dr andrew forrest ao

Chairman and Founder,
Fortescue Metals Group, Fortescue Future Industries,
Minderoo Foundation and Tattarang

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As Founder and Chairman, Dr Andrew Forrest AO has led Fortescue Metals Group from inception to a US$60 billion listed natural resources company that’s invested more than US$40 billion developing some of the world’s most efficient infrastructure.

Fortescue is Australia’s highest growth company over the last two decades and has devoted its future to leading the decarbonisation of the world’s heavy industry. 

In 2021, Fortescue announced its commitment to become zero-emissions by 2030, and created Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), a developer, financier, and operator of a global portfolio of renewable energy resources to produce green energy at a scale equal to the oil and gas super-majors. 

In 2001, Andrew co-founded Minderoo Foundation with his wife Nicola, and to date they’ve donated more than US$1.6 billion supporting 300+ initiatives addressing modern slavery, ocean health, cancer, indigenous disparity, childhood development, artificial intelligence, disaster resilience, and plastic waste. 

Andrew grew up farming sheep and cattle with his family at Minderoo Station. Today, Minderoo Station is managed by Harvest Road, a company of Tattarang. Tattarang is one of Australia’s largest and most diverse agri-food businesses, striving to lead global progress in environmental sustainability and animal welfare, as it shares Western Australia’s best produce with over forty countries around world.  

Harvest Road is leading a No Pain No Fear initiative to collaborate with Australian industry on animal welfare and Leeuwin Coast was the first aquaculture products in Australia to be certified carbon neutral.

Dr Forrest has a PhD in Marine Ecology from the University of Western Australia, and serves as an IUCN Patron of Nature, a World Economic Forum Friend of Ocean Action, and a member of the United Nations Environment Program’s Scientific Advisory Committee on the Assessment on Marine Litter and Microplastics. 

In 2017, Dr Forrest was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to philanthropy, mining, employment, and sustainable foreign investment.