Arvi Parbo
Encyclopedia
Sir Arvi Hillar Parbo AC (born 10 February 1926, Tallinn
, Estonia
) is a business executive who was concurrently chairman of three of Australia
's largest companies.
Along with thousands of his Estonian
countrymen, Parbo fled from his homeland ahead of the Soviet
occupation
in 1944, ending up in a refugee camp
(DP camp
) in Germany
. After attending the Clausthal Mining Academy in Germany from 1946 to 1948 he migrated to Australia in 1949. He graduated from the University of Adelaide
with a Bachelor of Engineering
degree in 1955.
Parbo joined Western Mining Corporation in 1956 and over the next 12 years held the positions of Underground Surveyor, Underground Manager, Technical Assistant to the Managing Director, and Deputy General Superintendent. He was appointed General Manager in 1968 and became a Director in 1970. He was appointed Deputy Managing Director in 1971 and became Managing Director in the same year. In 1974, Parbo was appointed Chairman and Managing Director of Western Mining Corporation, subsequently renamed WMC Limited
.
In 1986 he relinquished this position and became Executive Chairman. In 1990 he retired as an executive but was appointed non-executive Chairman and retired from this position in 1999.
Parbo was Chairman of Alcoa
of Australia from 1978 to 1996, Chairman of Munich Reinsurance Company
of Australia from 1984 to 1998 and Chairman of Zurich Australian Insurance
group from 1985 to 1998. He was appointed a Director of the Aluminum Company of America from 1980 to 1998, Hoechst Australian Investments
from 1981 to 1997, Chase AMP Bank
from 1985 to 1991 and Sara Lee Corporation from 1991 to 1998. In 1987, Parbo was appointed a Director of the Broken Hill Proprietary Company (BHP)
and was appointed Chairman in 1989 until retirement in 1992.
In the New Years Honours of 1978, Arvi Parbo was knight
ed. In June 1993 Sir Arvi was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia
.
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
) is a business executive who was concurrently chairman of three of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's largest companies.
Along with thousands of his Estonian
Estonians
Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian...
countrymen, Parbo fled from his homeland ahead of the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
occupation
Occupation of Baltic Republics
The occupation of the Baltic states refers to the military occupation of the three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by the Soviet Union under the auspices of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact on 14 June 1940 followed by their incorporation into the USSR as constituent republics, unrecognised...
in 1944, ending up in a refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
(DP camp
Displaced person
A displaced person is a person who has been forced to leave his or her native place, a phenomenon known as forced migration.- Origin of term :...
) in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. After attending the Clausthal Mining Academy in Germany from 1946 to 1948 he migrated to Australia in 1949. He graduated from the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
with a Bachelor of Engineering
Bachelor of Engineering
The Bachelor of Engineering is an undergraduate academic degree awarded to a student after three to five years of studying engineering at universities in Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, Finland , Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Korea,...
degree in 1955.
Parbo joined Western Mining Corporation in 1956 and over the next 12 years held the positions of Underground Surveyor, Underground Manager, Technical Assistant to the Managing Director, and Deputy General Superintendent. He was appointed General Manager in 1968 and became a Director in 1970. He was appointed Deputy Managing Director in 1971 and became Managing Director in the same year. In 1974, Parbo was appointed Chairman and Managing Director of Western Mining Corporation, subsequently renamed WMC Limited
WMC Resources
WMC Resources Limited was an Australian diversified mining and fertilizer company formerly listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. WMC was an acronym for Western Mining Corporation. It was delisted on 29 June 2005 following a successful takeover by BHP Billiton...
.
In 1986 he relinquished this position and became Executive Chairman. In 1990 he retired as an executive but was appointed non-executive Chairman and retired from this position in 1999.
Parbo was Chairman of Alcoa
Alcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
of Australia from 1978 to 1996, Chairman of Munich Reinsurance Company
Munich Re
Munich Re Group is a reinsurance company based in Munich, Germany. It is one of the world’s leading reinsurers. ERGO, a Munich Re subsidiary, is the Group’s primary insurance arm....
of Australia from 1984 to 1998 and Chairman of Zurich Australian Insurance
Zurich Financial Services
Zurich Financial Services AG is a major financial services group based in Zurich, Switzerland.-History:The Company was founded in 1872 as subsidiary of the Schweiz Marine Insurance Company under the name Versicherung Verein...
group from 1985 to 1998. He was appointed a Director of the Aluminum Company of America from 1980 to 1998, Hoechst Australian Investments
Hoechst AG
Hoechst AG was a German chemicals then life-sciences company that became Aventis Deutschland after its merger with France's Rhône-Poulenc S.A. in 1999...
from 1981 to 1997, Chase AMP Bank
Chase Manhattan Bank
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., doing business as Chase, is a national bank that constitutes the consumer and commercial banking subsidiary of financial services firm JPMorgan Chase. The bank was known as Chase Manhattan Bank until it merged with J.P. Morgan & Co. in 2000...
from 1985 to 1991 and Sara Lee Corporation from 1991 to 1998. In 1987, Parbo was appointed a Director of the Broken Hill Proprietary Company (BHP)
BHP Billiton
BHP Billiton is a global mining, oil and gas company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and with a major management office in London, United Kingdom...
and was appointed Chairman in 1989 until retirement in 1992.
In the New Years Honours of 1978, Arvi Parbo was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed. In June 1993 Sir Arvi was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
.
External links
- "Some Inspirational People" Profiled by Laurence MacDonald Muir.