Chief Executive Announcement

10 July 2012

Chief Executive Announcement

As Waiariki Institute of Technology Council chairperson I am pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Margaret Noble as our incoming Chief Executive.

Professor Noble was selected following an extensive national and international recruitment drive after the departure of Dr Pim Borren to Australia in late 2011.

My council and I feel that the time taken to confirm the institute’s eighth chief executive to the role has been worth the wait.

Margaret’s passion for education, and her very strong leadership and academic profile, are qualities that will be immensely valuable to us as we seek to grow the future of Waiariki, a uniquely bicultural tertiary institution with campuses in Rotorua, Taupo, Whakatane, Tokoroa and Tauranga.

Waiariki has grown strongly during the last five years, and while much has been achieved, it is important we consolidate this growth, in a way that ensures the quality of the educational delivery for our student remains paramount and our delivery relevant to the growing needs and aspirations of the communities we serve.

Our council’s particular objectives in appointing Professor Noble are to achieve improved educational outcomes –particularly for Maori, more effective delivery of the current and future curriculum, improved learning pathways, and diversifying its income stream.

The tertiary education landscape has changed in recent years and will change even more in the future. The need now is for collaboration and partnership rather than competition with other tertiary providers. Margaret has a reputation for leading from the front but in an accessible consultative style. She has an outstanding record in building partnerships with other providers, in widening the educational participation of disadvantaged groups and ethnic minorities, and working with employees. Her extensive experience in growing international revenue sources was also very attractive to us.

Professor Noble has spent more than 20-years in senior educational management roles. She is coming to New Zealand following her three year tenure as Principal and Chief Executive of University College Plymouth St Mark and St John.

She was previously Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Greenwich (formerly the Thames Polytechnic) following roles at a range of other British universities and polytechnics.

Professor Noble has taken a number of leadership roles in the wider United Kingdom tertiary education sector and has secured funding for and managed, a number of large scale collaborative projects in the tertiary education sector, both in the UK and internationally.

She has a well established academic reputation having published widely in urban and regional studies, higher education policy and widening participation. Her current research interests include widening participation, work-based learning and partnership and collaboration.

Professor Noble gained a BA (Hons) degree in Geography and History from the University of Wales and then went on to complete a PhD in Geography at the University of Hull.

Professor Noble will commence the role of Waiariki Institute of Technology Chief Executive on October 1.

ends

© Scoop Media