Scott Nichols

Director, Operations Advisory

KPMG Australia

Scott has more than 21 years of experience in senior management roles within Australian universities. His focus is on the higher education sector.

He is highly regarded for his experience and expertise in understanding the higher education landscape and his passion for improving the student experience, particularly through process reform, technology and digital developments.

Scott has led major projects on CRM implementations, digital student platforms and admissions transformation. He has a background in data and analytics and has led these functions at two Australian universities. He has also worked on enterprise-wide policy and governance reform agendas, including curriculum review and renewal projects, policy and procedure development and implementation and governance frameworks.

Prior to KPMG, Scott worked on several sector-leading projects designed to significantly improve the experience of students and staff through technology, process improvement and customer design thinking for a major Australian university. He also held senior management positions within a prominent Victorian Victorian university.

Scott is undertaking a Professional Doctorate in Business Administration, focusing on value co-creation through the improved use of technology. He is a Board member of the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) and chaired the UAC Users Committee from 2014 to 2019. He was a subject matter expert on the national Admissions Transparency Reform project which focused on improving the terminology used through admissions processes.

  • Data and Analytics
  • Digital-driven transformation
  • Education
  • Management Consulting
  • Operating Effectiveness
  • Operational efficiency, strategy
  • Process improvements
  • Strategy and Operations
  • Transformation
  • Universities and Colleges, Higher Education
  • Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Commercial Law), Deakin, 1993

  • Board Member, Universities Admissions Centre (UAC), 2014 to present