Dr Ziggy Switkowski AO
Chancellor of RMIT University
Dr Switkowski is Chancellor of RMIT University and Chairman of NBN Co.
Dr Switkowski is a former Chairman of Suncorp Group, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation and of Opera Australia. He has also served as a non-executive director on the boards of Tabcorp Holdings, Healthscope, Oil Search, Lynas and Amcor.
He has previously held positions as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Telstra Corporation Limited and Optus Communications Ltd.
He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
In 2014, Dr Switkowski was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in recognition of service to tertiary education administration, scientific organisations and the telecommunications sector, to business, and to the arts.
University Profile
RMIT is a multi-sector university of technology, design and enterprise with more than 94,000 students and 11,000 staff globally. The University’s mission is to help shape the world through research, innovation, quality teaching and engagement, and to create transformative experiences for students, getting them ready for life and work.
With strong industry connections forged over 132 years, collaboration with industry remains integral to RMIT’s leadership in education, applied and innovative research, and to the development of highly skilled, globally focused graduates.
RMIT is redefining its relationship in working with and supporting Aboriginal self-determination. The goal is to achieve lasting transformation by maturing values, culture, policy and structures in a way that embeds reconciliation in everything the University does. RMIT is changing its ways of knowing and working to support sustainable reconciliation and activate a relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
RMIT’s three campuses in Melbourne – Melbourne City, Brunswick and Bundoora – are located on the unceded lands of the people of the Woi Wurrung and Boon Wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation.
As a global university, RMIT has two campuses and a language centre in Vietnam and a research and industry collaboration centre in Barcelona, Spain. RMIT also offers programs through partners in destinations including Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Indonesia, with research and industry partnerships on every continent.
RMIT is ranked 238th in the latest QS World University Rankings. The University is also ranked eighth in Australia and 32nd in East Asia and the Pacific for employer reputation, and 22nd in the Top 50 Universities Under 50 Years Old. The QS Graduate Employability Rankings placed RMIT at 77th globally and eighth in Australia for graduate employment. RMIT is also ranked in the world’s top 400 in the latest Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) and the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings.
For more information, visit rmit.edu.au/about
Governance
RMIT University Council
The Council is the governing authority of the university and is responsible for ‘the direction and superintendence’ of the university as set out in the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology Act 2010 (VIC).
Council members participate in the approval of the university’s strategic direction, annual budget and business plan, monitoring of the university’s performance and appoint the Vice-Chancellor and senior executives.
Membership of RMIT University’s Council is as follows:
Ex-Officio Members
Dr Ziggy Switkowski AO – Chancellor
Mr Martin Bean CBE – Vice-Chancellor
Dr Sharon Andrews (to 31 December 2022)
Appointed Members – Governor-in-Council
Ms Janet Latchford (to 31 December 2021)
Mr Gary Hogan AM CSC (to 31 December 2020)
Ms Sue Eddy (to 31 December 2022)
Appointed Members – Ministerial
Ms Maria Peters (to 31 December 2022)
Appointed Members – Council
Mr Bruce Akhurst (to 31 December 2021)
Emeritus Professor Stephen Duckett (to 30 June 2022)
Ms Megan Haas (to 31 December 2022)
Ms Anne Ward (to 30 June 2022)
Elected Members
Associate Professor Tricia McLaughlin – Staff (to 1 August 2022)
Mr Daniel Hoogstra (to 31 October 2021)
Other Governing Bodies
Other Governing bodies within the University include:
Audit and Risk Management
Chair – Ms Megan Haas
Nominations, Remuneration and People
Chair – Ms Janet Latchford
Infrastructure and Information Technology
Chair – Mr Bruce Akhurst
Academic Board
Chair – Dr Sharon Andrews