Staff & Board

Michael Parry (he/him) is Director, Melbourne Arts Precinct at Creative Victoria. He drives development and strategy for the Victorian cultural portfolio, leading the $1.46B redevelopment of the Melbourne Arts Precinct. Previously Michael was Project Director for Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, and earlier, Deputy Director at ACMI, Melbourne. He has led strategy and major projects for a wide variety of cultural organisations across Australia and North America. Michael joined the Midsumma Board at the 2020 AGM and has served as Deputy Chair since the 2021 AGM.

Mitchell Ajduk (he/him) has over 14 years’ experience providing risk and assurance services to support organisations in private and not-for-profit sectors. Mitchell has worked across multiple industries including professional services, utilities and education and places a strong emphasis on improving risk management and operational practices to support organisational growth. He is currently a senior leader at CPA Australia where he is the Strategic Project Lead and has a strong focus on strategy design and execution to maximise member and customer experiences. He has a Bachelor of Social Science and Bachelor of Commerce from Curtin University and is a Fellow Certified Practising Accountant and a Chartered Accountant. He is currently studying his Master of Business Administration at Melbourne Business School. Mitchell joined the Midsumma Board in 2024.

Rhys Cranney (he/him) is a communications, change, Communication and Impact expert passionate about inclusion, sustainability, social change, First Nations justice and the arts. With a professional background spanning across education, government, business, non-profit and politics, Rhys is excited by complexity and always seeks innovative solutions to mobilise audiences behind important causes. Rhys has worked with RMIT University, City of Greater Geelong, Pay The Rent, Victorian NAIDOC Committee and provided community-focused consulting advice to developers, politicians and global health experts. Rhys joined the Midsumma Board in 2016.

Enrico Burgio (he/him) is an experienced public policy and advocacy professional and lawyer with extensive experience in strategy, policy development, thought leadership and stakeholder and government relations. His experience encompasses industry superannuation and financial services, government roles and legal practice in the private sector. Enrico is currently General Manager, Public Policy & Advocacy at Rest Super, overseeing public policy, regulatory affairs and advocacy activities and strategic engagement with government and other stakeholders. Prior to working in senior roles with the Victorian Government, Enrico was a senior employment and industrial relations lawyer with Maurice Blackburn Lawyers. He has served on a number of not-for-profit and community sector boards.

Geoffrey (he/him) is a People and Culture leader with experience in senior and executive roles across corporate, professional services, law, and the arts. He has worked in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, including at Arts Centre Melbourne, PwC, and as Head of People & Culture for a national Australian law firm. Geoffrey formerly served as Deputy Chair of the Board of Polyglot Theatre.

Recognised for leadership and impact with an Excellence in People Award and Individual Achievement Award in 2024, Geoffrey brings a dynamic approach to HR leadership, driving organisational performance and cultural transformation.

Geoffrey’s involvement with Midsumma began as an independent producer, the Festival has been formative to his sense of pride and he is deeply humbled to contribute as a member of the Board. He is Chair of our People & Culture Committee.

Sarah Geistendor (she/her) has over 15 years experience in risk and governance roles across organisations in financial services and global manufacturing. She is passionate about designing people centred, fit-for-purpose frameworks to support businesses to achieve their strategic objectives with healthy risk taking. Sarah is currently the Head of Risk at MIPS, a not-for-profit providing medical indemnity insurance to healthcare practitioners in Australia. Sarah previously held similar roles in other financial service institutions and internal audit roles in consulting and manufacturing organisations.

She holds a Bachelor of Business (Economics) from La Trobe University and a Master of Business Administration from Melbourne Business School. Sarah is a member and graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Sarah joined the Midsumma Board in 2025.