John Dewar

Background

About John Dewar

I am an experienced and respected university leader with over 20 years’ experience in senior leadership roles in higher education, including Dean, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Provost, and Vice Chancellor. I have held significant state and federal government advisory positions and led the university peak body, Universities Australia, as its Chair from 2021-3. I have a strong track record of success in improving organisational performance and leading major transformation, most recently as Vice Chancellor of La Trobe University.During my twelve-year tenure, I achieved a significant turnaround in La Trobe’s academic performance, and effectively navigated the university through the financial challenges of COVID. As Vice Chancellor, I have had experience in a wide range of corporate functions, including:• strategy development,• governance and risk management,• budgeting and financial management,• international partnerships and managing foreign interference risk,• government relations, media, and crisis management,• digital transformation,• human resources, and• cybersecurity.In February 2024, I was delighted to join KordaMentha as partner in the Performance Improvement team. I'm looking forward to drawing on my experience in tertiary education to support the post-secondary education sector to thrive in these challenging times.