To round out the year, we sat down with Kent Anderson, who has been our Executive Director throughout 2025, to talk about his career trajectory and what’s next for him following his tenure at ATN Universities.
Kent has had quite the career journey; he’s been a marketing manager with an Alaskan airline, a commercial lawyer in Hawaii, and a professor at numerous universities, and now ATN’s executive director. When asked about how his previous roles have assisted him in leading ATN, Kent responded, “I know what it feels like to be a front-line lecturer with the pressures of a new course, student demands, an editor’s deadline, the new hypothesis not quite working, and so forth. Because I know that—and how it feels to be a DVC who is so committee’d out they can’t remember where they are, or even the Level 6 Admissions officer fighting with the new computer system—I think I understand the incentives that drive people.”
Kent maintains that his time in government was invaluable experience for his role at ATN. “I think I have a better sense of the timing for impact, and the code speak used by politicians and public servants to signal that… I don’t think academia prepares us well for the game of public policy: at least I know I was unprepared when I stepped into the role. Academia is about the best possible theoretical model when you have unlimited time to develop and test it; politics is often about the least bad option with little to no information or time. Being able to pragmatically compromise is not a skill most of us are taught in the faculty tea rooms. Hopefully I brought that insight to the ATN.”
When reflecting on his time as Executive Director, Kent admits there wasn’t much that caught him off guard. “I’ve spent a long time in the sector and over 15 years as a senior executive of four different Australian universities; thus, there was not a lot unexpected in this job.” However, what did stand out for him was the people. “What I most enjoyed was to get to know even more smart and committed people doing amazing things and trying to positively impact the world. At its best, the committees of practice within the ATN provide a ‘safe space’ for true learning and support. I really liked being a fly on the wall in these conversations.”
“What I most enjoyed was to get to know even more smart and committed people doing amazing things and trying to positively impact the world.”
-Professor Kent Anderson
One of the defining characteristics of ATN Universities is their collective approach, though Kent is quick to point out he’s not advocating for uniformity across the sector. “I believe strongly in diversity and distinctiveness in the sector. Thus, I’m not sure I want the rest of the sector to pay more attention to our way of doing things. I want each institution to find its own unique way to serve its community rather than everyone follow the same path, which I think really is a current problem here.” That said, he’s proud of what ATN represents. “… I am proud we are the most industry engaged, and end results focused universities. I also like how unpretentious we are and how that can be seen in our Equity success.”
Kent’s career has been marked by bold moves and calculated risks. When asked which decision seemed risky at the time but turned out right, his answer is immediate: “That’s easy: moving to Australia in 2000.” He rattles off a list of risky pivots: quitting marketing for graduate school, leaving a lucrative law career for academia, travelling across continents from Alaska to Japan to Hawaii to the UK and eventually Australia. “But, by far the best decision was to come to Australia and become an Australian. I love this country, this land, its people.”
In examining the biggest challenges facing Australian higher education, Kent doesn’t mince his words. “Remaining relevant and connected with the broader community, especially those who have not directly benefited from universities,” he states plainly. “I’m a professor and sometimes I think we spend too much time ‘professing’ and not enough time listening and co-creating. As experts in our own narrow fields, it is easy for us to think we know the truth so everyone should just defer to us, give us the tools to do more (usually money) and let us get on and do what we know to do. That is the core challenge for the sector.”
“I’m a professor and sometimes I think we spend too much time ‘professing’ and not enough time listening and co-creating.”
-Professor Kent Anderson
As for what’s next for Kent, he’s trading committee meetings for something entirely different. “I am retiring to try to become a full-time farmer. Time on the land growing things and raising things is my happy place.” He also enjoys running, the occasional ski trip, and has an eclectic taste in entertainment. He is currently rotating between Country and Western music, the TV show Yellowstone (which his son thinks he likes “more than he should”), and recently enjoyed the film Kokuho for making kabuki (a classical form of Japanese theatre) accessible. He admits to having “too many cowboy hats and belts,” and maintains a yearly list of favourite books that he circulates to friends, with Percival Everett likely topping this year’s selection.
ATN was curious about where Kent would be if he weren’t in higher education, to which he shared a touching sentiment about his father, who spent the latter half of his career in radio and TV. “I very strongly wanted to establish myself independent of him, but now I have modest regrets and I really like the business of radio in particular.”
His advice to his younger self carries a bittersweet note. “I was a law professor and advised my son not to become a lawyer. Similarly, I might have told my younger self to not do higher ed as a career.” He continued, “I have loved it; I have felt incredibly privileged; I really enjoy hanging out with my brilliant colleagues and thinking about societal challenges. But it is a hard job and occasionally quite thankless. I think I would have told my younger self to change often and take risks.”
As Kent prepares to hand over the reins, he sees 2026 as a pivotal moment for ATN. “ATN was set up historically based on existing institutes for technology and advanced learning. Having reached the 25-year anniversary, I think 2026 is the time to set the future direction more defined by who we aspire to be.”
While he leaves the specifics to the new Executive Director and ATN members, he offers a parting vision: “I think the focus on industry and community—in many ways the output rather than the input—is where I would focus. We facilitate achievement rather than simply reward pedigree.”
It’s a fitting message from someone whose career has embodied exactly that; facilitating achievement through diverse experiences, calculated risks, and an unwavering commitment to remaining grounded and relevant.
