Arvi Parbo

Who is Arvi Parbo?

Sir Arvi Hillar Parbo AC is a business executive who was concurrently chairman of three of Australia's largest companies.

Along with thousands of his Estonian countrymen, Parbo fled from his homeland ahead of the Soviet occupation in 1944, ending up in a refugee camp in Germany. After attending the Clausthal Mining Academy in Germany from 1946 to 1948 he migrated to Australia in 1949. He graduated from the University of Adelaide with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in 1955.

Parbo joined Western Mining Corporation in 1956 and over the next 12 years held the positions of Underground Surveyor, Underground Manager, Technical Assistant to the Managing Director, and Deputy General Superintendent. He was appointed General Manager in 1968 and became a Director in 1970. He was appointed Deputy Managing Director in 1971 and became Managing Director in the same year. In 1974, Parbo was appointed Chairman and Managing Director of Western Mining Corporation, subsequently renamed WMC Limited.

In 1986 he relinquished this position and became Executive Chairman. In 1990 he retired as an executive but was appointed non-executive Chairman and retired from this position in 1999.