Christopher Lynch (businessman)

Christopher James Lynch
Born	Template:Birth year and age Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation	Business executive
Known for	Director at Westpac; CFO at Rio Tinto; CEO at Transurban; Executive director at BHP Billiton; AFL Commission member; VFL footballer for Geelong Football Club

Christopher James Lynch (born 1953) is a prominent Australian executive currently serving as a director at Westpac. His extensive leadership experience includes senior financial and board positions at major Anglo-Australian mining corporations Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton, as well as holding the role of CEO at Transurban. Between 2008 and 2014, Lynch was a member of the AFL Commission, and earlier in his life, he competed in five senior games for Geelong Football Club within the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Early life and education

Originating from Broken Hill, New South Wales, Lynch has familial connections to the labor movement through his grandfather, the influential union figure Paddy O'Neill. He obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Gordon Institute of Technology—now known as Deakin University—and subsequently earned an MBA from the same institution. Lynch is also affiliated with CPA Australia.

Alongside his corporate pursuits, Lynch was active in competitive cricket, representing Geelong in matches against international teams and participating in Victorian Premier Cricket with Essendon Cricket Club during the 1982–83 season.

Australian rules football career

Lynch transitioned from his early football involvement with North Broken Hill Football Club after relocating from Broken Hill. He made his VFL debut with Geelong Football Club in 1972, appearing in five senior matches over the 1972 and 1974 seasons. Additionally, he contributed to Geelong’s reserves team securing the VFL premiership in 1975.

Business life

Commencing his professional journey at Alcoa in 1979, Lynch progressed to become chief financial officer for Alcoa Europe based in Lausanne, Switzerland. He further held the position of managing director at KAAL Australia Ltd, a collaboration between Alcoa and Kobe Steel. In 1999, he advanced to vice president and chief information officer within Alcoa.

In 2000, Lynch joined BHP Billiton as CFO of its Minerals Group and was promoted to group CFO by September 2001. He was appointed an executive director on BHP Billiton’s board in January 2006 before assuming the role of group president for Carbon Steel Materials in April that year. Following his non-selection for the CEO position, Lynch departed from BHP Billiton in June 2007.

Between 2008 and 2012, Lynch led Transurban as CEO during a period marked by substantial expansion. Concurrently, he held a seat on the AFL Commission from 2007 until retiring from this governance role in 2014.

Lynch became a non-executive director at Rio Tinto in 2011 and was appointed CFO from April 2013 through September 2018, playing a key role in the company’s financial restructuring efforts.

In 2020, he expanded his governance portfolio by joining the board of Australian banking institution Westpac, bringing extensive expertise from the financial sector.

External links

• BHP Billiton Our Board