2024 Impact Report
This report highlights the achievements of the Melbourne Business School and our community throughout 2024.
2024 at a Glance
Graduate Degrees
Graduate numbers for the class of 2024
Executive Education
Custom Designed
70
active client organisations
323
programs delivered
8,072
learners
Short Courses
58
program iterations delivered
1,042
participants
3
new programs launched
4.81
average program rating
Research
19
papers published
$1.3M
in grant funding
52
faculty members
Rankings
#1 University in Australia
The University of Melbourne
Times Higher Education, 2025
#1 MBA in Australia
Melbourne Business School
QS Global MBA Rankings, 2025
#1 Executive MBA in Australia
Melbourne Business School
Financial Times, 2024
#1 Master of Business Analytics in Australia
Melbourne Business School
QS Business Master's Rankings, 2025
2024 Impact Stories
We unleash ideas and leaders for a sustainable future. Here is a a glimpse of how we achieved our purpose in 2024.
Meet the team behind our new Social Purpose Centre
Melbourne Business School's new Social Purpose Centre is helping organisations across all sectors deliver sustained and meaningful social impact.
How this young female entrepreneur is scaling up her charity
Georgia Verry is a black belt, just like her mother. Now she’s using her strength to combat the fallout of gender-based violence with her charity, Conscious Combat Club.
New partnership with BHP to support Indigenous business
Australia's largest company BHP is investing $20 million to support Indigenous business education and research at Melbourne Business School.
Celebrating a decade of our Master of Business Analytics
As our world-famous analytics degree turns 10, we asked alumni to share how the program transformed their career – and their life.
Leveraging data for smarter decision-making at Bupa
A recent collaboration with Melbourne Business School is enabling Bupa to extract greater value from the vast amounts of data at their disposal.
How NAB is helping Australian farmers tackle climate change
A partnership with Melbourne Business School is giving NAB bankers the knowledge they need to help customers prepare for a more sustainable future.
Women in Leadership Dinner
Shifting the needle on gender equity is possible – and it’s worth fighting for.
Strengthening Alumni Ties at Home and Abroad
Our global alumni was a top priority in 2024 as we focused on strengthening our connections with them in Australia and around the world.
The best way to repair conflict at work, based on research
A review of more than 100 research papers has revealed five steps for rebuilding a work relationship after disruption, conflict or threat.
From the Chair
Ken MacKenzie, Chair
I’m excited to join the board of Melbourne Business School and help shape the future of Australia’s top business school.
After over five years working with MBS on The New CEO Program for new CEOs of ASX 150 companies, I felt it was time to get more involved.
I’ve always been passionate about leadership and creating lasting value for all stakeholders, which aligns perfectly with MBS’ mission to develop innovative ideas and leaders for a sustainable future.
MBS has a rich history, founded over 60 years ago by visionary corporate leaders and the University of Melbourne, and it became incorporated in 1987 with the support of 40 corporate and philanthropic organisations. Those founders recognized the importance of credible management training for business growth and a strong Australian economy.
This need is just as important today, and the MBS board is dedicated to fulfilling the purpose set by our donor members. As leaders navigate a complex world, MBS plays a crucial role in ensuring our programs meet the evolving needs of both new and experienced executives.
I’m eager to strengthen the School’s relationships with leading companies across Australia. By leveraging MBS’ research strengths, innovative educational offerings, and extensive networks, we can collaborate with boards and management teams to create strategies for long-term success.
From the Dean
Jenny George, Dean, Melbourne Business School Co-Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics
It is not often you are given the opportunity to lead an organisation which can not only shape the lives and careers of individuals but also make an indelible mark on the corporate landscape by helping businesses address global challenges. And yet, I am fortunate enough to have had the opportunity twice, first as Interim Dean of Melbourne Business School in 2009, and now as Dean of the School and Co-Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics.
One of the greatest joys of this position, is that you are leading an institution which is truly able to make an impact and shift the dial on some of the most pressing challenges facing our business leaders today.
The strength of our organisation, and our influence, is down to our connected community.
There is no other place in Australia where so many organisational leaders, so consistently, come together around shared challenges.
Our strong community in recent years can of course be attributed to the work of my predecessor, Professor Ian Harper. Anyone who has the had the pleasure of being in his presence understands Ian’s ability to unite and inspire. In his five years as Dean, Professor Harper transformed the School, strengthening its relationships with business, the wider community and the University of Melbourne.
Taking over the reins from Ian was a daunting task, but I hope that I continue his legacy of continuous change and improvement.
The world and the corporate landscape has changed significantly since I last led the School. Climate change, AI, diversity and corporate reputation loom large as challenges our leaders are facing.
And yet our School is proving time and time again, how agile and adept we are at facing these issues head on.
This is because we believe leaders matter: that they have the strongest influence on the culture, direction and success of an organisation. That is why our purpose is focused on creating leaders who are skilled, competent and driven by moral purpose to deliver long-term value.
2024 was an incredible year for the School. We were proud to again be ranked the number 1 MBA in Australia according to the QS Global MBA Rankings. We were also number 1 for our Master of Business Analytics and ranked first for research in the BOSS AFR Best Business Schools.
Our Executive Education offering also continued to go from strength to strength, with three new short courses launched and over 8,000 people trained through our custom corporate solutions.
This report shares just some of our achievements throughout the year and a glimpse into the impact our School continues to make for our students, customers and our community.
Whether you’re an alum, student, donor or partner - thank you for being part of the School.
Supporters
2024 Endowment Income Impact
2024 was an extraordinary year with $21.27m raised in new funds and committed funding from our supporters.
This includes a transformative gift from BHP of $20m towards a vision of an economically powerful Indigenous Australia. Funding will enable the Dilin Duwa Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership to scale its world-leading business research, education programs, community engagement and provides access to Melbourne Business School scholarships.
We were also thrilled with WISE Employment committing to a $1.1m sponsorship for the Centre for Social Purpose Organisations. This enables 90 scholarships for the Emerging Social Purpose Leaders Program designated for not-for-profit and other social purpose leaders. It also funds a case study on WISE Employment and how as a notfor-profit they have scaled financial growth and social impact over a decade. These learnings will benefit the sector.
We thank Ian Kirk for his major support of learning and teaching at MBS through the travel case competition, BioDesign program and MURRA masterclass. An acknowledgement to the Scanlon Foundation who seed funded the Culturally Conscious leadership program – a pilot to unlock the full potential of diversity to drive greater business value.
Our gratitude to the long-standing alumni donors and those in the Dean’s Circle, who every year generously provide opportunities for emerging business leaders. These include our scholarships for Women and Management, Diversity Excellence, Indigenous Leadership and the Ian Harper AO Scholarship for Excellence.
The MBS donor endowments were established by the foresight of our supporters - ensuring in-perpetuity support of scholarships, awards, teaching and learning activities.
These endowments were valued end of year at $14.45m and $1.59m was distributed across the School. Funding supported the Centre for Social Purpose Organisations (HMST and MBS), experiential business learning through BioDesign for medical device innovations (SEMBA 2003) and student travel to compete in the global Hult Prize social innovation competition (Grateful Graduate).
$21.27m
new funds raised
$14.45m
donor endowment value
- Endowments
- Lifetime Patrons
- 2024 Dean's Circle
- 2024 Donors
Clemenger BBDO Scholarship
Grateful Graduate Fund
Helen Macpherson Smith Fellowship
Helen Macpherson Smith Trust and Melbourne Business School
H.J. Heinz Scholarship
John Clemenger Prize & Scholarship
Senior Executive MBA Class of 2003
Sir Donald Hibberd Lectureship
|
Vicki Allen (SEMBA 2003) A.T. Kearney Ross Barker (MBA 1980) BP Australia Krystyna Campbell-Pretty AM Charles & Cornelia Goode Foundation Peter Clemenger AO Clemenger BBDO Philip Cormie (EMBA 2002) |
Robert Craig (MBA 1995) Maurice Crotti AO (MBA 1974) John Dahlsen (MBA 1969) Charles Goode AC Helen Macpherson Smith Trust Adrian Hibberd AM Sally Holloway in memory of Peter Doherty (SEMBA 1990) John Kennedy Ian Kirk (MBA 1998) Kraft Heinz |
Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation Margaret Lawrence Bequest News Corp Australia Orford Foundation Christine Penfold Allan Reid (MBA 1970) Reid Malley Foundation San Remo Telstra Visit Victoria Frank Zipfinger (SEMBA 2003) |
|
Boundless Earth Vicki Allen (SEMBA 2003) Marianne Broadbent (PhD 1991) Enrica Centorame Yun Sheng Chin (MBA 2017) John Dahlsen (MBA 1969) Mithran Doraisamy (MBA 1994) Egon Zehnder International S.A. Evans 5 Fund Forethought Chris Freeland AM (MBA 1996) Jim Frederickson |
Jenny George Alison Hardacre (MBA 2002) Martin Hosking (MBA 1993) Andrew John Terence Sing Lee (MBA 2014) Robert McGauran (PDM 1994) Margaret Lawrence Bequest James McKay (MBA 2000) Pete Manasantivongs (MBA/MMktg 2009) Su-Peing Ng (MBA 2000) Peter Nicholas (SEMBA 2003) |
Branko Panich (MBA 2000) Dominic Rudd (MBA 2005) John Sabljak (MBA 1994) Scanlon Foundation Research Institute Christopher Thomas AM (MBA 1976) Derek Thomson (MBA 1999) Jane Tongs (SEMBA 1994) Trawalla Foundation Darryl Ward (MBA 1994) WISE Employment Christelle Young (MBusA 2016) |
|
Federico Arellano (MBA 2007) Cheryl Cohan (EMBA 2010) Candice Culnane (MBA 2000) Emily Hardy (SEMBA 2019) Vivek Joseph (MBA 2023) Merran Kelsall AO (MBA 2000) Quanxi Liu (MBA 2014) James Mackie (MBA 2008) Christopher Perera (SEMBA 1992) |
Simon Pritchard (MBA 2002) Scanlon Foundation Supaw Pet Bakery Armando Slaviero (MBA 2005) Funded by Tan Family Fund, a Charitable Fund Account of Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation Theo Tzanatos (MBA 2006) John Vansetten (MBA 1980) Tien Vy Vu (MBA 1999) Catherine Walter AM (MBA 1988) |
Events Gallery
Graduation 2024
Graduation 2024
Graduation 2024
Graduation 2024
Graduation 2024
Melbourne School Debate
Melbourne School Debate
Melbourne School Debate
Melbourne School Debate
Melbourne School Debate
Melbourne Business Analytics Conference
Melbourne Business Analytics Conference
Melbourne Business Analytics Conference
Melbourne Business Analytics Conference
Melbourne Business Analytics Conference
Melbourne Business Analytics Conference
Qantas Case Challenge
Qantas Case Challenge
Qantas Case Challenge
Qantas Case Challenge
Qantas Case Challenge
Women in Leadership Dinner
Women in Leadership Dinner
Women in Leadership Dinner
Women in Leadership Dinner
Women in Leadership Dinner
In conversation Eytan Lenko
Eytan Lenko, CEO, Boundless Earth
In conversation Eytan Lenko
Eytan Lenko, CEO, Boundless Earth
In conversation Eytan Lenko
Eytan Lenko, CEO, Boundless Earth
Charles Goode Oration
Andrew Ang, Managing Director, BlackRock Systematic
Charles Goode Oration
Andrew Ang, Managing Director, BlackRock Systematic
Charles Goode Oration
Andrew Ang, Managing Director, BlackRock Systematic
Charles Goode Oration
Andrew Ang, Managing Director, BlackRock Systematic
Charles Goode Oration
Andrew Ang, Managing Director, BlackRock Systematic
In conversation Amanda Holt
Amanda Holt, CEO, SYPAQ Systems
In conversation Amanda Holt
Amanda Holt, CEO, SYPAQ Systems
In conversation Amanda Holt
Amanda Holt, CEO, SYPAQ Systems
In conversation Amanda Holt
Amanda Holt, CEO, SYPAQ Systems
Dean's Leaders Forums
Shayne Elliot, CEO, ANZ
Dean's Leaders Forums
Shayne Elliot, CEO, ANZ
Dean's Leaders Forums
Shayne Elliot, CEO, ANZ
Dean's Leaders Forums
Andrew Bassat, Co-founder and CEO, SEEK
Dean's Leaders Forums
Andrew Bassat, Co-founder and CEO, SEEK
Dean's Leaders Forums
Andrew Bassat, Co-founder and CEO, SEEK
Dean's Leaders Forums
Andrew Bassat, Co-founder and CEO, SEEK
Dean's Leaders Forums
Andrew Bassat, Co-founder and CEO, SEEK
About Melbourne Business School
Melbourne Business School is where the world's brightest minds come to develop the skills they need to be the leaders of tomorrow.
As the University of Melbourne's graduate school in business and economics, Melbourne Business School is the home of Australia's top-ranked MBA and business analytics degrees, and a trusted executive education partner to some of the largest organisations in Australia and South-east Asia.
With a purpose to unleash ideas and leaders for a sustainable future, the School's vision is to be among the top-ranked providers of business education within the Asia-Pacific region, the first choice for students and clients seeking award and non-award business education, and to be esteemed globally as a leading supplier of academic and business research.
The School was established in 1955 and emerged directly from Melbourne’s business community, driven by a shared belief that Australia needed rigorous, dedicated business education. That connection continues and the School is still jointly owned by the University and the business community to this day.
This long connection to industry is one of the School's greatest strengths, as evidenced by recent initiatives including the Bastas Academy for Health Leadership and the new Sustainable Value Creation Institute.
Our Purpose
We unleash ideas and leaders for a sustainable future.
This purpose informs how we teach emerging leaders, who measure success by the impact they have on the people around them and the broader community.
Our hope is that these leaders will create and protect economic growth, social equality, shared prosperity and environmental resources for the benefit of all.
