https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/centre-for-innovation-and-entrepreneurshipGeoff Whitcher’s visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to entrepreneurship and innovation have not only reshaped the University of Auckland but has also radically changed the potential for higher education in New Zealand to foster an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Geoff has left a sustainable legacy that continues to influence academic programmes, institutional policies, and campus culture. Geoff is the founding Director of the University of Auckland Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), which was established in 2003. Since its inception more than 30,000 students of all faculties and a wide range of subject areas have received support and education through CIE. CIE is the home to a myriad of free, award-winning, world-class innovation and entrepreneurship education opportunities. This notably includes the Velocity entrepreneurship development programme. CIE alumni have raised over $3.2 billion in capital, created thousands of jobs and operate in 184 countries. Geoff has also been one of the driving forces behind the inception of the 20-year-old student-led national science enterprise programme Chiasma (operating in four cities), and academic programmes such as the Master of Bioscience Enterprise and the Master of Commercialisation and Entrepreneurship. These programmes filled a critical gap in the educational landscape, marrying scientific innovation with business acumen. By fostering an environment where entrepreneurship is an integral part of the academic curriculum, Geoff has prepared a new generation of leaders who are equipped to navigate and shape the 21st-century.
CATEGORY WINNER
Lifetime Achievement Award in University Transformation Award
Geoffrey Whitcher, ONZM
CATEGORY WINNER Lifetime Achievement Award in University Transformation Award
The University of Auckland - New Zealand
"Geoff Whitcher - Godfather of entrepreneurship"
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Geoff Whitcher ONZM
Geoff Whitcher
IMPACT STORY
Impacting lifes
Geoff's legacy is perhaps most felt in the countless individuals he has mentored, whose successes span the globe. Alumni whom Geoff has coached have made tangible impacts in the fields of MedTech, engineering, drug discovery, FinTech, social enterprises and more.
Geoff has opened the door for many students to succeed internationally and pursue their dreams of becoming global business leaders. This personal impact, characterised by genuine care and investment in students' futures, underpins the sustainability of Geoff's work.
Rhodes Scholar Alice Wang, who gained a Master of Public Policy at the University of Oxford, successfully nominated Geoff for a Rhodes Trust Inspirational Educator Award. She wrote “Geoff had a vision of building a better New Zealand through developing the potential of young people and has touched the lives of many young entrepreneurs and students through his energy and dedication to student organisations. It’s difficult to describe, with any comprehensiveness, the way that he has inspired and encouraged me in my studies, but to name a few – he gave me opportunities (and the occasional nudge) to extend myself intellectually and personally, he took a genuine interest in what I wanted to achieve and supported me in reaching those dreams (including aspirations for the Rhodes Scholarship), and he showed me what a single person can do to build a whole community of thinkers, doers and learners, all striving to make New Zealand a better place.”
LEARNINGS
Lessons learned
Innovation comes from a diversity of knowledge, experience and viewpoints. Geoff’s approach to innovation and entrepreneurship education has put inclusion at its heart, by designing programmes such as Velocity to be free, reducing barriers to participation. Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship programmes are further inclusive by being open to students of all faculties and disciplines.
Geoff co-founded organisations designed to be student-led, gifting students' autonomy and inclusivity. There is no better teacher than experience, and experiential learning has fast-tracked the learning process for many aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs.
FUTURE PLANS
What's coming?In retirement, Geoff has continued to actively mentor and advise CIE staff, students and alumni.
