Southern Cross University welcomes new Faculty of Business head

Professor Neal Ryan, an experienced leader in the field of management, is the new Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business at Southern Cross University.

Professor Ryan has worked in the university sector for 18 years in three different institutions. Since 1992 he has held a range of senior management roles at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Previously he has held positions at Griffith and Murdoch universities.

“We are delighted to have secured a person of Professor Ryan’s experience for this important leadership role,” said Professor Paul Clark, Vice-Chancellor of Southern Cross University.

Formerly the Head of the School of Management at QUT, Professor Ryan said he was both pleased by the confirmation of his appointment and excited by the unique challenges and opportunities his new position offered. He will begin his appointment on January 2.

“I am expecting to be part of a senior management team that will provide Southern Cross University with a platform for being a leading Australian tertiary institution,” Professor Ryan said.

“My university management experience has been mostly as a change manager, developing strategies to assist the School of Management and the Faculty of Business achieve their objectives with respect to reputation, quality, market positioning and financial security.

“This new role at Southern Cross University provides me with the opportunity to lead a Faculty which is well-positioned to take advantage of its human resources, financial and geographic assets.”

Professor Ryan said his main areas of interest and expertise were in research, entrepreneurial drive in building business linkages and partnerships, and leadership to engage staff in change management processes.

He has a PhD (Public Policy), Master of Philosophy (Science and Technology Policy), Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Physical Mathematics, all from Griffith University.

He has published two books and over 60 refereed book chapters and journal articles and has been a chief investigator on successful national competitive grants worth over $8.5 million in the past 10 years, including being chief investigator in a national centre of excellence in creative industries.

Apart from his special interest in public policy, Professor Ryan has considerable experience in the area of business strategy and technology transfer and innovation, having been a director and program chair of the Construction Innovation Co-operative Research Centre (CRC) since 2004.

Professor Ryan said he also had a strong focus on industry policy, economic growth and applied research, having wide-ranging connections with the private sector, government and community organisations.

Southern Cross University’s Faculty of Business includes the Schools of Commerce and Management, Tourism and Hospitality Management and the Graduate College of Management.

Photo: Professor Neal Ryan is the new Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business.