Waiariki Bay of Plenty Polytechnic has announced Associate Professor Dr Leon de Wet Fourie will be its new chief executive.

The Bay's largest tertiary education provider is delighted by Leon's appointment and it's anticipated he'll start his new role in December, says WBoPP Council chair Cathy Cooney.

Waiariki Bay of Plenty Polytechnic's new Chief Executive Associate Professor Dr Leon de Wet Fourie. Supplied Photo.

'During this time of transformation there is no better person to lead our new institution than Dr Fourie. He is a proven leader within the tertiary sector with keen vision and the ability to bring people together,” says Cathy.

Leon is currently deputy chief executive at Unitec Institute of Technology in Auckland, where he has worked since 2009.

He simultaneously held the positions of executive dean faculty of Creative Industries and Business, executive dean faculty of Technology and Built Environment, and Northern Campus director until 2015, before being appointed as Unitech's deputy chief executive.

During his tenure at Unitech, Leon also successfully led multiple transformation projects and change programmes, and is also a well-known ‘values-based' leader who's experienced in working across multi-cultural environments.

Leon has also previously held the position of executive dean, Faculty of Management Sciences and Campus Director, Educity, at Vaal University of Technology in South Africa, as well as various executive positions at Tshwane University of Technology from 1995 to 2006.

'I am inspired by Waiariki Bay of Plenty Polytechnic's bold intent to improve access to applied education and training throughout the region, focussing on rural communities and specifically achieving successful outcomes for Māori as tangata whenua,” says Leon.

His appointment comes after a robust recruitment process which attracted a large number of high calibre applicants from around New Zealand and internationally, adds Cathy.