In announcing his retirement from the Australia Pipeline Trust (APA), Mr McDonald said he felt the time was right to hand over to a new chief executive, former chief operating officer Mick McCormick, after holding the positions of CEO and MD of APA since its listing on the Australian Stock Exchange in June 2000.

Reflecting on his time with APA, Mr McDonald said, “We have acquired all of the minority interests in our pipelines and diversified risk across our pipeline portfolio. We have had four good years of compound growth and I have no reason to doubt it will be five good years, come July.

“APA is positioned as a strong, profitable business with reliable and stable cash flows. Mick has been a key contributor to our success, and I am pleased he has been chosen to lead APA into the future.”

Mr McDonald began his involvement in the Oil and Gas Industry working for a drilling contractor on Marlin Platform in the Bass Strait oil and gas system, then in its infancy. This led to Mr McDonald transferring to Esso Australia’s Gippsland Production Group, where he was first introduced to the world of pipelines and spent an impressive 15 years with the company, including several years in senior management positions. In 1985, Jim was appointed General Manager NT Gas and two years later, he joined the Australian Pipeline Industry Association (APIA) at the Adelaide Convention.

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Mr McDonald has extensive experience in general management in the gas transmission industry. He joined APA from AGL, where he was divisional general manager pipeline of operations in Australia.

Mr McDonald was president and is a member of the Pipeline Owners Committee of APIA, having served as past chairman of the Environment Affairs Committee of APIA. He served two terms as APIA President, between 1991-92 and 2001-03. During his time at APIA, Mr McDonald took a leading role in regulatory reform and the development of the environmental code of practice, as well as providing strong support for APIA’s research and standards work. Mr McDonald has also represented the work done in Australia to overseas audiences at conventions of the International Pipeline and Offshore Contractors Association and World Federation of Pipeline.

Mr McDonald was also a member of the board of Australian Gas Association (AGA) and the Australian Council for Infrastructure Development. He was past chairman of the Gas Transmission Committee of AGA.

Stepping into the role of APA Chief Executive is Mick McCormack (see story page 12). Mick said Jim has been a friend and mentor for twenty years and that he has learnt a great deal about the industry and business through working with Jim.

Mick describes Jim as a “thoroughly decent human being,” adding that he is a model to all people who aspire to run companies.

Mick said, “Jim has had a very significant impact on my career and it has been a marvellous opportunity to learn from a genuinely nice bloke.”

The Australian Pipeliner wishes Jim all the best in his retirement.