Philip Higginson

Philip Higginson

Philip’s current executive role is as Managing Director of ProNed Australia Pty Ltd, a company specialising in board governance advice and non-executive director search and selection.

He has been with ProNed since April 1999, and prior to that has had extensive experience in senior management positions in the industrial manufacturing sector where he was employed for 30 years with the global petrochemical conglomerate ICI Australia Limited, the last 10 years of which he was engaged as the company’s Manager for New South Wales.

An experienced company director, Philip has served as Chairman of Employment National Limited, a Federal Government unlisted public company and was finally responsible for overseeing its sale in the politically difficult circumstances of the lead up to a Federal Election. He has been a non executive director of the publicly listed company, National Hire Limited, since its IPO in 1997 and through to March 2004.

Philip had over 12 years as chairman of TransGrid, NSW’s high voltage electricity transmission entity and was involved with all it’s growth and development from it’s formation from the Electricity Commission of NSW. He was a founding member of the Hilmer Disaggregation Committee whose purpose was to review the break-up of the State’s electricity utilities in politically charged circumstances with all the other States, but particularly Victoria, lobbying very aggressively for wide-ranging disaggregation. He was appointed in July 1994 to be the inaugural chairman of Pacific Grid Pty Ltd, an interim entity and a wholly owned subsidiary of Pacific Power. Pacific Grid changed its name in February 1995 to TransGrid under the new Electricity Transmission Act and became a stand alone entity, one of the most respected HV Transmission utilities both nationally and internationally. Philip continued to serve as the only Chairman of TransGrid from 1st February 1995, until his removal by Treasurer Michael Costa in November 2006. You can read more about Costa riding the black dog of despair by clicking here……….

He served a lengthy period as Chairman of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, a director of the Home Purchase Assistance Authority, a member of the board of Focus Publishing Pty Ltd, a Vice-President of the New South Wales Chamber of Manufactures, a director of the Employers Federation Limited, a Vice-President of the Conservatorium of Music Foundation, and over 15 years with the Salvation Army, in which he served both on the Sydney Advisory Board and two terms as Chairman of the Sydney Red Shield Appeal. He also served two terms as the Federal President of the Australian British Chamber of Commerce, and was a member of the board of advice of the global insurance broking giant, Aon Ltd. A one time Visiting Fellow of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of New South Wales and a member of the board of the University of New South Wales Foundation, his qualifications are in marketing and general management and he was until his resignation a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. An inaugural member of the board of the Bell Shakespeare Theatre Company, a member of the Australia Day Council, a member of Sydney Rotary and a member of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Foundation round off his prior practical community service commitments, obligations, personal interests and duties. He was also non executive chairman of Allen Capital Fundservices, the Trustee entity of Allen Capital Private Equity.

He has also served as :-

 

• The Hon Federal Treasurer Liberal Party of Australia from February 2011
• Member of Premier Nick Greiner’s Economic Development Council [NSW Govt]
• 10 years as a member of NSW Science & Technology Council [NSW Govt]
• Chairman, NSW Chemical Industry Taskforce [NSW Govt.]
• Member of Minister Gerry Peacocke’s board of Business & Consumer Affairs [NSW Govt.]He is well known and respected by both sides of Government, and has extensive contacts within Academia, Media, Government and Business circles.