Wittenborg President Wins Forttuna Global Excellence Awards 

18.12.2024

Peter Birdsall is ‘Business Leader of the Year in Education’ in the Netherlands

Wittenborg is proud to announce that its president, Peter Birdsall, has been named 'Business Leader of the Year in Education' in the Netherlands by the Forttuna Global Excellence Awards. The winners of the awards were announced on 6 December during a ceremony held in Dubai. Informed of his nomination in March, Birdsall was selected by an international jury of seasoned industry professionals renowned in their fields.

During the ceremony, the president of Wittenborg dedicated the award to his colleagues, faculty staff and students. “I don’t see this award so much as a recognition specifically of what I have achieved, but of what everybody who’s been working in and around Wittenborg has achieved to get the school to where it is today,” he comments.

According to Birdsall, his leadership style has developed over the past 30 years to become more inclusive. “I have learned the importance of listening rather than always directing, which was my original style. However, when things really need to get done, I will get my hands dirty. What I mean by this is that if hard work needs to be done together with colleagues and members of teams then I will roll my sleeves up and get involved. On the other hand, I’ve learned that teams which can operate with a certain degree of independence work best.”

In Birdsall’s view, what makes Wittenborg stand out is the school’s total internationalisation approach to everything it does. He adds that the diversity and inclusion within the institution are truly remarkable.

The president of Wittenborg concludes by sharing his advice to all professionals who would like to make a real difference in the field of international education. “You have to remain open for all the changes – societal, political and technological – that are coming our way and will influence and affect the quality and the capacity of international education in both the short term and long term. Adaptability and dynamism are essential to be successful in this field,” he underlines. 