Following more than two decades in senior executive roles in leading Australian universities, I have, for the last eight years, been closely involved with a broad range of significant consultancies, both in Australia and internationally.

All my recent work has been concerned with program innovation, together with its efficient and effective implementation.

The brokering of effective business outcomes between organisations interested in tertiary education is my principal activity. I assist organisations to deal with the specific issues, problems and opportunities either identified by them or proposed by me. I am able to call on a number of associates to assist me to deal with specific educational, strategic and tactical questions and frequently put together small teams to deal with projects.

A very recent addition to the consultancy services is the design of theme-based tours. A theme-based tour is one which explores a particular theme (e.g. one which explores conflict and/or coexistence between religious faiths) by visiting relevant places and examining issues in greater depth than is usually the case.

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The first of these tours was offered by Captain's Choice Tours and is called Cross and Crescent in the Middle Ages.

Details of that tour may be found here. This tour is currently being revised for likely offering again in 2012

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In 2010 I am to be the Guest Lecturer on one of Captain’s Choice signature tours, The Silk Road by Private Train — Beijing to Moscow. Details of this tour, which runs twice a year in March and September, can be found at the Captain’s Choice Tours. Background notes supplied to passengers on the tour may be found here

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Captain’s Choice has also approved in principle the next theme-based tour for 2011. Called In Hannibal’s Footsteps it is currently under development. It is likely to be mounted in September 2011 and will follow Hannibal’s assault on Rome in 218 BC: beginning in New Carthage (Spain) it follows Hannibal’s journey across the Pyrenees into Southern France, across the French Alps into Italy, down the Italian peninsula to Rome, and finally to Tunisia and Carthage.

An outline of the tour and the seminars associated with it may be found here

A brief summary of my educational experience follows:

• background in teaching in secondary schools and to students at Monash University
• senior executive management positions at the University of Technology (Papua New Guinea), Deakin University and Monash University
• Australian, PNG and New Zealand Government Fellowships to study in the US, Europe and Asia Pacific
• direction of two new Australian higher education initiatives - in credit transfer and later the Television Open Learning Project; Australian Government grants provided exceeded $2 million
• foundation CEO of Open Learning Australia (now Open Universities Australia), established with an Australian Government grant of $34 million
• held directorships in seven companies involved with/relevant to higher education
• author or co-author of publications in the fields of open and distance learning
• member of Australian and International higher education coordinating and consultative bodies
• Education Adviser to the Queensland Investment Corporation in 2004 and 2005
• an extensive track record of achievement in the creation and/or transformation of higher education institutions and innovation in higher education