Simon Mckeon
Encyclopedia
Simon McKeon is an Australia
n businessman, philanthropist
and sportsman. On 25 January 2011 he was named Australian of the Year
for 2011 by Prime Minister Julia Gillard
.
, Simon McKeon practiced law in Sydney with Blake Dawson Waldron before taking up a post with the Macquarie Bank, where he became the Executive Chairman from 1994. McKeon was announced chairman of CSIRO in June 2010, replacing Dr John Stocker
, and is President of the statutory dispute resolution body for Australian public company takeovers, the Australian Takeovers Panel
. As well as this, he was the Chairman of software specialist MYOB.
for 15 years and volunteers as a counsellor for heroin addicts at the First Step Clinic in St Kilda
. Also, he is Chairman of the Association of Independent Schools Victoria, the Point Nepean Trust and MS Research Australia, and a director of the Global Poverty Project
.
(more commonly known as the "Little Americas Cup"). McKeon served as helmsman for Australia's successful syndicate between 1985 and 1996. Outside of the Little Americas Cup, McKeon and his sailing partner Tim Daddo held the world speed sailing record
of 46.52 knots (25.3 m/s) from 1993 until 2004, set in their sailboat Yellow Pages Endeavour
. An attempt to reclaim the record in 2005 from Finian Maynard
(who surpassed McKeon and Daddo's record in 2004) failed when structural problems caused the destruction of their vessel's main wing. In 2009 McKeon and Daddo, with McKeon at the helm, sailed Macquarie Innovation at a sustained speed of over 50 knots – the first sailing vessel to do so – and set the sailing speed record for a C-Class
catamaran
.
Along with his sailing achievements, McKeon is Patron of the Australian Olympic Sailing Team, and served as Club Captain at the McCrae Yacht Club between 2004 and 2006.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n businessman, philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
and sportsman. On 25 January 2011 he was named Australian of the Year
Australian of the Year
Since 1960 the Australian of the Year Award has been part of the celebrations surrounding Australia Day , during which time the award has grown steadily in significance to become Australia’s pre-eminent award. The Australian of the Year announcement has become a very prominent part of the annual...
for 2011 by Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
.
Business
After completing a Bachelor of Commerce in 1976 and Bachelor of Law in 1978, both at the University of MelbourneUniversity of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, Simon McKeon practiced law in Sydney with Blake Dawson Waldron before taking up a post with the Macquarie Bank, where he became the Executive Chairman from 1994. McKeon was announced chairman of CSIRO in June 2010, replacing Dr John Stocker
John Stocker (scientist)
John Wilcox Stocker AO is an Australian immunologist and the former Chairman of the Board of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation , the national government body for scientific research in Australia...
, and is President of the statutory dispute resolution body for Australian public company takeovers, the Australian Takeovers Panel
Australian Takeovers Panel
The Australian Takeovers Panel is a statutory entity based in Melbourne, Australia. It is the primary Australian forum for resolving disputes about a takeover bid during the bid period itself...
. As well as this, he was the Chairman of software specialist MYOB.
Philanthropy
McKeon was a director of World VisionWorld Vision
World Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...
for 15 years and volunteers as a counsellor for heroin addicts at the First Step Clinic in St Kilda
St Kilda, Victoria
St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip...
. Also, he is Chairman of the Association of Independent Schools Victoria, the Point Nepean Trust and MS Research Australia, and a director of the Global Poverty Project
Global Poverty Project
The Global Poverty Project is a community education group founded by Hugh Evans and Simon Moss that aims to increase awareness of, and action towards fighting extreme poverty through a presentation entitled 1.4 Billion Reasons, patterned after Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, delivered around the...
.
Climate change
On climate change, McKeon has expressed his desire to see the topic raised to the top of both the "political and public agenda". He said "We may not have all the answers to what is occurring, ... [b]ut the point is, why wouldn't one take out very strong insurance to at least do what we can to future-proof our well-being?".Sport
For many years Simon McKeon was involved with the International Catamaran Challenge TrophyInternational Catamaran Challenge Trophy
The International Catamaran Challenge Trophy is the formal name for the more familiarly known Little Americas Cup modeled loosely on the Americas Cup series for yachts, and started in 1961 as a match racing series between two catamarans...
(more commonly known as the "Little Americas Cup"). McKeon served as helmsman for Australia's successful syndicate between 1985 and 1996. Outside of the Little Americas Cup, McKeon and his sailing partner Tim Daddo held the world speed sailing record
Speed sailing record
Speed sailing records are sanctioned, since 1972, by the World Sailing Speed Record Council . Records are measured either by average speed over a specified distance or by total distance traveled during a specified time interval...
of 46.52 knots (25.3 m/s) from 1993 until 2004, set in their sailboat Yellow Pages Endeavour
Yellow Pages Endeavour
The Yellow Pages Endeavour, or YPE, is an Australian sailboat designed for speed sailing, which held the outright 500 meter world record from October, 1993 to November, 2004, when it was taken by windsurfer Finian Maynard; the YPE still holds the C class record...
. An attempt to reclaim the record in 2005 from Finian Maynard
Finian Maynard
Finian Maynard is a six-time speed windsurfing world champion and held the absolute 500m sailing speed record for sailing vessels from late 2004 until early 2008....
(who surpassed McKeon and Daddo's record in 2004) failed when structural problems caused the destruction of their vessel's main wing. In 2009 McKeon and Daddo, with McKeon at the helm, sailed Macquarie Innovation at a sustained speed of over 50 knots – the first sailing vessel to do so – and set the sailing speed record for a C-Class
International C-Class Catamaran
The C-Class Catamaran is a high-performance developmental class sailing catamaran. They are very light boats which use rigid wing sails and can sail at twice the speed of the wind...
catamaran
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
.
Along with his sailing achievements, McKeon is Patron of the Australian Olympic Sailing Team, and served as Club Captain at the McCrae Yacht Club between 2004 and 2006.