John Thwaites is a Professor of Practice in Sustainability at Monash University Business School and Chair of the McKinnon Institute for Political Leadership.

He is a Co-Chair of the Leadership Council of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (“SDSN”) and Chair SDSN Association Inc.

John has chaired many other organisations including the Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Climateworks Centre, the Biodiversity Council, Melbourne Water, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, the Australian Building Codes Board, the Circular Economy Ministerial Advisory Group to the Australian Government and the National Sustainable Development Council.

John was appointed Member of the Order of Australia for “significant service to the environment and to the people and Parliament of Victoria” in the 2021 Australia Day Honours.

John Thwaites was Deputy Premier of Victoria from 1999 until his retirement in 2007. During this period, he held various Ministerial portfolios including Minister of Health, Minister of Environment and was Victoria’s first Minister for Climate Change.