As a senior leader within universities and as a respected independent adviser, he's known for bringing absolute clarity to complexity and turning ambitious ideas into executable plans.
Brett has led large and diverse portfolios spanning the student lifecycle. His experience includes domestic and international recruitment, marketing and communications, admissions, scholarships, enrolments, advancement, community engagement, global partnerships and education abroad. He has led major reforms in recruitment and admissions, strengthened institutional engagement strategies, and built high-performing teams that deliver sustained results.
A respected scholar-practitioner, Brett combines strategic insight with operational expertise. He has co-edited two books and authored multiple chapters and reports on internationalisation, employability, community engagement and transnational education.
His work spans brand positioning, reputation and rankings strategy, pricing, and the development of market-aligned academic products and pathways. Above all, Brett knows that successful change depends on understanding how universities make decisions and operate in practice. With this in mind, he works closely with institutions to sharpen strategy, strengthen market alignment, and create sustainable pathways for growth.
Talk to me about
- Domestic and international recruitment strategy
- Marketing communications
- Brand and reputation
- Admissions
- Global partnerships
- Education abroad
Major projects
Before Edified
Before joining Edified, Brett served as Amokapua | Assistant Vice-Chancellor Engagement at the University of Canterbury, leading a broad portfolio spanning future students, domestic and international recruitment strategy, brand and reputation, marketing and communications, admissions, scholarships, enrolments, advancement, community engagement, Canterbury University Press, and global engagement. Earlier in his career, he led international strategy and operations at several universities across three countries. Across six universities, Brett has built and led large, multidisciplinary teams and is known for his ability to understand how complex organisations make decisions and tailor strategy to institutional context.
After hours
After hours, Brett and his partner are reinvigorating some of the first olives and grapes planted on Banks Peninsula, where they’re slowly coaxing a small vineyard and olive grove back to life overlooking Akaroa Harbour. When he’s not working on a project, he’s usually in the garden, dealing with an unreasonable amount of firewood, or hiking up French Peak to check on his spring.