Zac Ashkanasy

Principal

Zac Ashkanasy headshot
Zac has nearly three decades of business and consulting experience across a range of clients and continents. Boards, executives and staff value his provocative, creative and practical mindset and engaging nature.
Clients voted Zac the ‘Most Client Focused Management Consultant’ as part of the annual Australian Financial Review awards for professional services. He leads the Nous Global Higher Education practice group.

Influential work

  • In Canada, led the world’s largest and fastest cost take-out and change in operating model of a research-intensive university
  • In Scotland, conducted a suite of revenue growth projects for a globally connected university, including reshaping their program offer and establishing a global foundation college
  • In the UK, redesigned and implemented a new professional services operating model for one of the world’s leading art and design colleges
  • In Australia, led an institutional size and shape program for a high performing university with an emphasis on student mix and campus capital implications
  • Led a multi-jurisdictional university collaboration on how to measure civic engagement and the implications for global league tables.

Outside of Nous

Zac has worked with corporations including Sky TV (UK) and KPMG. At Sky TV he assisted with the transition from analogue to digital TV. At KPMG, he started his professional career as an auditor but quickly moved to management consulting.

Zac holds a Master of Business Administration from Melbourne Business School and a Bachelor of Commerce from The University of Queensland.

In his spare time...

Zac is a keen athlete and was a guide runner for the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. He enjoys driving his kids around to their many and various activities, hanging out with his partner, gardening, cooking and sneaking in the odd movie or two.