John Bertrand

Skippering Australia II to victory over the American yacht Liberty in the 1983 America's Cup ended a winning streak that had run for 132 years, the longest in modern sporting history. That result sits alongside a 25-year competitive career for John Bertrand that included five America's Cups, two Olympic Games and a triple world sailing championship. His academic record runs in parallel: an honours degree in mechanical engineering from Monash, a Master of Science from MIT, and later an honorary doctorate from Victoria University. He has also served as a Vice Chancellor Professorial Fellow at Monash. He built ventures spanning the marine industry, property and media, including a digital media company listed on NASDAQ, and chaired Swimming Australia from 2013 to 2020. His other roles have included chairing the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.