24 Facts About Rod Eddington

Rod Eddington was first appointed to the board of News Corporation in 1999 and still serves on the News Corp board, as well as the board of another of Rupert Murdoch's companies, 21st Century Fox, as well as the Herald and Weekly Times in Victoria.

Rod Eddington is chair of JP Morgan's Asia-Pacific Advisory Council, chair of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, and a member of the APEC Business Advisory Council.

Rod Eddington has served in other senior positions including as CEO of British Airways.

Rod Eddington studied engineering at the University of Western Australia and graduated with first class honours in 1972.

Rod Eddington continued his studies at UWA and completed the degree of Master of Engineering.

In 1974, Rod Eddington was the Rhodes Scholar from Western Australia.

Rod Eddington completed his DPhil in the Department of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford and played eight first-class cricket matches for Oxford University Cricket Club in 1975 and 1976.

Rod Eddington joined the Swire Group in 1979, working for its subsidiary Cathay Pacific, before being appointed Managing Director in 1992.

Rod Eddington was appointed Deputy Chairman of News Limited in September 1998.

Rod Eddington was further promoted to the News Corporation board in September 1999.

Rod Eddington replaced former British Airways CEO Bob Ayling on 2 May 2000.

Rod Eddington reversed many of the policies of his predecessor in early 2001, such as the unpopular ethnic-art tailfins.

Rod Eddington steered the company in the aftermath of the 11 September 2001 attacks on New York City and Washington, DC.

Rod Eddington stepped down as chief executive officer of British Airways on 30 September 2005, after more than five years in the position.

Rod Eddington then returned to Australia to take up a position as the head of the Victorian Major Events Association, succeeding Steve Vizard.

Rod Eddington was replaced by Willie Walsh in October 2005 after he had followed a six-month shadow position.

In February 2006, Rod Eddington served as a non-executive board member of JPMorgan representing Australia and New Zealand.

Rod Eddington was appointed to the board of Lion in March 2011, and appointed chair in March 2012.

Rod Eddington joined the parent company's board in March 2020, and holds these positions as of December 2020.

On 1 December 2006, Rod Eddington published a UK government-sponsored report into the future of Britain's transport infrastructure.

At the launch of the report Eddington told journalists and transport industry representatives introducing road pricing to encourage drivers to drive less was an "economic no-brainer".

Rod Eddington has since delivered a report to the Victorian Government of Australia, the East West Link Needs Assessment report, which was met with mixed reactions.

Rod Eddington is a Council member of the Royal Institution of Australia.

Rod Eddington received a British knighthood in 2005 for services to the aviation industry.