Sam Jacob

Sam Jacob (they/them)

Volunteer Chair Scholarship Selection Committee

Sam Jacob brings more than 25 years’ experience in higher education in the UK and Australia, including senior roles at Laureate International Universities, Deakin University, Monash University, the University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide. Sam’s current role is the Director of Student Operations & Administration at Charles Darwin University, leading staff across 12 campus and study locations to ensure the outstanding customer experiences.

She is a specialist in student and academic administration and student and staff services, with strengths in conceptualising the future needs of organisations, driving change, implementing innovative and responsive strategies, improving quality and managing information and technology. At Laureate, she focused on improving the employment outcomes for students, and launched a major Success Coaching initiative for all students, in partnership with Gallup. At CDU Sam has joined a young, innovative University focused on making a difference to the remarkable top end of Australia and its south east Asian and Pacific neighbours.

Sam holds postgraduate qualifications in management, mediation and arbitration and is (slowly) working towards a Doctor of Business Administration. She was chair of the national symposium on Safer Campus Communities, inaugural convener of the ANZ Student Service Centre Conference, and has presented papers at major national and international conferences.

She has served on a number of community Boards, including as Deputy Chair of Melbourne’s Midsumma Festival and Chair of Adelaide’s Feast Festival, as well as currently volunteering with The Pinnacle Foundation.

Sam is a Fellow of the Association for Tertiary Education Management (ATEMF), and currently mentors other sector professionals in the LH Martin Institute’s Emerging Leaders and Managers program.