‘A great South Australian’: Ex-Mitsubishi chief Tom Phillips AM dies aged 78
Tom Phillips was once Mitsubishi’s man down under and has been remembered as a “great South Australian” who fought to save the company’s embattled Adelaide factories.
SA News
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South Australian business leader Tom Phillips AM, who shepherded Mitsubishi through one of its most challenging eras, has died aged 78.
He was chief executive of the Japanese carmaker’s Australian operations from 2000 to 2005, stepping into the role during a period of crashing sales.
Mr Phillips championed the 2005 Mitsubishi 380 model as a lifeline, but the slow demise of SA’s car industry eventually swept along the company’s two Adelaide factories.
He passed away on July 1 and former Premier Mike Rann, whom he had a close working relationship with called Mr Phillips an “open, honest and honourable” man.
“He was an immensely decent business leader who fought hard to save the Mitsubishi plant and keep manufacturing cars in Adelaide,” Mr Rann told The Advertiser.
“Most of all he cared deeply about the workers and their future if Mitsubishi pulled the plug on their Adelaide operations.
“He worked desperately hard to keep the operations going... I know that Tom was deeply respected by Mitsubishi workers who knew he was battling to save their jobs.”
Anthony Kittel, chief executive of REDARC Electronics where Mr Phillips was a board chair, called his former mentor “a great South Australian”.
“He could talk with any audience and show humility and kindness, and win people’s respect,” Mr Kittel said.
“He had a rapport with people in the factory, he had a good relationship with management, and was exceptionally good with government.”
Mr Kittel also said that workplace safety was “in (Mr Phillip’s) DNA”.
“He had a philosophy that in any meeting, safety was the first item you had to discuss.”
For his services to the car industry, Mr Phillips was appointed to the Order of Australia in 2007.
Along the way, he was also Julia Gillard’s pick to chair SafeWork from 2009 to 2013, and sat on the boards of several charities.
A memorial service for friends and colleagues will be held in Adelaide Oval’s Ian McLachlan room on Wednesday, July 10, from 1pm.
Mr Phillips is survived by wife Judith and three children, Emma, Andrew and Peter.
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