We are pleased to announce the appointment of George Markakis as Group Chief Operating Officer of Whitecliffe Group, supporting the next phase of growth and global expansion.
The newly established role has been created to strengthen alignment across people, operations and technology. George’s role ensures consistency, quality, and clarity as Whitecliffe continues to expand its academic portfolio and international footprint.
George brings more than two decades of senior operational experience across complex, higher education organisations. His background includes campus expansion, regulatory environments, organisational change and long-term sustainable growth. Known for his collaborative and considered approach, George has played a pivotal role in scaling institutions, strengthening governance frameworks, and supporting teams through periods of transformation.
In his role at Whitecliffe, George will focus on enhancing day-to-day operations, improving organisational processes, and supporting teams with the systems and structures needed to operate effectively at scale. Over time, he will also support the coordination and development of Whitecliffe’s global operations.
Whitecliffe has established a strong presence in New Zealand and continues to grow internationally, with expanding operations across Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and China, and plans for future expansion into Canada. This appointment reflects Whitecliffe’s commitment to building the operational capability required to support a connected, globally focused education network.
George will work closely with executive and academic teams across the Whitecliffe Group to strengthen operational alignment across people, systems and processes. His focus will be on improving organisational clarity and supporting effective execution to enable quality, consistency and sustainable growth across a global, multi-site environment.
