Professor Dawn Freshwater is the current Vice-Chancellor and previous Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Western Australia. UWA is one of the Group of Eight - regarded as Australia’s leading research universities, and an organisation that Professor Freshwater currently chairs. The University of Auckland has strong associations with the Group of Eight and many of its member universities.

Prior to her present role, Professor Freshwater held senior leadership positions at the University of Leeds in the UK. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing, a Professor of Mental Health and former Editor, International Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing.

The University of Auckland held a comprehensive international search for the new Vice-Chancellor, which included consultation with staff and stakeholders to help identify the requisite skills and characteristics of the University’s new head.

Chancellor St John said that he was delighted with the appointment and with the unanimous support Professor Freshwater received from Council members and from the staff who were engaged in the selection process.

“As well as academic and professional leadership capability, it was important that the new Vice-Chancellor had a number of other attributes that we identified as important to the wider University community,” he said.

“It was clear that a values-based leadership style and commitment to Māori and Pacific development, and an understanding of the civic, regional and global relevance of the University of Auckland were critical factors in the selection. I believe we have very much met this brief with the appointment of Professor Freshwater.”

Other important considerations were a commitment to innovation – in teaching, research and the student experience, an understanding of the pressures of funding, a competitive, distinctive and ambitious vision for the future, and a strong commitment to role modelling equity, diversity and inclusiveness from the top, the Chancellor said.

Professor Freshwater takes up the role in March 2020.