Michelle is the head of the Department of French and Francophone studies at the University of Sydney where she also teaches and publishes in the area of French and Francophone cinema and literature. Educated in France, she has lived in Australia and worked in academia for several decades.
It is with great enthusiasm and a deep interest in Franco-Australian relations that she joined the Board as the president of Le Courrier Australien Friends.
She is committed to making the association a dynamic cultural space for Francophones and Francophiles in Australia and is excited to have the opportunity to contribute to the furthering of the meaningful connections fostered by Le Courrier Australien since 1892.
Milena Mitic - Vice President
Milena is an Australian law and international studies student who, from a young age, fell in love with the French language and francophone culture.
As a passionate Francophile, she welcomed the opportunity to join the executive board of LCA Friends. With her fellow committee members, Milena is excited to facilitate the rich and long-standing Franco-Australian connection, deliver meaningful opportunities to the Association’s members, and overall contribute to the growth and future of the LCA Friends.
Beyond her interest in the French-speaking community, Milena works in commercial and corporate law. She has a particular interest in cross-jurisdictional matters where she can best appreciate the power of multilingualism and global awareness. She also dedicates a significant portion of her time to pro-bono pursuits.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/milena-mitic/
François Romanet
Francois Romanet was born in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, France.
After studying in Paris (Master in Finance and Business) and a few years in New York (USA), Francois started with French multinational SAFRAN in 1995. From 2017 to 2022, he was Chairman and CEO for Naval Group Pacific, a world leader in naval defence, designing and building submarines and surface ships.
He was NSW President of the French-Australian Chamber of Commerce (FACCI) for 2 years (2013-2014) and appointed as Federal President for 5 years (2015-2019). He continues his commitment to FACCI as Chairman of the Advisory Council.
He has recently been appointed President of the Alliance Francaise of Sydney. He was Chairman of the Board of the French International School of Sydney from 2007 to 2010.
Francois has received the National Order of Merits in the rank of Knight.
Madeleine Graveleine
Madeleine is a law student from Paris and arrived in Australia in 2019 as an exchange student at the University of Sydney. She has fallen in love with Australia and decided to stay in this beautiful country to continue her legal degree.
Parallel to her studies, She is a journalist for Le Courrier Australien and enjoys writing articles about life in Australia as well as bringing French news to all francophiles around the world. Contributing to Le Courrier has made her discover the rich and vibrant french speaking community of Australia and its history.
It is with great motivation and enthusiasm that She joined the board of Le Courrier Australien Friends where she hopes to share her love of the newspaper and contribute to the development of an even stronger relations between Australia and the French speaking world.
François Vantomme - Secretary
A Belgian journalist who has held many important roles in sporting organisations as well as in print and digital media in Belgium, before moving to Australia in 2013.
Media and Communications expert with +15 years overseeing corporate communication, digital, print, and broadcast leadership and strategy spanning three countries.
François is a great supporter of the Francophonie and its motto : equality, complementarity, solidarity.
In 2016, he successfully re-launched Le Courrier Australien in digital format, and published the collector’s edition in 2019.
He is the Director, editor-in-chief and co-owner of Le Courrier Australien.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/francoisvantomme/
Bernard Le Boursicot OAM
Originally from Paris, this successful entrepreneur arrived in Australia in 1968. He occupies many prestigious positions within the French Community.
Passionate about French literature and always with an affinity for his birth country, he is committed to the promotion of French culture through his tireless work in many organisations and associations.
He is co-owner of Le Courrier Auatralien.
Tobias Lord
Tobias is a French-Australian brand consultant and photographer living in Sydney.
With a multicultural background and children in the bilingual program at KHPS, Tobias is actively involved in the community and the promotion of the Australian/French relations.
With a camera, Tobias has recently launched a photographic exhibition on the power of solitude through Covid called 'Finding Space' and is the Laureate of the 2020 Paris independent Film festival for his directing and editing of the short Film 'Distressed'.
In the office, Tobias has a career as a designer and brand consultant, creating strategies and marketing solutions for some of the world's biggest consumer brands.
Peggy Vosloo
Originally from France, Peggy has lived in Australia for over two decades. A senior consultant in Employer Brand, HR Marketing and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion), Peggy has worked in both private and public sectors across Europe, Asia and ANZ.
An active member of the French-speaking Association of the North Shore (FANS), Peggy is passionate about multilingualism and cross-cultural contexts. She uses her experience in DEI and creative design thinking with global companies such as Sodexo and Randstad to create a positive social impact for employees and organisations. Her latest work includes championing the Family Friendly Workplaces certification launched by Parents At Work and UNICEF Australia.
Our roles
Culture.
Promoting Australian-French culture in all its diversity and fostering the continuation of the longstanding Australian-French relationship by organising and funding events showcasing the common history of Australia and France.
Information.
Informing the Australian-French public about issues affecting the community, including the need for strong local content production for audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
Education.
Assisting Le Courrier Australien in adopting an educational role through the provision of vocational experiences and platforms for domestic and international students and through engaged partnership with various educational bodies in France and Australia.
Heritage.
Ensuring that the LCA is properly funded to maintain and advance its role as Australia’s oldest foreign newspaper in all media, including facilitating the publication of various prints and publications of benefit to the community.