19 September 2013
The University of South Australia has made two new senior director appointments in its international and advancement areas to support its ambitious new strategic plan.
Deborah Heithersay will commence as the University’s inaugural Director: Advancement in January 2014 and Dirk Mulder will join the University in November as the new Director: UniSA International.
UniSA Deputy Vice Chancellor International and Advancement, Nigel Relph says the two new leaders will play a pivotal role in increasing UniSA’s engagement and profile both locally and internationally.
“As one of Australia’s fastest emerging international universities, UniSA has clear plans to grow the number of international students studying in Adelaide as well as increasing its own footprint internationally,” Relph says.
“Similarly we want to support our global alumni community to make an ongoing contribution to our University’s story.
“These two new senior appointments will strengthen the university’s leadership in areas critical to its future plans.”
In the completely new role of Director: Advancement, Deborah Heithersay will oversee fundraising and alumni relations focussing on building the connections between the University’s more than 170,000 alumni and sourcing private funding support for the University’s growth agenda.
Heithersay joins the University from the role of Chief Executive of the Flinders Medical Centre Foundation where she led a campaign that secured major support for the $30 million Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer.
Since commencing with Flinders Medical Centre Foundation she led a number of other multimillion dollar campaigns to support the upgrade of facilities, delivering a five-fold increase in annual income for the Foundation.
Heithersay, who as a marketing and communications consultant has held previous roles with Womad and other organisations, says she is excited to be joining the University at such an important time in its development.
“UniSA is young and vibrant and has a positive vision for its future,” she says.
“I intend to work with our international network of talented and achieved alumni, friends and donors to provide new opportunities for their involvement in delivering on our exciting plans.”
New international director, Dirk Mulder, is currently Director Relationships and Strategic Recruitment at Curtin University and was Director: International at Murdoch University, having had extensive experience in leading marketing and international education initiatives across the university sector. .
He has a strong background in developing international strategy and delivering international marketing plans often achieving success against the prevailing tide.
“I’m excited to be making the move to UniSA,” Mulder says.
“As one of the great pioneers of international education in Australia, UniSA has a long tradition of engagement within the Asian region and beyond. As it enters a new phase in its development I’m looking forward to helping to shape the institution as one which is more globally visible and connected.”
Media contact: Michèle Nardelli office: 08 8302 0966 mobile: 0418 823 673 email: Michele.nardelli@unisa.edu.au
