BCA win as Westacott finds man for all seasons

Tim Reed, the former MYOB chief, had agreed to take on the presidency of the Business Council of Australia.

Incoming BCA president Tim Reed. Picture: Nikki Short

Jennifer Westacott was grinning like the Cheshire cat at the embargoed briefing for a smattering of journalists.

Tim Reed, the former MYOB chief, had agreed to take on the presidency of the Business Council of Australia.

Reed has the full backing of the board and it is hard to think that he is not Westacott’s first choice with daylight after him: still under 50; over a decade’s experience as a big business CEO, armed with credentials in tech and credibility with small business; a true believer in the value of economic reform (including company tax cuts); vocal on marriage equality and sensible to ESG. Most of all, he is a communicator — one who can deliver a message with simplicity and clarity and has the smarts to bring depth to any debate if and when required. There are all qualities for the times.

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The BCA has been pummelled by populism. Here is a fellow who can talk without baggage to the Prime Minister, another great communicator. He is not from the banking sector and he is not from the energy sector.

On notice from the PM to prosecute the case for business, he is the right stuff to send in for any conversation on mission creep of a governmental big stick, or the mission creep of the NBN for that matter.

He spoke poignantly on Thursday about his number one priority, upskilling Australia and the value of skilled migration. Two visas for a software team at MYOB don’t destroy jobs, he told us. They create eight other jobs because of the skills value.

Reed has clearly taken time to ponder the challenge of the role. He must take on the anti-big business narrative and then move forward.

After an intense run in the executive suite he says it might be a year or two before he heads back to the C-suite. Perfect.

It means he can build on Westacott’s formidable policy strengths and he is committed and seemingly available to support initiatives like Strong Australia, which has taken the BCA out to the regions, the grassroots.

Strong Australia is a particular passion of Westacott’s, who firmly believes in a dedicated strategy for Townsville, Cairns, Adelaide or Bathurst, from infrastructure investment to bringing big business back to fuel the ecosystem and deliver jobs.

One of the most pressing tasks the duo have set for themselves is also one of the most confounding: reform of vocational education, TAFE, apprentices and lifelong skilling.

Ticky Fullerton is the Sky News business editor