Deanna anderson

SYSTEMS CHANGE - GRANT MAKING - IMPACT & EDUCATION

Director, International and Student Engagement

Lincoln University   2015 – 2017

  • Led four departments through recovery after the Christchurch earthquakes, including diplomatic engagement with partner governments.

  • Grew international enrolments by 17%, restoring pre-earthquake numbers critical to financial sustainability.

  • Implemented enterprise CRM systems, shifting the institution to data-led decisions, and built the ranking strategy that took Lincoln into the global top 50 for Agriculture.

General Manager - Kidpreneur Foundation Sydney

  • Led philanthropic fundraising across corporate, government and community streams for a not-for-profit programme in 700+ primary schools. Children directed proceeds from their micro-enterprises to charities of their choosing.

Executive Director

Higher Education Consulting Group   2013 – 2015

  • Advised higher education clients including the University of Tasmania and Wesley College Sydney, and led China market entry work.

Director, Strategy and Government

Macquarie University, Sydney   2011 – 2013

  • Established the university’s first Government Relations function, overseeing 80 staff and a $60M budget across international marketing, domestic recruitment and strategy.

  • Wrote the strategy that anchored the campus on its health precinct. Delivered a 50% rise in international revenue and a 15% efficiency gain through the largest restructure in the university’s history.

Head of Strategy

Greater Sydney Partnership   2010 – 2011

  • Reported to a board of federal senators, trade commissioners and the City of Sydney CEO, and brought News Corp and Fairfax together behind a shared civic narrative.

Appointed Assessor, New Colombo Plan

Palladium - appointed by Department Foreign Affairs and Trade   Current

  • Assess funding rounds under formal probity and confidentiality requirements.

Head of Global Marketing and Engagement

Ara Institute of Canterbury   2024 – 2026

  • Promoted from Director, International. Led a team of 40 across five departments with a $6M budget, through a period of significant structural change.

  • Lifted conversion rates by 28% through data-driven pipeline management.

  • Established the internal governance committee for Transnational Education, bringing rigorous risk management to a highly regulated model

Director

Energy Academy, Orion NZ   2020 – 2024

  • Mapped workforce capability across the energy transition: learners, workers, tertiary funding and each organisation’s training model.

  • Brought together over 50 organisations alongside MSD, Workforce Development Councils, Te Pūkenga, EECA and Ara Ake.

  • Secured $3M+ in public and private funding, including a $1M ITO Transition Fund grant; led its application and acquittal.

  • Partnered with Māui Studios, a kaupapa Māori creative agency, to co-design Te Haerenga: game-based learning that earns credits toward electricity supply qualifications. Launches 2026.

Founder & Director

21st and Fourth   2018 – present

  • Founded and built a collaborative digital education programme teaching 21st Century Skills for the 4th industrial revolution. Over 2,000 students from 27 countries worked together in three-week sprints on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Industry Development Manager

Education New Zealand   2017 – 2018

  • Administered a central government capability fund for the university sector,

  • Led the Emerging Futures research programme with 376 participants across 71 countries, and wrote the Emerging Futures Report, still in active use.

Earlier Career

Marketing Manager, Junkee Media

Grew monthly digital audiences from 40,000 to 500,000+

Sydney Director, REMIX Summit

Global summit on culture, technology and entrepreneurship

Senior Producer, Peer Group Media

Experiential brand agency for Australia’s largest music festivals


Education

Master of Sustainability (in progress)

University College Dublin

Bachelor of Commerce, Management Science (International Development)

University of Canberra

Advanced Diploma, Nutrition

Nature Care College



Governance

Board Chair

Te Waka Huruhurumanu ki Ōtautahi, bilingual early learning centre

2019 – 2024 

Board Member

Christchurch Educated

2015 – 2026 (with breaks)

Board Member

CCHL He Huanui Pathways

2022-2024

Board Member

Canterbury Development Leadership Accord

2015 – 2018

Member

EEA Future Skills Committee

Independent Member

Christchurch City Council Sister Cities Committee

Board Member

Digital Sydney

2011 – 2012