Associate ProfessorAlfred Presbitero

Alfred Presbitero is an Associate Professor and Associate Head of School (Teaching & Learning; Postgraduate Programs) at Deakin Business School (DBS). He has demonstrated sustained distinction and academic leadership in education and research, with a record of significant and enduring impact at university, national, and international levels. Through his leadership of postgraduate education, excellence and innovation in teaching and learning, and internationally recognised research contributions, he has enhanced student success, transformed academic programs, advanced scholarship in his field, and strengthened the reputation and influence of Deakin University within the global higher education and research community.

EDUCATION LEADERSHIP AND TEACHING IMPACT

As the inaugural Associate Head of School (Teaching & Learning; Postgraduate Programs) under DBS’s new organisational structure, he has provided strategic leadership for ten (10) pre-experience postgraduate programs within the school. These include MBA(International), Master of Business, Master of Business (Marketing), Master of Business (Sport), Master of Business Analytics, Master of Information System, Master of Professional Accounting, Master of Finance, GradDip/Cert in Property and Real Estate and GradDip/Cert in Financial Planning. 

Working collaboratively with Course Directors, academic and professional staff, Alfred has led the transformation and consolidation of the school’s pre-experience postgraduate portfolio into a coherent, strategically aligned, and future-focused suite of programs. He has championed the initiative to develop Course Learning Outcomes starting with MBA(International) and then across the pre-experience postgraduate portfolio. He has also led initiatives in relation to the redesign of assessment strategies (in response to the opportunities and challenges posed by generative artificial intelligence), and embedded principles of employability and lifelong learning through engagement with industry and co-chairing of the DBS Advisory Board. 

Beyond course and curriculum leadership, Alfred has made substantial contributions to strengthening teaching and learning governance and quality assurance processes across the School through his engagement in relevant committees such as the Curriculum Committee, Teaching and Learning Committee and Quality Standards Performance Committee. In collaboration with the other Associate Heads of School (Teaching & Learning), he has also designed and institutionalised initiatives to develop and strengthen teaching and learning within the school. These include the DBS Teaching and Learning Workshop Series, Course Directors’ Day, Grades Fest, Curriculum Development Planning, and a range of other teaching and learning processes that support curriculum excellence and teaching quality. 

Alfred’s influence extends beyond campuses in Australia through his active engagement with Deakin South Asia and Deakin-Lancaster Indonesia. Through the delivery of masterclasses, student engagement initiatives, and program promotion activities (e.g., iWeek in India and Deakin Southeast Asia Roadshow), he has contributed to enhancing the student experience and strengthening the international profile and reach of Deakin’s postgraduate programs. He has also established and cultivated strategic partnerships with overseas business schools and external collaborators to advance educational innovation and global engagement. Notably, he has been an early champion of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), pioneering opportunities for students to participate in authentic intercultural learning experiences that develop cultural intelligence and global collaboration capabilities and teamwork. 

As a member of the DBS Leadership Team, Alfred has made significant contributions to the development and implementation of the School’s new strategic agenda. In particular, he has played a key role in advancing the vision articulated in the “Bridging Australia’s Future in Asia” strategy through initiatives that promote immersive regional engagement, innovative approaches to course portfolio design and delivery, and the development of globally minded and culturally competent staff and educators. 

Prior to his appointment as Associate Head of School, Alfred served as Course Director of the MBA (International) from 2022 to 2024. In this role, he successfully repositioned and strengthened the program by reinforcing its international business orientation, embedding cultural intelligence and global perspectives throughout the curriculum, and enhancing employability-focused learning experiences. His leadership contributed to a more distinctive and globally relevant program that delivered value for both domestic and international students and strengthened the market positioning of the MBA (International) portfolio.

SCHOLARSHIP AND RESEARCH IMPACT

In addition to his distinguished contributions to teaching and learning, Alfred has established an internationally recognised research profile characterised by sustained scholarly excellence, intellectual leadership, and significant impact on both theory and practice. He is widely regarded as a leading authority in cross-cultural and international management, with particular expertise in the field of Cultural Intelligence (CQ). He is recognised in the recent handbook on CQ to have the highest number of publications on CQ with the highest h-index, g-index and m-index. His scholarly leadership is also evidenced by his role as editor of the 2026 Handbook of Cross-Cultural Management and the forthcoming scholarly book titled Contextualising Cultural Intelligence. 

Alfred has also maintained a sustained record of high-quality research outputs in top-tier business and management journals. Over the last five years, he has published 22 peer-reviewed journal articles and eight book chapters, building upon his earlier collection of 29 peer-reviewed articles in A* and A ranked journals. The quality, influence, and consistency of his research are reflected in his inclusion in the Stanford University/Elsevier Top 2% Scientists Rankings for five consecutive years (2020–present), a distinction that places him among the most influential researchers globally. 

He has been invited to deliver keynote presentations, research seminars, and expert talks at leading institutions in Australia, including the Australian National University, the University of Western Australia, La Trobe University, Federation University, as well as at universities, conferences, and professional forums across France, the United States, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

His research has also attracted substantial competitive and industry-linked funding. Between 2022 and 2026, Alfred secured research funding totalling AUD $538,000. Partnering with internal and external stakeholders, he has led and contributed to research initiatives that generate both scholarly and practical impact, strengthening engagement between academia, industry, government, and community partners. He is also taking the lead for Deakin SME Centre's Internationalisation agenda paving the way for more research grant funding and partnership with small and medium-sized enterprises in Australia and overseas. 

A key dimension of Alfred’s research leadership is his commitment to developing the next generation of scholars. At Deakin, he has successfully supervised and mentored higher degree research students (PhD) undertaking impactful research across a diverse range of areas, including sustainable tourism, sustainable supply chains, gender and technopreneurship, mental health and wellbeing among small and medium-sized enterprise owners, and the internationalisation of social enterprises. Outside Deakin University, Alfred’s scholarly expertise and standing are reflected in invitations to serve as an external examiner for higher degree research theses at leading Australian universities, including the Australian National University, Macquarie University, and Central Queensland University, among others. He has also led and served in PhD colloquia organised by leading academic organisations including the Academy of Management and Academy of International Business. He also co-chaired the 2023 Annual Conference of the Australia New Zealand International Business Association held at Deakin Downtown bringing in the community of international business scholars in the region.    

Alfred’s standing within the international academic community is further demonstrated through his significant editorial leadership. He currently serves as Associate Editor for two top-ranked journals in business and management: Applied Psychology: An International Review (Wiley) and Personnel Review (Emerald). In addition, he serves on the Editorial Boards of Human Resource Management Journal, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, and Journal of International Management, all of which are highly ranked journals within the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) framework (A* and A ranked).

Beyond his research and editorial contributions, Alfred has demonstrated significant service and leadership within the broader academic and professional community. He currently serves on the Board of the Academy of International Business (AIB Asia Pacific Chapter) and on the International Management Division Committee of the Academy of Management (AOM). He also served on the Board of the Australia–Philippines Business Council from 2021 to 2024, further extending the impact of his expertise beyond academia and strengthening connections with industry and government agencies nationally and internationally.

He also actively contributes to the translation of research into public discourse and professional practice. His work has attracted attention from major media outlets, including the Sydney Morning Herald and Domain, where he has been invited to provide expert commentary on issues relating to workplace racism, cross-cultural management and global mobility.