Dr Bob Every has been awarded the UNSW 2009 Alumni Award in the Science category. This is a well-deserved recognition of Bob’s very significant contributions to the Australian metallurgy and materials industry. Bob is also a longstanding contributor to the School of Material’s Visiting Committee and a champion of its scholarship programs.

The UNSW Alumni Awards for Achievement are made to eminent UNSW alumni in Australia and throughout the world who have made outstanding contributions to their community, have stimulated new ideas and services and have shown exceptional dedication, creativity or leadership. The following certainly confirms Bob’s achievement in all of these criteria.

Bob enrolled in a Bachelor’s Degree in Metallurgy at UNSW, following a visit to his high school by Sir Rupert Myers. He completed this in UNSW in 1968, followed by a Doctorate in 1971, under the supervision of Max Hatherly.

After a brief time in Industrial Research, Bob pursued a management career predominantly with Tubemakers of Australia Ltd, Australia’s largest steel pipe and tube manufacturer and distributor. From 1982 onwards he held various senior executive positions with Tubemakers, including CEO of Steel & Tube Holdings Limited in New Zealand from 1988-91. In 1995, he was appointed Managing Director of Tubemakers. After the takeover of Tubemakers by BHP in mid-1996, he worked on for BHP where his first role was as Group General Manager International Division (Steel) where he was responsible for the construction, commissioning, ramp-up and business development of steel mills, steelmaking and processing plants in the USA, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Saudi Arabia – an investment program amounting to some US$1.5b. He held a number of other senior roles in BHP Steel before becoming President in early 1999.

Upon becoming President of BHP Steel, the then Managing Director (Paul Anderson) asked him to developed a strategic plan for BHP Steel that would generate cash and downsize BHP’s exposure to Steel. It was from this study that the spin-out of OneSteel originated.

OneSteel was spun out as a public company with Bob as Managing Director & CEO in February 2000. Bob then led OneSteel through the listing process amid one of the worst steel markets in two decades and with a market capitalisation of $350 million and a heavy debt burden which peaked at $1.2 billion. By 2005 when he retired from OneSteel, the company had paid off $500 million of debt and had a market capitalisation of approximately $1.5 billion. Through extensive restructuring, OneSteel achieved three consecutive years of record profits from 2002, under Bob’s stewardship.

Since 2005, Bob has pursued a career as a non-executive director and is currently Chairman of Wesfarmers Ltd and Iluka Ltd. He is also a former member of the Business Council of Australia, President’s Council of the Art Gallery of New South Wales and Chairman of CARE Australian Corporate Council.

In 2000, Bob was awarded a Centenary Medal for service to Australian society in Metallurgy. He is also a Fellow of The Institution of Engineers, Australia, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.