University Spent $1.5M on Leadership Coach While Cutting Jobs and Courses: Inside UTS's Financial Controversy

University of Technology Sydney's Leadership Coaching Splurge Amid Financial Crisis

The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) spent nearly $1.5 million on an executive leadership coach while planning drastic cuts to jobs and courses to manage what its vice-chancellor called a financial crisis. Documents obtained by Four Corners reveal that UTS vice-chancellor Andrew Parfitt and his leadership team spent hundreds of thousands of dollars annually on executive coaching company Beyond Excellence from 2021 onward.

Professor Andrew Parfitt is UTS's vice-chancellor and president. (Supplied: NSW Parliament)

The Spending Breakdown

About $783,000—more than half the total—was spent in 2024 when the university began planning substantial budget cuts. At the time, Professor Parfitt aimed to save $100 million annually after recurring deficits. UTS also spent $7 million on external consultants from KPMG for money-saving advice, ignoring in-house expertise from its highly regarded Business School.

Professor Parfitt planned to slash 400 jobs (about 10% of the workforce), 167 courses, and more than 1,100 subjects. A revised plan achieved annual savings of $85 million, with about 120 academic jobs axed, 143 courses and 839 subjects discontinued, and cuts to professional staff delayed.

Backlash from the National Tertiary Education Union

The spending has angered the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), which opposes the job and course cuts. NTEU NSW secretary Vince Caughley told Four Corners: "UTS executives paid for Beyond Excellence coaching, yet delivered anything but excellence in leadership." He added, "They spent big on coaching, promised excellence and delivered chaos."

'Dear Andrew' Letters and Coaching Details

Documents accessed under the Government Information (Public Access) Act (GIPA) show that in 2021, UTS contracted Beyond Excellence for a six-month executive coaching program with founder Julie Birtles. Her workload expanded rapidly, with insiders reporting she often hot-desked near the vice-chancellor's office and convinced leadership to expand her consulting work despite the financial crisis.

Letters from Ms. Birtles to Professor Parfitt argued for ongoing services, citing the need for "sophisticated leadership to foster trust, engagement and to steer the organisation through continuing change and transformation." She billed for services like "executive transition support," "leadership circle feedback," and confidential interviews with colleagues about his leadership.

Staff say it's hard to understand why UTS spent money on a leadership coach. (Four Corners: Nick Wiggins)

By 2025, UTS had paid Beyond Excellence $1,487,461 over four years. The same year, a motion of no confidence in the vice-chancellor's leadership passed with 95% support from over 1,500 UTS staff who voted.

Impact on Staff and Students

The revelations have outraged staff facing job and course cuts. For example, the School of Public Health lost more than half its academic staff and two degrees, affecting areas like pandemic preparedness and indigenous health. Professor Andrew Hayen, taking voluntary redundancy, said, "Students are bearing the impact... It's very hard to reconcile those priorities."

Julie Birtles's consulting business received almost $1.5 million from UTS between 2022 and 2025. (Supplied)

Travel Expenses and Internal Capacity

The university also paid more than $126,000 for airfares and hotels for Ms. Birtles, based in Geelong, Victoria. Documents show 91 airfares between Melbourne and Sydney and over 80 hotel reservations, with three-quarters of expenses between 2024 and 2025.

UTS claimed it only uses consultants where internal capacity is lacking, but it has a School of Professional Practice and Leadership, an Executive MBA Course, and an in-house leadership program for emerging leaders.

Exemptions from Normal Processes

Much of Beyond Excellence's work was exempt from UTS's usual tender processes. Executives, including the vice-chancellor, argued that "trust between the coach and the coachee" justified exemptions, with contracts worth over $250,000 approved without tender.

A UTS spokesperson said Beyond Excellence was engaged in line with procurement policy, but the federal government plans new governance principles to force universities to disclose consultancy spending properly.