David Phillips
Principal Advisor
David Phillips is widely acknowledged as one of Australia’s foremost experts in higher education management and policy, delivering higher education strategy and policy advice to the highest levels of government and institutional leadership. He has provided consultancy services to all of Australia’s public universities, to government departments and agencies, and to private sector educational institutions, organisations and enterprises. He has also been a member of the Board of Open Universities Australia.
David also has extensive experience in the vocational education and training sector and a distinguished career in government. David was the founder and Managing Director of Phillips Curran from 1996 until it merged with KPA Consulting to form PhillipsKPA. In 2008 he was an advisor to the Review of Australian Higher Education (the Bradley Review), and in 2010 was an advisor to the Higher Education Base Funding Review.
David’s recent projects include:
- Strategic Analysis for incoming Vice Chancellor - A Go8 University
- Mapping Professional Accreditation in Australian Higher Education - Commonwealth Department of Education and Training
- Regional growth strategy - A major regional university
- University financial and capital analysis - Commonwealth Department of Education and Training
- Evaluation of tertiary pathways - a state government education department
- Online learning strategy - a university in Western Australia
Prior to establishing Phillips Curran, David was the head of the Higher Education Division in the Commonwealth Department of Employment, Education and Training. He was previously Senior Advisor and Consultant to two Commonwealth Ministers for Employment, Education and Training.
David has a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Social Planning and Development, both from The University of Queensland. The topic of his master’s thesis was tertiary education and the labour market.
