Catherine Livingstone facts for kids

Catherine Brighid Livingstone, born on September 17, 1955, is a highly respected Australian businesswoman. She has held many important leadership roles in major companies and organizations. These include the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, CSIRO, Macquarie Bank, and Telstra.

Early Life and Learning Journey

Catherine Brighid Livingstone was born in Nairobi, Kenya. This was on September 17, 1955. In 1960, her family moved to Australia.

She went to Loreto Normanhurst School. Later, she studied at Macquarie University in Sydney. In 1977, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting. She graduated with top honors. In 1992, she also attended a special program for executives in Switzerland.

A Career in Business Leadership

After university, Catherine Livingstone started her career at Price Waterhouse, an accounting firm. She worked in both Sydney and London. She then took on various accounting and management roles at Nucleus Ltd. She eventually became the CEO of Cochlear Limited in 1994. Cochlear is a company known for making hearing implants. She was a director of Cochlear (UK) Limited and Cochlear Europe until 2000.

Leading Major Companies

In 2000, Catherine became the Chair of Telstra Corporation. Telstra is one of Australia's biggest telecommunications companies. She held this important position until 2016.

In 2001, she joined the board of CSIRO. This is Australia's national science agency. Later that year, she became its Chair, leading the organization until 2006.

From 2003 to 2013, she was a director at Macquarie Bank and Macquarie Group. These are major financial services companies.

From 2013 to 2016, she was the President of the Business Council of Australia. This group represents many of Australia's top businesses.

In January 2017, Catherine became the Chair of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA). This is one of the largest banks in Australia. She worked to improve the bank's culture and how it operated. She retired from this role in August 2022, after almost six years.

Supporting Arts and Education

Catherine Livingstone has also contributed to arts and education. She was a director of the Royal Institution of Australia. From 2012 to 2017, she was the President of the Australian Museum Trust.

Since 2013, she has been a patron of the Australian Design Innovation Network. This group helps connect design, science, and business. She has also supported research at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

In December 2016, Catherine became the Chancellor of the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). She continues in this role today. Since 2017, she has also been a director of The Australian Ballet.

Awards and Special Recognition

Catherine Livingstone has received many awards for her contributions. These honors recognize her leadership in business, science, and education.

• 1999: Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship for Australia
• 2001: Centenary Medal, for service to Australian society in business leadership
• 2001: Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE)
• 2008: Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), for her work in science, technology, and business
• 2009: Honorary Doctorate in Science from Murdoch University
• 2010: Honorary Degree of Doctor of Business from Macquarie University
• 2014: Honorary Degree of Doctor of Business from UTS, for her leadership in design, science, and supporting women in business
• 2014: Honorary Doctor of Letters from The University of Sydney
• 2014: Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science
• 2015: Honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Wollongong
• 2024: Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), for her outstanding service to business, education, science, and the arts