Established in April 2020, the UTS Foundation Board is vital to the University’s fundraising efforts. Drawing on the expertise and diverse experience of its members, the UTS Foundation Board provides strategic advice, advocates for the University and actively encourages philanthropic support for students, research and initiatives. Board members are exceptional leaders who are powerful partners in pursuing the University’s philanthropic goals.
UTS Foundation Board Members
Mrs Jane Clifford
Jane Clifford has worked in public education for twenty years and has a strong commitment to social justice and philanthropy. A Director of the JAAM Foundation since 2012, the Foundation has supported organisations working in the arts, education, health, domestic violence and the environment.
Mrs Clifford joined the Board of Food Ladder in 2019, having supported the not for profit organisation, with advocacy and financial support for many years. From 2019, she is the Inaugural Chair of ‘Champions of Change’ for Social Ventures Australia and a philanthropic supporter of The Bright Spots School Connection. Mrs Clifford is an active member of the Sydney Committee of Human Rights Watch since 2018 and Room to Read, championing girl’s literacy.
Mrs Clifford has worked on fundraising events with Australian Wildlife Conservancy and the JAAM Foundation, was a matching donor for AWC’s Feral Cat Challenge, raising contributions of 1.5 million. Mrs Clifford has also worked on fundraising committees including YWCA NSW, Dance Noir for Sydney Dance and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Mrs Clifford has a Bachelor of Arts with a Diploma in Education from UNSW.
Mr Peter Kazacos OAM
Peter Kazacos OAM has over 40 years’ experience in the IT industry. He founded KAZ in 1988 and led the company over its 17-year history. Mr. Kazacos was responsible for guiding KAZ from a small IT services company in NSW to one of Asia Pacific’s leading IT services and business process outsourcing service providers. KAZ grew from 350 employees from its inception, through to listing on the ASX in 2000, to over 4000 employees, as a fully owned subsidiary of Telstra.
Mr Kazacos was the founder and Executive Chairman of Anittel Ltd, having spent 8 years building the company into one of Australia’s leading IT&C service providers operating outside the major metropolitan areas. In 2010, Anittel was acquired by publicly listed company, Hostech, representing a major strategic milestone in the transformation and convergence of the IT&T industry. Anittel was sold to Inabox Group in January 2015.
Prior to establishing KAZ and founding Anittel, Mr Kazacos held a number of senior technical positions in the Australian IT industry with leading Australian organisations.
Peter Kazacos holds a number of Executive Office positions currently as below:
Current Executive Positions:
- Managing Director of Destin trading as Kazacos Industries
- Chairman of Allegra Orthopaedics (ASX:AMT)
- Chairman of Retriever Communications
- Member of UNSW Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Board
- LGIAsuper
- Independent director
- Chair, Audit and Risk Management Committee
- Member, Investment Committee - OAM Recipient
- Director of Kazacos Foundation
- Director of Law Corporation
- Director of Kaz Property
- Director of KAZ Early Learning Centre
- Director of KAZCARE
- Director or Kamalei Childrens Centre
- Director of Kpower
- Director of Koori Kulcha Aboriginal Corporation
- Managing Director of Your Angel Charity
Previous Executive Positions:
- Ex-Chairman of Astute Payroll
- Chairman of Axxis Group formerly Anittel Group (ASX:AYG)
- Chairman of Kaz Group (Formerly ASX:KAZ)
- Chairman of Roses Only
- Chairman of the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA)
- Advisory board for BMC Software Inc
- Chairman of Neller
- Chairman of CSIRO ICS Sector Advisory Council
- Member of AAS Advisory Council
- Member of Fronde Advisory Board
Mr. Kazacos was the recipient of the inaugural, Australian Entrepreneur of the Year 2001 award in the Technology, Communications, E-Commerce and Biotechnology category. Mr. Kazacos was also inducted into the Hall of Fame for the 3rd Annual IT&T Awards in October 2004. This Award was in the category of “Champion of the vendor community”. Mr Kazacos was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the inaugural ARN IT Industry Awards Ceremony (September 07).
Mr Kazacos was the recipient of the prestigious CSIRO Tony Benson Award for Individual Achievement in ICT at the 2008 iAwards. This award is presented in recognition of outstanding accomplishments of an individual in the Australian ICT industry.
Mr Kazacos is the Southern Highlands Foundation Philanthropist of the Year 2009.
The Philanthropy Awards honour the significant service, efforts and contributions of those involved in philanthropy. This award is given to celebrate of the outstanding contribution of time, leadership and financial support made by the many wonderful businesses, individuals, volunteers, community organisations and schools in the Southern Highlands.
Mr Kazacos was recognised for sharing his entrepreneurial skills with the community and his support for youth, family and disability support services and medical research
Mr Kazacos, together with his wife Vicki founded the charity Your Angel which focuses on providing direct support to disadvantaged people in the community. Through this initiative, The Cooks Cooking School. provides support for people with physical, mental and financial disabilities. Another major initiative is the YAY NAO project which utilises humanoid robot to help children living with Autism and other behavioural issues. Your Angel also provides support to the indigenous community through the Koori Kulcha Aboriginal Corporation.
Mr Kazacos holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science (Applied Mathematics and Computer Science) from the University of New South Wales.
Professor Andrew Parfitt
Professor Andrew Parfitt was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in November 2021.
Previously he was the Provost and Senior Vice-President at UTS. He has also held positions as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at the University of Newcastle, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Vice President, Division of Information Technology, Engineering and the Environment at the University of South Australia (UniSA); Director of the Institute for Telecommunications Research at UniSA; Chief Executive Officer of the Cooperative Research Centre for Satellite Systems; and General Manager of Space Programs in CSIRO’s Telecommunications and Industrial Physics Division.
Andrew’s area of academic expertise is telecommunications engineering, including antenna and radio systems research. He holds BE(Hons) and PhD degrees in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Adelaide and has published over 100 technical papers in refereed conferences and journals.
He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and has been a member of many government, professional and industry boards and committees, including the Board of Studies, Teaching and Education Standards (BOSTES) in NSW, the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) and was formerly Chair of the Universities Admissions Centre in NSW.
He is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and a Fellow of Engineers Australia.
Mr Christopher Aaron Yong
Mr Christopher Aaron Yong is a Technology & Digital Assets Lawyer at Lander & Rogers who is passionate about delivering legal services with greater empathy and efficiency. He is the Winner of the 2021 Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards in the 'Financial Services' category and is listed as a Finalist in the Australian Law Awards 2021 in the 'Rising Star of the Year (Individual)' and 'Innovator of the Year (Individual)' categories.
He is an advocate for innovation and has demonstrated experience in developing international relations. In his capacity as a Member of the ISO Technical Committee 307 'Smart Contracts' Working Group, he has been an ambassador for Standards Australia and meaningfully contributed to strategic international plenary meetings. He is committed to understanding and exploring how emerging technologies may shape and influence access to justice and tertiary education.
Mr Yong is the Co-Founder of the UTS Young Alumni Committee, which advises the university on how to meaningfully engage with its alumni, and is committed to supporting existing and prospective UTS students. He was integral in several UTS Annual Appeal Calling Campaigns, having supported his manager and led a team of over 30 students to raise over $200,000 in funds for UTS students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
He holds a Bachelor of Business (Finance) and Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) from the University of Technology Sydney and has completed the Stanford Program on 'Understanding U.S. Intellectual Property Law'.