New Executive Director for Universities NZ

Universities New Zealand –Te Pōkai Tara[1], the representative body for the country’s eight universities, today announced the appointment of Chris Whelan as its new Executive Director. Mr Whelan will take up the position of Executive Director at the beginning of 2014.

Professor Roy Crawford, Chair of Universities NZ welcomed the appointment saying that Mr Whelan’s experience over 20 years as a manager at two New Zealand universities and in the public sector made him an ideal appointee to the position. “Universities NZ works at the interface between government and the universities and Mr Whelan has the skills and experience to manage this very effectively” said Professor Crawford.

Mr Whelan will be joining Universities NZ from the University of Canterbury where his substantive role is Manager, Planning Strategy & Services, Learning Resources. For the past year he has been leading the UC Futures Programme, focussed on the University’s post-earthquakes recovery and transformation and securing government support.

Early in his career Mr Whelan spent four years as General Manager of the Student Union Complex at Victoria University of Wellington. The Student Union complex is a major provider of facilities and commercial services to students and staff and Mr Whelan led a significant improvement in their viability.

Before joining the University of Canterbury in 2011, Mr Whelan spent 12 years in the public sector holding management positions with the New Zealand Police and the NZ Agency for International Development (NZAID). “Mr Whelan will be well placed to advocate on behalf of the universities because he appreciates both the universities’ and the government perspective” added Professor Crawford.

Mr Whelan holds an MA (Hons) in History from the University of Canterbury and an MBA from Victoria University of Wellington. 

Contact:

Professor Roy Crawford
Chair
Universities NZ
Telephone: 07 838 4006

[1] Universities New Zealand – Te Pōkai Tara is the name used by the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee established under the Education Act 1989.