1. Dr John Niser
Position statement
I perceive the role leadership in Higher Education as one that requires strong interpersonal
skills and an entrepreneurial utilization of resources that leverages a strong distinctive brand.
Besides having an in depth knowledge of the technical aspects of leading institutions of higher
education I am recognized for bringing social, emotional and cross cultural intelligence within a
servant based leadership style. I am strongly committed to the idea that the leader supports
the management teams while inspiring the organization with a clear shared vision. Leading
from this angle requires more tact and less bravado but it has, in my experience, the advantage
to move people with a “begin with the end in mind” attitude that delivers results through
cooperation that values all the institutions resources.
I have developed the view that education depends on a value proposition that has heuristic and
operational value for students, educators, regulators, industry and sponsors. The heart of this
value proposition resides in the transformative relationship that is built between a student and
the instructor within a structured dynamic learning environment. The Brand associated with
this process must be durable, and endorsed by and within the socio-cultural environment the
student aspires to integrate.
There are nevertheless significant challenges facing higher education as it transitions away from
a position of monopoly it had on the production, dissemination and consumption of knowledge.
For this reason, I strongly believe that my experience connecting recruitment, education and
industry equips me with the vision to grow institutions with campus based and online offerings
that will meet the needs of the new generations of students we serve.
In order to achieve this, we may need to redefine the outline of what is “hospitality” because,
as we know, the boundaries between entertainment, retail, hotel, restaurants and resorts are
being blurred while at the same time new distribution channels and asset management
tools/models come into the picture at a very fast pace. Expanding our understanding and
creating awareness of the developing ecosystem of our industry will help us enlarge the reach
and attraction towards programs and schools while leveraging their strong brands worldwide.