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Mark Scott (businessman)

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Mark Scott
AO
Scott in 2023
27th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney
Incumbent
Assumed office
19 July 2021 (2021-07-19)
ChancellorBelinda Hutchinson
Preceded byStephen Garton
Secretary of NSW Department of Education
In office
1 September 2016 (2016-09-01) – 23 April 2021 (2021-04-23)
Preceded byMichele Bruniges
Succeeded byGeorgina Harrisson
Personal details
Born
Mark Walter Scott

(1962-10-09) 9 October 1962 (age 62)
Los Angeles, California, United States
CitizenshipUnited States
NationalityAustralian
SpouseBriony Scott
Alma mater
OccupationUniversity administrator
public servant

Mark Walter Scott AO (born 9 October 1962) is an Australian and American public servant and academic administrator who serves as the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Sydney.

Scott had previously held a senior role at Fairfax Media, responsible for the editorial content of the group's major newspapers, including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age. He was the managing director of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 2006 to 2016.[1] In June 2016, Scott was appointed Secretary of the New South Wales Department of Education.[2]

Personal life

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Scott was born on 9 October 1962 in Los Angeles. He holds dual Australian and United States citizenship.[3] He is a grandson of Sir Walter Scott AC, who was responsible for the introduction of decimal currency in Australia. His father Brian reviewed the NSW Department of Education in the 1980s.[4]

He attended Knox Grammar School in Wahroonga, New South Wales.[5] Scott holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Diploma of Education and a Master of Arts from the University of Sydney, and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.[6]

Scott is married to Briony Scott, the principal of Wenona School, a private day and boarding school for girls.[7]

Career

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Scott worked for the New South Wales Greiner Liberal government, as chief of staff to the Education Minister, Virginia Chadwick, and as a senior adviser to education minister, Terry Metherell.[8]

In 2010, he was appointed to a second five-year term as the ABC's managing director.[9] His time at the ABC was marked by extensive change, including the creation of ABC Me, a digital TV channel for children, and the 24-hour news channel ABC News, as well as a major expansion into digital and on-line technology and an expansion of quality drama.[10][11] Scott has been a strong defender of the value of social media in journalism[12] and skeptical on the capacity of news organisations to charge for content they have previously provided free of charge.[13]

In November 2014, as managing director of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Scott announced that after 55 years, the Collinswood ABC television studios in South Australia would be closed.[14] The announcement, following the 2011 demolition of the ABC TV facility in Perth[15] and the 2012 closure of Tasmania's TV production unit[16] also revealed the end of state based current affairs show 7.30 Report (state editions) - formally Stateline.

Responding to 2014 Liberal government budget cuts of $254 million over 5 years,[17] Mark Scott axed ABC Radio National program Bush Telegraph and five regional radio outposts.[18] In a senate inquiry about the cuts, Scott rejected claims that ABC management was using the Abbott government's cuts as an excuse to pursue unpopular cost-saving initiatives.[19]

In September 2015, Scott announced he would be retiring as managing director and would be leaving the ABC.[20] In December 2015, Michelle Guthrie was announced as Scott's replacement,[21] and took over the role on 2 May 2016.[22]

In June 2016, Scott was appointed secretary of the New South Wales Department of Education. He was responsible for more than 2000 schools and around 49,000 teachers in the state.[23]

Scott is the author of On Us, published in 2019 by Melbourne University Press.[24]

In March 2021, Scott was announced as being appointed the 27th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney, commencing in July 2021.[25] In September 2024, Scott admitted to the Australian Senate that he had failed the university's Jewish students, apologising to them for his mishandling of pro-Palestinian protests that followed the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.[26]

Awards and honours

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On 13 June 2011, Scott was named an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to media and communications, and to the community through advisory and governance roles with a range of social justice and educational bodies.[27]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Mr Mark Scott". Our people. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  2. ^ Urban, Rebecca (12 December 2016). "New education boss told to review controversial sex-ed course". The Australian. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  3. ^ Kissane, Karen (13 March 2010). "The ABC goes forth into a brave new world". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  4. ^ Scott of the ABC: a family affair of service Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  5. ^ Rolfe, John (16 August 2024). "Sydney Power 100: Where the city's most powerful people went to school". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Mark Scott - Occasional speeches - UTS: Graduations". Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  7. ^ Baker, Jordan (1 March 2019). "Mark and Briony Scott: on a learning curve - just don't mention NAPLAN". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Scott of the ABC: A family affair of service". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 May 2006.
  9. ^ Meade, Amanda (29 October 2010). "Mark Scott's ABC contract extended". The Australian.
  10. ^ "Want to know why you'll turn ABC TV on in 2011? - ABC TV Blog". Archived from the original on 4 December 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  11. ^ "Social Networker @ the Weekly Review". Archived from the original on 25 November 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  12. ^ "The Golden Age for Australian journalism". www.abc.net.au. 24 November 2010. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  13. ^ "THE FALL OF ROME: MEDIA AFTER EMPIRE" (PDF). Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 14 October 2009. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  14. ^ "ABC Adelaide television studios to close after 55 years". www.abc.net.au. 24 November 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  15. ^ Says, Dialashop. "Western Australian Television History (WA TV History) » Blog Archive » UPDATE: Demolition of ABW Channel 2 Studios in Perth WA". Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  16. ^ "ABC TV closes Tas production unit". www.abc.net.au. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  17. ^ "Turnbull confirms $254 million cut from ABC funding". ABC News. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  18. ^ Idato, Michael (24 November 2014). "ABC's death by a thousand cuts the work of political bastardry". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  19. ^ Lynch, Jared (1 December 2014). "ABC chief Mark Scott defends cuts at Senate hearing". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  20. ^ "Mark Scott confirms he will step down as ABC managing director in 2016". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  21. ^ "Google executive Michelle Guthrie to replace Mark Scott as ABC managing director". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 21 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  22. ^ Mitchell, Jake (2 May 2016). "ABC needs more diversity, new boss Michelle Guthrie says". The Australian. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  23. ^ Bagshaw, Eryk; Nicholls, Sean (2 June 2016). "Mark Scott appointed as secretary of NSW Department of Education". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 6 June 2016.
  24. ^ Fidler, Richard (17 April 2019). "Mark Scott on stepping outside the echo chamber". ABC listen. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  25. ^ "Mark Scott appointed Vice-Chancellor of University of Sydney". University of Sydney. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  26. ^ Roe, Isobel (20 September 2024). "University of Sydney vice-chancellor Mark Scott apologises to Jewish students over Students for Palestine encampment". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  27. ^ "Mark Scott AO". Australian Honours Database. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
Media offices
Preceded by Managing Director of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
2006–2016 		Succeeded by
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