Chancellor David Thodey AO, FTSE
The Chancellor’s role is to facilitate work carried out by the Senate to support the wellbeing of our University and ensure our high standing in the wider community.
Chancellor David Thodey AO, FTSE
David Thodey AO, FTSE became the 19th Chancellor of the University of Sydney on 1 July 2024. He is widely recognised for his contributions over 30 years to science and technology, business, public service and the community, with significant experience in driving innovation in start-ups, large companies and public sector bodies.
An advocate for the real-world impact of research translation, David is known for prioritising people across all the fields he has worked in and is dedicated to delivering a great experience for our students and staff, and great partnerships beyond the University.
In addition to his role as Chancellor, he is currently Chair of Xero, a global cloud-based accounting solution and Ramsay Health Care, a global hospital group. Prior to becoming Chancellor, he had been a member of Senate’s Finance Committee since 2022.
He is passionate about environmental sustainability and co-chairs the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, an Australian non-profit established to help preserve the Great Barrier Reef. He is also co-chair of the Climate Leaders Coalition.
Previous roles include serving as chief executive of IBM Australia and New Zealand (1999–2001) and Telstra (2009–15), and as chair of the CSIRO (2015–21).
David is active in public policy and led an Independent Review of the Australian Public Service (APS). He also chaired a NSW Government-appointed panel to lead an independent review of Federal Financial Relations. Most recently, he led a user audit of the myGov government services digital portal.
In 2020, he was Deputy Chair of the Federal Government’s National COVID-19 Coordination Commission (NCC) Advisory Board, supporting the Government to navigate the challenges faced during the early stages of the pandemic.
David is an Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order of Australia for ethical business leadership. He has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Science and Technology from Deakin University and an Honorary Doctor of Business from both University of Technology Sydney and the University of Sydney.
The University’s Senate elects the Chancellor for a four-year term of office to facilitate effective and ethical decision-making. The Chancellor works collegially to ensure the high standing of the University in the wider community, and compliance with the University’s regulatory and statutory obligations.