The QUT Business Leaders' Forum has a reputation for attracting high calibre leaders as keynote speakers and will continue to strive to present eminent leaders in their field. Previous speakers are outlined below.
2008
Cynthia Cooper
WorldCom Whistleblower
Peter Holmes à Court
Chairman, White Bull Holdings
Roger Corbett AM
Leading Company Director
The Hon Kevin Rudd MP
Prime Minister of Australia
2007
Bob Geldof KBE
Anti-poverty global leader
Dr Ziggy Switkowski
Chairman, The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
Mr Glenn Stevens
Governor of the Reserve Bank
Mr David Kirk MBE
Chief Executive Officer of Fairfax Media
2006
Mr Leon Davis AO
Chairman of Westpac Banking Corporation
Ms Margaret Jackson AC
Chairman of Qantas Airways
General Peter Cosgrove AC, MC (retd)
Chairman of Operation Recovery Task Force and former Chief of Defence Force
Sandy Hollway AO
Member of Operation Recovery Task Force & former chief of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games
The Hon Peter Beattie
Premier of Queensland
2005
Mr David Gonski AC
Chairman of Coca-Cola Amatil and Investec Bank (Holdings) Limited
Mr Narayana Murthy
Chairman and Founder of Infosys Technologies Limited
Mr Malcolm Broomhead
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Orica Ltd
Dr David Suzuki CC, OBC
Award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster
2004
Mr John O'Neill AO
Chief Executive Officer of Football Federation Australia
Mr Kevan Gosper AO
Chairman of the IOC Press Commission
Mr Michael Chaney AO
Chief Executive Officer of Wesfarmers Ltd
Mr Graham Kraehe AO
Chairman of BlueScope Steel Ltd
2003
The Hon J. Thomas Schieffer
US Ambassador to Australia
Mr Fred Hilmer AO
Chief Executive Officer of John Fairfax Holdings Ltd
Dr David Morgan
Chief Executive Officer of Westpac Banking Corporation
The Hon Andrew Peacock AC
President of Boeing Australia
2002
Mr Peter Hanenberger
Chairman and Managing Director of Holden Limited and
Group Vice-President of General Motors Corporation
Professor Allan Fels AO
Chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
Mr Paul Anderson
Former chief executive officer and managing director of BHP Billiton Ltd
The Hon Paul Keating
Former prime minister of Australia
His Royal Highness Prince Philip
The Duke of Edinburgh
2001
Mr Rick Allert AM
Chairman of Southcorp Ltd and AXA Asia Pacific Holdings Ltd
Mr Don Argus AO
Chairman of BHP Billiton and Brambles Industries Ltd
Mr James Strong AO
Managing Director of Woolworths Ltd
The Rt Hon David Lange
Former prime minister of New Zealand
The Hon Barry Jones AO
Former federal minister for Science
2000
The Hon Graham Richardson
Mayor of the Olympic Village, Sydney 2000
Mr Ian Macfarlane AC
Governor of the Reserve Bank
Maj-Gen Peter Cosgrove AC, MC
Chief of the Defence Force
Mr Brian Johns
Managing Director of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
1999
Ms Janet Holmes à Court AC
Businesswoman and a leader of the republican movement
Mr John Ralph AC
Author of the Review of Business Taxation
Mr David Hoare
Chairman of Telstra
The Hon Genta Hawkins Holmes
US Ambassador to Australia
1998
Mr Graeme Samuel AO
President of the National Competition Council
Sir Roderick Carnegie AC
Chairman of Pacific Edge Holdings Pty Ltd and La Trobe Lignite Developments Pty Ltd
Professor Allan Fels AO
Chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
Mr Reg Clairs AO
Chairman of Woolworths