chairman - John Bertrand AM

John Bertrand’s enormous sporting successes have made him a national household name and inspired many Australians. But while John’s name will forever be synonymous with sailing and the America’s Cup, his recent work with helping underprivileged children has seen him touch many homes on an even more personal level.

John lives in Melbourne with his wife Rasa, with whom he has 3 children.

He obtained a Mechanical Engineering Degree from Monash University in 1969 before completing a Master of Science degree from Boston’s MIT in 1971.

In 1983, John shot to fame, stunning the yachting world by leading the crew of the "Australia II" to a dramatic 7th race victory over America’s Cup defender, "Liberty". This win ended a 132-year domination by the Americans and was perhaps the greatest upset in modern sports history. In the bi-centennial year of 1988 the Confederation of Australian Sport voted this victory as the finest team performance in 200 years of Australian Sport.

In 1984 John was made a member of the Order of Australia. His autobiography, Born to Win, published in 1985, was the largest selling biography in Australian publishing history at the time and is now published in four foreign languages.

John is a World Champion and Olympic medallist, having represented Australia in five America’s Cups and two Olympic Games. In over 25 years of America’s Cup campaigning, he was involved in all areas of activity – from skipper of Australia 2 to Chairman of OneAustralia.

John’s love of sailing continues. He actively competes at the highest level within the International Etchell class and is a life member of both the International America’s Cup Hall of Fame and Sport Australia Hall of Fame, of which he is also a Director.

Together with Herb Elliot and Dawn Fraser, John was a member of the 2000 Australian Olympic team acting as a mentor to the team athletes.

More recently, John Bertrand has become known for his work with hurt and vulnerable children. His strong belief that children are this country’s greatest asset saw him be appointed Chairman of The Alannah & Madeline Foundation in 2001.

John tirelessly campaigns Australia’s business and community leaders to address the issue of violence against children, as he believes that every child has the right to a happy childhood.

John is a businessman as well as a philanthropist. He is co-owner and Chairman of the television production and distribution company World Wide Entertainment, which exports television shows to 120 countries around the globe.