Rick Allert
Richard Hugh "Rick" Allert AO is an Australian businessman who was chair of Tourism Australia from 2007 to 2012. Before this, he worked with Carroll Winter & Co Chartered Accountants from 1959 to 1960, and then with Peat Marwick Mitchell & Company from 1960; he was a partner with them from 1973 to 1979. He was a senior partner of Allert Heard & Co Chartered Accountants (1979–89) until it was acquired by the then Arthur Andersen & Co in 1989. He was chair of Southcorp (1989–2002). In 1995, he was appointed a director of Coles Myer. He was chair of Coles Myer  from 2002 until it was acquired by Wesfarmers in 2007. Allert is also chair of AXA Asia Pacific Holdings Ltd, Voyages Hotels & Resorts Pty Ltd and a Director of the Australia Business Arts Foundation. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1997, an Honorary Doctor of the University of South Australia in 2000, awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001, and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2008. • Chairman of the James Morrison Academy of Music Awards. In 2011, Rick Allert was the recipient of The Ernst & Young Champion of Entrepreneurship  Award, Central Region. This award is given to those individuals "with a long-term record of outstanding entrepreneurial achievement, who have driven the growth of an Australian company, or companies over a sustained period of time and made a significant contribution to their community."