It’s no surprise to us to learn that UNE has produced a significant number of business leaders. We’ve shared many of their inspiring stories over the years. But now it’s official.
According to new research by Resume.io*, UNE pips all of Australia’s leading Group of Eight universities for turning out successful leaders as a percentage of enrolments, surpassed only by Bond University. For every 1,000 UNE alumni, we’re proud to report that 57.1 go on to reach the highest levels in business.
And not all study business with us either, like Australian cattleman and agribusiness leader Troy Setter, who studied Rural Science at UNE in the 1990s.
Today, Troy is Chairman of The Council of Rural Development Corporations, Dolly’s Dream and LiveCorp, as well as CEO of Australia’s largest private beef producer and significant cropping operation - Consolidated Pastoral Company (CPC) - and oversees a company worth an estimated $1.1 billion, an Australian workforce of 180 spread across nine stations and 3.2 million hectares. Another 600 people are employed in two feedlots in Indonesia.
Troy credits at least some of his success in agribusiness to his university days, when he showed cattle, was chair of the Young Cattlemen’s Union, president of the Rural Science Undergraduates Society and an enthusiastic member of the UNE Intercollegiate Meat Judging Association (ICMJA) team.
“With ICMJ we got to do a lot of travel and to develop teamwork, which is important in any business,” Troy says. “There was also the judging and presentation processes, which were really powerful. They helped me to improve my critical thinking and analysis as well as my public speaking.
“Diverse experiences build your character as a person and are really valuable for any organisation that you find yourself working in. Whether it was ICMJ participation or the team sports and social activities so actively encouraged at college, at UNE I learnt the importance of individual responsibility and accountability.
“The university got the balance of support and mentoring and ‘work it out for yourself’ just right. I think that strong culture of participation and support has been helpful to my career and some of the other directorships and things I have taken on."
For CEO of the not-for-profit Animal Health Australia (AHA), Kathleen Plowman, a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) degree from UNE provided the perfect grounding for a diverse career that now sees her at the forefront of Australian biosecurity.
Starting out as a research analyst with the Reserve Bank of Australia, Kathleen then worked in business management consulting and training in the financial sector. She eventually moved to the role of policy director with the Wool Council of Australia and then held senior roles with the Pork Council of Australia and Australian Pork Limited before joining AHA. Kathleen now chairs CSIRO’s Health and Biosecurity Committee, is a member of the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness Advisory Committee, and is a director of the Cattle Disease Contingency Fund and the Sheep Industry Health and Welfare Trust.
“Interestingly, I have worked in very male-dominated sectors,” Kathleen says. “and experienced first-hand pay and gender discrimination and glass ceilings. But UNE gave me a very strong foundation. It not only equipped me with technical expertise, and the ability to apply that learning and research; it provided me opportunities and experiences that I have drawn on through my career journey. Equally, it enabled me to make life-long friends, whose wisdom and guidance has been invaluable during challenging times.
“At a smaller regional university, I didn’t get lost in the crowd. I developed a broad suite of skills that I have continued to build on – from the economics statistics I need to read research papers to the pure science I rely on to have discussions with veterinarians and scientists. My UNE education has held me in good stead and I am indebted to the university for helping me get a foot in the door at the Reserve Bank.”
Head of the UNE Business School, Sujana Adapa, believes there are a number of reasons why UNE graduates, the vast majority of whom study online, excel in their future business careers.
“UNE is renowned for the flexibility of its courses and our student-centric learning approach, which prepares graduates to respond to a rapidly changing world,” she said. “We co-create course content with industry partners and our courses focus strongly on the future of work and future business challenges.
“Good Universities Guide data for our undergraduate and postgraduate students highlights their ability to secure full-time employment and higher than average median salaries.”
UNE Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Program Coordinator Subas Dhakal said while UNE produces only about two dozen MBA graduates each year, many go on to assume very senior roles. Countless other UNE alumni from different disciplines achieve business success through less orthodox pathways.
UNE is not just producing or enabling business leaders; we are also producing organisational leaders who can lead in the not-for-profit or public sectors
“UNE is not just producing or enabling business leaders; we are also producing organisational leaders who can lead in the not-for-profit or public sectors,” Subas said. “UNE’s personalised approach to teaching and learning caters to the individual ambitions and career aspirations of a broad range of students. We are truly committed to preparing our students to lead in the real world.”
*Resume.io recorded the number of graduates listed on the university’s LinkedIn pages and analysed alumni profiles with CEO or similar in their job titles.
