Meet Peter Kurtz

Innovation meets opportunity: How Peter is building a positive future through bold IT solutions

A refreshing career opportunity 

When Peter Kurtz joined Southern Cross University (SCU) in 2021, he had already spent 30-plus years honing his expertise in network communications and IT infrastructure - including more than two decades at metro universities.  

 Yet, Peter was eager to experience the heart and care of a regional university. He was also inspired by the opportunity at SCU to think differently, be bold, and work on interesting, complex challenges across a diverse mix of campuses.  

 Little did he know his appetite for all the above would soon be tested by one of the most profound challenges SCU has faced to date: the 2022 Lismore floods.  

 “Many people were devastated and continue to be affected by the floods,” Peter reflects. “But I think it was a great example of the wonderful place we get to work in and the impact we have in the community.”  

 As Manager of Infrastructure Provisioning, Peter and his team were responsible for managing the university’s data network communication platforms across our Lismore, Gold Coast and Coffs Harbour campuses.  

 “The Lismore campus became a triaging point for displaced people, so we helped set up connectivity for the emergency responders on campus. The university itself had a lot of problems - one of our internet links was completely covered in water. We nearly lost our secondary link as well, which meant we were close to losing access to all the university’s websites and systems, so it was a stressful time. But our team was wonderful and rallied together, and I got to know people across the university. The community spirit was really strong.” 

 Out of this adversity, Peter helped forge a new vision for our IT infrastructure - one that is set to strengthen our campuses and better serve our staff, students and communities. 

 “We put forward a proposal to migrate our data centre service to a private cloud so that if we have a flood in the future, we’ll have the infrastructure to keep the majority of services up and running. So, out of the floods, we will have a more resilient campus and a more resilient community. I’m pretty excited it got approved, and now, we’re in the process of making it happen.” 

Exposure, opportunity and ownership 

 Peter’s extensive career continues to evolve at SCU. In 2024, he progressed to Director of Infrastructure Provisioning, leading his team to optimise our IT infrastructure across our three campuses.  

 “My team is brilliant - it’s the A team,” Peter says. “The diversity of the technology we work with is vast, and we resolve really complicated problems. One of our cornerstone achievements was to provide more reliable, secure and cost-effective services for the university. Things like updating firewall systems and putting multiple-factor authentication on our VPN (virtual private network) service. We’re also working on a network transformation project. It’s an interesting and exciting time.” 

 One of Peter's most innovative projects involved converting SCU’s telephone network to Microsoft Teams - a major upgrade that made remote work possible. 

 “I’m very proud of that project. I’d been trying to get a similar project off the ground for a long time at one of the metro universities I’d worked at. So, the fact I was able to achieve that at Southern Cross so quickly was a big one. I think some of the large universities are very structured - there’s a lot more people and a lot of background and history that constrains thinking. We’re a lot more flexible and agile. Leadership is open to ideas, and I think that serves SCU really well.” 

 Empowered to drive change, Peter continues to explore other ways to enhance our IT infrastructure - meaning there will be many more interesting projects and opportunities for his team in the future. 

 “We’re looking towards automation, AI and wonderful things like that. So, I say to anyone who wants a career in IT, ‘Come and work at SCU. I guarantee you will learn so much within just two to three years that you’ll be able to work anywhere in the world or have a wonderful career right here.’” 

 Shaping the future one student at a time 

 Peter is based at our Gold Coast campus but regularly travels to our Coffs Harbour and Lismore campuses, adding even more variety to his role. With the flexibility to work from home two days a week, he also enjoys more time for surfing the waves and hiking in the Gold Coast hinterland. 

 “SCU has really embraced flexible work, which is wonderful for work-life balance. The interesting mix of campuses is also quite unique to SCU. Having a campus right on the beach at the Gold Coast is super cool. Coffs Harbour is a lovely campus, and Lismore is becoming a very community-oriented learning experience for students with the presence of Trinity Catholic College, the Living School and TAFE.” 

 Ultimately, the student experience is at the heart of everything Peter does, and he looks forward to supporting more students on their learning and life journeys. 

 “I’m really passionate about making a difference for students and enhancing their employability. At the end of the day, most people come to university to get a job, and Technology Services definitely has a part to play in that. Being able to shape the destinies of students is wonderful, and I hope to continue to help the students at SCU to achieve their goals.”