Australian public figure Jennifer Westacott is the Chief Executive of the Business Council of Australia, the nation’s premier business organization.
Westacott has served in her position as Chief Executive of the Business Council of Australia since 2011. As the Chief Executive, she has brought a unique combination of policy experience in both the public and private sectors.
Westacott has worked tirelessly to make her leadership be about championing meaningful policies that strengthen the ability of businesses to grow the economy in a way that benefits all Australians.
Westacott has a lot of experience in making business work for the people as she built her profession in the public sector by working in senior leadership positions in Victorian and New South Wales governments.
Some of the positions Westacott has worked in are:
- NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning and National Resources (Director General)
- Victorian Department of Education and Training (Secretary)
- Housing in Victoria (Director)
- NSW Department of Community Services (Deputy Director General)
- NSW Department of Housing (Deputy Director General)
After her career in the NSW and Victorian public sectors, Westacott became a senior partner from 2005 to 2011 at KPMG in Sydney, Australia.
As a senior partner at KPMG, Westacott advised major corporations on climate change and sustainability while advising local governments across Australia on significant reform priorities.
Alongside working as the Chief Executive of the Business Council of Australia, Westacott has served as a Non-Executive Director of Wesfarmers Limited since 2013.
Here Are Some Facts About Jennifer Westacott
| 59-61 |
| $1-5 Million |
| Businesswoman |
| Australian |
| Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) |
| Chief Executive of the Business Council of Australia (BCA) |
| 1994 – Present |
Who Is Jennifer Westacott’s Partner?
Business Executive Jennifer Westacott has been in a relationship with her partner, Tess Shannon, for 35 years.
Westacott has nothing but warm words for her partner and has described her as her best friend and soul mate.
Westacott has stated that she sometimes feels awkward talking about her partner because she is still reeling from the hurt, loneliness, and isolation she felt when first coming out to family and friends.
Westacott has gone through a lot. She once shared the story of how a doctor wrote that she had social problems on her file due to her being in a relationship with a woman.
Throughout her career, Westacott has ensured that no queer person has to endure all the humiliation and agony she has to endure.
After a bit of controversy due to some comments she made in May deemed transphobic, Westacott has become even more overt about her support for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Westacott has repeatedly highlighted that only 59% of LGBTQ employees are out at work. This number has decreased from a high of 67% pre-COVID, but the number of queer women out at work has increased and is now equal to gay men.
Learn More About Jennifer Westacott- A Look At Her Early Life
Business executive Jennifer Westacott grew up in Springfield, New South Wales, Australia.
Westacott completed her secondary education at Henry Kendall High School. After graduating, she completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of New South Wales.
Westacott has added to her education by getting a Graduate Management Certificate from the Monash Mt Eliza Business School. The executive is also a Chevening Scholar at the London School of Economics.
Westacott famously stated that she always felt like an outsider while growing up. According to the executive, it took her a long time to be completely comfortable in her skin.
Westacott still feels uncomfortable about many aspects of her life, but being a public figure, she has had to overcome her fears and face them, which she has done admirably.
As a sort of face for the queer face of Australia, especially the queer women of Australia, Westacott has come a long way from the outsider she once was.
Not only has she received an honorary doctorate from the University of New South Wales in 2017, but the next year Westacott was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia.
The recognition came about for her service to the development of policy and reform, equity and business, and cross-sector collaboration.
Read more about Australian public figures: What Was Judith Durham’s Net Worth At Death? The Australian Singer Died A Wealthy Woman
More About Jennifer Westacott- What Is Her Age?
Business Executive Jennifer Walcott has not revealed her age to the public, but it is hypothesized that she is anywhere between 59 to 61.
Westacott speaking about her personal life is a very new thing. Although she has never been someone who intentionally shields information about her life, she also has never welcomed public attention.
Westacott talking about her relationship with Tess Shannon, and that too in such a public medium as a newspaper is something that the public wouldn’t have seen early in her career, even though Westacott has been out for a long time, and her relationship with her partner has spanned multiple decades.
Despite her many challenges, Westacott has built a career that is still expanding decades after she started it.
In early 2023, Wetacott will take up the lauded role of the Chancellor of the University of Western Sydney and be the first woman to serve in the role.