Dionne Higgins has been appointed to the role of Interim Vice-Chancellor, effective from 1 July 2021 and continuing until a permanent appointment is made.

Dionne joined RMIT as the University’s Chief Operating Officer in 2016, responsible for University operations and the delivery of corporate services that aim to continuously improve student and staff experiences at RMIT and ensure sufficient capability to deliver efficient and effective services. Dionne has also led RMIT’s critical incident management processes and efforts, including the University’s response to COVID-19.

Prior to this, Dionne was based in Hong Kong as COO for Pearson’s International Operations, with particular focus on China, India, Brazil and South Africa. There she led Pearson’s operations teams in delivering scalable and repeatable solutions for customers and employees in the areas of Customer Support, Real Estate, Procurement, Supply Chain, and Programme Management. A Chartered Practicing Accountant, Dionne spent her early years in public practice and consulting before joining Pearson.