Michael Chaney

Who is Michael Chaney?

Michael Alfred Chaney AO is an Australian businessman, and current Chairman of the National Australia Bank Limited, Woodside Petroleum Limited and Gresham Partners Holdings Limited. He is Chancellor of the University of Western Australia, a member of the JPMorgan International Council and a Director of the Centre for Independent Studies.

Son of Sir Fred Chaney, a minister in the Menzies government and brother to Fred Chaney, a former Western Australian Senator, he attended and graduated from Aquinas College, Perth.

Mr Chaney graduated with Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of Western Australia in 1972 and 1980 respectively. He completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 1992 and has also been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from The University of Western Australia.

After obtaining his Science degree, Mr Chaney worked for eight years as a petroleum geologist in Australia and the USA. He joined the Australian Industry Development Corporation in 1980 as a corporate finance executive and became Manager for Western Australia in 1981. He joined Wesfarmers in 1983 as Company Secretary and Administration Manager, became Finance Director in 1984 and was appointed Managing Director in July 1992. He retired from that position in July 2005.