David Leaney
Research School of Management
ANU College of Business and Economics
I’m probably not the most typical casual staff member at ANU. I work full-time outside ANU as a management consultant, and I choose to teach part-time because I enjoy it so much. For 40 hours per week, I’m the Managing Director of Canberra-based consultancy Strategium Act Pty Ltd, and I spend most of my time working with clients on their business or IT projects. But for a few hours each week during the semester, I teach at the Research School of Management (RSM) in the ANU College of Business and Economics (CBE). My subjects include Strategic Management, International Supply Chain Management and Managing the Global Supply Chain. I’ve previously taught marketing and international HR management.
I enjoy being able to bring practical industry experience to the subjects, and my students tell me they appreciate the personal case studies and industry focus I provide. For example, when I talk about the challenges of corporate mergers and acquisitions, I’m speaking from the perspective of someone who has been involved in buying and selling companies, and was Deputy Director of mergers and acquisitions for a public company.
I like to extend that practical focus to my teaching methods. My undergraduate students do a field trip to the Royal Australian Mint to learn about the complexity of shipping millions of dollars in coins to dozens of different countries, and my postgraduate students do a site visit to IKEA Canberra to learn about the long lead times for international freight.
So, why do I choose to be a sessional lecturer? For several reasons. Partly for academic interest and mental stimulation, partly for the extra pocket money (it offsets expensive hobbies such as motorsport), and partly because teaching is my absolute favourite job satisfaction thing I do.
How have I found working at ANU? I really appreciate the flexibility and the professionalism of the team at RSM. I also like that they make me feel part of the team. I get invited to lots of events and have the opportunity to contribute. I look forward to many more years teaching part-time at ANU.