Following a gentle phase out I am now mainly retired, and we have wound up Tontine Consultants Ltd, the small private company that my wife and I have used for the last 16 years as the vehicle for our various roles. I do not rule out ongoing consultancy activities alongside my volunteer work, if there are opportunities to use my skills, knowledge and experience in constructive ways.

I undertake a wide range of educational consultancy roles, principally in the ITP (Institute of Technology and Polytechnic) sector within New Zealand, but including work in secondary education, the University sector, with Wananga (Maori Tertiary Education) and overseas, with a major recent project in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. I have completed assignments within each ITP in the country, two of the three Wananga, one University, government agencies (including the Tertiary Education Commission, the NZ Qualifications Authority, the Ministry of Education), and other sector groups.The nature of the projects has included institutional strengthening, organisational review and restructure, curriculum review and development, strategic planning, leadership and management training, information systems design and development, academic approval and accreditation, quality systems audit and development, and funding review. A key focus of my work has always been to build internal capability while meeting the other specific objectives of the particular project. I seek to leave an organisation better equipped to complete similar projects in the future without requiring external assistance.

I was accorded professorial status in my role, principally attached to the WaiBan (International Office) of the university. I taught courses in English language, and a management course taught in English. I also assisted with the development of relationships with other universities in English speaking countries (other than the USA).

I had overall responsibility for all academic activity, including the development, approval, accreditation and delivery of all academic programmes within the five faculties. During my period in this role EIT roughly trebled its size, and greatly expanded both the discipline range and qualification level of its programme portfolio. This was made possible by a unique combination of changes to funding systems and academic approval processes, enabling EIT to introduce full degree programmes for the first time. I was also active at a national level, taking leading roles in various collaborative fora and playing a major role in academic quality management processes within the wider sector.

From my initial appointment as a non-tenured lecturer I progressed rapidly to spend the final three years of my time at Unitec as Head of the Business Computing department. I also had two extended periods as acting Dean of the Faculty of Business. During my tenure the department grew to be the largest in its discipline in NZ Polytechnics, and introduced one of the first polytechnic degree programmes in computing in New Zealand.