The 2024 Rodney Wylie Lecture

About the presenter

Michel Barnier

Michel Barnier is the former European Union Chief Negotiator, heading the Task Force; between 2016 and 2021, for the Preparation and Conduct of the Negotiations with the United Kingdom following the 2016 Brexit referendum.

He is married to Isabelle and a father of three children. He graduated from the ESCP European Business School in Paris. Michel Barnier engaged at an early age in the Gaullist party in his native Savoie, in the French Alps and was elected at the age of 27 as Member of the French National Assembly, and then as President of the department. In that capacity, he organized, together with the triple gold medalist Jean-Claude Killy, the XVI Olympic Winter Games in 1992 in Albertville.

Michel Barnier has served as minister in several governments in France, as Minister of Environment (1993-1995), for European affairs (1995-1997) and for Foreign affairs (2004-2005). From 1999 to 2004, he was European Commissioner responsible for Regional policy and Institutional reform. In 2007, the newly elected French President Nicolas Sarkozy appointed him Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.

In June 2009, Michel Barnier led the French campaign for the European elections and a few months later he was a second time appointed European Commissioner for Internal market and Services. It is in this capacity that he proposed and built the Banking Union. Michel Barnier has also been a special advisor to Jean-Claude Juncker over security and defence matters.

Michel Barnier has published a dozen of books including, Each One for All, the Ecological Challenge (1990/Stock) , The Atlas of Major Risks ( Plon / 1992) - Who will the feed the World ( Acropole / 2007) - And more recently, My Brexit Secret Diary (Polity / 2021).

About John Wylie AC

Mr John Wylie AC is Chairman of the Australian Sports Commission and President of the State Library of Victoria Board.  

In 1983, John graduated from UQ with a Bachelor of Commerce with first class honours. After graduating, he spent time as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University where he completed a Master of Philosophy.  In the 1990s, he was the Australian Chairman of investment bank Credit Suisse First Boston. In 2000, he co-founded Carnegie Wylie, a corporate advisory and private equity investment firm acquired by Lazard in 2007.  John was Managing Director and Head of Corporate Advisory for Lazard Australia until his retirement in 2014. 

John is known as a leading Australian investment banker and has advised companies and governments globally for over 25 years.  He was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2007, and a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2022 for eminent service to the community through leadership in the sporting, cultural, philanthropic and business sectors.

As former Chairman of the Melbourne Cricket Ground Trust, a position he held for 14 years, John chaired the MCG Redevelopment Steering Committee for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

John is married to Myriam Boisbouvier, who was appointed France’s honorary consul in Victoria in 2011.