Bill Ferris AC was the inaugural Chair of Innovation and Science Australia from 2015 to 2018.
Bill’s former recent directorships include: Chairman, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and Chair of the Federal Government’s Health and Hospitals Fund Advisory Board. Other former directorships include: Chairman, Accolade Wines Australia and UK, Austar United Communications, Australian Trade Commission (Austrade); Macquarie University Asia Pacific Council; and Director, Garvan Research Foundation, Austal Ltd and Australian Institute of Management (NSW) Ltd. Bill also joined the expert panel for the Federal Government’s Strategic Review of Health and Medical Research in October 2011 and was a member of the Harvard Business School Asia Pacific Advisory Council from 2010 – 2019.
Bill was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1990 for services to the export industry and in 2008 was made Companion in the Order of Australia for his philanthropic activities, as a leader in support of medical research and his role in the establishment of the private equity sector in Australia.
Bill is the author of 3 books:
“Really Making a Difference” published December 1993, “Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained” published March 2000, and “Inside Private Equity”, published January 2013.