Vice-Chancellor & Professor
University of Auckland

Professor McCutcheon completed his Bachelor’s degree with first class honours at Massey University in 1976, and was then appointed to the lecturing staff of that university while undertaking a Ph.D. in metabolic physiology. From 1982 to 1984 he was a postdoctoral fellow at Cornell University, New York, while the recipient of a Harkness Fellowship. His research interests included how biological processes such as foetal and neonatal growth and lactation are regulated. He was appointed Head of the Department of Animal Science at Massey University in 1990, Assistant Vice- Chancellor (Research) in 1994, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor in 1999.

In November 2000, Professor McCutcheon was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University of Wellington. On 1 January 2005 he took up the position of Vice- Chancellor of The University of Auckland. He also chairs the University’s research commercialisation company, Auckland UniServices Limited.

Professor McCutcheon has served in an advisory capacity to a number of Government agencies and producer boards, and been a director or board member of: the New Zealand Dairy Research Institute; the Wellington Regional Economic Development Trust; the Wellington College of Education; the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research; Universitas 21, the Association of Pacific Rim Universities and the Worldwide Universities Network; The University of Auckland Foundation; the UK and US Friends of The University of Auckland; Auckland Tourism, Events & Economic Development (ATEED); and the Kings School Trustees Board. He was Chair of Universities New Zealand from 2004-5 and 2017-18.