Fay Amaral

Background

About Fay Amaral

As a Certified Chief Executive Officer (CEO Institute ANZ) with over 20 years of experience in C-Suite and leadership roles, I currently lead Whitecliffe College, a prominent higher education institution in New Zealand. My role involves overseeing commercial, academic and delivery operations, driving strategic growth, and fostering strong industry alignment in delivering exceptional education within the domains of IT, creative arts therapies, sustainable fashion, media design innovation, and contemporary fine arts across multiple sites in Aotearoa. I was proud to assist with the integration of the Australian campus in Sydney for Whitecliffe from July 2024-February 2025, handing over to the new in-country CEO in March. The project involved significant change management, integration and settling the team post acquisition. My role involves working closely with government, regulatory agencies, community and industry. My professional background spans large and medium C-Suite executive leadership roles in education (early childhood and tertiary), NPO and youth development, and international media sectors, with a focus on people leadership, partnership, strategic growth, business management, merging and change management, people and cultural integration, multi-site oversight and complex operations management. Passionate about purpose oriented leadership, integrated work-forces, building values driven and culturally responsive teams, people potential, and driving transformative change; I am committed to fostering inclusion, reducing barriers, operational excellence, and true leadership. My scholarly work covers both commerce (Master of Commerce in Business Management) and Psychology. My PhD in psychology explores the intersections of career indecision, mental health, self-efficacy, and perceived barriers among transitioning youth from School to Tertiary or Work. I volunteer as a trustee and Chair for the NPO Driving Change Network trust.