EIT boss leaves role after 18 years

Chris Collins said his time at the EIT helm had been the "highlight of my professional life." Photo Supplied

EIT’s long-serving chief executive Chris Collins will leave the institute at the end of the month after 18 years at the helm.

Collins has been CEO since 2004 and when EIT became a business division of Te Pūkenga in November this year, he became EIT Executive Transitional Lead of the EIT Business Division of Te Pūkenga.

“It has been the highlight of my professional life. I feel very fortunate to have worked with so many capable and passionate people. EIT has long been regarded as one of New Zealand’s leading Institutes of Technology.

“It has been a wonderful journey and it is with very mixed emotions, and some reluctance, that I step away. But the time has finally come.”

During his time he led the merger of Tairāwhiti Polytechnic and EIT Hawke’s Bay in 2011; the establishment of the Auckland International Graduate Campus in 2014; and building EIT’s reputation as a research institute; among other things.

“Bringing Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti together was a real highlight. It was bringing together two regions and two institutions that made us a much stronger institution overall, and both parties to the marriage brought real strengths to the relationship.”

“I’m also very proud of the distributed, widespread delivery EIT does right across the region, from Hick’s Bay down to Porangahau - there’s classes, tutors and web-based learning occurring right across our rohe. That sort of regional distributed outreach into small communities and remote locations is unmatched in New Zealand.

“Our goal was always to provide quality programmes across that qualification framework so that people didn’t have to leave town.”

High Māori participation and success meant a lot.

“It is one of the highest in New Zealand, and it’s been something we’ve taken as one of our serious priorities. We’ve still got to get better, but I think that’s been one of the success stories here too.”

Before he joined EIT he spent 17 years employed in the university sector, at both Victoria and Massey, before taking up executive roles in the Institute of Technology sector in 2002.

The chair of the former EIT Board of Directors, Hilton Collier, said Collins had contributed hugely to the success of EIT.

“I think that because Chris is such a good leader, he will do incredibly well wherever he decides to go and whatever he decides to apply his energies to.

“We think Chris has been an important reason for our success.”

A former chair of the former EIT Council, Geraldine Travers, says Collins has put EIT on the map.

“Chris has been amazing and has been so well regarded in the sector. He has been the go-to person and has willingly given of his expertise to Te Pūkenga.”

Collins will continue on in a number of governance roles but is also hoping to get more time for surfing, diving and sailing.