David Savage appointed Chief Operating Officer at University of Reading Malaysia

Thursday, 05 January 2017

David Savage has been appointed as the full-time Chief Operating Officer at University of Reading Malaysia (UoRM) and Henley Business School Malaysia from 1 April 2017 to 31 December 2018. 

David will be responsible for all professional support services at the Malaysia campus; direct reports will include HR, Finance & Corporate Services and Registrar. 

He will report directly to UoRM Provost Professor Tony Downes and the Reading University Malaysia (RUMAL) Board.

David will work in Malaysia for three weeks a month initially as the interim Chief Operating Officer up to 31 March 2017. He will be fully based at the Iskandar, Johor Bahru campus from April 2017.

The University will appoint a full-time, permanent Chief Operating Officer from January 2019, in due course. There are no other planned changes to the current UoRM team and management.

David has worked at the University for 17 years and was previously Chief Operating Officer for the full University up to the end of 2016.

His responsibilities included overseeing UoRM's establishment from its first proposal in 2008 to its inauguration in last February as the University's first multidisciplinary overseas campus and fifth campus overall.  

UoRM is now on track to have 600 students by the end of the academic year, towards its long-term aim for 3,000 students overall.

Enzo Raimo, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement and Chair of RUMAL Board said:

"David is highly experienced and has been closely involved in University of Reading Malaysia from the start. He will build on our good progress to date and ensure smooth continuity as we continue to establish ourselves in Asia."

Professor Tony Downes, Provost of University of Reading Malaysia said: 

“We are very lucky to have secured David’s continued involvement in Malaysia and in such a significant way during this crucial period for the University.  David has been a key person in the development of UoRM from the very beginning, and I am delighted he will be a member of the team here for the next two years.” 

David replaces Paula Sanderson who took up a new post as Registrar at SOAS, University of London in November 2016.