QUT has welcomed Andrew Liveris AO, President of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee, to Brisbane as the keynote speaker at the QUT Business Leaders' Forum.
The sold-out event at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre brought together leaders from government, business, and community to hear Mr Liveris share his perspectives on leadership and present his vision for the legacy of the Games.
Mr Liveris, an internationally recognised business leader and former Chair and Chief Executive Officer of global materials science company, Dow, spoke about the transformative opportunity of the 2032 Games, from driving economic growth and innovation to creating sustainable infrastructure and inspiring future generations.
Mr Liveris outlined some of the major challenges faced in his corporate roles and how that leadership experience has prepared him for his current role as President of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee.
Driven by ambition for the country, Mr Liveris said he was inspired by the same positive attitude shown by United States President John F. Kennedy in the 1960s, when Kennedy predicted that astronauts would land on the Moon by the end of the decade.
"What better platform, ambition wise, for the country, for the state, for the city, than to host the world," Mr Liveris said.
"Every conversation I have about this is a positive one."
QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil AO said the university was proud to host such an influential discussion as Queensland moves toward Brisbane 2032.
"Andrew Liveris has a deep understanding of what it takes to deliver an event of this scale while ensuring it leaves a lasting legacy," Professor Sheil said.
"His insights help us frame the Games not just as a competition, but as a generational opportunity to shape the future for the people of our city and our nation."
Andrew Liveris was joined on stage by award-winning Australian journalist and QUT Outstanding Alumnus Ellen Fanning, who moderated the conversation.
QUT Chancellor Ann Sherry AO concluded the event with a vote of thanks to Andrew Liveris and to the sponsors who support the QUT Business Leaders' Forum series including primary sponsors BDO and SAP.
Professor Sheil said QUT's proximity to the multi-billion-dollar Olympic sporting precinct in Victoria Park, along with the neighbouring Herston Health Precinct, would unlock significant opportunities for QUT students and facilitate world-class teaching and translational research in sports science and real-world health solutions.
"There are exciting opportunities for collaboration and partnership through our connection to these sites that will deliver an unparalleled, world-class precinct to advance Queensland's knowledge economies," Professor Sheil said.
"We are focused on shaping Queensland's next generation workforce, supporting our communities, growing the QUT Elite Sport Program, establishing new pathways into medicine, and ensuring our research has real-world impact."
For more than 20 years the QUT Business Leaders' Forum has been Brisbane's pre-eminent public platform for corporate, political and community leaders to share their leadership journeys and insights on the issues shaping business and society.
QUT is proud to bring global perspectives and thought leadership to Queensland through the Forum, strengthening connections between education, industry, and the community.
The QUT Business Leaders' Forum series will return in 2026.
Main picture: QUT Business Leaders' Forum Moderator Ellen Fanning with Brisbane 2032 President Andrew Liveris AO. Photo: QUT
