David Thodey AO

Co-Chair

David joined the Great Barrier Reef Foundation in February 2022. David is a business leader with a career active in business, healthcare, public policy, innovation, tertiary education, the environment and corporate governance.

He is currently Chair of Xero, a global cloud-based accounting solution and Ramsay Health Care, a global hospital group and was recently announced as a member of the Reserve Bank of Australia Governance Board.

He was appointed as the 19th Chancellor of the University of Sydney in July 2024.

Previously, Mr Thodey was Chair of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), and Tyro, Australia’s largest independent payments company.

Active in public policy, he led an Independent Review of the Australian Public Service (APS). He also chaired an NSW Government appointed Panel to lead an independent review of Federal Financial Relations and led a user audit of the myGov government services digital portal.

In 2020, David was Deputy Chair of the Federal Government’s National COVID-19 Coordination Commission (NCC) Advisory Board, supporting the Government to navigate the challenges faced during the early stages of the pandemic.

Prior to his non-executive career, he had a successful career as CEO of Telstra, and also IBM Australia and New Zealand.

David was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Science and Technology from Deakin University and Honorary Doctor of Business from both University of Technology Sydney and the University of Sydney.

He was made an Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order of Australia for ethical business leadership.