20 University Executive Leaders Across Australia and New Zealand
Last updated: 12 August 2026
Introduction
Universities are large, public-facing organisations with a long memory and a daily need to adapt. Their executive leaders carry responsibility for people, learning, research, partnerships, community trust and the conditions in which good work can happen.
This directory brings together 20 university executive leaders across Australia and New Zealand. It includes vice-chancellors, presidents and senior academic executives whose current roles shape how their universities serve students, staff, industry and the wider community.
What University Executive Leadership Looks Like
The title at the top of the organisation chart is only one part of the picture. Executive leadership also sits in the roles that connect academic quality, research, student success, culture, digital change, access and the university's relationship with its region.
The leaders below bring different backgrounds and responsibilities. Together, they show how university leadership is built through strategy, stewardship, clear priorities and the everyday work of making it easier for people to do their best work.
University Executive Leaders
1. Deborah Terry
Vice-Chancellor and President, The University of Queensland
Deborah Terry is Vice-Chancellor and President at The University of Queensland. Professor Terry has served as UQ Vice-Chancellor and President since August 2020. UQ describes the role as its chief executive position and records her long experience across university leadership and research.
Her example shows how senior university leadership combines academic credibility with clear responsibility for strategy, performance and external relationships. A useful test for any executive team is whether its priorities can be seen in the decisions people make, the support they receive and the opportunities they are given.
2. Nicola Phillips
Vice Chancellor and President, Adelaide University
Nicola Phillips is Vice Chancellor and President at Adelaide University. Professor Phillips commenced as Adelaide University's Vice Chancellor and President on 12 January 2026 after senior education leadership roles in Australia and the United Kingdom, including Provost at the University of Melbourne.
Her appointment brings a useful focus on the formative years of a new institution, where leaders must connect purpose, structure and everyday student experience. A useful test for any executive team is whether its priorities can be seen in the decisions people make, the support they receive and the opportunities they are given.
3. Attila Brungs
Vice-Chancellor and President, UNSW Sydney
Attila Brungs is Vice-Chancellor and President at UNSW Sydney. Professor Brungs commenced at UNSW on 31 January 2022 after eight years as Vice-Chancellor and President of UTS. UNSW describes his focus across education, research and engagement, and his 2026 profile records his continuing public role in tertiary leadership.
His path shows the value of leaders who can move between research, government, industry and the practical work of building a university community. A useful test for any executive team is whether its priorities can be seen in the decisions people make, the support they receive and the opportunities they are given.
4. Andrew Parfitt
Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Technology Sydney
Andrew Parfitt is Vice-Chancellor and President at University of Technology Sydney. Professor Parfitt is UTS's chief executive. The university describes his responsibilities as setting direction, building the senior leadership team, shaping strategic change priorities and representing UTS across government, industry and the community.
His brief makes leadership visible as a system of choices, priorities and relationships, not just a title at the top of an organisation chart. A useful test for any executive team is whether its priorities can be seen in the decisions people make, the support they receive and the opportunities they are given.
5. Sharon Pickering
Vice-Chancellor and President, Monash University
Sharon Pickering is Vice-Chancellor and President at Monash University. Professor Pickering became Monash's tenth Vice-Chancellor and President on 29 January 2024. Her profile connects her leadership with education reform, international collaboration, equity and Monash's global campus network.
Her career is a reminder that university strategy becomes real through the culture leaders build, the opportunities they open and the partnerships they sustain. A useful test for any executive team is whether its priorities can be seen in the decisions people make, the support they receive and the opportunities they are given.
6. Mark Scott
Vice-Chancellor and President, The University of Sydney
Mark Scott is Vice-Chancellor and President at The University of Sydney. Professor Scott is the University of Sydney's 27th Vice-Chancellor. The university describes his work across strategy, scholarships, the biomedical precinct and large public institutions, including the School Leadership Institute established while he led the NSW Department of Education.
His experience points to a practical leadership question: how does a large institution turn a public purpose into better opportunities for people who have been left out? A useful test for any executive team is whether its priorities can be seen in the decisions people make, the support they receive and the opportunities they are given.
7. Rebekah Brown
Interim Vice-Chancellor and President, The Australian National University
Rebekah Brown is Interim Vice-Chancellor and President at The Australian National University. Professor Brown commenced as ANU's Interim Vice-Chancellor and President in September 2025 while continuing as Provost and Senior Vice-President. ANU says she has led reforms to strengthen governance, accountability, academic coordination and research and education priorities.
Her role highlights the leadership work required during transition, when clear accountability and careful listening matter as much as a long-term vision. A useful test for any executive team is whether its priorities can be seen in the decisions people make, the support they receive and the opportunities they are given.
8. Nick Klomp
Vice-Chancellor and President, CQUniversity Australia
Nick Klomp is Vice-Chancellor and President at CQUniversity Australia. Professor Klomp leads CQUniversity's strategy and academic vision across its national campus network. The Office of the Vice-Chancellor also includes People and Culture, community engagement, government relations, communications and social innovation.
His remit shows how regional and distributed universities need leaders who keep purpose, people and place connected across distance. A useful test for any executive team is whether its priorities can be seen in the decisions people make, the support they receive and the opportunities they are given.
9. Margaret Sheil
Vice-Chancellor and President, Queensland University of Technology
Margaret Sheil is Vice-Chancellor and President at Queensland University of Technology. Professor Sheil commenced as QUT's Vice-Chancellor and President in February 2018 after leading the Australian Research Council and holding research and executive roles at the University of Wollongong.
Her path from research leadership to university leadership shows how evidence, policy and institutional stewardship can reinforce each other. A useful test for any executive team is whether its priorities can be seen in the decisions people make, the support they receive and the opportunities they are given.
10. Amit Chakma
Vice-Chancellor, The University of Western Australia
Amit Chakma is Vice-Chancellor at The University of Western Australia. Professor Chakma is UWA's Vice-Chancellor and previously served as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Western Ontario. In 2026, UWA connected his leadership with a major scholarship commitment designed to widen access to education.
His work illustrates how access becomes more credible when a university puts resources behind the students and communities it says it wants to serve. A useful test for any executive team is whether its priorities can be seen in the decisions people make, the support they receive and the opportunities they are given.
11. Alex Zelinsky
Vice-Chancellor and President, The University of Newcastle
Alex Zelinsky is Vice-Chancellor and President at The University of Newcastle. Professor Zelinsky has served as the University of Newcastle's Vice-Chancellor and President since November 2018. His career spans defence science, robotics, research, commercial start-ups and education.
His background shows the value of leaders who can translate ideas between universities, government, industry and the communities that fund and use research. A useful test for any executive team is whether its priorities can be seen in the decisions people make, the support they receive and the opportunities they are given.
12. Carolyn Evans
Vice Chancellor and President, Griffith University
Carolyn Evans is Vice Chancellor and President at Griffith University. Professor Evans has been Griffith's Vice Chancellor and President since February 2019. Griffith identifies her as the leader of a university executive group and she currently chairs Universities Australia.
Her role demonstrates that university leadership also includes sector stewardship, where leaders help shape the conditions in which every institution operates. A useful test for any executive team is whether its priorities can be seen in the decisions people make, the support they receive and the opportunities they are given.
13. Rufus Black
Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Tasmania
Rufus Black is Vice-Chancellor and President at University of Tasmania. Professor Black is Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Tasmania. His profile describes an interdisciplinary background across law, politics, economics, ethics and theology, alongside work in entrepreneurship and university leadership.
His story is a useful reminder that good executive leadership can draw on more than one discipline, especially when institutions serve complex places and communities. A useful test for any executive team is whether its priorities can be seen in the decisions people make, the support they receive and the opportunities they are given.
14. Theo Farrell
Vice-Chancellor and President, La Trobe University
Theo Farrell is Vice-Chancellor and President at La Trobe University. Professor Farrell has led La Trobe since February 2024. His profile describes a focus on positive, large-scale institutional change and the development and delivery of La Trobe's 2025 to 2030 strategic plan.
His brief makes the case for disciplined change leadership, where strategy is judged by what improves for students, staff, industry and society. A useful test for any executive team is whether its priorities can be seen in the decisions people make, the support they receive and the opportunities they are given.
15. Alec Cameron
Vice-Chancellor and President, RMIT University
Alec Cameron is Vice-Chancellor and President at RMIT University. Professor Cameron commenced as RMIT's Vice-Chancellor and President in January 2022. In 2026, he connected RMIT's dual-sector role with workforce pathways, industry collaboration and an institutional framework for artificial intelligence.
His work shows why executive leaders need to connect learning pathways with the real choices employers and communities are making about the future. A useful test for any executive team is whether its priorities can be seen in the decisions people make, the support they receive and the opportunities they are given.
16. Cheryl de la Rey
Vice-Chancellor, University of Canterbury
Cheryl de la Rey is Vice-Chancellor at University of Canterbury. Professor de la Rey has been University of Canterbury Vice-Chancellor since 2019. Her profile records earlier leadership in South African higher education and current service with the Association of Commonwealth Universities and Universities New Zealand.
Her career shows how university leadership grows through service across institutions, systems and communities, not only through one campus role. A useful test for any executive team is whether its priorities can be seen in the decisions people make, the support they receive and the opportunities they are given.
17. Neil Quigley
Vice-Chancellor, University of Waikato
Neil Quigley is Vice-Chancellor at University of Waikato. Professor Quigley was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waikato in early 2015. The university's leadership page connects his work with strategic leadership, the Asia-Pacific region and the development of the Tauranga campus.
His role highlights the importance of place-based growth, where a university's wider purpose is built through relationships beyond its main campus. A useful test for any executive team is whether its priorities can be seen in the decisions people make, the support they receive and the opportunities they are given.
18. Damon Salesa
Vice-Chancellor, Auckland University of Technology
Damon Salesa is Vice-Chancellor at Auckland University of Technology. Professor Salesa is AUT's Vice-Chancellor. AUT describes its Executive Leadership Team as including the Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Pro Vice-Chancellors and Assistant Vice-Chancellors, with a strong focus on learning, research and service to diverse communities.
His leadership context shows how a modern university can make inclusion and community connection part of its executive design. A useful test for any executive team is whether its priorities can be seen in the decisions people make, the support they receive and the opportunities they are given.
19. Catherine Moran
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, incoming Vice-Chancellor from February 2027, University of Canterbury
Catherine Moran is Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, incoming Vice-Chancellor from February 2027 at University of Canterbury. Professor Moran has been University of Canterbury's Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic since 2020 and was appointed its next Vice-Chancellor in July 2026. UC links her work with student success, academic delivery, curriculum, artificial intelligence and online learning.
Her appointment shows how leaders can earn wider responsibility by improving the everyday systems that shape learning and student success. A useful test for any executive team is whether its priorities can be seen in the decisions people make, the support they receive and the opportunities they are given.
20. Wendy Lawson
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, Auckland University of Technology
Wendy Lawson is Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic at Auckland University of Technology. Professor Lawson is AUT's Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic. The current executive leadership page places her portfolio alongside learning and teaching, research, Māori leadership, faculty leadership and other university-wide responsibilities.
Her role points to the craft of academic leadership, where quality improves through clear standards, useful support and collaboration across faculties. A useful test for any executive team is whether its priorities can be seen in the decisions people make, the support they receive and the opportunities they are given.
A Practical Leadership Test
Strong university leadership gives people a clear sense of purpose and a practical way to act on it. It connects the strategy to the work of faculties, professional teams, researchers, teachers and the communities around each campus.
If your leadership team needs to make its next priorities clearer, start with one real choice. Name the capability you need, the people who can build it and the work that will let them practise it.
Related Reading
A Practical Leadership Session
If your executive team needs to turn strategy into clearer choices, stronger relationships and practical action, I can help with a keynote, workshop or facilitated leadership session. Practical rather than motivational, the work is designed to give leaders something they can use on Monday morning. Email jonno@consultclarity.org.
About the Author
Jonno White is a Brisbane-based leadership consultant, keynote speaker and Certified Working Genius Facilitator, and the author of Step Up or Step Out. He works with schools, corporates and nonprofits around the world. To enquire about a keynote, workshop or facilitated leadership session, email jonno@consultclarity.org.