I am pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Brian Wilson as Chair of the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB).
Mr Wilson will be appointed for a five-year period from 16 April 2012, succeeding Mr John Phillips AO, who is retiring from the Board at the end of his term after having served in the role for 15 years.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Phillips for his outstanding contribution to public policy over many years. Mr Phillips' invaluable leadership of the FIRB follows a very distinguished career in the public, finance and business sectors, including in his role as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) between 1987 and 1992.
Mr Wilson has been a member of the FIRB since December 2009 and has served in this role with distinction. He has extensive financial services experience, including involvement with both the funds management and investment management sectors. In his 33 year career as an investment banker, Mr Wilson specialised in corporate financial advice, advising many of Australia's top 100 companies and numerous international groups. He is a former Australian managing director of the global investment bank Lazard and a former vice chairman of Citigroup Australia.
Mr Wilson is currently Deputy Chancellor of the University of Technology, Sydney, Non executive director of Bell Financial Group and a member of the Payments System Board of the RBA.
Mr Wilson joins existing members Mr Hamish Douglass, Ms Anna Buduls and Ms Deidre Gerathy (Executive Member) on the FIRB.
I also intend to appoint an additional person to the Board in the near future to replace Mr Wilson in his membership role.
I again thank Mr Phillips and congratulate Mr Wilson on his appointment.