Michael Easson
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Michael Bernard Easson AM (born March 1955 in Sydney, Australia), is an Australian businessman and former union leader. Michael Easson graduated with First Class Honours in Politics from the University of New South Wales in 1976 and completed management and finance programmes at Stanford and Harvard University Business Schools in 1981 and 1997 respectively.
Michael Easson was Secretary of the Labor Council of New South Wales (now called Unions NSW) from 1989 to 1994. At the age of 34, he was elected as the youngest ever Secretary. He was also Vice President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions and Senior Vice President of the Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch). He served on the NSW State Superannuation Board (1986 to 1994) and in 1995 he was appointed as an inaugural member of the National Competition Council and chair of the Review of Cash Management Payments to Special Purpose Programs and Statutory Authorities, a Federal Government appointment.
After resigning from the Labor Council in 1994, Michael Easson pursued several business and academic interests. He was Adjunct Professor of Management at the Australian Graduate School of Management from 1994 to 1998 and served as senior Vice President of UNICEF Australia from 1998 to 2002.
Michael Easson was a director of the light rail and monorail company Metro Transport Sydney (2002 to 2006), director of the Macquarie Infrastructure Group (1995 to 2006), the Macquarie Goodman Industrial Fund (1994 to 2003), InTech (1998 to 2003), Barclay Mowlem (1998 to 2000), the State Rail Authority of NSW (1989 to 1993).
He presently serves on the boards of the ACTEW Corporation, the ING Real Estate Group in Australia, the Sydney Roads Group and Telstra Stadium.
In 2000 Michael Easson, along with Sydney businessmen Adam and Shane Geha, formed the EG Property Group, of which he is Executive Chairman. The EG Group has two divisions, namely, property advisory and funds management. The advisory division advises large property owners about land use change. The funds management division directly invests into real estate with a focus on new infrastructure. The funds managment division has approximately $750 million under management with offices across Australia.
Though still a member of the Australian Labor Party, he is not actively involved. Michael Easson is married to former federal politician Mary Easson (Member for Lowe, from 1993 to 1996). They have two daughters. In 1997 Michael Easson was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) and he is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD).
