Rate My Professor Stephen Willis

Stephen Willis is the Chief Operating Officer at the University of Otago, a position he has held since April 2016. Prior to this, he served as Manager of Capital Projects at the University for eight months after relocating to New Zealand in 2015. With extensive experience in healthcare and tertiary education leadership, Willis previously spent many years at Mater Health Services in Brisbane, Australia, culminating in his role as Senior Director of Built Environment. There, he oversaw a property and asset portfolio valued at over $1.3 billion across seven hospitals, managed a major capital works program worth several hundred million dollars, and directed ancillary services supporting more than 7,000 staff and millions of visitors annually. Earlier positions included Clinical Project Officer, Hospital Nurse Manager, and Registered Nurse in Australia and overseas, following initial service in the Australian Army.

In his current role, Willis leads the Operations Group, providing strategic oversight for key areas including Campus and Collegiate Life Services, Property and Campus Development, Digital Services, Sustainability, Enterprise Project Management, Health and Safety, Transformation and Improvement, Divisional Services, Information Management, and Risk and Compliance. He manages a substantial capital development program valued at approximately NZ$1 billion. Willis holds a Bachelor of Nursing with Distinction, a Master's Degree in Health Science majoring in Health Service Management—for which he received the Ian Brand Prize in 2002—a Master's Degree in Project Management, and an Advanced Diploma in Project Management. He was awarded the Commendation Award in Business and Law from the University of Southern Queensland in 2013. In 2020, he received the prestigious Australasian LH Martin Award for Excellence in Leadership, recognizing his transformative leadership during periods of significant change, including the COVID-19 pandemic response, where he guided the rapid transition to online operations across all campuses. Additionally, he serves on the governance board for the Dunedin Hospital rebuild project, appointed by the New Zealand Cabinet. Willis is a member of the Institute of Directors New Zealand and the Australian Institute of Project Management.