Dr Girol Karacaoglu has been appointed to the role of Head of School of Government in Victoria Business School, and will take up the role on 3 October.

Victoria Business School is pleased to announce that Dr Girol Karacaoglu has been appointed to the role of Head of School of Government, and will take up the role on 3 October when the term of current Head of School, Professor Brad Jackson, comes to an end.

Professor Jackson has made a significant contribution as Head of the School of Government and his leadership over the last three years has been appreciated. He will continue to contribute to the School and the University as he resumes his role as Professor of Public and Community Leadership.

Dr Karacaoglu will also hold the position of Professor of Policy Practice. He comes to Victoria after four years with the New Zealand Treasury as Chief Economist and Deputy Secretary (Macroeconomics, and International Economic Research).

In his roles at Treasury, Dr Karacaoglu's focus was on promoting an integrated economic, environmental and social approach to policy advice that aimed to improve the standard of living for current and future New Zealanders on an equitable and sustainable basis.

Prior to his leadership roles at Treasury, he held other senior positions including Chief Executive of The Co-operative Bank (PSIS) from 2003 to 2012, senior management positions with Westpac New Zealand from 1996 to 2003, and other senior positions in the financial sector including Director of Investments with Prudential Assurance Company (NZ), Chief Economist of National Bank of New Zealand, and Senior Research Advisor with the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.

Dr Karacaoglu is not new to Victoria University of Wellington, having worked here from 1980 to 1986 as a lecturer and senior lecturer in economics.

He gained his PhD in Economics from the University of Hawai'i, and has a Master's degree in Business Administration from Robert College (now Bogazici University) in his native homeland Turkey.

This appointment will allow Dr Karacaoglu to draw on his extensive expertise, experience, and networks to help forward the School of Government's mission to seek solutions to major public policy and management challenges.

The School has a multi-disciplinary approach and many partnerships with local, regional and central government entities, as well as other academic institutions. It is in a unique position to forward the University's academic distinctiveness theme of advancing better government, not exclusively in New Zealand but internationally as well, particularly in the wider Asia-Pacific.

Dr Karacaoglu will steer the School of Government, the only one in New Zealand, towards its nationally important role of improving public sector governance and contributing to scholarship in public policy.

We look forward to welcoming Dr Karacaoglu to Victoria.

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