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 Anthony Matis CPA -
CEO OF STUDENTS
AT MACQUARIE (SAM)
www.sam.org.au
Q: Can you tell us about your job?
I am responsible for the overall running
and success of SAM, which exists to
provide the essential services and facilities
on campus here at Macquarie University.
SAM manages over 70 clubs and societies,
operates three childcare centres,
numerous food and beverage outlets, retail
tenancies, bars, entertainment, loyalty
programs, conferencing and catering
businesses. No two days are the same
here! We employ between 200 and 300
staff to ensure we look after the interests
of over 32,500 students, and turn over
between $15m to $16m per annum. I also
spend a large proportion of my working
week looking at ways that corporate
organisations can bring greater benefits
to SAM and the university at large.
Q: What are some of the challenges?
With the abolition of compulsory student
activity fees on 1 July 2006 (voluntary
student unionism), the industry had to
wake up from its “picnic park” mentality,
where the fees rolled in year in, year out,
with little accountability. The anticipated
shortfall in funding meant SAM needed to
operate according to commercial realities.
My role was to commercialise our
operations, but not at the expense of the
consumer or the student. SAM now derives
funds from commercial arms, including our
catering businesses and our venues and
conferencing business.
Q: Did you come to the job with any goals
in mind?
I wanted to use my skills to ensure SAM
would be a self-sustainable operation, with
a service offering that was good enough to
ensure membership take-up would support
it was measured, looking at service-level
agreements between departments,
implementing KPIs across all teams
and establishing wellbeing and training
programs to look after and motivate staff.
I believe there’s a strong correlation
between the take-up of membership of
SAM and the experience and dialogue
students have with the front-line staff, so
my investment in my staff is paramount.
Q: Has your diverse background
(Matis has worked in audit, fashion
and PR) helped in the current role?
My background lends itself to the commer-
cialisation of processes, practices and
procedures. You can’t really change a P&L
or a balance sheet once it’s produced. But
there’s an opportunity to change the things
that make up the bottom line in an SME –
it’s an environment where you wear many
hats, where things move quickly and having
your finger on the pulse is imperative.
Q: Is working for a not-for-profit organisation what you thought it would be?
When I left the private sector I thought my
life would become a little less stressful.
It’s quite the opposite. I’m probably more
aggressive in my dealings than when I was
in a high-pressure M&A-type role previously.
Profit or not, all organisations need to be run
effectively to achieve success.
Q: What’s the best part of your job?
As long as I have the ability to make a
difference each day – I know it sounds
very clichéd – but that’s what makes me
tick. Seeing positive change, watching
organisations and my people grow – that’s
what makes me come to work every day.
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