The Board of the Business Council has unanimously resolved to appoint Mr Grant King, former Origin Energy Managing Director and one of Australia’s most respected business leaders, as their next President.

Mr King will replace outgoing President, Ms Catherine Livingstone, effective from the Council’s Annual General Meeting on 17 November 2016.

“Grant King has served the Australian community with distinction during his business career and is exceptionally well qualified for the position of Business Council President,” Ms Livingstone said.

“Grant has a tremendous capacity to work with different stakeholders to cut through complex issues to practical solutions – a vital skill set for progressing Australia’s prosperity agenda at a time when people around the world expect more and better engagement from their leaders.

“He is respected across the business and political spectrum, and has a reputation for collaboration. Grant is well-placed to continue the work of the Business Council to build enduring prosperity and economic opportunity for all Australians through a strong and competitive business community.

“Grant’s leadership at Origin Energy in delivering the APLNG project, one of Australia’s largest ever capital projects, is an example of the wealth of experience he brings to the role. All of this gives him terrific insight into the competitive pressures facing the nation, and the opportunities for growth and prosperity.

“I look forward to formally handing over to Grant at the Business Council’s AGM.”

Mr King said: “I am honoured to take up the role and I look forward to representing members, the leaders of Australia’s biggest employers, in our effort to create more jobs, opportunity and prosperity for all Australians.

“I congratulate Catherine for her excellent stewardship of the Business Council over the past 2 ½ years. Her leadership and vision, not only for Australian business but for the Australian community as a whole, is highly regarded among my peers.

“My focus will be on continuing to drive a more innovative and competitive economy, improving incentives for businesses to invest, and making the economy more flexible so it can respond to global forces of change.

“I am a great supporter of the Business Council’s collective belief that a strong and growing economy is the best way to achieve social progress.

“I am particularly looking forward to working with Business Council Chief Executive Jennifer Westacott.

“Jennifer and I have already established a close and productive working relationship through my long association with the Business Council as a board director and chair of the Infrastructure and Sustainable Growth Committee.”

Mr King was Managing Director of Origin Energy from 2000 until his retirement in October 2016, during which time customer numbers grew from approximately 400,000 in 1999 to approximately 4 million.

From 2011 to 2015, he served as a director on the Business Council Board. 

As a long-time and active contributor to Australian public policy, he has participated in numerous taskforces, studies and committees including the B20 Advisory Group, the former Prime Minister’s Low Emissions Task Force Advisory Group and the Business Roundtable for Climate Change.

Mr King holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from the University of New South Wales and a Master of Management from the University of Wollongong.

He will not make any further comments until after the Annual General Meeting.