Former Macquarie CEO in Birthday Honours List

On Monday (12 June), the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia released the King’s Birthday 2023 Honours List, recognising and celebrating 1,192 recipients, including awards in the Order of Australia (General and Military Divisions), meritorious awards, and recognition for distinguished and conspicuous service.

Several members of the finance industry were celebrated in the lists, including Mr Moore, a former CEO of Macquarie Group Limited who is now the chair of the inaugural Financial Regulator Assessment Authority (FRAA).

Mr Moore was named an Officer (AO) in the General Division, in recognition of “distinguished service to the finance, business, and commerce sectors, to arts administration, and to education”.

He retired from Macquarie Group in 2018 after 32 years at Macquarie, including 10 years as CEO.

In his professional career, he has also been admitted as a solicitor and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountant and supports the arts through his role as chair of Screen Australia and as member of the Council of the National Gallery of Australia.

He also has strong ties to education through several roles, including as chair of The Centre for Independent Studies and the National Catholic Education Commission, and is a member (and former chair) of the UNSW Business School Advisory Council.

Women make up the bulk of General Division recipients for the first time

Notably, for the first time since the Order of Australia was established in 1975, the majority of recipients in the General Division were women.

Rosemary Huxtable was named an AO “for distinguished service to public administration through leadership roles in the areas of health and finance, and to strategic policy reform”.

Ms Huxtable was the secretary of the Department of Finance from December 2016 to August 2022 and retired last year after a 30-year career in public service.

Before her retirement in August 2022, she played a key role in developing nine Australian federal budgets, including several Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Outlook processes, and has worked in several government departments including Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Department of Health.

Yasmin Allen, the chair of digital home loan platform Tic:Toc, was named a Member (AM) in the General Division for “significant service to finance and business, and to the not-for-profit sector”.

As well as serving on the mortgage lender’s board, she is also currently a non-executive director of QBE Insurance; chair of the Digital Skills Organisation at the Department of Education, Skills and Employment; and a member of the Takeovers Panel in the Department of Treasury.

During the 1990s, she served as vice-president of Deutsche Bank, Sydney, as a director at ANZ Investment Bank, and as an associate director, research analyst at HSBC London.

Other finance awardees included Patricia Cross, a former banking executive and current member of the Board of Guardians at the Future Fund and Transurban board member, who was recognised with an Order of Australia “for significant service to business, to the finance industry, and to corporate governance” for her work.

She was previously a board member of National Australia Bank (NAB) and had previously worked as general manager, wholesale banking and finance at NAB before taking on several board roles at Macquarie Bank and Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation.

Bank Australia board member and chair of TelstraSuper and TelstraSuper Financial Planning, Anne-Marie O'Loghlin was also made an AM for “significant service to the finance sector, to women, and to the community”,

She has previously held roles as CEO of superannuation fund HESTA and has over 30 years’ experience as a director and chair for a range of organisations including the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Netball Australia, Northern Health, Kangan Batman TAFE, Victorian Superannuation Board, and was a trustee on the MCG Trust.

Speaking after announcing the full list on Monday (12 June), His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret’d), said: “Congratulations to the outstanding Australians recognised in [this] Honours List. Recipients have made substantial contributions and had a significant impact at the local, national or international level. Some are volunteers, others have had a remarkable impact in professional roles — many have done both. They are all inspiring and their service is valued by us all.

“Learning about the wide-ranging service of recipients, which spans almost every field of endeavour imaginable, is uplifting and makes me enormously optimistic for our country. Collectively they speak to who we are now and who we can be in the future.

“While we can take a moment to acknowledge the significance of achieving gender parity in our Honours, it should not be a cause for pause. We reflect on our progress, and then recommit our efforts to ensure nominations reflect our diverse and strong community.

“Each recipient has something in common: someone nominated them. The Order of Australia belongs to each of us because nominations come from the community. In honouring today’s recipients, I also encourage all Australians to consider nominating someone they admire who has had a significant impact in the community.”

[Related: Suncorp board member receives OAM]