Dr Roberts grew up on a mixed farm southwest of Wynyard. After studying at the University of Tasmania, he started his career as a high school teacher and then moved on to sales and marketing management in the dairy and secondary industry.
He later moved into investment banking and has held various public director and chairman roles in the banking, automotive, media, education and food and agribusiness sectors, including roles at County NatWest, Webster, The Advocate, Examiner Newspapers, The University of Tasmania, Tassal, AGW Funds Management, various proprietary companies.
Dr Roberts has been a Fellow of the AICD since the late 1980s and has served as a national member on the Tax and Economics Committee, on the Tasmanian State Council and as a non-executive director of AICD national board until his retirement in August 2018.
Currently, Dr Roberts is a director at Tasmanian Vintners, Tasmania's largest winery and a
non-executive director of the Royal Flying Doctors Tasmanian division.
Tasmanian/Victorian State Manager, Evan Dukas MAICD, said Dr Roberts has been a prominent member of the Tasmanian business community and supporter of the AICD for many years.
"Rod has clearly demonstrated his career-long dedication to the Institute and his on-going support of the wider community here in Tasmania. He is a very worthy recipient of the Gold Medal Award."
Dr Roberts said he was delighted to receive this award from his peers.
"Being a director is an important undertaking and I am pleased to have played a role in a number of enterprises. An important bonus is that I have met a large number of interesting and dedicated people, many of whom remain good friends today."
