3 minute read
New Principal
In September, Andrew Baker, Director of Agriculture and Agribusiness at Marcus, was appointed as Principal of the College, to start in the new year. After a global search to replace Dr Simon Livingstone, Andrew’s internal appointment has been a source of pride for the College. Equally, it has been a source of excitement for Andrew.
“When Rob McGavin called me and said, ‘It’s you’, I was quite overwhelmed. I’ve really enjoyed teaching at Marcus Oldham, it’s given me a great deal of satisfaction - I also knew before applying what a big role this is, but I am very keen to ensure Marcus is moving forward. I am extremely excited to become Principal of Marcus Oldham.”
Andrew, or AB as he is known on campus, was born in 1968 and raised on a mixed cropping farm in Zimbabwe until 1982, when his parents moved to Hay, NSW. Education has been a strong focus for Andrew, in between jackarooing at Augathella in Queensland and working on farms on the Hay Plains, he attended Dookie Agricultural College in Victoria and studied a Bachelor of Business at Charles Sturt University, NSW. During a stint in agribusiness with the ANZ Bank where he spent a few years in Moree, Longreach, and Goondiwindi, ultimately as a manager, he also completed a Master of Agribusiness through the University of Melbourne. Wanting to step out of the banking industry, he became a financial analyst, assisting farmers in a small practice in Harden, NSW. However, his strong interest in education saw him jump at the opportunity to join the Marcus team at the end of 2005 as a Lecturer in Accounting.
When AB talks about Marcus, his face lights up.
“Apart from the sense of energy you get when you are surrounded by people wanting to grow and improve, I love the culture at Marcus. For anyone wanting a career in agriculture, agribusiness or in equine, Marcus is the place - from the curriculum, the immersive teaching and learning environment,
the networks that are built, and the sense of community, whether you are extremely academic or not, if you work hard, Marcus gives you every opportunity to succeed - there is nothing better that seeing people succeed.”
In his downtime AB enjoys family life with wife, Catherine, a social worker, and their three children - one of whom has just finished first year agriculture, the eldest is interested in IT and the youngest is studying Film and Television in Melbourne. He is never far from his bicycle, but his interests are broad.
“I am best known for riding my bicycle, probably for some insane distances. I join a group of friends most mornings at 5.30 for a ride around the back roads of Geelong. But I do do other things. I try and learn one new thing each year. This year I am learning to surf. I am not very good yet but it is a great activity. Last year I tried my hand at bladesmithing and made a couple of kitchen knives.”
The sixth Principal is positive about the future of the College he will lead.
“I am looking forward to taking Marcus Oldham along its journey. Marcus is currently in a really great position, therefore the challenge is to keep the college going forward in the best possible way. I am not a person who says, ‘job done’. I am always looking for improvements. As the world changes, we must change too. Marcus has a terrific core - the “Marcus learning model”. We need to preserve this whilst continuing to adapt to ensure we are at the front.”
