Sam Alavi

Sam is an entrepreneur with 30 years of experience in New Zealand tertiary education. He founded FutureSkills in Manukau in 2000 to give young people in South Auckland better access to education and employment, beginning with second-chance learners in foundation education. 

He has since grown FutureSkills into an NZQA Category 1 provider of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. In 2012, he partnered with Otago Polytechnic to establish Auckland International Campus, giving international learners the opportunity to earn a New Zealand qualification through real-world, applied learning. 

Sam is Group CEO and a Director of FutureSkills, and a Director of Auckland International Campus. He serves on the board of Quality Tertiary Institutions, contributing to sector policy and advocating for learner success. He also holds a governance role in building surveying training for council building control authorities, working with the Building Officials Institute of New Zealand and the Skills Organisation. 

Sam holds a Bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration.