Anthony Joseph Pratt

Anthony Joseph Pratt (born 1960), an Australian businessman, is Chairman and CEO of Pratt Industries and Global Chairman of Visy Industries, the world’s largest privately owned paper and packaging company. With an assessed net worth of A$7.64 billion in 2014, Pratt is ranked as the second richest Australian according to the BRW magazine.

Pratt was born in Melbourne, Victoria to Richard Pratt and Jeanne Pratt AC.

He graduated from Monash University, Melbourne, with a Bachelor of Economics (Hons) in 1982 and joined the consulting firm of McKinsey & Co, before joining Visy as Joint General Manager of Visy Board. In 1988, he became Deputy Chairman of Pratt Industries. Three years later, he moved to the United States to lead the company's expansion there. Over the next 15 years, Pratt Industries grew 15-fold in sales and earnings, through greenfield initiatives and the acquisition of several corrugated manufacturing companies which now form the heart of Pratt Industries. Company revenues grew from US$100 million in 1991; and by 2013 revenue was US$1.5 billion. During that same period, Pratt Industries grew from the 46th largest corrugated box producer in the U.S. to the 5th largest. It is the only major paper company that is 100 percent recycled. Pratt now employs more than 4000 workers at its mills and box plants throughout USA – more Americans than any other Australian company. In addition, Pratt's Visy employs 5000 people in Australia. The number of U.S. employees is set to grow in the wake of the recent announcement that Pratt would begin construction of a fourth, 100% percent recycled paper mill near Chicago in 2014.

Although Pratt remains Chairman of the American arm of the family’s packaging empire, he returned to Australia to take over as Executive Chairman of Visy following the 2009 death of his father, Richard. Visy's corporate reputation index ranking went from #43 to #3 between 2009 and 2011. On a lighter note Pratt, who sings, has performed with various great songwriters including Burt Bacharach and Paul Anka on stage at Visy's customer trade shows (See video on YouTube "Anthony Pratt entertains his box customers")

Pratt sits on the National Board of the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky, and is also active in numerous charity organizations throughout Australia and the United States. In 1998, he arranged for Muhammad Ali to visit Australia for the Australian Football League grand final as well as a subsequent trip two years later. Pratt is a member of the Climate Group, a leading international environmental group founded by former British prime minister Tony Blair. He has been honoured for his efforts by Mikhail Gorbachev's Global Green USA and Ted Turner's Captain Planet Foundation. Pratt is a member of the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.

In 2007, Pratt committed to former President Clinton’s Global Initiative to invest more than $1 billion over the ensuing decade in recycling infrastructure and clean energy, citing recycling as an important but underestimated weapon in the fight against climate change because landfills emit more greenhouse gases than all of global aviation. He fulfilled his pledge five years early.[ This included the construction of four clean energy plants around the world, which combined have reduced the company's carbon footprint by 250,000 short tons (230,000 t) a year.[citation needed] In 2009, Pratt was honored by the New York-based Foreign Policy Association Award with its Leadership in Corporate and Social Responsibility Award. In 2010, the American Australian Association honored him at its annual benefit gala for enhancing the Australian-American relationship. On a video played that night and later posted on YouTube entitled Anthony Pratt Visy Video, many business, sports and political leaders including Rupert Murdoch, Muhammad Ali and President George H. W. Bush spoke of Pratt’s achievements in the USA.

Since returning to Australia, Pratt has taken a strong interest in sustainable agriculture, food security and water issues, stating frequently that his motivation is that 70% of his Australian customers are in the food and beverage sector.

In April 2013, Pratt gave the keynote address at the Global Food Forum, a major international conference on food security he organized in partnership with The Australian newspaper. He said it was possible for Australia to sustainably quadruple its current food production through greater support for farmers and food companies and eventually feed 200 million people. The conference attracted leading political, agribusiness, food industry and academic figures. Pratt also supports the work of Outcomes Australia an organisation chaired by former Governor-General Michael Jeffery, which promotes the regeneration of Australian landscape and soils.

In September 2013, Pratt was elected an executive member of the Australia-Japan Business Cooperation Committee, a group dedicated for more than 50 years to strengthening ties between the two countries. In October 2013, Prime Minister Tony Abbott invited Pratt on an official visit to Indonesia – the first overseas trip by the incoming leader. Later that month Pratt announced that former advisor to President Obama and the outgoing US Ambassador to Australia Jeffrey Bleich would join the Pratt Group advisory board.

Pratt was awarded an honorary PhD by Monash University for an “outstanding career of achievement and service to philanthropy, business and commerce.”[citation needed]

Pratt first appeared on the BRW Rich 200 in 2009, following the death of his father earlier that year, and debuted as the richest person in Australia with a net worth of A$4.3 billion. In subsequent years, his wealth has risen, however the rapid growth of those with interests in the Australian resources sector have dominated the list by value.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Pratt_%28businessman%29