Meet the Deakin Res Team: Vincent Wilson, CEO

Every team member at Deakin Res has an important role to play in helping our residents to feel welcome, safe and supported. Over the course of the year, we’ll be introducing members of our Deakin Res team, highlighting their roles and responsibilities, the journey they’ve taken to working at Deakin and sharing some of their experiences and anecdotes. 

First up, we’d love to introduce Vincent Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of Deakin Residential Services.  

How did you find yourself working at Deakin Res, and what was your journey leading to this point in time?

I completed a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Entrepreneurship, and then had a career in hotels and resorts prior to joining Deakin back in 2012. There are a lot of similarities between the two industries, but a lot of differences too. Believe it or not I’ve now worked in student accommodation longer than I was ever in hotels! In 2014 I had the chance to lead the start-up of Deakin Residential Services and the Deakin Res we know today was born. It’s an honor and a little bit of a thrill to have been here for that journey.

Can you tell us a little bit more about your role and responsibilities?

 As the CEO I’m responsible for the operational and strategic leadership of Deakin Residential Services, with the primary purpose of sustainably developing and managing our outstanding and market leading student accommodation premises, and the services and support we provide to our residents on a daily basis. Managing a team of over fifty dedicated staff across our four campuses (Geelong Waurn Ponds, Geelong Waterfront, Warrnambool and Melbourne Burwood), I also spearhead future accommodation developments, all aspects of business operations including our strategic and financial plans, manage relationships with our key stakeholders, and am accountable for ensuring positive student outcomes relating to safety, security, health, wellbeing, academic success and their overall residential experience.

Sounds like your days are busy and varied! Can you describe what a typical day for you might involve?

There’s no typical day as the CEO! At any given time you might find me working from one of five different Deakin locations across Melbourne, Geelong, and Warrnambool, or even at home. Last year’s lockdowns aside, I do plenty of kilometres in a year. My day may include meetings to review our financial performance, discussions with one of our Campus General Managers about student support matters, or time spent writing documentation to present to our Board. But other days, it might be none of that!

Has your role changed at all in light of COVID?

I wouldn’t say COVID has really changed my job but what it has done is change almost every aspect of how that job needs to get done. I’m now acutely focused on the recovery of DRS post-COVID and the revival of our thriving on-campus communities. Our team here at DRS have been brilliant right throughout the pandemic, and I couldn’t be prouder of everyone involved in keeping our students healthy, happy, and safe over the last year. All of this leads to a different mix of activities in my days, but the role remains the same. And hey, variety is the spice of life!

What is your favourite part of working for DRS?

What brought me to Deakin in the first place, and what keeps me here today, is a true sense of purpose in everything we do.

In a similar vein, a close second favourite and perhaps unknown to most, is the fact we’re not-for-profit, and that every dollar we make ultimately goes back into delivering an exceptional experience for current and future residential students at Deakin.