In October this year, Commerce/Laws student Christian Whitfield was elected the Bond University Student Association (BUSA) President for 2017.
Christian grew up in Avoca Beach and came to Bond from the Central Coast Grammar School in New South Wales. He is studying a dual Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of Laws degree, majoring in Finance and Corporate Law and is a Macquarie Bank Corporate Scholarship student.
Christian said being elected President of BUSA was not only the greatest honour, but had also been a lot of fun.
“As President, I would like to build a lasting framework that better facilitates the SAM funding requirements and application, continue the work that is done in highlighting and improving the student experience of minority groups and undertake a narrow academic audit,” he said.
“I am always impressed at how much access BUSA has to Senior Management and how much they genuinely want to know and accommodate the student voice.
“The team I have around me is not only capable, but will deliver on being a BUSA that leaves a legacy.
“I would encourage anyone, student or staff alike, to come in and contribute their ideas as our role is to help facilitate whatever is in the students’ interest.”
Bond University Pro Vice-Chancellor of Student and Support Services, Alan Finch, congratulated Christian on his appointment on behalf of the University’s Senior Executive team.
“We have had quite a lot of involvement with Christian as part of BUSA and find him to be approachable and pragmatic, with a focus on student interests which augers well for the term of the BUSA Executive under his leadership,” Mr Finch said.
“We look forward to working with Christian and his team in 2017.”
In addition to his role of BUSA President, Christian is also Treasurer of both the Law Students’ Association and the Business Students’ Association, as well as a member of Bond’s First XI soccer team.
Christian said he originally chose to come to Bond on the recommendation of an old family friend.
“He had moved up to the Gold Coast from my high school on the central coast and had nothing but unbelievable praise for Bond,” he said.
“No-one else I knew spoke with the same level of passion for their university, and I soon found out that was true of everyone else I met from Bond.
“The University has an unbelievable ability to attract professionals from both domestic and international business hubs to the campus - we punch well above our weight in the networking stakes.”
Christian has enjoyed a number of career-defining internships while at Bond, including working at Gold Coast financial services firm IQ Capital, a Singapore Hedge Fund and Macquarie Private Wealth.
Christian’s future ambition it to be an investment banker for a leading global investment bank in one of the world’s major financial hubs.
When he’s not studying, Christian can be found building cubby houses - his part-time job - or exploring the Gold Coast, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.
“Bond is a great central spot and a few of my favourite things to do off campus are visiting the Miami Street Food Marketta, climbing Mt Warning, taking a day trip to Byron Bay, swimming at the Currumbin Rockpools and playing golf,” he said.