Kristina Nicholls

Kris commenced her professional teaching career as an art teacher with the Victorian Education Department. She moved on to pursue a career in the hospitality and tourism industry. Within this capacity, Kris managed and operated a multiple-award winning up-market hotel in Melbourne and personally won several national industry awards for marketing and hospitality operations. She served on the Council of the Australian Hotels Association for four years .

Next, Kris took on the role as Manager of the Hospitality, Tourism and Cookery departments with the Gordon Institute TAFE in Geelong, Victoria. Whilst in that role, she renewed the reputation of the Institute, established close ties with industry and ensured the educational guidance of her students.

Lured to higher education, Kris worked with RMIT as a Lecturer in Marketing for ten years. Kris joined Kaplan Business School in 2009 as the National Lecturer in Charge of Marketing, Management and HR and took on the role of National Academic Director in 2011. In 2012/13, her role expanded to encompass the academic guardianship of the Carrick Education Group. Kris has held several key strategic roles with Kaplan including Kaplan Australia Director, Quality & Compliance and GM, Learning and Development for the Kaplan owned, Franklyn Scholar group of RTOs.

Kris' role prior was Head, School of Business with Melbourne Institute of Technology. She holds a Doctor of Business Administration degree from Victoria University.

She also holds:
Master of Business Marketing - RMIT [2000]
Graduate Certificate in Learning & Teaching - Torrens University [2020]
Graduate Australian Institute of Company Directors - AICD [2021]