Who is Theodora Issa

Theodora Issa is a Multi Award-winning Scholar, Author, Academic, Visiting Professor, Director, Financial Controller, Local and International Volunteer.  In addition, Theodora worked for an international bank undertaking diverse activities including Account Relationship Manager and Training Officer to name a few positions at that International Bank, reaching high ranking Executive position, acted also as an export company director, and financial director. Theodora started her working career as an elementary school teacher. 

Theodora Issa holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Management, her award-winning PhD thesis was under the title “Ethical mindsets, aesthetics and spirituality: a mixed-methods approach analysis of the Australian services”.  

In addition to her PhD Theodora holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Western Australia, (UWA), Master of Electronic Commerce from Murdoch University (MU), and Master of Management Research from the University of Western Australia (UWA).  In addition, Theodora holds a diploma in English (With Distinction) from England, and a Diploma in High Secretary.  Theodora did her elementary school studies at the Syrian School, then moved to the Patriarchal college, and did her high school studies at the Rosary College, Shmeisani, Amman, Jordan, from where she graduated with her High School Certificate.  It is worthwhile noting that King Hussein of Jordan (1999+) presided on her high school graduation ceremony that was held at the King Hussein Sports City marking the 25th anniversary of the Rosary College in Jordan. 

Furthermore, it is worthwhile to note here that Theodora was one of the first two female bank employees to be promoted to the rank of 'Resident Officer', in the history of the international Bank. Theodora and as part of her banking career acted as a Credit Manager under the title 'Account Relationship Manager' with an authority to issue credit for bank customers.  In addition, Theodora was required to deputize branch managers also acted as a Training Officer, and in preparation for this task she undertook the course 'Train the Trainers' and several other courses, such as leadership, foreign exchange, import and export, granting credit to name a few.  To achieve the best outcomes, Theodora was attached to the international bank's branches in different parts of the world to familiarize herself with tasks that she implemented at the branches where she worked.  Theodora's training task reached the climax when Theodora became responsible on the training of all bank employees of all ranks in preparation and during the upgrading of the information system at the bank amongst other training courses locally and overseas. This was a mammoth task that was done with great effectiveness and efficiency resulting in the further promotion of Theodora. While maintaining her banking career Theodora also worked as an assistant and a translator for the Director of the Pontifical Mission (a mission sponsored by the Vatican to help the marginalized in the society) this work was done after hours, and sometimes over the weekends. Volunteering has been a major part of Theodora's life as she has been volunteering locally and internationally throughout her life in many capacities at many levels, a task that Theodora enjoys doing to this day.

Now, and being in Academia, Theodora has been involved in developing, and teaching several units/courses in diverse fields, at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, locally and internationally, such as business ethics, ethics and intercultural interactions in global business, sustainable development and business/ethical strategies, human resources, international management, management and organizational behavior, comparative management, managing multinational enterprises, organizational behavior, facilitation and group skills, employment relations, information technology seminar that talked about sustainable development and Green IT, research dissertations and projects to name a few. In addition, In 2023 Theodora was invited by a University in Western Australia to develop, and present six lectures in her capacity as an Ethics Specialists.  These lectures have been made available to the students of this university locally and offshore campuses. Theodora continues her ongoing training through different institutions to keep up to date with the latest technologies and data analysis software. 

Indeed, Theodora Issa is an alumna of the University of Western Australia (UWA), Murdoch University (MU), and Curtin University (CU). Theodora is a Senior Fellow of Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), a Fellow of Australian Institute of Management (FAIM), and an Emeritus of the Academy of Management (EAOM).  

Theodora holds the title of Curtin Business School’s ‘New Researcher of the Year’ that was bestowed on her in 2010. Theodora is the recipient of multi awards and grants from the faculty of Business and Law, the university, and other external bodies. She published and continues to publish research work on business ethics, sustainability, sustainable development, technology, social media, corporate social responsibility, reflection, and higher education. Currently, Theodora is conducting her post-doctoral research on ethical mindsets, spirituality, and aesthetics. Add to this research on her church matters including but not limited to SAYFO1915 (The Syriac Genocide).  

Theodora is a co-researcher in several projects on issues relating to leadership, sustainable development and business strategies, cloud computing, green IT and sustainability, corruption resistance, misconduct, social media, and social awareness, also development of new tools and methods for advanced pedagogical science in the field of ICT instruments, e-learning and intercultural competences with scholars from the Eastern States of Australia, the Americas and Europe. Theodora is an Associate Editor of the Journal Business Ethics, Environment and Responsibility of Wiley (BEER), started with this journal when it was known as the Journal of Business Ethics: A European Review since 2015, also Associate Editor for the Social Issues in Management of the USA Academy of Management, and a member of editorial committees of several international journals and a member of organizing committees of international conferences, also a reviewer of journals such as the Journal of Business Ethics. Theodora holds memberships as an ordinary member, fellow, or emeritus in several local and international bodies such as Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM), Australian Association for Professional and Applied Ethics (AAPAE), and American Academy of Management (AOM). In 2025 Theodora has been appointed an Associate Editor for the 2025 annual meeting of the Academy of Management, USA, also has been acting and since 2017 to date as a member of the Outstanding Book Committee that chooses the outstanding book for an award during the annual AOM meeting. In July 2026 Theodora has been invited to consider playing the role of 'Treasurer' at the Social Issues in Management (SIM) Discipline at the Academy of Management, USA.

Theodora has been recently considering some studies in history, did some work in literature, narrative and history, also researching in classical world at the University of Western Australia (UWA).  Furthermore, in July 2026 undertook an intensive course in Greek language at The Macquarie Ancient Languages School (MALS).

As for Theodora’s ongoing local voluntary work, Theodora is one of the webmasters of her community's website (since 1995) and acted as one of the editors of the weekly bulletin since 1995 with some of the issues currently available online.  As for Theodora’s International Voluntary work, in 2012 Theodora was appointed a delegate to the World Council of Churches (WCC) 10th Assembly, held in Busan, South Korea, in November 2013, representing her Syrian Orthodox Church. During this 10th WCC assembly’s sessions, Theodora was elected a member of the WCC Central Committee representing the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East (SOPAE). It is worthwhile noting that this is the first time a female member from the Syrian Orthodox Church has been elected to this position on behalf of the Syrian Orthodox Church. In July 2014 Theodora was nominated by the church and later elected as a member of the ‘Education and Ecumenical Formation (EEF) Commission of the WCC.  During the Central Committee meeting in June 2016 that was held in Norway, Theodora was nominated by the church and later elected as a member of the Permanent Committee on Consensus and Collaboration (PCCC). 

In August 2020, Theodora was approached by the Ecumenical Center for Pilgrims and Biblical Studies (ECPBS) in the Holy Land, to join the Advisory Board of the ECPBS.

Further, Theodora was nominated by her church and represented her Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch at the 11th Assembly of the WCC held in Karlsruhe, Germany in August/September 2022, during this assembly Theodora, being nominated by her church, was elected by the assembly to represent her church at the high office of Central Committee.  This election brings Theodora to the second term as member of the Central Committee.  

Indeed, Theodora was elected for the second time as a member of the Central Committee, and she is currently serving this second term. During the first meeting of the newly elected Central Committee in June 2023, held in Geneva, Switzerland, Theodora was also elected as a member of the Public Issues Committee, which is a sub-committee of the Central Committee that works during the meetings of the Central Committee. 

During the 70th meeting, the 2025 Central Committee meeting, of the World Council of Churches that took place in Johannesburg (South Africa) from 18 to 24 June 2025 under the theme 'Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity' (which is the second for this term that started following the 11th Assembly that was held in Karlsruhe, Germany when Dr Theodora Issa was elected for the second term as a member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches), and in addition to her position as a member of the Central Committee, Dr Theodora Issa was elected a member of the Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches as a representative of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East, and holding the seat of the Oriental Family at the Executive Committee.  The term of this newly elected executive committee will be during the period 2026-2030.  It is worthwhile to note here that with this election, Dr Theodora Issa is the first female to occupy such a seat representing the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East in the Executive Committee.  

It is of vital importance to mention here that Dr Theodora Issa is the eldest daughter of the great scholar and Theologian, who served the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch and all the East for some eighty years, V. Rev. Fr. Cor-Episcopo Fr Boutros Touma Issa Ramo Khoshaba Marya (2015+)  and Bathqyomo Marine Khoury-Issa (2016+).  You can also check this link and this link.