Jennifer Westacott

The Business Council of Australia (BCA) is an association of the chief executive officers of 100 of Australia's top companies. It was established in 1983 to provide a forum for Australia's business leadership to contribute directly to public policy debates. The BCA's vision is to advance and support policies that will help make Australia the best place in the world in which to live, learn, work and do business. Jennifer Westacott took up the role of Chief Executive at the BCA in April 2011. Previously, she was a Director and National Lead Partner at KPMG, heading up the firm's Sustainability, Climate Change and Water practice and its NSW State Government practice. Jennifer has extensive policy experience in both the public and private sectors. For over 20 years Jennifer occupied critical leadership positions in the New South Wales and Victorian Governments. She was the Director of Housing and the Secretary of Education in Victoria, and most recently was the Director-General of the New South Wales Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources. At KPMG Jennifer provided advice and assistance to some of Australia's major corporations on climate change and sustainability matters, and provided advice to governments around Australia on major reform priorities. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the University of New South Wales where she is an Adjunct Professor at the City Research Futures Centre. She was a Chevening Scholar at the London School of Economics.