Our work

Pro Vice-Chancellor: The University of Waikato

Summary

Higher Education

Industry:
Higher Education
Region:
Asia Pacific

The
Challenge

Hobson Leavy partnered with the University of Waikato to appoint the new Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University’s Management School. The University of Waikato (UoW) was established in 1964 and is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading tertiary education institutions. It is known for delivering world-class education. Hobson Leavy understood the importance of this role and the part that the University’s Management School plays in transitioning tertiary students into future business leaders.

The PVC would be responsible for shaping the intellectual, professional and operational culture and direction of the Management Division, and for the effective creation and stewardship of the Division’s resources. The PVC places paramount importance on the interests and reputation of the University as a whole, promoting these through leadership of the Division.

A particular challenge for the search, was the position that management schools were facing in needing to rethink their engagement with the business community. It was critical they develop deeper industry connections and impact to remain relevant. The incoming PVC therefore needed to be visionary, strategic and have experience in a corporate environment to deliver on this challenge.


Hobson Leavy conducted an extensive search and our research strategy focused on individuals who were commercially astute with experience leading large teams delivering successful commercial outcomes in global environments. The University of Waikato and Hobson Leavy were delighted to appoint Matt Bolger.

Matt brings a wealth of experience from his long-standing career at Fonterra including as General Manager Capital Strategy. Fonterra Co-operative Group is a multinational publicly traded dairy co-operative that is responsible for approximately 30% of global dairy exports. Matt’s outstanding strategic abilities, commercial background and proven ability to innovate in new fields was attractive to address the challenges that business schools and UoW face.

Our approach
and success

Consulting
team

Carrie Hobson
New Zealand
Nicola Mirza
New Zealand
Lina Vanifatova
New Zealand

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