Professor Jan Thomas has served as Vice-Chancellor of Massey University in New Zealand from 2017. Prior to this Professor Thomas served as Vice-Chancellor and President at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia. She has held various senior executive positions at Murdoch University and the University of Notre Dame Australia from 2003.

Professor Thomas has a PhD in Veterinary Science from Murdoch University and taught, researched, and published in Veterinary Pathology. She was an auditor for the AUQA and continues as an international auditor for the Oman Accreditation and Assurance Agency. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute for Company Directors and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management. Professor Thomas is previous Chair, of the Council of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, a UK Charity based in London. Professor Thomas has been on the Board of numerous organisations in Australia, notably chairing the Library Board of Queensland, and as a board member and trustee of Mercy Care Ltd in Australia. She is currently a member of the Hong Kong University Grants Committee, chairs the Quality Assurance Council for UGC and Chair of Universities New Zealand.