Ross Mortimer

At just 19, Ross Mortimer turned his passion for theatre into launching his own experiential marketing and events business. 

“My company was fairly successful, and that’s how I discovered my passion for business, negotiating contracts and project management,” he says. “But money has never motivated me, so it wasn’t as fulfilling as what I’m doing now.”

Today, Ross, is the CEO of Rotorua Community Hospice, where he leads a team delivering specialised care to support people with a life-ending illness, and he's also an elected member of the Taupō Business Chamber.

Alongside this, in his free time Ross is completing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at the University of Waikato's Tauranga campus, supported by a Waikato Management School Emerging Leaders scholarship.

He enrolled in the Waikato MBA after a friend’s glowing recommendation, who described it as "fantastic", with the goal of expanding his business knowledge and taking his leadership abilities to the next level.

“The course is quite fast-paced, with new concepts and theories to learn each week, but I’m really enjoying it,” says Ross. “I’m quite an analytical and detail focused person, so the MBA has given me a strong framework to build from.”

One of the most powerful benefits of the qualification is the group learning approach.

“I’ve loved the group assignments because they bring together a diverse group of professionals from a variety of industries and backgrounds. You get to share ideas and tackle problems from many different angles, which leads to stronger outcomes and really challenges your thinking.”

For his MBA High-Impact Project, Ross explored how primary healthcare organisations can harness rapid advances in digital and AI technology to improve patients' outcomes.

“I want to ensure my project delivers real, practical results that can be used by organisations to inform their decision-making.”

While he describes the Waikato MBA as “definitely a commitment”, Ross says the programme’s flexible structure makes it manageable to study alongside a busy career. “It fits around your life, so it's absolutely worth it.”