Jennifer Westacott AO is an Australian business executive. She served as the chief executive of the Business Council of Australia (BCA) from 2011 to 2023. [1] She is the current chancellor of Western Sydney University. [2]
She grew up in Springfield in New South Wales, Australia [3] and completed her secondary education at Henry Kendall High School. [4] She completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of New South Wales. She also holds a Graduate Management Certificate from the Monash Mt Eliza Business School and was a Chevening Scholar at the London School of Economics. [5]
Following a career in the NSW and Victorian public sectors, [6] she was a senior partner at KPMG in Sydney, Australia from 2005 to 2011, before assuming the role of chief executive of the Business Council of Australia. She is also a non-executive director of Wesfarmers. [3]
She received an honorary doctorate from the University of New South Wales in 2017. [1] [3] In 2018, Westacott was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her service to policy development and reform, cross sector collaboration, equity and business. [7]
Western Sydney University, formerly the University of Western Sydney, is an Australian multi-campus public research university in the Greater Western region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Lucinda Mary Turnbull is an Australian businesswoman, philanthropist, and former local government politician. She served on the Sydney City Council from 1999 to 2004, including as Lord Mayor of Sydney from 2003 to 2004 – the first woman to hold the position. She has since held positions on a number of urban planning bodies, including as chief commissioner of the Greater Sydney Commission from 2015 to 2020. Her husband Malcolm Turnbull was prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018.
Stephen Paul Martin is an Australian former politician, senior academic and rugby league referee. He is best known for having served as the 21st Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives from 1993 to 1996 during the second Keating government. Martin served as an Australian Labor Party (ALP) Member of Parliament for the seat of Macarthur, south west of Sydney, from 1984 to 1993; and, following redistribution, represented the coastal seat of Cunningham, which included his hometown of Wollongong, from 1993 until his resignation in 2002. Martin was the Chief Executive of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) from 2011 until his retirement in 2017.
Imelda Joan Roche is an Australian entrepreneur and property investor who established Nutrimetics International (Australia) Pty Limited in 1968 with her husband, Bill Roche. They then founded a property development company, the Roche Group.
Michael Alfred Chaney is an Australian businessman and former chancellor of the University of Western Australia.
Peter Roger Shergold is an Australian academic, company director, and former public servant. Shergold was the Chancellor of Western Sydney University from 2011 through 2022.
Patricia Forsythe is an Australian politician and diplomat who was the Australian High Commissioner to New Zealand from March 2019 to March 2022. As of 2024, she is Chancellor at the University of Newcastle. She was previously the Executive Director of the Sydney Business Chamber since September 2006. Prior to her appointment to the Chamber, she was a member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales representing the Liberal Party between 1991 and 2006.
David Ingle Thodey is an Australian businessman who is a former chief executive officer of Telstra and current chairman of accounting software company Xero. He will take over as the chancellor of the University of Sydney in July 2024.
Catherine Brighid Livingstone is an Australian businesswoman who has held positions in the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, CSIRO, Macquarie Bank, and Telstra.
Helen Marion Nugent is a leading Australian company director, businesswoman and former academic.
Annabelle Claire Bennett is the Chancellor of Bond University and a former Judge of the Federal Court of Australia.
Jillian Rosemary Broadbent is an Australian economist and businesswoman. She has served on the boards of many organisations, encompassing finance, the arts, and other sectors. Broadbent was chancellor of the University of Wollongong for 11 years up until late 2020.
Richard James Barr GoyderAO is an Australian businessman and sporting administrator who is the current chairman of the AFL Commission, the governing body of Australian Rules Football. He was previously CEO and managing director of Wesfarmers from 2005 to 2017. In October 2018, he became the new chairman of Qantas, replacing Leigh Clifford.
Alexander (Alec) John Cameron is an Australian engineer and university administrator, currently serving as Vice-Chancellor and President of RMIT University.
Fiona Elizabeth Balfour is an Australian business executive in the field of information technology. She has been named Chief Information Officer of the Year in Australia four times: 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006. In 2006 she was awarded the Pearcey Award for distinguished lifetime achievement and contribution to the development and growth of Australian IT professions, research and industry. In 2017 she was appointed to the board of the Western Sydney Airport Corporation by Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher. In May 2021 she was appointed to the board of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation by communications minister Paul Fletcher against the recommendations of an independent panel.
Diana Glen Horvath is an Australian medical doctor, researcher and administrator and the first female chair of the National Health and Medical Research Council.
Kerry Gai Chant is a public health physician who has been the chief health officer of New South Wales, Australia, since 2008. She gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic providing regular public health advice for New South Wales, a contribution for which she was named the state's Woman of the Year in March 2021.
Jillian Shirley Segal is an Australian lawyer and business executive and Australia's Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism. She is known for her contributions on the boards of government, commercial and non-profit organisations.