Sue Eddy and Andrew Rosengren appointed as Executives-in-Residence

Industry leaders Sue Eddy and Andrew Rosengren have joined Melbourne Business School to help shape the future of business education.

Ms Eddy and Mr Rosengren are starting their new roles as Executives-in-Residence to share their leadership experience with our students, faculty and client organisations.

Ms Eddy is the CEO of the Victorian Building Authority, the state's principal building and plumbing regulator, and Mr Rosengren is a former senior Rio Tinto and Orica executive who now heads Guberno Consulting.

"As a graduate of Melbourne Business School," Ms Eddy says, "I am humbled and honoured to return as an Executive-in-Residence to share my decades of experience leading public service organisations with the next cohort of business leaders."

Ms Eddy's long experience in mitigating major industry risks and making decisions for an uncertain future will be a boon for Melbourne Business School's community.

"Success in business doesn’t come easily or happen overnight," she says.

"Celebrating the small wins with your team is important. Applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, encourage them in their pursuits and invest in their future prosperity. Conversely, having a presence when times are challenging is just as pivotal.

"With leadership comes responsibility and accountability, so it's important to be visible, approachable and supportive in business, particularly in leadership roles. While it is vital to be bold and passionate for tomorrow, managing the here and now is equally as important."

Mr Rosengren says his diverse and pragmatic business experience will help the School's students, faculty and alumni bridge theory and practice.

"Over 30 years I have walked in the shoes of business leadership from a range of perspectives in terms of business operations, business improvement and business strategic development," Mr Rosengren says.

"This has occurred in a diversity of industry segments – mining, construction, manufacturing, chemicals, logistics – and cultural contexts, both business and geographic. This diversity has extended further in my current role as a corporate advisor supporting businesses operating in a range of sectors.

"The diversity of experiences when combined with structured thinking has helped me understand better the foundation blocks for building the bridge from business theory to practice."

Mr Rosengren sees his new Executive-in-Residence role as an opportunity to immerse himself in a learning environment that is focused on understanding and improving business performance.

"To share and learn by interacting with faculty staff, alumni and current students who are exploring these questions is what invigorates me," he says.

"I am a strong believer in the Pareto principle that permeates so much of business and life. Like a footy team that needs to be able to kick, pass and catch to be part of the competition, there are many prerequisites required to play the competitive game of business.

"However, Pareto reinforces that there are a critical few factors that have disproportionate leverage on winning the game – this is the art of good strategy. Helping leadership teams uncover the critical few and align executable plans behind them is the enjoyment I gain in my role as a strategic advisor."

Associate Professor Vivek Chaudhri, Academic Director of Melbourne Business School's Executive MBA and Senior Executive MBA programs, says Ms Eddy and Mr Rosengren's appointments are about reaching for the future now rather than later.

"The traditional idea of an Executive-in-Residence at business schools around the world is to bring into the classroom a senior industry leader at the end of their professional career to tell war stories, so to speak," Associate Professor Chaudhri says.

"However, what we've chosen to do instead is bring in two industry leaders at the forefront of their executive careers to come in and help shape business education from the perspective of business leaders.

"Sue and Andrew will help inform what our faculty think about research topics, what our students think about in terms of career paths, offer insights at our alumni events and in the classroom, and offer expertise to our executive client organisations."

Ms Eddy plays an integral role at the forefront of Victoria's construction industry and is currently leading the Victorian Government's response to one of the industry's greatest challenges – the inappropriate use of potentially deadly, non-compliant combustible cladding materials.

Mr Rosengren is a high-performing executive leader with a demonstrated capability for managing complex business processes, resources, relationships, and commercial negotiations in a global context, including China.

Melbourne Business School's previous Executive-in-Residence was Mark Laurie – a managing partner at PwC from 2013 to 2018.

Melbourne Business School is jointly owned by the business community and the University of Melbourne. Our partnerships with enterprise, government and the not-for-profit sector are key to our mission of unleashing ideas and leaders for a sustainable future.

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