Executive Changes at Business for Millennium Development

Simon McKeon AO has stepped down from the Business for Millennium Development (B4MD) Board after more than seven years with the organisation to join its newly formed Ambassador Council.

Peter Botten,Managing Director of Oil Search Limited, has been named as McKeon’s successor and has been on the B4MD Board since 2009.

Peter Botten joined the B4MD Board in 2009 and in 2008 was named a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s Honours List for services to the community and mining and petroleum industries in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

The Board of B4MD has paid tribute to Simon McKeon’s critical role in overseeing the growth of the organisation from its inception to its current position, which now includes projects in PNG, Myanmar, Laos and Kenya.

McKeon said: “It has been a great privilege to be the founding Chairman of B4MD, a small Australian organisation doing great things on the global stage.

“To see the organisation go from a World Vision campaign aimed at encouraging corporate Australia to do more to address global poverty, to becoming a standalone organisation catalysing inclusive business opportunities with a number of leading multinational companies has been truly rewarding.

“Together with the Board, we have been planning for Peter Botten to take over from me as Chairman for the better part of a year, so I am pleased to see this transition implemented and I look forward to continuing my engagement with B4MD through its Ambassador Council.

“Given Peter’s depth of experience in developing markets, this is the right direction for the organisation.”

Peter Botten added: “Simon McKeon has played a critical role in guiding B4MD through its first seven years of existence, to its current positions as the leading NGO in the Asia Pacific region, focused on encouraging and facilitating inclusive business activity. Thanks to Simon’s leadership, B4MD is now well placed to help multinational companies build commercially viable, scalable business enterprises focused on poverty reduction.”

According to Botten, the timing of the transition of Chairmanship has come at a significant time for the organisation.

“The past 12 months have been a defining period for B4MD. We have seen substantial growth in our core team based in Melbourne, along with further development of our lead inclusive business projects in partnership with a range of leading multinational companies and small holder communities.

“We’ve also recently launched the South-East Asia and Pacific Inclusive Business Alliance supported by DFAT, the Asian Development Bank, Syngenta, Nufarm, Telstra and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

“Recently, we welcomed the announcement of Australia’s new foreign aid policy, launched by Julie Bishop, Foreign Affairs Minister, which has a strong orientation towards working closely with the private sector to alleviate poverty. All of these key developments suggest that B4MD has a very strong future ahead,” Botten said.

This transition has also coincided with a planned board renewal process. B4MD also announced that after seven years of involvement with B4MD and six years on the board, Tim Costello AO, CEO of World Vision Australia, Barry Pipella, Executive Director Strategic Sales at Telstra, and Bill Hurditch, Principal and Director, the Fifth Estate, will all retire from the Board and become members of B4MD’s Ambassador Council.

B4MD also announced that Andrew McConville, Head of Corporate Affairs Asia Pacific at Syngenta and James Lowrey, Senior Executive – Natural Resources Group at ANZ, will join the Board as non-executive Directors as part of the renewal process.

“Both are based in Singapore and bring with them a strong regional focus and a significant depth of expertise in developing markets,” Botten said.