Relishing a seat at the big table

Moving on up ... Hutchinson believes in taking advantage of opportunities when it comes to building a successful career.

- JULIA NEWBOULD

Belinda Hutchinson assumed the role of the University of Sydney chancellor as a labor of love. It’s an unpaid position which, right now, has evolved from around one-and-a-half days a week to nearly four as the university faces the dire effects of the pandemic, a reduced international student base, dealing with sweeping changes to government funding and fees, as well as the impending loss of vice-chancellor Michael Spence, who is set to take up a position in London early in 2021.

Losing international students has cost the university millions of dollars in revenue, and while many people believe the university to be well endowed, Hutchinson says the reality is that it is a public institution and most of the funds are allocated to support debt accrued by building on campus and providing for staff and students.

However, undaunted by the challenges, Hutchinson has just signed up for another four years in the role.

“I really feel I want to continue. We’ve done so much good work I don’t want to lose the momentum and we’ve got to get through this Covid-19,” she says.

Hutchinson moved into a portfolio career more than 20 years ago and was working as a non-executive director on boards when she got the phone call about the Sydney Uni gig.

“I said it sounds to me like an enormous role and I was told it was only a day and a half a week,” she says.

In thinking about it, she considered it as something of a family institution, especially in light of the fact that she, her father, sisters, brothers, and children had all attended Sydney University, .