John Dewar joins Performance Improvement team

KordaMentha welcomes esteemed academic leader John Dewar to its team of expert advisers.

John is known for his leadership and management of universities that include LaTrobe University, University of Melbourne, and Griffith University. His long career in education is a record of success, improving the performance of institutions academically, financially, and operationally, bringing about major transformations.

He has also held significant state and federal government advisory positions, including Chair of the university peak body, Universities Australia, from 2021-3.

During his 12 year tenure at LaTrobe, he achieved a dramatic improvement in the university's performance. Under his leadership, La Trobe grew to become one of the fastest improving universities in the global rankings, while it became a major provider of regional tertiary education and one of only five universities nationally to record a surplus in 2022.

John will join KordaMentha's Performance Improvement team working with higher education, corporate, and government clients.

"People forget that universities are large, complex organisations operating in a highly regulated and revenue restricted environment. They also have enormous social impact," says KordaMentha Co-founder Mark Korda. "To achieve improvement in these circumstances takes commercial focus, dedication, and unique leadership and operational skill".

Henriette Rothschild, head of KordaMentha Performance Improvement adds "John Dewar has shown these unique leadership, commercial and operational capabilities in every aspect of his long and successful career in higher education. We are delighted to have him join our team helping organsations perform and thrive in very challenging times."

John sees his new role in advising KordaMentha clients as an extension of his 40 year career in universities. "For me, it's always been about making every aspect of the institution work better. At KordaMentha, I'll be continuing that work in the industry I know and love".

"All organisations are expected to do more with less, whether in the public or private. It's a challenge that becomes critical in times of uncertainty," he says.