In Episode 82, “Taking Calculated Risks,” Blenheim Partners’ Gregory Robinson speaks to former public servant, businessman and engineer, Tim Besley AC. Previously, he has been Chairman of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Leighton Holdings and the CIG Group, Chancellor of Macquarie University and Managing Director of Monier Ltd.
We are treated to some fascinating stories from Tim’s distinguished career that spanned both public and private sectors, which saw him walk the corridors of power and his eventual appointment as Chairman of the Commonwealth Bank where he played a key role in its privatisation in the 1990s. He shares his views on the financial services industry today, Australia’s place on the global stage, and the opportunities. We also hear of Tim’s beginnings as an engineer, landing in Sydney at the then Rose Bay International Airport going on to work for the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority, or the Snowy Scheme, which has been hailed as one of the civil engineering wonders of the modern world.
Tim’s career in the public service included senior roles in the Commonwealth Department of Business and Consumer Affairs, the Department of Treasury, the Department of External Territories, the Foreign Investment Review Board, and Customs. He has also previously served as Chairman of the Australian Research Council, the Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies, the Telecommunications Service Enquiry, the University of Newcastle’s Science and Engineering Challenge Council, the Wheat Export Authority, and the New South Wales Transport Advisory Board.

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