Chancellor and Pro Chancellor re-elected at Victoria University

Ian McKinnon, QSO, JP, was re-elected Chancellor of Victoria University for 2012 at a meeting of the University Council held on 5 December.

Mr McKinnon, a Wellington City Councillor and Deputy Mayor, has held the office for the past two years, in 2010 and 2011.

Experienced public economist Helen Sutch has been re-elected Pro Chancellor for 2012, also for her third term.

Victoria's Vice-Chancellor Professor Pat Walsh says he is delighted with the re-appointments. "New Zealand's university environment offers its share of challenges, and both Ian and Helen have played significant roles in guiding the strategic direction of Victoria University over the last few years.

"In their time as Council members some tough decisions have been made and we have seen some major capital investments projects come to fruition—and I know that their institutional knowledge and leadership expertise will be invaluable once again in this next term."

Mr McKinnon was first elected to the University Council in 2003, and held the office of Pro-Chancellor from 2005 to 2009. He has worked in the independent school sector as headmaster of Wellington’s Scot's College, headmaster of Wanganui Collegiate School and deputy headmaster of England’s Eton College. His experience in governance roles include chair of the Wellington College of Education leading to its merger with Victoria University in 2005 and chair of The Correspondence School Board of Trustees.

Mr McKinnon completed a BCom in Economics at Victoria University in 1966, having also spent two terms on the Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association (VUWSA) Executive, and held the role of Men's Vice President in 1966.

Ms Sutch has worked for the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Treasury and the Department of Labour before joining the World Bank where her most recent focus was on public sector governance in East Asia and the Pacific. She has also worked at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

She was a student at Victoria from 1963 to 1967, member of the VUWSA Executive from 1963 to 1964, Vice-President of the then New Zealand University Students' Association from 1965 to 1966, and represented Victoria at women's hockey from 1963 to 1966. In 1966 she received an MA in English with First Class Honours from Victoria, and went on to receive an MPhil in Economics at Oxford in 1970. Ms Sutch was a Lecturer in Economics at Victoria from 1971 to 1972.

The Chancellor is the Chair of the University Council and responsible for providing leadership to the Council in the development and implementation of its governance responsibilities, including the University's Strategic Plan. The Chancellor is also the ceremonial head of the University presiding over occasions such as Graduation. The Chancellor is elected at the Council’s December meeting and holds office for one year but is eligible for re-election. The Pro Chancellor is the Deputy Chair of the Council.