Congratulations to Darren Mitchell on his appointment as Acting Chief Executive of the Ara Institute of Canterbury. He will lead the organisation through to December 2022 when it fully transitions to Te Pūkenga.
Darren has been with Ara for 20 years and has sat on its executive leadership team for the last 16 years, most recently as Deputy Chief Executive - Chief Operating Officer.
It was an honour to partner with Ara on Darren’s appointment, which followed a robust internal recruitment process:
“Darren is a highly capable and effective leader. He has exceptional business acumen and has been instrumental in contributing to the organisation’s success on many metrics – educational, partnerships, quality, and financial." noted Board Chair, Dr Thérèse Arseneau.
We wish Darren every success in his new role as he focuses on the future of Ara:
“The reforms present us with an opportunity to open Ara’s door more widely, showcasing our many strengths to industries, communities and our Te Tiriti partners so we can work together to further strengthen the education we deliver so it meets the needs of Canterbury – both now and in the future. We also need to remember, that although Ara may be facing some uncertainty, the purpose of our organisation won’t change – we will still be delivering quality education that changes lives. That’s what we need to focus on throughout this journey.”
The official media release can be seen here.