Tim Besley
AC
Secretary of the Department of Business & Consumer Affairs
In office
8 November 1976 – 14 March 1982
Preceded byAlan Carmody
Succeeded byTom Hayes
Chancellor of Macquarie University
In office
1994–2001
Preceded byMichael Kirby
Succeeded byMaurice Newman
Personal details
Born
Morrish Alexander Besley

(1927-03-14) 14 March 1927[1]
New Plymouth, New Zealand
NationalityAustralia Australian
Alma materUniversity of Auckland
Macquarie University
OccupationPublic servant, businessman, engineer

Morrish Alexander "Tim" Besley AC (born 14 March 1927) is an Australian engineer, businessman and former senior public servant. He was Chairman of the Commonwealth Bank between 1988 and 1999, and oversaw the company's privatisation.

Life and career

In 1950, Besley migrated to Australia from New Zealand[1] for work as a Civil Engineer on the Snowy Mountains Scheme.[2]

Besley joined the Commonwealth Public Service in 1967, soon moving into the Department of External Territories.[2] Between 1973 and 1976 he was employed in the Treasury Department,[2] before being appointed to head the Department of Business & Consumer Affairs in 1976.[3] During his Secretary appointment he commenced a law degree at Macquarie University.[2]

Between 1988 and 1999, Besley was Chairman of the Commonwealth Bank board, overseeing the privatisation of the bank.[4] From 1990 to 2001 he was Chairman of Leighton Holdings.[5] Besley served as the Chancellor of Macquarie University between 1994 and 2001.[6]

In 2000, Besley was appointed the Chairman of an Independent Inquiry into Telecommunications Services.[7] The inquiry found services generally satisfactory, but identified that progress needed to be made in rural and remote areas before privatisation of Telstra could be considered.[8][9]

Awards

Besley was awarded a Centenary Medal in 2001 for service to Australian society in civil engineering and corporate governance.[10] He was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in January 2002 for service to the community through the promotion of economic and social development, the advancement of science, innovation and education, and for distinction at the forefront of government and corporate responsibilities.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING, ATSE 1975-2005 THE FIRST 30 YEARS. Retrieved 18 April 2015
  2. 1 2 3 4 Engineers Australia, Ambassadors, archived from the original on 22 July 2012
  3. ↑ CA 1951: Department of Business and Consumer Affairs, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 18 February 2015
  4. ↑ Commonwealth Bank, Past leaders, Commonwealth Bank, archived from the original on 5 March 2013
  5. ↑ Corporate History Table, Leighton Holdings, archived from the original on 18 February 2015
  6. ↑ "Fifth chancellor for Macquarie" (PDF). Sirius magazine. Macquarie University. June 2002. p. 3. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  7. ↑ "Communications inquiry head taciturn". Australian Broadcasting Commission. 20 March 2000. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015.
  8. ↑ Grattan, Michelle (27 May 2002). "Telstra sell-off divides Nats over level of rural services". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 20 September 2011.
  9. ↑ "Besley report outlines inadequacy of rural telecommunications". 12 October 2000. Archived from the original on 15 January 2005.
  10. ↑ "Search Australian Honours: BESLEY, Morrish Alexander, Centenary Medal", itsanhonour.gov.au, Australian Government, archived from the original on 18 February 2015
  11. ↑ "Search Australian Honours: BESLEY, Morrish Alexander, Companion of the Order of Australia", itsanhonour.gov.au, Australian Government, archived from the original on 29 January 2019
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