The University of Sydney announced today that David Thodey, a former telecommunications executive, has been elected as the 19th Chancellor of the University after the end of Belinda Hutchinson’s third consecutive term.
Hutchinson was first elected Chancellor in 2012 and was unanimously reelected for two subsequent terms in 2017 and 2021. The University Senate rules allow for a maximum of three consecutive terms, making her ineligible for another four years.
Thodey is currently Chair of Ramsay Health Care and the technology company Xero. He was also on the board of the CSIRO and currently serves as co-Chair of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. He was previously CEO of Telstra and IBM in Australia and New Zealand.
Thodey has also worked as an advisor to the government, having chaired the 2019 Australian Public Sector Review as well as serving on the National COVID-19 Commission Advisory Board.
Thodey is the first chancellor in over 100 years to have neither studied nor lectured at the University.
Vice Chancellor Mark Scott welcomed the appointment in a University media release:
“His career has changed the lives of millions of Australians through telecommunications and digital technologies. I am excited to work with him as we pursue the University of Sydney’s strategic aspirations, ensuring transformative education and research excellence is at the heart of everything we do.”
Commenting on the departure of Hutchinson, Scott praised her long time leading the University, saying she is responsible for “making us financially strong, improving risk management and setting us up to become one of Australia’s most successful universities.”
Hutchinson noted the University’s work developing treatments and vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic and the “dramatic increase” of lower income students attending the University through the MySydney program as achievements during her time as Chancellor.
Hutchinson has come under increasing pressure from staff and students over her alleged role in the University’s continued partnership with defence contractor Thales Australia.
Thales and the University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2017 with the aim of focusing on “big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence.” That agreement was extended in 2023.
While Hutchinson claims she was not involved in either the initial MoU or its extension, she has served as Chairperson of Thales Australia since 2015.
While the agreement provides graduate research funding and industry placements for students in the Faculty of Engineering, Thales has been accused of union busting, wage theft, and complicity in war crimes.
Its weapons systems have been used by the Israeli Defence Force and Western militaries during operations in Afghanistan. Thales is also the subject of a complaint in the International Criminal Court and is accused of supplying products to a Yemeni government accused of war crimes.
