Southampton alumnus Ian Dunn, our new Chief Operating Officer (COO), is a highly experienced executive, with corporate, public and third sector experience in the UK and internationally. His corporate experience includes 25 years working for Shell and its subsidiary companies.
Ian graduated from Southampton with a BSc in Environmental Sciences in 1983. He also has an MBA from Henley Management College and in 2013 he completed a Masters of Studies in Sustainable Leadership at Cambridge.
Ian joined the University at the start of January. As he settles into his new post, we asked him what attracted him to the role.
Q Why did you want to be our Chief Operating Officer?
A It is difficult to envisage a more engaging role than as COO of our University. We are in a time of extraordinary societal change and the University of Southampton is extremely well placed to help shape the future. To be part of this is very exciting indeed.
Q What are your aspirations while in this role?
A For us to be able to deliver our exciting aspirations requires a large number of processes, people, partners – to name but three – to be working together efficiently and effectively towards meeting common goals. My aspirations therefore are to work with the team towards delivering an operational side of the University that seamlessly supports our wider academic agenda.
Q What aspects of your extensive leadership experience do you think will be most important here?
A In nearly all large, complex organisations, culture and behaviours drive ultimate success or failure. This does not mean that we should aspire to uniformity, quite the reverse. It is how we work together, respect each other and our differences, strive for personal and team excellence, develop professional and personal capabilities and strive for high quality in all we do, that will determine our success.
Q What are your fondest memories of your own student days at Southampton?
A A couple of things come to mind in addition to the social side (!). Firstly, the opportunity to undertake research for an undergraduate project that resulted in a paper being published on insect/plant interactions. Perhaps more so, the wherewithal the University of Southampton provided for a 10 month sponsored expedition to the Brazilian Amazon, undertaken the year after graduation. More than anything, this provided the platform for my later career.
Q What three things can you tell us about yourself that we could not learn from your CV?
A Through a very varied career I have been privileged to work and live in many different parts of the world. The natural beauty of our planet is simply extraordinary and we should be guarding it far better than we do at present.
I have a deep love of the never ending variety of light and remember places more through their light and smell than any other factor.
I have a fascination with bees, am a keen beekeeper and never fail to learn something (lots) every season.
I am a lifelong supporter of Southampton FC, but have not been to a match here since graduating in 1983!