Mentor
Ross Pilling
Overview
Ross is an experienced international business leader whose senior executive career with BASF and BOC in Australia, Asia and Europe spanned more than 30 years across the chemicals, manufacturing and services industries.
His executive career covered a wide range of commercial, operational and business management roles in complex, capital-intensive environments. In Malaysia he was the founding Managing Director of BASF’s Asia Pacific Shared Service Centre, responsible for providing finance, HR and IT services to more than 10,000 employees across 60 companies in 16 Asian countries. From 2008 until his retirement in 2016 he was Chair and Managing Director of BASF Australia and New Zealand, where he designed and implemented a successful business transformation programme and led the local integration of four global acquisitions, driving operational synergies cultural change and a doubling of revenues.
Ross is currently a Non-Executive Director of Note Printing Australia Ltd and Independent Chair of Jupiter Ionics Pty Ltd. His previous governance roles include Chair of Swinburne University’s Industry Research Advisory Committee, Non-Executive Director of Kotzur Pty Ltd, Deputy National President of the Australian Industry Group, Chair of the Victorian Government’s Advanced Manufacturing Advisory Council, membership of the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Forum to COAG and the Governance Board of Environment Protection Authority Victoria.
He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.
Ross brings deep cross-sector expertise in:
• Chemicals, manufacturing & industrials – navigating and leading complex, highly matrixed, multinational businesses and working with technology startups and family businesses across Australia, Asia and Europe.
• Global operations, shared services & integration – building and running large shared-service centres, integrating acquisitions and driving efficiency and service quality at scale.
• Business transformation & growth – designing and executing programmes that align strategy, operations and culture to deliver sustained performance improvement.
• Governance, regulation & industry policy – contributing to industry bodies, government forums and regulatory boards on competitiveness and environmental responsibility.
• Leadership development & mentoring – supporting senior leaders with international, multi-cultural insight, creating space for reflection, challenge and practical action.
As a mentor, Ross draws on this breadth of experience across industries, geographies and cultures. Inquisitive and open-minded, he provides strategic context, creates transparency and helps leaders refine their options so they can realise their full potential. He is motivated by the challenge of helping senior executives and teams see their businesses in a wider system, clarify where they can have the greatest impact and navigate change with integrity and confidence.
PDF Profile
Download PDFMajor Career Roles
BASF Australia and New Zealand
Chair & Managing Director
BASF Asia Pacific Service Centre Sdn Bhd
Managing Director
Other Career Highlights
Jupiter Ionics Pty Ltd
Chair
Kotzur Pty Ltd
Non-Executive Director
Note Printing Australia Ltd
Non-Executive Director
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