New Corporate Services Director for Bay of Plenty Polytech

New Corporate Services Director for Bay of Plenty Polytechnic

Now six weeks months into the job, Bay of Plenty of Polytechnic Corporate Services Director Anthony Robertson has already made an impact on the institution.

Originally from Swansea in Wales, Anthony brings a wealth of experience to the Polytechnic after similar roles at Swansea College and Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi in Whakatane. He holds an MBA (with distinction) from the University of Glamorgan, a Degree in Banking and Finance (BSc Honours from Loughborough University of Technology) and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales as well as the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Anthony’s role is new to the Polytechnic and will see him overseeing the areas of Facilities, Information Services and Finance. He is excited by the opportunity to take the Polytechnic forward with a positive “can-do” attitude and a commitment to continuous improvement.

“I am really pleased to have joined Bay of Plenty Polytechnic and to be working again in a vocational institution that contributes both to the lives of students and the region we serve,” says Anthony. “Tertiary education is always a challenge, whether here in New Zealand or back home in Wales; the key to our success is how we react to those challenges.”

Anthony, a self-confessed rugby mad-man, first fell in love with New Zealand back in 1997 when he undertook a two year secondment with Coopers Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) working in Auckland. Returning to Wales he joined Swansea College before getting another calling to New Zealand (the 2005 Lions Tour) where he met his now wife, Carla.

After 11 years working at Swansea College, a tertiary education establishment offering vocational training and very similar to Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, Anthony didn’t need much persuading from his new wife to emigrate to New Zealand.

After positions with Tribal Education (as a Professional Services Consultant) and Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi (where he worked as Chief Finanical Officer) Anthony decided that his heart really lay closer to home in Tauranga and accepted the Director position at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic.

“Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty are very similar to Swansea with beautiful beaches and countryside accompanied by a vibrant city. However, the weather enables you to enjoy more of that outside life here than back in Wales. This is the place to bring up children [Anthony has a two year old daughter and another baby on the way] together with working in such a well respected organisation as Bay of Plenty Polytechnic.”

ENDS

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