Staff profile

Mr Kent Farrell

Executive Director - Mildura Campus

Faculty of Business, Economics and Law

La Trobe Business School

Mildura

 

Qualifications

BA; BA(Hons); MEd

Area of study

Marketing

Brief Profile

From tanks to tutorials, a biography about La Trobe Mildura Campus Executive Director, Kent Farrell. 

La Trobe University Mildura’s Campus Executive Director Kent Farrell started his career wearing camouflage as an army apprentice. His progression from the military, to life of an academic and campus director might be slightly unconventional, but it is a testament to what can be achieved through self belief, motivation and leadership.
 
Kent was born in Brisbane and educated at Marist Brothers College Ashgrove. A popular student, he finished school in 1969 and headed straight to the army, where he served at The Army Apprentice School Balcombe, Victoria.
 
Kent graduated in 1973 as an Army Vehicle Mechanic but shortly after took a new post for several years at the Military Police Training College and the Military Police Unit in Sydney as a military policeman. He was later appointed officer cadet to the Officer Cadet School – Portsea.
 
He left the military in 1977 and joined the New South Wales Police Department and worked in regional NSW locations in both uniformed and plainclothes police duties. 
In 1981, Kent married his partner Wendy, left the Police Department and moved back to Queensland, where the couple owned a small property. 
 
 Embarking on a new direction, he took up a position at a national media company and was quickly promoted through the ranks to sales and marketing manager. Eager to further develop his skills in this new field, Kent completed his degree in Journalism and Public Relations after hours. Interestingly, while presenting a guest lecture at a local university, Kent was approached to join that university as both a student and lecturer, at the Central Queensland University.
 
Kent completed his first class honours degree in Yield Management Implementation and began teaching in marketing and economics. He is recognised for being instrumental in the development of an innovative high school-to-university transition program at Central Queensland University. Kent was then appointed as a lecturer at Monash University.
 
Kent quickly established himself within the University and was promoted to deputy head of the Faculty of Business and Economics at Gippsland Campus of Monash University.  
 
The Faculty of Business and Economics has several overseas campuses, including Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Following the presentation of a paper on transition Kent and Wendy were both recruited to the United Arab Emirates in 2001 where they worked with the Higher Colleges of Technology.
 
While overseas, Kent was awarded a Masters Degree in Education (Leadership & Management) and he continued to teach undergraduate and postgraduate studies in, Oman, The United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom, primarily in the areas of marketing, economics and human resource management.
 
 Kent was recruited to the prestigious University of Southampton from the Middle East and during his time with Southampton University (United Kingdom) Kent was a Director with the Institute of Entrepreneurship. He was responsible for professional and short course development and delivery across four UK universities, the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Southampton and Surrey.
 
Returning to Dubai, Kent was appointed the Deputy Director and Head of Academic Programmes at the United Kingdom’s International University – Middlesex University (Dubai) in 2006. With grandchildren and an ailing mother Kent decided it was time to return to Australia and in 2007, and took the post of Executive Director of the Mildura campus of La Trobe University. He is currently undertaking doctoral studies into transition to university.
Kent has 3 children and 3 grandchildren. His hobbies include, reading, computing, cycling and snow skiing.

Teaching Units

Marketing

  • Business Research Methods
  • Research in Marketing & Strategic Management
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Integrated Marketing Communications
  • Sales Management
  • Advanced Marketing Strategy

Economics

  • Microeconomics
  • Macroeconomics (Economic Environment)
  • Monetary Theory

Human Resource Management

  • Organisational Theory
  • Organisational Behaviour
  • Human Resource Management in Entrepreneurial Environments

Recent Publications

Chávez, Jiménez, Farrell, 2006, Yield/Revenue Management: Concepto, Aplicación y Medición en el Sector Hotelero. Nuevos Retos, Nuevas Respuestas en Dirección de Empresas. Sevilla. Secretariado de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Sevilla. ISBN: 84-472-093-7.

Farrell, K., 2002, Yield Management: Strategies for the services industries, Ingold et al., 2002, Book Review, Journal of International Hospitality Management.
 
Farrell, K.S. & Farrell, W.J., 2000, The Tertiary Awareness Programme – Transition from Secondary School to University, an Australian Experience in Student Transition. TEND2000, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
 
Farrell, K.S & Whelan-Ryan, F., 1998, Yield Management – A Model for Implementation, Progress in Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol 4. No. 163. Pp. 1-11, John Wiley & Sons.
 
Farrell, K.S. & Whelan, F., 1997, Yield Management – A Model For Implementation, 2nd Annual International Yield Management Conference, Operations Research Society Conference, Claverdon Down, Bath, United Kingdom.