Ken MacKenzie (businessman)
Kenneth Norman MacKenzie | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Need valid birth date: year, month, day Canada |
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Known for | Chairman of BHP, former CEO of Amcor |
Kenneth Norman MacKenzie (born March 1964) is a Canadian-born business executive known for his role as chairman of BHP, a leading global mining corporation, and his previous position as CEO of Amcor, an international packaging company.
Background
MacKenzie earned a bachelor's degree in engineering from McGill University in Canada. He started his professional journey as a strategy consultant at Accenture in Canada before moving to Australia.
Amcor
MacKenzie began working at Amcor in 1992 and advanced through multiple positions until he was appointed managing director and CEO in July 2005. Over a span of 23 years, he oversaw more than 30 acquisitions, which contributed to increasing Amcor’s market value from $4 billion to approximately $15.5 billion, while also raising the return on capital from 10% to 19%. He played a key role in the 2013 separation of Amcor’s Australian and New Zealand operations, resulting in the creation of Orora Ltd. MacKenzie resigned from his CEO role in April 2015.
BHP
In September 2016, MacKenzie joined BHP’s board as a director. By June 2017, he was named chairman, succeeding Jac Nasser, officially assuming the position in September. Prior to this appointment, MacKenzie declined an offer from Nasser to become CEO. After nearly nine years with BHP, MacKenzie announced his intention to step down as chairman in February 2025 and was replaced by former National Australia Bank CEO Ross McEwan in March.
Throughout his leadership at BHP, MacKenzie directed the company’s consolidation into a single primary Australian entity, reoriented its asset portfolio away from coal toward copper, and authorized major investments in Canadian potash. His tenure saw total shareholder returns increase at an annual compound rate of 20%, positioning BHP among the world’s top dividend distributors.
Additional Positions
In 2021, MacKenzie took on the role of strategic advisor at Barrenjoey Capital Partners. He is additionally a member of the advisory board for American Securities Capital Partners.
In 2023, MacKenzie was named Chair of the Melbourne Business School. Before this appointment, he established a leadership program aimed at chief executives of ASX-listed firms, which is conducted by the school.
MacKenzie has also held the status of Fellow at the Australian Institute of Company Directors.