27 Facts About Greg Combet

Gregory Ivan Combet is the chairman of Australia's sovereign wealth fund, the Future Fund.

Greg Combet is a former Labor politician and Cabinet Minister, former Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, former leader of profit-to-member superannuation funds and chair of investment manager IFM Investors.

Greg Combet was elected member for the New South Wales Federal seat of Charlton for the Australian Labor Party at the 2007 election and was immediately appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Procurement in the First Rudd Ministry on 3 December 2007.

Greg Combet was the Minister for Climate Change, Industry and Innovation in the Second Gillard Ministry before announcing his resignation from the ministry on 26 June 2013 following Julia Gillard's defeat in a leadership ballot.

Greg Combet previously served as Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change, when Penny Wong was the Minister.

In 2020, Greg Combet was appointed to the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission to "provide strategic and policy advice" for the Morrison Coalition government.

Greg Combet was born in Sydney and attended Eastern Creek Primary school, then Rooty Hill High School from years 7 to 10.

Greg Combet completed his secondary education at Baulkham Hills High School.

Greg Combet was later educated at the University of New South Wales where he studied mining engineering, and then graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Economics, and a Graduate Diploma in Labour Relations and the Law.

Greg Combet was a project officer for the New South Wales Tenants' Union, before working for the Lidcombe Workers' Health Centre.

Over his time at the ACTU, Greg Combet has co-ordinated many union campaigns, and rose to prominence during the 1998 Australian waterfront dispute.

Greg Combet led successful campaigns to secure entitlements and compensation for the staff of the collapsed airline Ansett Australia and asbestos victims of the James Hardie company.

On 4 May 2007 Greg Combet announced his intention to run for the safe Labor seat of Charlton in Newcastle, New South Wales.

Greg Combet stood down as ACTU Secretary to campaign full-time in Charlton in the lead up to the federal election.

Greg Combet was elected as the new member for Charlton on 24 November 2007 as part of the ALP's victory in the 2007 Australian federal election, achieving a two party preferred swing of 4.47 per cent, winning 62.87 per cent of the two party vote.

In February 2009, Greg Combet was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change, with a focus on emissions trading, to assist Climate Change Minister Senator Penny Wong.

Greg Combet was re-elected to Charlton at the 2010 federal election, suffering a post-redistribution two party swing of 0.24 per cent, winning 62.67 per cent of the two party vote.

Greg Combet had decided to step down over health concerns prior to Prime Minister Gillard's defeat in a leadership spill on 26 June 2013, but brought this decision forward and announced he would step down as minister and not contest his seat in the upcoming election.

Since leaving parliament, Greg Combet has worked as a consultant to unions, governments and business and as a company director.

Greg Combet worked primarily with industry superannuation funds from 2013 to 2024 and in December 2018 became chair of Industry Super Australia and Chair of IFM Investors, a global asset management business owned by the industry superannuation funds.

In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, Greg Combet was appointed to "provide strategic and policy advice" for the Liberal Morrison government.

Greg Combet will become chairman of the Future Fund in February 2024.

On 12 June 2006, Greg Combet was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for service to industrial relations and through advocacy for the improved health and safety of workers, including people affected by asbestos-related diseases, and to the community.

Greg Combet was promoted to Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2024 King's Birthday Honours.

Greg Combet is separated from his second wife and in 2012 began a relationship with ABC-TV newsreader Juanita Phillips, who he lives with on the Northern Beaches.

Greg Combet is the son of a winemaker and grew up on the Penfolds Minchinbury Estate in western Sydney.

In 2014, Greg Combet published his autobiography The Fights of My Life.