Miners lead the way on influence

WA Business News’s annual ranking of the state’s most influential people is dominated more than ever by miners and big business for the simple reason that they are driving the state’s remarkable economic growth.

Three iron ore miners are included in our listing of Western Australia’s 10 most influential people, reflecting that sector’s enormous contribution to the state’s current prosperity.

The listing of the state’s most influential is based on consultation with a wide range of people in business, politics and the community.

It recognises that influence can be achieved in many ways: through policy decisions; by leading public opinion; and by making commercial investment decisions.

An ability to stop things happening is also a measure of influence.

Premier Alan Carpenter remains the state’s most influential person because he can wield influence in all of these ways.

His government has been wracked by controversy over the past year, with three ministers forced to resign and others being demoted.

This has reinforced the influence of a handful of senior ministers, led by Health Minister and ‘left’ faction leader, Jim McGinty, and Deputy Premier Eric Ripper.

Outside of the political sphere, the mining industry has been reshaping WA.

Three iron ore miners – Rio Tinto Ltd, BHP Billiton Ltd and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd – are spending about $16 billion expanding their WA operations and have signalled their intention to spend even more.

That kind of spending has an enormous impact on a vast array of businesses, from geologists and engineers to lawyers, construction firms and caterers.

The iron ore industry’s influence extends far beyond its direct commercial impact. It has helped to fill the government’s coffers, it has profoundly affected industrial relations debate, and it has led the growth of fly-in fly-out work, one of the most significant social changes in WA’s history.

Hence, the list of WA’s most influential people continues to include Sam Walsh, the Perth-based global chief executive of Rio’s iron ore business.

He is joined on the top 10 list by Ian Ashby, who has moved up the management hierarchy at BHP to become global president of its iron ore business.

Also joining the top 10 is FMG’s chief executive, Andrew Forrest, who is well on the way to achieving his goal of becoming the ‘third force’ in the Pilbara.

Mr Forrest has a patchy business history, has been charged by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and been shunned by major Australian investors.

But despite that, he has gained international backing for his $3.5 billion iron ore project, which is due to ship its first ore in May next year.

A third addition to the top 10 list is Wesfarmers’ quietly spoken managing director, Richard Goyder.

He has been running the state’s biggest industrial company for two years and is starting to make his mark.

Wesfarmers has completed a couple of acquisitions on his watch and is leading the bidding for Coles Group, which would be Australia’s biggest corporate takeover and have a transformational effect on Wesfarmers.

Woodside managing director Don Voelte has become increasingly known for his brash, outspoken manner, famously labelling arguments over the state government’s contentious domestic gas reservation policy as an “absolute joke” earlier this year.

Apart from the political controversy, Woodside is by far the state’s biggest resources company and is a huge investor in the expanding oil and gas sector.

In the next month or two, it is expected to formally proceed with the $10 billion Pluto gas project, which would be the single largest investment in a resource project in Australia’s history.

Former Wesfarmers managing director Michael Chaney will become chairman of Woodside at the end of July, reinforcing his status as one of WA’s most influential people.

Mr Chaney is one of Australia’s most respected business figures and, as president of the Business Council, has played an important role in national political debate, particularly over industrial relations policy.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA chief executive John Langoulant is also among the state’s most influential people.

He is a forceful advocate for the business community, has been engaged by the state government to work on major reviews and has been appointed a member of the Council of Australian Government’s reform committee.

Dropping off the top 10 list this year is former Alinta Ltd managing director Bob Browning, who is leaving Australia to work in the US for Henderson ship builder Austal Ltd.

Also dropping off the list is Azure Capital executive chairman John Poynton.

He remains a highly influential figure in Perth but has slipped in the rankings for three reasons – he is no longer chairman of Alinta, his role as a director of construction company Multiplex will end once Canadian bidder Brookfield completes its agreed takeover, and he has been at the centre of one of Australia’s biggest corporate governance controversies over his role in the failed Alinta management buy-out proposal.