Robert Champion de Crespigny

Robert Champion de Crespigny AC is a high-profile Australian businessman.

Champion de Crespigny was educated at Melbourne Grammar School and the University of Melbourne, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. Upon completing his studies, he practiced as a Chartered Accountant for 13 years with KPMG of whom he was partner for 10 years.

In 1988, Champion de Crespigny and his family moved to Adelaide, South Australia to undertake the position of Managing Director of the mining company, Normandy Mining. The company was taken over by Newmont Mining in 2002 but he and his family stayed in Adelaide.

Champion de Crespigny was the thirteenth Chancellor of the University of Adelaide from 1 June 2000 until 26 July 2004. [cite press release |url=http://www.adelaide.edu.au/news/news821.html |publisher=University of Adelaide |accessdate=2006-07-01 |date=2004-06-03
title=Robert Champion de Crespigny AC to hand over Chancellor reins] [cite press release |title=Hon John von Doussa QC named new Chancellor |accessdate=2006-07-18 |date=2004-07-26 |publisher=University of Adelaide |url=http://www.adelaide.edu.au/news/news1381.html] He is also a member of a number of associations, such as the National Gallery of Australia Council and the Commonwealth Expert Group on Democracy and Development. He is on a number of company boards, including serving as Chairman of market research firm Crosby Textor and Investor Relations firm CT Financial, both of which were founded by Lynton Crosby and Mark Textor. [ http://www.crosbytextor.com/About_Who.htm, http://www.ctfinancial.com.au/About_Group.htm ]

In 2002, Champion de Crespigny was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia for his contribution to the mining industry and education. He was also in the same year awarded the South Australian Director of the Year by the Australian Institute of Company Directors and South Australian of the Year for 2002 by SA Great.

He developed a passion for promoting and developing Adelaide and still promotes Adelaide by chairing the South Australian Economic Development Board. He also played a key role of the attraction of Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Mellon University to Adelaide.

In June 2006, Champion de Crespigny formed the company Australian Nuclear Energy with Fairfax chairman Ron Walker and fellow mining executive Hugh Morgan, planning to build nuclear power plants in Australia.cite news| title=Powerbrokers' nuclear dream - Businessmen want to build plant| author=George Lekakis| publisher="The Daily Telegraph| date=2007-02-27] Champion de Crespigny has a 40% stake in the company. Controversially, Prime Minister John Howard revealed that he had a discussion with Mr Walker about the company days before he announced an inquiry into nuclear power. [cite news | last = Murphy | first = Katherine | title = Morgan reveals vision for nuclear Australia | work = The Age (Melbourne) | date = 2007-04-05 | url = http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/morgan-reveals-vision-for-nuclear-australia/2007/04/04/1175366326273.html | accessdate = 2007-05-30]

References

External links

* [http://www2.agsm.edu.au/agsm/web.nsf/ContentPageDesignPreview/234213AAC7F66C4ECA256E900013B5F8?OpenDocument&PreviewStyle=BAC46689DEBFE8B34A256E76000BAB3F/ AGSM2006 - Robert Champion de Crespigny]
* [http://www.icaa.org.au/news/index.cfm?menu=304&id=A106309443/ Instiute of Chartered Accountants in Australia - Robert Champion de Crespigny]
* [http://www.adelaidereview.com.au/archives/2004_12_10/issuesandopinion_story3.shtml/ The Adelaide Review - Robert Champion de Crespigny]
* [http://www.ctfinancial.com.au/People_Board.htm C|T Financial's Board - Robert Champion de Crespigny]