John Wylie (businessman)

John Wylie
Born	1961 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Occupation(s)	Investment banker, sports administrator
Years active	1980s–present
Known for	Managing director and Head of Corporate Advisory at Lazard; Chairman of Melbourne Cricket Ground Trust; Chair of Australian Sports Commission; President of State Library of Victoria Board

John Malcolm Rodney Wylie (born 1961) is a prominent Australian figure in investment banking. He has held the roles of managing director and Head of Corporate Advisory at Lazard, chaired the Melbourne Cricket Ground Trust, and led the Australian Sports Commission as its Chair. Until 2021, he was President of the State Library of Victoria Board.

Personal

Born in Brisbane, Queensland in 1961 to parents Rodney and Nerida Wylie, John Wylie is married to Myriam Boisbouvier, originally from Monaco and serving as France's honorary consul in Victoria since 2011. Together, they have four sons. His education includes attendance at Brisbane Boys College and obtaining a Bachelor of Commerce with first-class honours from the University of Queensland. In 1983, he earned a Rhodes Scholar award and completed a Master of Philosophy at Balliol College, Oxford University.

Business

Following his Rhodes Scholarship, Wylie began his career at First Boston in New York before moving to Melbourne in 1991 with the company, which later became Credit Suisse First Boston and then Credit Suisse. He served as managing director from 1994 until 1999. Notable assignments during this period included advising on the privatisation of Qantas and the Victorian Government’s power industry sell-off between 1993 and 1999, which surpassed initial revenue expectations by $14 billion, greatly advancing his professional reputation.

In 2000, Wylie co-established Carnegie Wylie alongside Mark Carnegie. The firm was acquired by Lazard in 2007, where he rose to managing director for Australia by 2013. His client advisory roster featured leading corporations such as BHP, Telstra, Coles Myer, Transurban, and Toll Holdings. He resigned as head of Lazard Advisory Australia at the close of 2014.

Sport

From 1998 until March 2013, Wylie served as Chairman of the Melbourne Cricket Ground Trust. In 1999, he negotiated an agreement securing $5 million annually for the MCG from the Australian Football League over a span of 30 years. Between 2001 and 2006, he directed the $465 million redevelopment of the Ground in preparation for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.

In September 2012, Wylie was named Chairman of the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), taking over from Warwick Smith. During his tenure, he introduced the elite sport initiative Winning Edge 2012–2022. His leadership concluded in November 2020.

Wylie’s sporting engagement includes participation in cricket and marathon running, coaching junior cricket teams, chairing the Victorian Olympic Council Foundation Committee, and acting as Deputy President of the Melbourne Stars. Additionally, he is an avid supporter of the Collingwood Football Club.

In recognition of his contributions, Wylie received the Paralympic Medal from Paralympics Australia in 2022.

Community

Outside sports, Wylie held the position of Honorary Treasurer at the Florey Neurosciences Institutes between 2007 and 2009 and was appointed President of the Library Board of Victoria in May 2012. He also serves as a Trustee for the Global Rhodes Trust.

In 2006, he took part in a Kokoda Trail expedition alongside notable Australians such as Simon Crean and Paul Little.

Wylie was honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2007 for his services to investment banking, financial services, and community groups. He was elevated to Companion (AC) status in the 2022 Australia Day Honours for his leadership within sport, culture, philanthropy, and business sectors.

In January 2015, John Wylie and his wife contributed $5 million to the University of Melbourne, establishing a professorship dedicated to Australian literature.