We are delighted to announce that the Executive Dean of Macquarie Business School (MQBS), Professor Eric Knight, has been appointed to the leadership role of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (People and Operations) of Macquarie University.

Professor Knight will take the reins from Vice-President Professional Services Nicole Gower, who will leave the University next month to take up a new role after almost a decade of distinguished service.

While we are sad to see Professor Knight leave his role at MQBS, we are pleased that he will now provide strategic direction and support for academic resource and workforce planning across all University faculties. Professor Knight will also oversee University-wide marketing and student recruitment activities, ensuring the effective promotion of the Macquarie University brand and reputation, and be responsible for student shared services, corporate shared services and the University’s digital transformation.

Professor Knight’s visionary leadership over the last four years has seen a transformation of MQBS’s research, education and reputational standing with industry and academic partners following the restructuring of the Faculty of Business and Economics, Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM) and the Applied Finance Centre into the Macquarie Business School we have today.

Professor Knight’s time has also been characterised by a comprehensive approach to considering the many aspects of MQBS’s coursework suite, with success reflected in the strong improvement in first-year success rates, top QILT scores and course rankings secured by MQBS across multiple programs, and the emergence of the highly successful Bachelor of Business and Master of Business Analytics programs.

In research, Professor Knight has led a substantial improvement in performance for MQBS. With his support, research income has doubled, there has been a fifty per cent increase in FT50 papers per faculty member, and the Business School has seen strong rises across multiple research rankings – MQBS is ranked 19 in the world in Business Administration in the Shanghai Ranking 2024. His tenure has also included the launch of the Industry Partnership Program, which secures paid internships and prizes for students from diverse backgrounds to support their pathway to employment.

Professor Knight’s legacy remains in the capable hands of the current Executive Team and the wider team.

He said, “Inspired by Macquarie University’s ethos of ‘YOU to the power of us’, I want to give my heartfelt thanks to the MQBS Executive Committee, our Wider Leadership Group and the extraordinary staff of MQBS for what we have achieved together in these last four years.”

Professor Knight will remain an academic faculty member of Macquarie Business School as Professor of Strategic Management in the Department of Management and will continue to engage with students, academics and partners in his new role.

In the coming weeks, we will share more details about the transition and the University’s plans for appointing a new Executive Dean. We remain committed to ensuring a smooth and seamless transition for our students, faculty, staff and valued partners.

Read the University's media release for more information.