Alan Jackson (businessman)

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Alan Jackson
AO
Jackson c. 1991
Born
Alan Robert Jackson

(1936-03-30)30 March 1936
Drouin, Victoria, Australia
Died4 August 2018(2018-08-04) (aged 82)
Malvern East, Victoria, Australia
Resting placeCheltenham Memorial Cemetery, Cheltenham
OccupationBusiness executive
Office
Board member ofReserve Bank of Australia (1991–2001)
Seven Network (1995–2001)
RelativesMargaret Jackson (niece)[1]
AwardsOfficer of the Order of Australia

Alan Robert Jackson AO AASA FCA FCPA FAIM (30 March 1936 – 4 August 2018) was an Australian businessman who was the Director of BTR Nylex between 1977 and 1996 and CEO of BTR plc between 1991 and 1996[1] as well as Chairman of the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) between 1995 and 2001.[2] He was also a board member of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) between 1991 and 2001.[3]

Personal life and education[edit]

Alan Jackson was born in Drouin but grew up in Bunyip, in the Western part of the Gippsland in Victoria.[1]

As a child, Jackson attended Drouin High School, leaving in 1952, when he was 15 to train to became a pastry cook but became an office boy or clerk in Melbourne.[4] At 19, he took accountancy studies by correspondence at Hemmingway Robertson Institute.[4] He did not complete his High School Certificate (HSC), but did a brief management course at Harvard's Business School in 1977.[5]

On 20 January 1962, Jackson married Esme Jackson (née Giles). The couple had four daughters together.[6] He died on 4 August 2018 in Malvern East.[1]

Career[edit]

Accounting[edit]

Jackson began his career as a pastry chef but once he was old enough, he became an office boy at Kelly and Lewis Pty Ltd in 1955, but soon moved to Mather and Platt, in which he became a clerk. Mather and Platt was the Australian arm of a British pump manufacturer.[4] After his studies, he progressed to become an accountant then, chief accountant and later, finance secretary and finance director. He became managing director of the company during the 1970s, until 1977.[7][8]

Period at BTR and subsidiaries[edit]

Jackson became managing director of the conveyor belt manufacturer Hopkins Odlum between 1977 and 1990 (which would become the precursor to BTR Nylex when the name of Hopkins was changed in 1986). This occurred after BTR purchased Nylex in 1984 and placed Jackson as its CEO.[9] Jackson completed the hostile takeover of the Australian Consolidated Industries (ACI) in 1988, following the 1987 stock market crash.[10][11]

Jackson became managing director and chief executive officer of the BTR plc conglomerate in December 1990 until February 1996.[9] In 1995, Jackson completed the acquisition of the remaining 37% of Nylex shares that were not already owned by BTR shareholders.[12] This was one of the largest conglomerates in Australia and the largest hostile takeover in Australian history at that point in time.[13] Ultimately, under his leadership, stocks grew by 40% with the highest profits in over 70 years recorded for BTR due to Jackson’s takeovers and methods as CEO.[10]

Later career[edit]

In August 1995, Jackson was asked by the Australian Minister for Trade, Bob McMullan, to be a member of the board of the Australian Trade Commission. He was invited by the board and by Tim Fischer in late 1995, to Chair the Commission. He served in this role for six years until July 2001.[2] Jackson was an early supporter of developing economic connections with Mainland China after opening to western trade in the 1980s. He furthered economic ties with Japan and South East Asian countries as well as reinforcing economic connections with the United Kingdom and the United States on behalf of Australia.[14]

He also became a Non-Executive Director of Kerry Stokes's Seven Network, a board member of the Reserve Bank of Australia and of Cabrini Hospital in Malvern East after moving from BTR in 1995, positions he held until 2001.[15][16]

Between 1998 and 2001, Jackson chaired Austrim Nylex, following the selling of BTR’s remaining shares in Nylex.[17] Ultimately, however, Jackson was forced to resign in 2001 due to ill health, which corresponded in the decline of Austrim due to high levels of debt accumulated from the acquisitions.[18][19]

Honours, awards and fellowships[edit]

Honours[edit]

Awards[edit]

Fellowships[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Durie, John (9 August 2018). "Australian business great Alan Jackson dead at 82". The Australian. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023.
  2. ^ a b Colebatch, Tim (20 July 2001). "Austrade chief to vacate the chair". The Age.
  3. ^ "Past & Present Reserve Bank Board Members". Reserve Bank of Australia. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Atkin, Dan (28 October 1995). "The wizard of Oz takes his final bow". The Daily Telegraph. p. 7. ProQuest 317517747.
  5. ^ "Australia: My Best Deal". Management Today. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  6. ^ Elliot, Scott (24–25 September 2011). "Jackson's five have a vision". The Weekend Financial Review. p. 21.
  7. ^ Wright, Charles (4 May 1988). "Building Australia". Australian Business.
  8. ^ a b Henningham, Leigh (17 August 1987). "BTR Nylex thrives as frugal 'lean machine'". The Herald.
  9. ^ a b Underhill, Marion (6 December 1990). "BUSINESS PEOPLE; Australian to Become Head of BTR of Britain". The New York Times.
  10. ^ a b c Reier, Sharon (20 July 1993). "The Man From Melbourne". Financial World – Europe's CEO of the Year. ProQuest 225629264.
  11. ^ Nicholas, Katrina (21 February 2009). "Nylex: from household name to oblivion". The Australian Financial Review.
  12. ^ "U.K.'s BTR launches startling takeover bid for rest of BTR nylex". The Wall Street Journal. 24 July 1995. ProQuest 308233965.
  13. ^ Potter, Ben (6 January 1988). "BTR Looms as an Industrial Giant". The Australian Financial Review.
  14. ^ "Australian Trade Commission Annual Report 1995-96". The Australian Trade Commission. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  15. ^ "Jackson off Seven board". The Daily Telegraph. 26 June 2001. p. 27. ProQuest 358640428.
  16. ^ Mayne, Stephen (14 January 2008). "The day Alan Jackson lost his cool". The Mayne Report. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  17. ^ Cornel, Andrew (28 March 1998). "Alan plans to do it again". The Australian Financial Review.
  18. ^ Maiden, Malcolm (28 April 2001). "Jackson Chapter Concludes". The Age.
  19. ^ Smith, Sean. "Nylex Chief Jackson Steps Down". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  20. ^ "Officer of the Order of Australia entry for Mr Alan Robert JACKSON". Australian Honours Database. Canberra, Australia: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 26 January 1991. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  21. ^ "Centenary Medal entry for Mr Alan Robert JACKSON". Australian Honours Database. Canberra, Australia: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 1 January 2001. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  22. ^ Summons, Martin (5 April 1989). "Businessman of the Year – Alan Jackson". Australian Business.
  23. ^ a b c d Pearce, Suzannah (2006). Who's Who in Australia, 1906-2006, XLII Edition. Crown Content Pty Ltd. p. 1034. ISBN 1740950232.
Government offices
Preceded by
Roger Allen
 Chairman of the Australian Trade Commission
1 November 1996 – 20 July 2001 		Succeeded by
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