Rod Eddington

Rod Eddington (also referred to as Sir Rod Eddington) is an Australian businessman and the Chairman of Victorian Major Events Company. In February 2007 he was appointed by the Parliamentary leader of the Australian Labor Party, Kevin Rudd, to head a committee of business executives to provide policy advice to the party. 

He was chief executive of British Airways for a fiver-year period until the end of September 2005. He is currently a non-executive director of a range of major companies including Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, a position he has held since 1999; the global mining coimpany Rio Tinto; John Swire & Sons; JP Morgan Australia and New Zealand and CLP Holdings.

A biographical note states that "his career in transport and aviation began in 1979 when he joined The Swire Group. Sir Rod worked with Cathay Pacific Airways in Hong Kong, Korea and Japan in a variety of roles, before being appointed Deputy Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer in 1990 and Managing Director and CEO in early 1992. In January 1997, News Corporation appointed him as Executive Chairman of Ansett Airlines, a position he held until 2000, when News Corporation sold its 50% interest in Ansett." 

Sir Rod Eddington' is currently Chairman of ANZ and Non-Executive Chairman (Australia and New Zealand) of JP Morgan, in addition to maintaining non-executive roles with News Corporation, Rio Tinto PLC, Allco Finance Group Limited, CLP (China Light and Power) Holdings, and John Swire & Sons Pty Ltd. He also serves as Chairman of Victorian Major Events Company and is a director of the Centre for Independent Studies."

Affiliations

 * Covenant Team, Australian Employment Covenant
 * Director of News Corporation plc since 1999;
 * Director of John Swire & Son Pty Limited since 1997;
 * Non executive chairman of JPMorgan Australia and New Zealand since January 2006;
 * Director of Rio Tinto since the end of 2005;
 * Director of CLP Holdings since January 2006; and
 * Chairman of the EU/Hong Kong Business Co-operation Committee of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

Biographical Notes

 * Victorian Major Events Company, "VMEC Profiles: Sir Rod Eddington - Chairman", accessed February 2007.
 * Rio Tinto, "Sir Rod Eddington", accessed February 2007.

General Articles

 * Malcolm Maiden, "The hand of Rod", The Age, February 10, 2007.
 * Malcolm Maiden, "Sir Rod gets Rudd and Labor off to a flying start", Sydney Morning Herald, February 12, 2007.
 * Phillip Coorey and Lisa Murray, "High-flyer to lead ALP's business panel", Sydney Morning Herald, February 2, 2007.