Simon McKeon

Simon McKeon "is Executive Chairman of Macquarie Group’s Melbourne office and specialises in mergers and acquisitions.

"Simon has degrees in Law and Commerce from the University of Melbourne and prior to joining Macquarie, practised as a solicitor with Blake Dawson Waldron in Sydney. He is also Chairman of MYOB Limited and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and also of FINSIA.

"In 1999, Simon was appointed by the Federal Government as the Founding President of the Australian Takeovers Panel.

"In 2004, the Federal Government appointed Simon as Chairman of the Point Nepean Community Trust which manages the former quarantine station and defence site at Point Nepean. He is also an Alpine Ambassador supporting the inclusion of Australia’s South Eastern high country on the World Heritage List and the Victorian Business Ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour initiative.

"Simon is also Chair of MS Research Australia and previously served on the Boards of MS Australia and MS Victoria.

"In 2005, Simon was appointed Founding Chair of Melbourne Cares, an organisation sponsored by the Committee for Melbourne, the Victorian Government and a number of corporations. Its objective is to connect the business sector with the community sector through initiatives such as employee volunteering, mentoring and technical support. Simon is also on the Judging Panel for the Prime Minister’s Community Business Partnership essay competition.

"He was appointed by the Department of Premier and Cabinet as an Australia Day Ambassador as from 2007. Simon is also a member of the Victorian Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee.

"Simon is on the Board of the Association of Independent Schools of Victoria and served as its Chairman from 2005 until 2008. He is also a Patron of the Education Foundation. He has previously served on the Council of St Leonard’s College and the Board of Beaconhills Christian College.

"Simon is on the Board of VisionFund which has responsibility for World Vision International’s micro economic development activities. He was also a Patron for the United Nations Year of Microcredit 2005 (Australian Committee). Simon served on the Board of World Vision Australia from 1994 until 2005 and prior to this was a Director of the Archbishop of Melbourne’s Relief and Development Fund.

"He is Chairman of the Business for Millennium Development which is focussed on encouraging business to pursue opportunities in the developing world.

"Simon is Chairman of the Essendon Football Club’s Hutchison Foundation and serves on the Advisory Board for Melbourne’s successful tender for the 2008 Homeless World Cup. He is also a Patron of Melbourne’s successful tender for the 2009 World Parliament of Religions.

"Simon is a member of the Strategic Advisory Board of the University of Melbourne’s Graduate Program in Law. He has also been a part time lecturer with the University’s Masters of Applied Finance and Masters of Laws courses and has been a member of the Advisory Board of the University’s Centre for Energy and Resources Law. He has also been on the Editorial Board of the Company & Securities Law Journal since 1988 and has responsibility for its Takeovers Section.

"He serves on the Board of Red Dust Role Models which connects well known Australians with indigenous youth...

"He is also an active member of St Leonard’s Uniting Church, Brighton.

"Simon is married to Amanda Jane and they have four boys."

• Patron, Education Foundation Australia