Philip Aiken
Philip S. Aiken | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 9, 1949 Sydney, Australia |
| Occupation | Corporate leader |
| Known for | Group President for energy sector at BHP Billiton; Chairman of Aveva; Chairman of Balfour Beatty |
Philip S. Aiken (born 9 January 1949 in Sydney) is a prominent Australian corporate leader.
Aiken earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree specializing in chemical engineering from the University of Sydney and later completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. He has held the position of Group President for the energy sector at BHP Billiton and served as an executive director at Nylex. His career also includes senior management roles at BOC and advisory responsibilities with Macquarie Capital (Europe).
Early life and education
Born in Sydney on 9 January 1949, Aiken graduated from the University of Sydney in 1970 with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in chemical engineering. In 1989, he enhanced his executive skills by completing Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.
Career
Starting his professional journey at BOC in 1970, Aiken spent almost 26 years ascending through senior positions. He became CEO and executive director of Nylex in 1995, which later integrated into Invensys. Between 1997 and 2006, he was affiliated with BHP Billiton, first as President of BHP Petroleum and subsequently as Group President overseeing the Energy division. Following his retirement, he provided advisory services to Macquarie Bank from 2006 until 2009.
In July 2000, Aiken joined the board of Robert Walters, assuming the chairmanship in May 2007 before resigning in May 2012.
He was appointed to the board of Aveva in April 2012, taking over as chairman from Nick Prest after shareholder endorsement in July that year, a role he held until January 2023. In April 2013, he joined the board of Newcrest, leaving after its acquisition by Newmont, whose board he joined in November 2023. From March 2015 to July 2021, Aiken served as chairman of Balfour Beatty.
Since 2021, he has been a board member of New Energy One Acquisitions and BIAC (as of 2023). His previous non-executive directorships include positions at National Grid plc, copper mining company Kazakhmys, Indian energy firm Essar Energy, and the Singapore-based maritime services provider Miclyn Express Offshore.
Personal life
Aiken lives between Melbourne and London with his wife, Fran. In June 2013, he was honored as a Member of the Order of Australia.