Meet John Grill AO

Leading Australian business figure John Grill AO has been a leading driver in project management research and education being conducted at the University of Sydney for nearly a decade.

John Grill is the current Chairman and was the former Chief Executive of international resources and energy company Worley.

Under his leadership, Worley has become a global enterprise providing specialist design and project services in the civil, structural, environmental, geotechnical and coastal marine fields.

John began his distinguished career with Esso Australia and in 1971 established Wholohan, Grill and Partners as a specialised engineering practice in the oil and gas industry.

His influence on Australian society was acknowledged in the 2014 round of Australia Day Honours with the receipt of an Officer in the Order of Australia award.

John was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Sydney in 2010 in recognition of his contribution to the engineering profession, and in 2019 was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of New South Wales.

John is also Chairman of the Mindgardens Alliance: a partnership between the Black Dog Institute, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD) and the University of New South Wales.

John Grill’s work on many of the world’s largest mining and infrastructure projects has given him the insight and drive to inspire the next generation of project leaders.