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Our programmes are delivered by academic and business experts at the forefront of their fields
With the guidance of our education team, when you graduate from AIC, you are ready to work and succeed in your chosen career. We are committed to building a safe, positive and inclusive higher learning environment that celebrates diversity, skills and cultural perspectives. Our lecturers and support staff come from a range of cultural backgrounds and countries themselves. Expect lots of discussion in class and learning through real-life experiences and reflection. Classes are taught in English however there are staff available who speak other languages should you need it.
Our Staff
Academic
Applied Management
Dr. Lorraine Skelton is a Principal Lecturer in Applied Management at Otago Polytechnic Auckland International Campus (OPAIC), with over three decades of experience spanning MIS, engineering, construction project management, and academia. She holds a PhD in Project Management from Massey University, an MBA from the University of Huddersfield, and a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Bradford. This interdisciplinary background in IT, architecture, business, and project management forms the foundation of her extensive career and academic practice.
Prior to academia, Dr. Skelton built a distinguished career in engineering and project management. She served as a Construction Project Manager at the University of Bradford in the UK, and as a Business Manager at Environmental Health UK, where she led business process reengineering initiatives. In the late 1990s, she joined Deloitte’s consulting division (Deloitte ICS) as a Consultant Manager, managing SAP and other ICT system implementations for large corporate clients in New Zealand, including National Bank, Mercury energy and Auckland Healthcare. These industry roles highlight her broad expertise in directing complex projects across information technology, environmental management, and construction domains.
Since 2017, Dr. Skelton has served as a Principal Lecturer at OPAIC (in partnership with Future Skills), where she teaches postgraduate courses including Project Management, Governance, Management Information Systems (MIS), Business Intelligence, Business Architecture, and Information Security. She also leads curriculum design and quality assurance for the management programs. In this capacity, she has supervised numerous professional Master’s projects in collaboration with industry partners such as Microsoft, NZ Pharma, Spark, and Fonterra. Through these efforts, she has helped students apply theoretical knowledge to real-world business challenges while ensuring academic rigor and relevance in the coursework.
Alongside her teaching, Dr. Skelton actively engages in research and knowledge dissemination. She has presented at major international conferences, including the Academy of Mangement, the University-Industry Innovation Network (UIIN) global conferences, the Australasian Research Management Society (ARMS) symposiums, and Project Management Institute (PMI) professional conferences. Her scholarly work centers on building effective collaboration between universities, industry, and government, as well as innovative educational practices such as gamified learning. Accordingly, she has several papers and book projects in development focusing on multi-sector collaboration, gamified education, and the university–business–government interface. Notably, she contributed a chapter on academic–business partnerships to the international volume From Purpose to Impact: The University and Business Partnership, reflecting her commitment to bridging academic research with industry practice.
Dr. Skelton is also an active member of the wider professional community. She is a member of the Institute of Directors New Zealand, Chapter Zero New Zealand, the Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM), and the University Industry Innovation Network (UIIN) in Europe, and Women in Tech, reflecting her commitment to professional leadership and cross-sector collaboration. Through these affiliations, and in her dual roles as an engineer-turned-academic, Dr. Lorraine Skelton continues to foster innovation, governance excellence, and collaborative growth across both industry and educational sectors.
Prior to academia, Dr. Skelton built a distinguished career in engineering and project management. She served as a Construction Project Manager at the University of Bradford in the UK, and as a Business Manager at Environmental Health UK, where she led business process reengineering initiatives. In the late 1990s, she joined Deloitte’s consulting division (Deloitte ICS) as a Consultant Manager, managing SAP and other ICT system implementations for large corporate clients in New Zealand, including National Bank, Mercury energy and Auckland Healthcare. These industry roles highlight her broad expertise in directing complex projects across information technology, environmental management, and construction domains.
Since 2017, Dr. Skelton has served as a Principal Lecturer at OPAIC (in partnership with Future Skills), where she teaches postgraduate courses including Project Management, Governance, Management Information Systems (MIS), Business Intelligence, Business Architecture, and Information Security. She also leads curriculum design and quality assurance for the management programs. In this capacity, she has supervised numerous professional Master’s projects in collaboration with industry partners such as Microsoft, NZ Pharma, Spark, and Fonterra. Through these efforts, she has helped students apply theoretical knowledge to real-world business challenges while ensuring academic rigor and relevance in the coursework.
Alongside her teaching, Dr. Skelton actively engages in research and knowledge dissemination. She has presented at major international conferences, including the Academy of Mangement, the University-Industry Innovation Network (UIIN) global conferences, the Australasian Research Management Society (ARMS) symposiums, and Project Management Institute (PMI) professional conferences. Her scholarly work centers on building effective collaboration between universities, industry, and government, as well as innovative educational practices such as gamified learning. Accordingly, she has several papers and book projects in development focusing on multi-sector collaboration, gamified education, and the university–business–government interface. Notably, she contributed a chapter on academic–business partnerships to the international volume From Purpose to Impact: The University and Business Partnership, reflecting her commitment to bridging academic research with industry practice.
Dr. Skelton is also an active member of the wider professional community. She is a member of the Institute of Directors New Zealand, Chapter Zero New Zealand, the Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM), and the University Industry Innovation Network (UIIN) in Europe, and Women in Tech, reflecting her commitment to professional leadership and cross-sector collaboration. Through these affiliations, and in her dual roles as an engineer-turned-academic, Dr. Lorraine Skelton continues to foster innovation, governance excellence, and collaborative growth across both industry and educational sectors.
© Otago Polytechnic Auckland International Campus 2018
