David Gonski

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David Gonski AO (born 1953) is an Australian public figure and works in business.

David Gonski was born in 1953 in Cape Town, South Africa. His family migrated to Australia in 1961. He attended Sydney Grammar School and graduated with the degrees of Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws from the University of New South Wales. He practised as a solicitor with the firm of Freehills from 1977 to 1986, becoming a partner at age 25, before leaving to co-found an investment bank.

Current positions held include:

Business:

Chair, Investec Wentworth Pty Ltd and Investec Bank (Australia) Ltd
Chair, Coca-Cola Amatil
Director, ANZ
Director, Westfield Group
Director ING Group.

Other:

Chancellor, University of New South Wales, from 2005. Notably, this is not even mentioned on his About page in the Prime Minister's Community Business Partnership ^[1]. David Gonski is the first person to hold the position of Chancellor at UNSW who is also an alumni of the University. He is also the first to hold the position of Chancellor at UNSW without a doctorate ^[2].
Chair, Board of Trustees, Sydney Grammar School, from 2003
President of the Board of Trustees, Art Gallery of New South Wales, from 1997
Chair, National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA).

Previous positions held include:

Chair, Australia Council, 2002-2006.
Director, John Fairfax Holdings, 1993-2005.

Gonski was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2002 for service to the community through Australian visual and performing arts organisations, through the development of government policy, and through the promotion of corporate sponsorship for the arts and for charitable organisations. He received the Centenary Medal in 2003.

Gonski was a close friend and advisor to the late Kerry Packer. Together with Lloyd Williams he is executor of Packer's estate. While he provided advice to Packer, Gonski was also a director of the Packer's media competitor Fairfax.