Unitec CE Dr Rick Ede To Step Down at End of Year

Unitec Chief Executive to step down at end of year

12 October, 2107 - Unitec Institute of Technology has announced that its Chief Executive, Dr Rick Ede, will be stepping down from his role after almost ten years at the helm.

Dr Ede’s contract, which had been renewed twice since he started in April 2008, was due to finish at the end of 2018.

Unitec Council Chair, Dr Lee Mathias said: “I want to thank Rick for his tremendous contribution to Unitec’s transformation, which includes significant progress towards the redevelopment of our Mt Albert campus, the introduction of new industry partnerships and a strong foundation to deliver more flexible, work-integrated teaching models that our future students and employers will demand. In his time at Unitec, Rick has also raised the profile of contemporary applied learning in New Zealand.”

She said both the Unitec Council and Dr Ede wanted to start the search for a new Chief Executive well ahead of the end of Dr Ede’s contract.

“We aim for a smooth hand-over to a new chief executive which avoids any protracted transition period that would be disruptive to Unitec’s staff, students and other stakeholders.”

Dr Ede said in a briefing to staff that the timing for a changeover in leadership made sense.

“We’ve reached the natural conclusion of a considerable amount of hard work. We’ve completed our amazing new student services building, Te Puna, and trades training building, Mataaho. We have a strong new Executive team in place and we’ve got a clear strategy mapped out to continue Unitec’s transformation into a leader in applied learning.”

Dr Mathias said if a formal appointment for the new Chief Executive was not completed by the 31 December, an acting Chief Executive would be appointed.

ENDS

About Dr Rick Ede

Dr Ede holds a Master’s degree and a Doctorate in Chemistry from the University of Waikato, and is an alumnus of the London Business School.

He has worked in academia, industrially-focused R&D, has provided consultancy services to industry and educational organisations in Asia and North America, and has a strong track record in business development. He is a member of the national Executive Committee of India NZ Business Council, is a Director of The Mind Lab by Unitec, and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors

About Unitec Institute of Technology

Unitec is New Zealand’s largest institute of technology and a leader in adopting modern teaching and training approaches to prepare our students for success in the jobs of the future. We offer employment-focused education, from certificates through to doctorates, across a wide range of professional and vocational areas. We also partner with major business and service organisations, with many co-located on our Auckland campuses, to align our vocational learning closely to industry needs.

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