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Richard Goyder
AO
Chairman of the AFL Commission
In office
4 April 2017 – 4 March 2026
Preceded byMike Fitzpatrick
Succeeded byCraig Drummond
Chairman of Qantas
In office
26 October 2018 – 16 September 2024
Preceded byLeigh Clifford
Succeeded byJohn Mullen
Personal details
Born1960 (age 65–66)
Tambellup, Western Australia, Australia
EducationHale School
Alma materUniversity of Western Australia

Richard James Barr Goyder AO (born 1960) is an Australian businessman and sporting administrator who has chaired Woodside Energy since 2018. He was previously CEO and managing director of Wesfarmers from 2005 to 2017. Between 2018 and 2024, Goyder was the chairman of Qantas. He chaired the AFL Commission, the governing body of the Australian Football League, from 2017 to 2026.

At Wesfarmers, he oversaw the acquisition of Coles Group. His Qantas chairmanship encompassed the airline's post-pandemic financial recovery, customer-service failures, declining public trust and legal disputes. A 2024 governance review identified shortcomings in the board's oversight of management.

Personal life

[edit]

Goyder was born in 1960 at Tambellup, Western Australia, and was raised on his parents' farms at Tambellup and Broomehill.[1][2] He boarded at Hale School, Perth,[3] and then went on to the University of Western Australia, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.[4] Goyder played amateur football for several teams in the WAAFL, but did not progress to higher levels.[5]

Goyder is married with four children.[1] His son Matthew played WAFL football for Claremont.[6] In 2012, Goyder's main residence was reported to be in Mosman Park, WA (a riverside suburb of Perth).[4] A 2015 profile reported that he owned a holiday home in Augusta and a farm of 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) near Toodyay.[1]

Business career

[edit]

After graduating from university, Goyder worked in various positions at Tubemakers of Australia Ltd., an industrial conglomerate.[7]

Wesfarmers

[edit]

He joined Wesfarmers in 1993, and was initially posted to the company's Business Development Department. He was made managing director of Wesfarmers Dalgety (a subsidiary focusing on rural merchandise) in 1999. Wesfarmers Dalgety merged with IAMA in 2001 to form Wesfarmers Landmark, and Goyder initially stayed on as managing director of the new entity. The following year, he was appointed finance director of the main Wesfarmers company.[8][9]

Goyder became deputy managing director and chief financial officer of Wesfarmers in 2004,[10] and replaced Michael Chaney as CEO in July 2005.[8] In 2007, he oversaw the purchase of Coles Group for A$19.3 billion. This brought Coles Supermarkets, Kmart, Target, and Officeworks under the control of Wesfarmers.[11]

Goyder recruited Ian McLeod and Archie Norman to help turn around Coles, which adopted more competitive pricing. By early 2015, Wesfarmers' return on equity had recovered to double digits.[12] Guy Russo was appointed Kmart managing director in 2008 to turn around that business.[13]

Wesfarmers raised additional equity in 2008 and 2009 to address refinancing risks following the Coles acquisition. In 2015, Goyder said the share issues had proved unnecessary, but defended them as a safeguard during the global financial crisis.[14]

In February 2013, Goyder was chosen to chair the Australian B20 leadership group ahead of the 2014 B20 Summit in Sydney, a meeting of business leaders from the G20 countries.[15][16]

In December 2014, Coles was ordered to pay A$10 million in penalties for unconscionable conduct towards suppliers in 2011.[17] Goyder described the incidents as "morally indefensible" and outlined reforms including a supplier charter and independent arbitration.[12]

Wesfarmers acquired Homebase for A$705 million in 2016 to expand Bunnings into Britain and Ireland. After a roughly A$1 billion write-down, Goyder acknowledged in March 2018 that the company had changed Homebase's business model too quickly.[18] Wesfarmers agreed to sell the business for a nominal sum that May, after his departure.[19]

In Goyder's final full financial year, 2016–17, Wesfarmers' net profit recovered to A$2.87 billion, chiefly because of higher coal prices and the absence of the previous year's write-downs. Kmart and Officeworks increased earnings, while Coles' earnings declined.[20]

He announced his intention to resign as CEO of Wesfarmers in February 2017, with Rob Scott being appointed as his successor.[21] Scott succeeded him on 16 November 2017.[22]

Qantas

[edit]

Goyder joined the Qantas board in November 2017 and succeeded Leigh Clifford as chairman on 26 October 2018.[23] After three years of statutory losses during the COVID-19 pandemic, Qantas reported a record underlying pre-tax profit of A$2.47 billion in 2022–23.[24][25]

In 2022, Qantas faced criticism over cancellations, delays, mishandled baggage and lengthy call-centre waits. Goyder defended chief executive Alan Joyce in September as "the best CEO in Australia by a length of a straight".[26][27] He acknowledged unacceptable service failures, but cited industry-wide staffing problems and improving performance.[28]

In August 2023, Qantas removed expiry dates on COVID-era flight credits following criticism of its refund policies.[29] By September, Roy Morgan research showed it had fallen from among Australia's 20 most trusted brands to among its 20 most distrusted.[30] It ranked second most distrusted for the year to June 2024.[31]

In September 2023, the High Court of Australia upheld a finding that Qantas's 2020 outsourcing of approximately 1,700 ground-handling jobs breached the Fair Work Act 2009, because one purpose was to prevent employees exercising workplace rights.[32] Qantas was fined A$90 million in August 2025, after Goyder's retirement.[33]

Proceedings brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in August 2023 over ticket sales for cancelled flights and delayed passenger notifications resulted in an A$100 million penalty in October 2024, after Goyder's departure. Qantas also undertook to pay approximately A$20 million to affected customers.[34]

In September 2023, the Australian and International Pilots Association and Australian Shareholders' Association called for Goyder to resign.[35] He told a Senate inquiry that major shareholders wanted leadership continuity following Vanessa Hudson's appointment as chief executive and that he retained the board's confidence.[36]

On 11 October 2023, Qantas announced he would retire before its 2024 annual general meeting. Goyder apologised for mistakes and acknowledged customer-service and reputational problems.[37] At the November 2023 meeting, approximately 83 per cent of votes opposed the remuneration report.[38]

An August 2024 governance review commissioned by Qantas found that the board had been too deferential to Joyce and paid insufficient attention to customers, employees and non-financial risks other than safety. Qantas said it identified mistakes by the board and management but no deliberate wrongdoing in the matters examined. The board accepted accountability and committed to addressing all 32 recommendations.[39][40]

Goyder retired from Qantas on 16 September 2024 and was succeeded by John Mullen.[41] In June 2026, he acknowledged mistakes but defended the board's and Joyce's pandemic decisions as necessary for Qantas's survival and recovery.[42]

Other directorships

[edit]

Goyder joined the board of Woodside Petroleum in August 2017 and became chairman in April 2018. He has also chaired the Channel 7 Telethon Trust and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra since 2018, and the Perron Group since March 2025.[43]

Football administration

[edit]

Goyder served on the board of the Fremantle Football Club from 2006 to 2011, and then in September 2011 was appointed to the AFL Commission.[44] In February 2017, it was announced that he would succeed Mike Fitzpatrick as chairman, with his term beginning on 4 April 2017.[45]

On 5 September 2025, Goyder announced that he would retire from the AFL Commission in March 2026.[46][47]

Craig Drummond succeeded Goyder as chairman of the AFL Commission on 4 March 2026. During Goyder's chairmanship, the AFL Women's competition expanded to include all 18 AFL clubs, and the league approved a licence for a Tasmanian team.[48]

Honours

[edit]

In 2011, Goyder was awarded an honorary degree, the Doctor of Commerce, by the University of Western Australia.[49] He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 2013 Australia Day Honours, for "distinguished service to business through executive roles and through the promotion of corporate sponsorship of the arts and Indigenous programs, and to the community".[50]

In 2020, Goyder received an honorary Doctor of Commerce from Curtin University.[51]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 Julie-Anne Sprague, "Tambellup boy on the Wesfarmers' way", Farm Online, 2 April 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  2. ↑ "Richard Goyder's rise to AFL chairman". ESPN. Australian Associated Press. 15 February 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  3. ↑ ORDER OF AUSTRALIA AND IMPERIAL HONOURS, Old Haleians' Association. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  4. 1 2 Russell Quinn, "Ups of being down, down", PerthNow, 4 February 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  5. ↑ "Who is new AFL chairman Richard Goyder?", The Age, 15 February 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  6. ↑ WAFL
  7. ↑ Lucinda Schmidt, "On top of his game", Weekend Switzer, 31 October 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  8. 1 2 RICHARD GOYDER AO, Wesfarmers. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  9. ↑ "Seventh Chief Executive Richard Goyder Managing Director 2005–2017". Wesfarmers. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  10. ↑ "Richard Goyder AO". National Press Club of Australia. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  11. ↑ "Wesfarmers: Richard Goyder’s 10-year rise to retail royalty", The Australian, 1 August 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  12. 1 2 Sprague, Julie-Anne (April 2015). "Wesfarmers chief Richard Goyder on farming, the future and how Coles's conduct had been 'morally indefensible'". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  13. ↑ "Wesfarmers appoints new Kmart boss". ABC News. 22 September 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  14. ↑ Heffernan, Madeleine (5 May 2015). "Wesfarmers CEO Richard Goyder regrets GFC raisings". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  15. ↑ "Business kicks off national dialogue to maximise G20 opportunities" (Press release). Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 11 April 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  16. ↑ Message From the B20 Chair, B20 Australia 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  17. ↑ "Court finds Coles engaged in unconscionable conduct and orders Coles pay $10 million penalties" (Press release). Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  18. ↑ Stensholt, John (6 March 2018). "Bunnings moved 'too quickly' in the UK: former Wesfarmers CEO Richard Goyder". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  19. ↑ Letts, Stephen (25 May 2018). "Wesfarmers to sell UK Bunnings business facing a $400 million loss". ABC News. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  20. ↑ Janda, Michael (17 August 2017). "Wesfarmers profit surges on coal not Coles, dividend jumps". ABC News. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  21. ↑ Graeme Powell, "Wesfarmers' industrials chief Rob Scott to take reins from Richard Goyder", ABC News, 14 February 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  22. ↑ "Goyder hands over the reins at Wesfarmers". SBS News. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  23. ↑ Annual Report 2019 (PDF) (Report). Qantas. 2019. p. 24. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  24. ↑ Ainsworth, Kate; Pupazzoni, Rachel (24 August 2023). "Qantas customers say the airline's $1.7b profit result has come at the expense of their loyalty". ABC News. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  25. ↑ Annual Report 2023 (PDF) (Report). Qantas. 2023. p. 5. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  26. ↑ Knight, Elizabeth (9 September 2022). "Being a chief executive is not a popularity contest: Qantas chairman goes in to bat for Joyce". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  27. ↑ Aston, Joe (2024). "6. The Best CEO in Australia". The Chairman's Lounge: The Inside Story of How Qantas Sold Us Out (Ebook ed.). Scribner. ISBN 9781761429774.
  28. ↑ Baird, Lucas (13 September 2022). "Goyder digs in behind Qantas' embattled Joyce". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  29. ↑ Ainsworth, Kate; Khadem, Nassim (4 September 2023). "Inside Qantas' turbulent week of lawsuits, Qatar Airways questions, Senate hearings and flight credit backflips". ABC News. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  30. ↑ Hutchens, Gareth (3 September 2023). "Voters are distressed by the 'moral blindness' of corporate Australia, says Roy Morgan". ABC News. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  31. ↑ "Bunnings, Aldi and Kmart are Australia's three most trusted brands, while Toyota, Bendigo Bank and Nike are on the up". Roy Morgan. 13 September 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  32. ↑ Ainsworth, Kate; Terzon, Emilia (14 September 2023). "Former Qantas workers won their High Court battle, but experts say the airline could outsource jobs in the future". ABC News. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  33. ↑ Khadem, Nassim (18 August 2025). "Federal Court fines Qantas $90 million for illegally outsourcing ground handling workforce". ABC News. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  34. ↑ "Federal Court orders Qantas to pay $100m in penalties for misleading consumers" (Press release). Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  35. ↑ Ainsworth, Kate; Aiken, Kirsten (26 September 2023). "Qantas shareholders demand chairman Richard Goyder's resignation as investors place rest of board on notice". ABC News. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  36. ↑ Evans, Jake (27 September 2023). "Qantas board chair Richard Goyder says his future remains tenable, as the airline faces a grilling from senators". ABC News. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  37. ↑ Hutchens, Gareth; Ainsworth, Kate (11 October 2023). "Qantas chairman Richard Goyder to stand down in next 12 months, as the airline tries to rebuild its reputation". ABC News. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  38. ↑ "Qantas board on notice after 83pc protest vote by shareholders, ASX closes higher after Wall Street bounce — as it happened". ABC News. 3 November 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  39. ↑ Ainsworth, Kate (8 August 2024). "Former Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce's multi-million-dollar payout reduced by almost $10 million". ABC News. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  40. ↑ "Qantas board governance review update" (PDF) (Press release). Qantas. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  41. ↑ Annual Report 2025 (PDF) (Report). Qantas. 2025. pp. 33, 61. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  42. ↑ Thomson, James (8 June 2026). "We did a bloody good job: Richard Goyder defiant on Qantas record". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  43. ↑ "Leadership". Woodside Energy. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  44. ↑ "Freo director joins AFL Commission". The West Australian. 26 September 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  45. ↑ McFarlane, Glenn (15 February 2017). "The rise and rise of Richard Goyder, the new AFL Commission chairman". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2025 – via news.com.au.
  46. ↑ Wu, Andrew (5 September 2025). "Richard Goyder to step down as AFL Commission chairman, but who will take his place?". The Age. Retrieved 8 September 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  47. ↑ Cleary, Mitch (5 September 2025). "AFL Commission chairman Richard Goyder to step down after nine-year reign". 7news.com.au. Retrieved 8 September 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  48. ↑ "Craig Drummond elected to AFL Commission as Chair". Australian Football League. 4 March 2026. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
  49. ↑ "Doogue recognised during big autumn season", University of Western Australia, 31 March 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  50. ↑ GOYDER, Richard James, It's An Honour. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  51. ↑ Beasley, Vanessa (3 February 2020). "Corporate high-flyer named Honorary Doctor of Curtin". Curtin University. Retrieved 7 October 2026.
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