VIT Council

Mr Arjun Surapaneni

Arjun has extensive education, technology and commercial experience with over 25 years’ experience in senior executive and Chief Executive Officer roles. His expertise straddles strategy, business growth, international business development, marketing, technology commercialisation, business transformation, change management and sustainability. Arjun has coordinated IT project implementation and training with organisations such as: Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Covansys, IBM Global Services, Ernst & Young, Computer Science Corporation, WA Police Services, Metropolitan Fire Brigade, Telstra, Health for Aged (Australian Federal Government) & Dresdner Bank (UK) and BHP Australia. Although a third generation educator, Arjun become a dedicated educator in 1999 after he chanced up on a research paper published in USA. It stated that when many of the near dead, or people who were thought to be dead, ‘came back to life’ were questioned “what was their first thought when they came back to consciousness?” An amazing 87% said they wish they studied/learned more.

Arjun is appointed as Member of Multicultural Business Ministerial Council (MBMC) by the Baillieu Government in Victoria from 24 October 2011 to 23 October 2013 and is also the Chair of Export and Human Capital (Including Education) working groups of the MBMC.

Professor Richard Carter

Professor Richard Carter retired as Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education Services) and Director TAFE – Victoria University in March 2009 after distinguished career in education sector spanning over 35 years. Professor Carter commenced employment at Victoria University in 1994. After holding a number of positions in Technical and Further Education (TAFE) he was appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor TAFE in August 2003 and Professor in 2005. Professor Carter’s roles at Victoria University have ranged across both educational and general management. He worked on the management of major issues and critical incidents. His work included, a significant number of years controlling the highly complex information technology provision of the University, a revamping and rebuilding of student services functions, the building of a substantial new and highly successful branding and marketing presence and the management of media and external relations. He has also been critically involved in the planning, development and bringing to completion of five significant construction projects with a combined value exceeding $300 million. Professor Carter has served on a wide range of boards and committees involved in the development and governance of TAFE, Further Education and International Education including Victoria University Singapore Ltd , Victoria University International Ltd, Renewal and Change 2020 (USA), Chair Academy Advisory Board (USA), International Training Australia Pty Ltd, Victoria University Council, the Northern and Eastern Regional Councils of Further Education, Australian Technical College Sunshine, the Council of Broadmeadows College of TAFE and the Australian Committee for Training Curriculum. Prior to employment at Victoria University Professor Carter held a number of senior positions with the Victorian Office of the State Training Board including as Executive Officer of the Victorian Vocational Education and Training Accreditation Board. He also served for some time as a senior policy consultant to the Australian Committee for Training Curriculum. Professor Carter has provided advice to the governments of Mauritius and East Timor on vocational training systems and assisted in the planning of and participated in a major project to upgrade the skills of vocational training administrators in Uzbekistan. He contributed as a board member to a major bid by International Training Australia for the establishment of an armed forces college in Oman and was an invited member of an Australian Government Mission to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to investigate and develop cooperation in vocational education. He has played a key role in tendering for and implementing a significant number of international aid funded training projects. Professor Carter’s key areas of interest include provider recognition and course accreditation systems in vocational training, assessment of quality in vocational training and vocational curriculum and course design. In addition he has delivered a number of papers both nationally and internationally on the marketing and branding of higher education. Most recently he has directed a Rapid Audit Project for the Victorian Government auspiced through the Victorian Recognition and Qualifications Authority to address a crisis in public confidence in the quality of private provision of vocational education to international students in Victoria.
In recognition of his long service and achievements at Victoria University Professor Carter was appointed Professor Emeritus in June 2009.

Professor Andrew Flitman

Professor Flitman is currently Principal of iMORSE, an analytics consultancy based in Melbourne Australia. In this capacity he has advised a number of client in the financial services and higher education sectors. He is also a current TEQSA auditor and Fellow of the Australian Computer Society and the Operational Research Society. Prior to his current role Andrew was Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) of Swinburne University from 2007-2012. In this role he led a step-change in research performance of the University to be ranked within the top 400 in the world.  Prior to joining Swinburne he held positions as Dean of Science and Technology at Deakin and Head of School (Business Systems) at Monash. Professor Flitman is an internationally recognised expert in financial (corporate and market) and strategic computer modelling.  He has significant commercial consulting experience in computer based finance, business planning, business analysis, decision support and modelling.  This consulting experience was developed chiefly through senior positions held at Deloitte Haskins and Sells (London), Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte (UK) and Price Waterhouse (Melbourne).  Much of the consulting undertaken by Professor Flitman has been for major blue-chip organisations both in Australia and overseas. Since obtaining his PhD in Operations Research from Warwick University, Andrew has published over 100 research publications and has authored a number of commercial reports.

Mr Peter Batchelor

Peter Batchelor has over twenty years of experience working in a range of challenging corporate roles. He is an executive with a track record in operational review, change management, strategy development and growing new initiatives.  He has experience in both the commercial and public sectors in the Asia-Pacific having worked with consulting firms, technology start-ups, universities and large corporates including Telstra, Ernst & Young, Ericsson, BIS Shrapnel, and Melbourne, Monash and La Trobe Universities. With a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne,  a Masters of Business Administration from the Australian Graduate School of Management at the University of NSW and Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) qualified, Peter has experience in recruiting management teams and boards to establish governance frameworks to promote transparency and the appropriate management of risk. Peter has deep experience in new business creation, strategy development, managing complex negotiations, conducting due diligence, operational planning and establishing appropriate funding mechanisms.

Marion Walker

Marion Walker has a career spanning more than 30 years, working across organisations in both the private & public sectors to develop and deliver sustainable change to align people, processes and technology and drive business outcomes.  Marion has extensive experience in business and technology strategy development & implementation, change & training interventions to support major system replacements, process and organisational transformation initiatives. Areas of specialisation include: stakeholder engagement & communication; change strategy diagnosis and management; group facilitation; leadership alignment; business readiness assessment

Mr Ben Scheltus

Ben Scheltus has a broad background in engineering, economic evaluation, IT, energy systems and business development – in Europe and Australia. Ben has worked in the chemical, information technology and education industries. He has successfully run his own business for many years. For ten years he held a position as a Director of a large private school. He has a particular interest in the practice of good governance. He has assisted a number of companies improve their system of IT governance. Ben has Bachelor Engineering degree from Monash University and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Ben is a director and the CEO of Climate Alliance.

Mr Hendrik Karsten

Hendrik came to Australia in 1988 on a working holiday visa and never returned to the Netherlands to live. He has always been involved in the hospitality industry and management of several restaurants and function venues in Melbourne before starting Karstens conference and training centre. He was a board member of the Restaurant and Catering Association from 2004 till 2006 and did post graduate studies at the Victorian University to obtain a graduate diploma in hospitality management. Hendrik is a director of Climate Alliance