Russell Gammie, the Australasia chair of the Association of University Chief Security Officers (AUCSO), the group for security managers working in Higher and Further Education, is to retire after 25 years’ service.
Russell also retires from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia where he’s Director of Global Security & Crisis Response. Known as the ‘grandfather’ of the University Security network in Australia, Russell set up a small confederation of interested parties in 1999. By 2010, this had grown into the TERSEC Group (Tertiary Security) comprising of members from institutions in Victoria, as well as a growing number of interstate members.
Mal Abley, Manager of Security Operations and Systems at Deakin University, Australia and Australasia Region Chair for AUCSO said: “Russell knew that in order to further professionalise our industry, we needed to be able to tap into the knowledge base of our international colleagues. This insight led to Russell beginning his search for an established group we could partner with that would offer us a new perspective and provide the encouragement to grow in our profession. That organisation was AUCSO.”
Russell joined AUCSO in 2018 as chair of the newly formed Australasian Region which was made up of 28 Australian and New Zealand members. AUCSO, while founded and based in the UK, already had members from Ireland, the Continent and the rest of the world. By 2021 over 40 Australian, New Zealand and Singapore Universities had joined AUCSO making it one of the largest memberships groups within the association.
Russell is pictured right last year with the past chair of AUCSO, Les Allan, Director of SafeGuarding Services at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. Russell said: “All good things come to an end and as much as I’ve really enjoyed this journey, it’s time for me to embark on another, a more relaxing one.
“I can’t go without saying a very sincere thank you to everyone that has been part of the experience over the 20 plus years. It has been an absolute privilege and pleasure for me to work in such an important sector for so long, and alongside such an experienced and dedicated group of people.
“The wonderful support and camaraderie I’ve been lucky to experience, as well as the real progress we’ve made together, has made my time enjoyable and rewarding. I’ll now continue to watch with interest from the sidelines. Keep on doing it, back each other and share the load!”
Mal added: “On behalf of AUCSO I would like to say a huge thank you to Russell for all of his guidance, advice, and leadership over the last 25 years. We will miss you, but we wish you a fabulous retirement and a very happy life in your new home in Thailand.”
Julie Barker, COO of AUCSO, added: “I had the pleasure of meeting Russ last year – he is a great guy and has been a superbly active and supportive Regional Chair for us. We will miss him lots, but we wish him and his wife a fantastic retirement.”
About AUCSO
The association has its 40th anniversary annual Easter conference next month at the University of Liverpool. Visit https://www.aucso.org/.
