Mr Tom Steer

Tom Steer is the Deputy Vice Chancellor Student Experience & Success at Adelaide University, Australia’s newest major University and member of the Group of Eight (G08), which commences teaching in 2026.

In this role Tom is responsible for the establishment and leadership of a comprehensive portfolio of student-facing services for Adelaide University and the core operations that underpin the student lifecycle. The Student Experience & Success portfolio will provide personalised and proactive services to students, and work in collaboration with all areas of the University to ensure that students receive an outstanding experience and are supported to achieve their goals.

Tom is working with the co-Vice Chancellors and other members of the Executive Leadership Group to establish Adelaide University, supporting the design, transition, and transformation phases of the University's development.

Tom was previously the Chief Academic Services Officer for the University of South Australia, providing strategic leadership of the Academic Services portfolio, responsible for central student and academic administration, student services, student engagement, international student recruitment & admissions and regional campus operations (Whyalla and Mount Gambier). In this role, Tom is a member of the University’s Enterprise Leadership Team (ELT), and actively contributes to the University’s broader strategy, decision making and operations.

Tom joined UniSA in 2017 to lead the start-up and launch of UniSA Online, the online education arm of the University of South Australia. As Executive Director, Tom led UniSA Online during three consecutive years of rapid growth, product expansion and service improvement, exceeding student recruitment targets and ranked amongst the best in Australia for external student satisfaction.

Prior to joining the University, Tom was Chief of Staff for Hewlett Packard Enterprise Australia & New Zealand, a global leader in IT products and services with a multi-billion dollar local business. In this role Tom was a member of the Country Management Team and drove a number of strategic initiatives across the business, focused on growth, communications and employee engagement.

During his career with Hewlett Packard, Tom lived and worked in Adelaide, London and Canberra, undertaking a range of client-facing executive roles with large Public Sector customers.

Tom has a Masters Degree in Business Information Systems from the University of South Australia, is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and an alumnus of Harvard Business School where he completed the Advanced Management Program on-campus in Boston in 2023.

In 2019 Tom was named as one of South Australia's Top 40 Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs under the age of 40, in the InDaily 40 Under 40 Awards.

Qualifications

• Master of Business (Information Systems) University of South Australia

• Bachelor of Business (Information Systems) University of South Australia