Blair McRae
Chair of Centres of Asia-Pacific Excellence Management Committee, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Engagement), Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington
Blair McRae (Kahungunu ki te Wairoa) has been in the role of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Engagement) of Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington from late 2018, taking up the role of Chair of the Centres of Asia-Pacific Excellence Management Committee in early 2020.
Blair is responsible for domestic and international recruitment, partnerships, marketing and communications, rankings and other activities which help drive improvements in the University’s reputation, rankings, research opportunities, and student numbers.
Prior to joining Victoria University of Wellington, he worked for an Australian university supporting, establishing, and maintaining sustainable long-term relationships both domestically and internationally. During this time, the university enjoyed a period of significant growth in terms of income, research, student numbers, and reputation. Through his Australian experience and having worked with the World Bank on development projects in Asia, Blair has maintained close working relationships in that region with a particular focus on China. Blair has also held senior roles in the government, transport, technology, and services sectors and has been a member of various boards including technology-based start-ups, construction, commodity export, and education services focused industries. He is also on the board of Wellington Uni-Professional.
Blair is a Chartered Accountant (NZ), a former Fellow of CPA Australia, has completed the Advanced Personal Leadership Programme at the Henley Business School (UK), the Australian Institute of Directors programme and holds a Masters in International Business Management.