Vale Bob Baxt AO FAICDLife

AICD Chairman Elizabeth Proust AO said Mr Baxt’s extraordinary contribution to the AICD over several decades was second to none.

“Over the course of almost 40 years Bob has made a lasting contribution to the AICD through his generous contributions to the education of directors on governance law and practice,” she said.

“The Institute and its members, and Australia’s economy more broadly, have been the beneficiaries of this service and expertise. The governance community has lost a shining light and his work will live on for generations.”

Bob is the author of Duties and Responsibilities of Directors and Officers, which has been the authoritative text for directors, lawyers, academics and governance practitioners for over 30 years.

In addition to his monthly Directors’ Counsel column in the AICD’s Company Director magazine which he has authored for more than 30 years, Bob chaired the AICD’s Law Committee since its inception in 1994.

In 1975 Bob authored the company law section of the inaugural Chartered Directors’ Course. Launching the course, the (then) Company Directors’ Association noted that ‘[u]ntil now, there has been no single course designed to equip directors and potential directors with the knowledge necessary to conduct the affairs of a company.’

More than 40 years later, the continued success and relevance of the AICD’s Company Directors Course is a testament to the vision and success of Bob’s work.

On behalf of all at the AICD, the Board extends their heartfelt condolences to Bob’s wife Ruth and their family.