Gerard Bruijl
Dr Gerard Bruijl brings more than 25 years of national and international business experience to NMIT’s Master of Applied Management programme.
From founding his own companies and managing others, to working for government departments and aid organisations in developing countries and conflict zones, Dr Bruijl has had a vast and varied career.
In his resume are global organisations such as the United Nations Human Settlement Programme where he was brought in as a small- and medium-sized enterprise expert in Mongolia, business development and strategic alignment advisor for the Bougainville Autonomous Government, and World Vision where he was a Marketing Advisor in Papua New Guinea.
He’s also worked in business development and mentoring roles with organisations and social enterprises in Afghanistan.
He has a Doctorate in Applied Management (distinction) from Monarch Business School in Switzerland, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wales, and a Bachelor of Commerce from NMIT.
Dr Bruijl says he first learned about management in his early twenties when ‘rising through the ranks’ as a military police officer in the Dutch army.
Before moving to New Zealand in 1989, he worked as project manager responsible for large commercial interior projects in the Netherlands and Germany.
Following a fifteen-year period of starting and managing a number of SMEs, he started a management and strategy consultancy business to offer his expertise to other companies, which is still in operation today.
Dr Bruijl started at NMIT as a lecturer on the Master of Applied Management programme in 2017.
He says the role is an opportunity to pass on his experiences to others who are interested in starting their own business venture or pursuing managerial and leadership roles.
“I am convinced that one of the best ways to do this is to be part of an education system that promotes learning in a practical manner which can then be applied directly in a real-life business situation.”
He says his teaching style is part academic, facilitator, demonstrator and delegator and he encourages open discussions in class, sometimes about contentious topics such as AI, ethics, leadership, strategy and corruption.
With the ability to speak three languages and some proficiency in Dari and Tok-Pisin, Dr Bruijl says he says he enjoys working with international as well as national students and discussing business and management issues from different cultural perspectives.
“I use storytelling based on my own experiences as an entrepreneur and consultant or working in and with corporations, NGO's, and various cultural environments.”
