Vice-Chancellor and President
Deakin University
Keän J Selway
Keän Selway has been the Chief Executive Officer of DeakinPrime and a member of Deakin University's Senior Executive since November, 2002. Keän joined DeakinPrime as the Director of its Professional Associations Division in July, 2001. DeakinPrime, the commercial arm of Deakin University, is a pioneer and leader in corporate education and development in Australia, having developed landmark corporate education partnerships with some of Australia's leading corporations, government bodies and professional associations.
From November 2005 to August 2006, Keän took on the role of Acting Vice-President (Administration) for Deakin University while the structure of its Senior Executive was being reshaped. Responsibilities included Financial and Business Services, Property Services, Major Capital Projects, Human Resources, Information Technology, Logistics and the University Solicitor's Office.
Prior to joining Deakin, Keän was Managing Director of the Synergy Management Group, a company he founded in 1995. During this time he built and led successful ventures in business consultancy and hospitality contract management, employing 50 staff, and personally working with executive teams from a diverse range of organisations to assist them in developing business strategy, service culture and organisational change.
Keän commenced his professional career as an operations manager with the Four Seasons Hotel Group, at properties in Kakadu National Park, residing on-site with all staff and working with the Gagudju people, the Aboriginal traditional owners. He then undertook operational and business development roles at properties in Darwin, Alice Springs and Ayers Rock. Following this, he joined Australia's largest privately owned hotel group, All Seasons, undertaking business development and general management roles across a portfolio of properties, and became the foundation General Manager of The Management Centre in Geelong.
Keän was educated at Eltham College, before undertaking a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) degree at Monash University's David Syme Business School. He graduated in 1988 and was awarded the Nicholas Kiwi Prize. He completed a Graduate Diploma of Management at Victoria University in 1995 and became a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD) in 2003. He successfully completed the Senior Executive Programme at the London Business School in June, 2007.
Keän currently serves as a director on the boards of Deakin's controlled incorporated entities including Callista Software Services Pty Ltd, Canopi Network Pty Ltd and Unilink Ltd. He has also been recently appointed to the National Defence Reserves Support Council as the representative of the Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee.
Keän was a director of the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) from 2001-2006, being Chair of the Board from 2005-2006. He was a member of the Judging Panel for the Geelong Business Excellence Awards from 1997-2005, being Chair of the Panel from 2002-2004. He was also Chair of the peak industry body, the International Association of Conference Centres (IACC) from 1999-2001.
Keän is married with three children and lives in Ocean Grove, Victoria.
