Ceremony: 3 May 2017, 2.00pm
Speech
Ah, let me start by acknowledging Chancellor Catherine Livingstone, Vice Chancellor Professor Attila Brungs, Presiding Dean Rod Jarman, the important UTS staff, but most importantly, the group right in front of me, today’s graduates, their families and friends.
In preparing for today’s speech I started by reflecting on my experience, when I was in the shoes of today’s group when I first graduated back in April 1986. And how remarkably and positively the world has changed. I joined IBM as a graduate hire in a technology company, yet at university I’d never sat in front of a computer. For me at university there was no internet to research your work, there was no internet. You went to the library and you found books using a technology called microfiche. Lecturers presented their material in the lecture theatre using a technology called foils. There were no mobile phones, no texts. When IBM were hiring me they sent me messages in something called telegrams. There were no google maps if you were lost, no mobile banking to pay bills, no eBay or online shopping, no Facebook or Twitter. You bought your music on vinyl records, your news on paper, and your photos on film. And for the older generation here it is worth noting we did survive and had fun along the way.
When I first started working at IBM the initial customer that I was involved with was the NSW TAB, just up the road here in Ultimo. And in 1986 the TAB bought one gigabyte, one gig, from IBM, to run its entire corporate operations. That one gigabyte cost over 100,000 dollars. Today that same gigabyte costs about one cent in a similar commercial environment. So 100,000 dollars to one cent. And of course, for many of us, there’s many gigabytes available to us for free today via companies like Google and Amazon. So why do I share this look back with you? While the rate of change during my working life has been truly extraordinary, I’m absolutely convinced we’ve only just scratched the surface. The change during your working lives will be faster, more profound, it will be more disruptive, but it will be more beneficial and more life changing. So my free advice to you on how to thrive in your age of constant change: firstly, stay flexible and open minded. I could never in my wildest dreams and imagination have thought of the world that I live in now when I was in your shoes graduating. Secondly, remain inquisitive and willing to learn. Change can be disruptive, it can be difficult, but its impact during your lifetime will be overwhelmingly positive. And thirdly, stay positive. Today you can see in the news cycle, every day, world events to make you concerned. Yet back when I graduated there was the so called Cold War between the USA and USSR with genuine fear of nuclear war. Within days of me graduating a nuclear reactor in Chernobyl, Russia, went into meltdown, spreading radioactive material over much of Europe. Mad cow disease killed 150 people in the UK and sent shock waves across the world. And in Australia our own Federal treasurer warned that Australia was at risk of becoming a Banana Republic. The point being, there will always be reasons to look for the negative, or feel bad about the world we live in. But humans will continue to find the way, to solve problems, to improve lives, and create hope.
And you will be part of that, I trust, driving that. I want to make some comments about the university you are graduating from today. It was mentioned in introduction that I chaired the industry advisory board for UTS for seven years, and back in 2009 I was the Chief Executive for IBM Australia and we’d been experiencing a period of rapid growth and we were hiring over five hundred graduates per year to supplement the 15,000 employees we had in Australia. And I used to manage my calendar to speak at as many graduate inductions as I possibly could. I thoroughly enjoyed welcoming the new hires, with the vitality, the energy and the freshness that they brought. And I always got briefed before meeting the new team by IBM’s recruitment team to welcome each new intake, and I’d always ask, I’d start by asking the recruiters, ‘Tell me about today’s group’. And time and time again they told me that the best graduates IBM were hiring were from UTS. Technically excellent, whether that was in IT or engineering or business, but also practical, job ready, with good people skills, high integrity and ready to be outstanding at work. Later in 2009 I met Professor Brung’s predecessor as Vice Chancellor Professor Ross Milbourne at a function, and I gave Ross the feedback regarding IBM’s graduate hires. That led Ross and I on a journey where we agreed to establish a pan-university industry advisory board to help UTS. We invited outstanding people like the wonderful fashion industry leader Carla Zampatti. We invited the then CEO of Cochlear, the Managing Director of the ABC, the CEO of Animal Logic, the MD of Microsoft, leaders from the CSIRO and Telstra. And all said yes. And what we saw UTS achieve over the following seven or eight years, during your time here, was simply extraordinary.
So today as graduates you should start by being exceedingly proud of yourselves. Your work, your commitment to get to this significant day, this significant milestone in your lives. You should be proud of those who supported you, the family and friends who provide emotional and often financial support to ensure that you made it to today, But in my opinion you should also leave exceedingly proud of your university, the University of Technology, Sydney. You’ve been blessed to study in this extraordinary physical environment, with the opening of the new engineering and IT building that you enjoy, the new Alumni Green, the Frank-Gehry-designed home of the Business School. Your university is the number one young university in Australia. The number eight young university in the world, and has recently broke into the top two hundred universities globally, young or old. The UTS has won recognition for reimagining education. It’s overachieved in its research work and funding. And all of this is located in this end of Sydney that is becoming Australia’s innovation and creative precinct. You’ve studied in the heart of truly one of the world’s great cities. So, go from today with great confidence, with pride, the world will change beyond our wildest dreams in the years ahead. And I believe you will not just thrive in that change, many of you in this group before me will be out there leading it.
So congratulations, go change the world, and thank you for the UTS for today’s honour. Chancellor.
About the Speaker
Glen was Managing Director of IBM Australia and New Zealand for five years, leading a business of 15,000 employees with annual revenues of over $4 billion until stepping down in January 2011. Whilst at IBM, he gained substantial global experience having worked in Japan, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
He was inaugural Chair of Screen Australia, the Australian Government’s agency responsible for developing a competitive film, television and new media industry whist providing support for projects of cultural significance. Under his leadership, Screen Australia increased its focus on audience, marketing and digital convergence; introduced the breakthrough Enterprise Program; and oversaw a significant funding increase to the Indigenous Program.
Glen has worked in information technology, the screen and creative sectors, media, medical technology, and financial services. During his career he has led organisations through periods of innovation and disruption. He chaired the Australian Government’s Convergence Review. He has a passion for Australia’s skills, diversity, and place in the world. This is reflected in his numerous honorary roles including Inaugural member of the Male Champions of Change group for over 6 years: the group comprises of CEOs and Directors working to promote increased participation of women in the workforce.
Glen holds a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Sydney and completed a program with The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.