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Patrick Stokes
@patrickstokes.com

Neither of the people in this photograph are qualified for an academic job (see also "Professor" Bill Shorten). I like Ardern a lot, and creating a role using her experience for mentoring is great, but hospitals don't say "we've hired Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman to do heart surgeries this month."

theguardian.comJacinda Ardern joins University of Sydney as lecturer and mentorFormer New Zealand prime minister will focus on leadership, social cohesion and public health in new role
Patrick Stokes
@patrickstokes.com

"But Mark Scott is an administrator, so it's appropriate for him to be VC" - ok: make him Chief of Army then. I'm sure he'll do a great job. Oh what's that? You can't just plunk a civilian with no military training at the head of an ADF branch? That's something you have to earn?

7 reposts30 likes

Dan Smith
@sirdansmith.bsky.social

too true ... most other departments/companies are seen by CEOs as fungible, just places where they can move from role to role and use their one transferable skill of "sacking people after doing the appropriate paperwork". I had a CTO once who bragged about not knowing anything about IT

Dan Smith
@sirdansmith.bsky.social

puts me in mind of one of my favourite John Clarke quote from The Games: "A real MBA, or an MBA in remembering the name of the bloke you went to school with?"

Tim Lyons
@picketer.bsky.social

Mark Scott could have used his admin skills in the traditional role of Bursar of course. (But I guess *Vice Chancellor and President Professor* has a better ring to it.)

Glengyron
@glengyron.bsky.social

Them: I have CEO experience. Me: Oh wow. I've never worked at that level. Must be stressful. Them: Yeah, lot of stress with the volunteers and work for the dole staff. Me:...