Meet our new Chief Executive Education Officer Magnus Gittins
Magnus Gittins is bringing his experience as a consultant, entrepreneur and university leader together to transform leadership development at Melbourne Business School.
Magnus is a former Director of Executive Education at AGSM (UNSW Business School), as well as a KPMG Partner and co-founder of successful communications and technology businesses across the UK, US and Australia.
Now, he's joining Melbourne Business School as Chief Executive Education Officer to find new ways to empower individuals and organisations through executive education.
"There's never been a more important time for leadership development in Australia," Magnus says.
"The pandemic has brought to light the need for leaders to invest in their capability and become much more efficient in the way that they discharge their responsibilities."
Magnus believes the future of executive education lies in tailoring solutions to the needs of each different learner and organisation – and using data to measure their success.
"There's a much greater need for a clear, demonstrable return on the time that people commit to these programs and the investment that they make," he says.
"So, what does that mean in practical terms? It means more customised courses and working with organisations to really understand what they're trying to achieve.
"Where does learning fit into that? It means bringing digital and data into the learning experience so that we can measure and match individuals into the right programs and we can measure the effectiveness of those programs.
"Executive education has got a lot it can take into this new world. But at the same time, the onus is on us to transform the way we think about it."
Bridging academia and business
Melbourne Business School's world-class academic faculty provide "a tremendous amount of intellectual firepower" that can be harnessed and incorporated into the programs it offers organisations and individuals, Magnus says.
And because the School is jointly owned by both the business community and the University of Melbourne, it has a unique ability to bridge the best of both worlds.
"I don't say that just because I've chosen to join it," he says.
"I say that because the desire to work and to collaborate with industry has been ingrained into the foundations of the School.
"There's never been a better time where you would want to have that recipe of industry and universities coming together. That really counts in Melbourne Business School's favour."
In his new role, Magnus will be looking for ways to integrate executive education with the School's top-ranked degree programs, such as the MBA and Master of Business Analytics.
"Executive education allows our alumni, program participants and organisations to draw upon the best that we can offer in formats that suit their preferences," he says.
"How do we use that to create programs that solve particular organisational challenges and help individuals – whatever life stage they happen to be in – to accelerate their career or move it into different occupations, into different sectors?
"I think it's expected by the community that a school with Melbourne Business School’s standing should be offering programs that meet different needs and life stages for the different participants and organisations that we serve."
A problem-solving mindset
Magnus sees his consulting background as a strong complement to executive education, given his experience working with clients to help them solve problems.
"When I think about the future of executive education, it's about advising organisations to get the best out of their people and how to make sure that their people are equipped with the right leadership skills for that transformation journey," he says.
As a leader, Magnus values authenticity, transparency, honesty and adaptability. He also believes it's important to be guided by a 'North Star' and be true to oneself.
"I hope to be a leader that empowers others, listens and tries to build a consensus around our journey and take that journey together," he says.
Magnus Gittins began in his new role as Chief Executive Education at Melbourne Business School on 21 November. To get in touch with Magnus directly, email [email protected].
To find out more about studying at Melbourne Business School, visit our Degree Programs and Short Courses pages, or learn about our range of services For Organisations.