Our People

Maurice O'Shannassy is Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Sagecool. Through Sagecool, he is committed to helping students develop the knowledge, critical thinking skills and intellectual curiosity needed to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

He is also Chairman of Sementis Ltd, a biotechnology company developing cures for peanut and other allergies.

Maurice has spent more than forty years working in economics, finance, education and technology.

He began his career at the Australian Commonwealth Treasury before becoming Chief Economist at Potter Partners. He later joined Mercury Asset Management in London, where he founded the Emerging Markets division, and subsequently moved to Asia, where he served as CIO and CEO of the firm's Asian fund management business. He later returned to Australia as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer and, following the firm's acquisition by Merrill Lynch and later BlackRock, became CEO and CIO of BlackRock Australia.

For the past fifteen years he has been writing a five volume, 3,500 page treatise on economics and finance, covering the history of money and banking, the major schools of economic thought, and the practical workings of financial systems around the world.

He also writes a weekly Substack essay on economics, finance and global trends.

Paul is a highly regarded consultant and facilitator with deep expertise in education, and the founder of Regent Consulting, established in 2008 and has worked in education all his life.

Paul forged an impressive career in Melbourne’s leading private schools over two decades, rising to Deputy Principal of a prominent private secondary school by his early thirties, which is a testament to his exceptional leadership capabilities. Throughout his career, he has held numerous senior leadership positions across APS, ACC, ACS and AGS schools, giving him an intimate and nuanced understanding of Melbourne’s private school sector.

A recognised authority on school selection, Paul has been consulting to parents and families for 18 years, helping them navigate one of the most important decisions they will make for their children. He has authored several published articles on Choosing the Right School for Your Child and regularly presents seminars on the topic both across Australia and throughout Asia. Alongside his consulting work, Paul successfully operated his own business running conferences and seminars, which demonstrates his entrepreneurial drive and ability to engage and inspire diverse audiences.

An accomplished presenter and facilitator, Paul brings warmth, clarity and credibility to every engagement, whether working with organisations or individual families.

Outside of education, Paul is a highly experienced AFL football coach with an outstanding record at youth level. His dedication to developing young athletes has been recognised with multiple coaching awards, including the prestigious Victorian Youth Coach of the Year, which is a reflection of the same passion for nurturing potential that defines his professional career. Paul is a proud father of two and remains deeply committed to helping families and young people thrive.

Roger Shen is an international education program founder and cross-cultural learning advocate with more than 25 years of experience across education and business. Since moving to Melbourne in 2009, he has focused on creating practical pathways that help young international students settle confidently, connect with local communities and develop the skills needed to thrive in a new cultural environment.

Since 2016, Roger has supported hundreds of students through short-term study programs in Australia, working with sister-school partnerships to provide meaningful educational and cultural exchange. His programs also create opportunities for Australian school leaders, teachers and students to engage with Chinese language, culture and school communities, strengthening understanding in both directions.

In 2020, Roger established the Melbourne Intercultural Learning Centre, a purpose-built facility that accommodates up to 45 students and provides accommodation, meals, language support, cultural programs and pastoral care for students under 18. He believes successful overseas study depends not only on academic preparation, but also on strong multicultural competence, personal wellbeing and a positive first experience abroad.

Sam is an experienced software engineer and engineering leader who has spent over fifteen years building high-performance web applications and robust cloud infrastructure. As the technical architect behind Sagecool, he is responsible for leading the platform's development, ensuring it delivers a seamless, scalable, and reliable experience for students and educators alike.

Throughout his career, Sam has worn many hats across software architecture, DevOps, and engineering leadership. No matter the scale of the system, his core focus has always remained the same: writing clean, sustainable code and building technology that solves tangible, real-world problems for everyday people.

He holds a deep personal belief in the transformative power of education and the lifelong opportunities it creates. Sam is incredibly proud to leverage his technical expertise to bring Sagecool's vision to life, creating tools that meaningfully impact the academic journeys of young people.

Max is a graduate software engineer who joined Sagecool after graduating from university. He works closely with Sam to develop and maintain the Sagecool platform, focusing on delivering reliable, high quality software.

Passionate about building well-crafted software, Max enjoys turning creative ideas into practical solutions. Outside of Sagecool, he can often be found tinkering with a variety of projects, from custom keyboards to personal software side projects.

Yin Yin Wu is a Sydney-based creative director and brand designer who has been shaping Sagecool's visual identity since 2024. With a background spanning international studies, marketing and graphic design, Yin Yin brings both strategic thinking and hands-on craft to everything she touches.

When she's not designing, she's overcommitting to her Goodreads reading challenge or planning her next dive trip.