Walter D. Scott

Who is Walter D. Scott?

Sir Walter D. Scott, AC, CMG founded Australia's first management consultancy firm, WD Scott and was active in its leadership until his death in 1981. Sir Walter was knighted in 1966 and appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1979.

In the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, WD Scott was Australia's leading management consultancy firm. Born in Perth and trained as an accountant, he is best known for leading the review into decimal currency and heading the Australian Decimal Currency Board.

Australia converted to decimal currency on 14 February 1966 and most Australians alive at the time can remember the theme song to the advertising teaching about the conversion, which was sung to the tune of "Click Go the Shears". WD Scott's Australian business was sold to Coopers and Lybrand in 1985, but has been recently relaunched as a separate company.

WD Scott was named after Walter Scott and his wife, Dorothy.

The Australian Graduate School of Management at the University of NSW has a leadership scholarship named after Sir Walter Scott.