Company Launch
Climate Alliance Limited was formally launched in November, 2009. On the 17th November, Mr Ivan Deveson AO was the keynote speaker in Melbourne. On the 18th November, General Peter Cosgrove AC MC (Retd) was the keynote speaker at the launch in Sydney. Both events included a video message from Mr Andrew Liveris, Chairman and CEO of The Dow Chemical Company.
Mr Ivan Deveson AO
Mr Ivan Deveson AO, was the Lord Mayor of Melbourne from 1996 to 1999, the longest serving Lord Mayor in over forty years. Formerly the National President of the Australian Institute of Management, and an international automobile and television executive, Ivan Deveson has a keen interest in local government, microeconomics, management education and training.
Born in 1934, Ivan Deveson studied at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and commenced as a Manufacturing Cadet at General Motors in 1955. Two years later he was awarded a scholarship to the General Motors Institute in the United States, where he gained a degree in Industrial Engineering. In 1976 he was awarded a Sloan Fellowship to obtain his Masters Degree in Management at Stanford University.
In a career spanning over 30 years, Ivan Deveson worked with General Motors in Australia, USA, Europe and Africa. In 1987, he joined Nissan Australia as Managing Director/CEO, a position he held until his retirement from the automotive industry in 1991. He was Chairman of the Seven Network from 1991 until 1995.
Ivan Deveson was named Victorian of the Year in 1991 and received an Order of Australia in the same year for service to the automotive industry and to business.
Mr Deveson was Foundation Chancellor, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (1992-95), Chairman of the Graduate School of Business, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (1996-97), Chairman of the United Group Limited (since 1994), and a Director of Crane Holdings Limited. He is chairman of Avanteos and Cool or Cozy.
In addition to membership on the Boards of several community-based associations, Ivan Deveson is President of the Australia-Japan Society, Chairman of the Mary of the Cross (Drug) Centre and Patron of Melbourne City Mission. Mr Deveson is an Adjunct Professor and Director in Residence at RMIT School of Management.
General Peter Cosgrove AC MC (Retd)
General Peter Cosgrove, former Chief of the Australian Defence Force. General Peter Cosgrove is recognized by his fellow countrymen for his services to Australia and hailed as one of our greatest soldiers. An ability to inspire and lead people, especially in the face of danger, sets Peter Cosgrove apart from everyday life. An international reputation and experience in a range of world affairs makes him an ideal keynote speaker.
In a long and distinguished career Peter Cosgrove has embodied the sense of duty and courage that Australians hold so dear to their hearts. Yet he still understands and embodies the common touch, the experience of life that we all share. It is this special blend of the ordinary man and the extraordinary leader that makes him a very special person. In 2001 he was awarded Australian of the Year.
The son of a soldier, General Peter Cosgrove graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in 1968. He was sent to Malaysia as a lieutenant in the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (RAR). During his next posting in Vietnam he commanded an infantry platoon and was awarded the Military Cross for his performance during an assault on enemy positions.
General Peter Cosgrove was Commander of the Deployable Joint Force Headquarters, he assumed command of the International Forces in East Timor (INTERFET) where he was responsible for overseeing East Timor’s transition to independence during, what was to become, a tense and uncertain period and on his return to Australia, was appointed Chief of Army and then Chief of the Defence Force, a position he held until July 2005.
General Peter Cosgrove shone as both a soldier and diplomat. Always in his slouch hat, Peter Cosgrove was a strong and reassuring figure, appearing regularly in all forms of the media. He was awarded the Military Cross for his service with 9RAR in South Vietnam, and has received several foreign awards including the Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, a Commander of the United States Legion of Merit, the Tong Il medal from the Republic of Korea, and the Grand Chain of Infante Dom Henrique from Portugal.
Since retiring from the Armed Forces in 2005, General Cosgrove has accepted positions on the Qantas Board, a consultancy with Deloittes, and was appointed Chairman of The General Sir John Monash Foundation. General Peter Cosgrove was appointed to lead the relief effort in Innisfail and surrounding areas of Queensland following the destruction by Cyclone Larry, a project that has him superbly placed to comment on the issues facing co-ordination of resources after large insurance events.
Mr Andrew N. Liveris
Andrew N. Liveris is President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Dow Chemical Company, a $58 billion global chemical, plastics and agrosciences company based in Midland, Michigan.
Liveris' 33-year Dow career has spanned manufacturing, engineering, sales, marketing, and business and general management. He has spent the bulk of his career in Asia, where he was general manager for the company's operations in Thailand, and later head of all Asia-Pacific operations. He began his Dow career in 1976 in Australia.He has been a member of Dow's Board of Directors since February 2004 and was elected as Chairman of the Board effective April 1, 2006.
Liveris was born in Darwin, Australia and later lived in Brisbane, where he attended the University of Queensland, graduating with a bachelor's degree (first-class honors) in Chemical Engineering. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in science by his alma mater as well as being named Alumnus of the Year for 2005. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of The Institute of Chemical Engineers.
Liveris serves on the board of directors of Citigroup, the world’s leading financial services company. He is chairman of the board of the US-China Business Council and chairman of SCI America; a vice-chair of the US Business Council; a member of the United States Climate Action Partnership; and a past chairman of the American Chemistry Council and the International Council of Chemical Associations. Liveris is also a member of the following organizations: the American Australian Association, the Business Roundtable, the Detroit Economic Club, the National Petroleum Council, and the Société de Chimie Industrielle. Liveris is also a trustee of Tufts University.
Liveris resides in Midland, Michigan, where he serves on the Board of Trustees of the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation. He and his wife Paula have three children.