Geoff Lord
{{short description|Australian businessman (born 1945)}}
{{BLP sources|date=April 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Geoff Lord
| image =
| image_size =
| caption = Geoff Lord, Australian entrepreneur and founder of Belgravia Group
| birth_date ={{Birth date and age|1945|03|28}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = Chairman, Belgravia Group
| spouse = Nanette Lord
| parents =
}}
Geoffrey Fredrick Lord (born March 28 1945) is an Australian businessman and investor, best known as the founder, chairman, and chief executive of the Belgravia Group.
Lord is currently chairman or director of several publicly listed companies within Australia including ex-chairman and founder of UXC Limited, executive chairman of Tesserent LTD,{{cite web |last1=Yolanda |first1=Redrup |title=UXC's Geoff Lord to chair ASX cyber security small cap |url=https://www.afr.com/technology/uxc-s-geoff-lord-to-chair-asx-cyber-security-small-cap-20200112-p53qqj |website=Australian Financial Review |date=12 January 2020 |publisher=Nine Publishing |access-date=12 April 2023}} non-executive and founding director of Judo Capital, director of the Melbourne Business School{{cite web |title=Melbourne Business School appoints Geoff Lord to Board of Directors |url=https://mbs.edu/news/melbourne-business-school-appoints-geoff-lord-to-board-of-directors |website=Melbourne Business School |publisher=The University of Melbourne |access-date=12 April 2023}} and chairman of Salvest.{{cite web |title=Meet The Team |url=https://salvest.com.au/team/ |website=Salvest |access-date=12 April 2023}}
Lord first appeared on the BRW Rich 200 in 2005 with a net worth of {{AUD}}115 million.{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/Business/Packer-tops-rich-list/2005/05/18/1116361600124.html|title=Packer tops rich list|first=David |last=Higgins|date=18 May 2005|work=The Age}} In 2020, Lord's net worth was assessed at {{AUD}}569 million.{{cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/the-10-richest-australians-revealed-20201028-p569c7|url-access=subscription|title=The full list: Australia's wealthiest 200 revealed|work=The Australian Financial Review|publisher=Nine Publishing|date=30 October 2020|author1=Bailey, Michael|author2=Sprague, Julie-anne|accessdate=31 October 2020}} Lord did not reach the threshold for inclusion on the 2021 Rich List.{{cite news |author1=Bailey, Michael |author2=Sprague, Julie-anne |url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/australia-s-10-richest-people-revealed-20210526-p57vfr |title=The 200 richest people in Australia revealed |work=Australian Financial Review |date=27 May 2021 |access-date=28 May 2021}} This is theorised to be due to his large holdings in difficult-to-measure private companies.{{cite web | url=https://www.afr.com/politics/good-lord-no-attention-please-20050422-jl0zk | title=Good Lord, no attention please | date=22 April 2005 }}
Early life and education
Lord was born to a father who was a published author and insurance man. In regard to his childhood, Lord has previously called himself a "working class boy". He completed his high school education at Melbourne High School. He went on to study his bachelor of economics at Monash University, followed by a post-graduate at La Trobe University and a Master of Business Administration (Distinction) at the University of Melbourne.{{cite web |title=Geoff Lord has $80m worth of fingers in many pies |date=2003-06-10 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424133218/https://www.smh.com.au/business/geoff-lord-has-80m-worth-of-fingers-in-many-pies-20030610-gdgwl3.html |archive-date=2023-04-24 |url-status=live |url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/geoff-lord-has-80m-worth-of-fingers-in-many-pies-20030610-gdgwl3.html |access-date=19 April 2023}}
Career
Lord began his career in 1965 with the Ford Motor Company before joining Henry Jones IXL in 1973, where he was promoted to the Board in 1978.{{cite web |title=Geoff Lord has $80m worth of fingers in many pies |date=2003-06-10 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424133218/https://www.smh.com.au/business/geoff-lord-has-80m-worth-of-fingers-in-many-pies-20030610-gdgwl3.html |archive-date=2023-04-24 |url-status=live |url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/geoff-lord-has-80m-worth-of-fingers-in-many-pies-20030610-gdgwl3.html |access-date=19 April 2023}} Lord served as a Director for several companies associated with the Elders Group until 1992, including Elders IXL and Foster's Brewing. In 1985, Lord established Elders Resources Limited, a public company, and was appointed as its chief executive and deputy chairman.
In 1992, Lord was cleared by the Australian Securities Commission in relation to the WA Companies and Securities Code and WA Inc. This decision came after Lord established that, having been overseas at the time of all issues, he could not have possibly attended such a meeting or been involved. As evidence, Lord produced his passport, airline tickets, hotel bills and minutes from the Elders Resources board meeting, which proved his absence from the country.{{cite web |title=GEOFF LORD'S LONG ORDEAL|url=https://www.afr.com/companies/geoff-lords-long-ordeal-19920306-kaojl|website=The Australian Financial Review |date=6 March 1992 |publisher=Australian Financial Review|access-date=20 April 2023}}
In 1990, Lord retired from Elders Resources. He cashed his Elders' bonus shares and used the AUD$11 million to create the Belgravia Group, a privately owned investment group that employs approximately 7,000 people across Australia and New Zealand, as of 2005.{{cite web | url=https://www.afr.com/politics/good-lord-no-attention-please-20050422-jl0zk | title=Good Lord, no attention please | date=22 April 2005 }} Belgravia Group is named for the location of Elders' London offices. Belgravia focuses on medium developments of under $50 million each, with many areas pertaining to different markets. In regards to the beginning of Belgravia, Lord said "I felt I had to start again. But to start again, I think you have to be prepared to eat some humble pie and start small, rather than continuing at the level where you were in a grand way. You have to go back to basics."{{cite web | url=https://www.afr.com/politics/good-lord-no-attention-please-20050422-jl0zk | title=Good Lord, no attention please | date=22 April 2005 }}
Sections of Belgravia include Belgravia Apparel, which manufactures uniforms for companies such as KFC, Burger King,{{cite web |title=Hospitality|url=https://belgraviaapparel.com/uniforms/hospitality/|website=Belgravia Apparel|publisher=Belgravia Group|access-date=20 April 2023}} Emirates, Virgin Atlantic,{{cite web |title=Aviation|url=https://belgraviaapparel.com/uniforms/aviation/|website=Belgravia Apparel|publisher=Belgravia Group|access-date=20 April 2023}} Coles, Woolworths/Countdown, Officeworks{{cite web |title=Retail|url=https://belgraviaapparel.com/uniforms/retail/|website=Belgravia Apparel|publisher=Belgravia Group|access-date=20 April 2023}}.{{better|reason=primary sources|date=April 2023}} in addition to being responsible for all product manufacturing for New Balance in Australia. {{cite web |title=New Balance X Belgravia|url=https://www.newbalance.com.au/licensed-sportswear/|website=New Balance|access-date=20 April 2023}}
In Addition to launching Belgravia, Lord put money into King Island Dairy and a property portfolio including Buckie Station.{{cite web |last1=Harley |first1=Robert |title=Bid to harvest $4m in sale |url=https://www.afr.com/property/bid-to-harvest-4m-in-sale-19970428-k7diy |website=Financial Review |date=28 April 1997 |access-date=21 April 2023}}
As of 2003, Belgravia Leisure managed 80 community facilities for local governments.{{cite web |title=Geoff Lord has $80m worth of fingers in many pies |date=2003-06-10 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424133218/https://www.smh.com.au/business/geoff-lord-has-80m-worth-of-fingers-in-many-pies-20030610-gdgwl3.html |archive-date=2023-04-24 |url-status=live |url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/geoff-lord-has-80m-worth-of-fingers-in-many-pies-20030610-gdgwl3.html}}
Sports Administration Career
Lord has been an active participant in the sports industry. He served as President of Hawthorn Football Club from 1993 to 1995,{{cite web | url=https://www.hawthornfc.com.au/club/history/honour-board | title=Official AFL Website of the Hawthorn Football Club }} where he is a life member and helped the club win four premierships. In 2011, Lord contested the presidency once again but was defeated by then-vice-president, Andrew Newbold.
Lord also founded and served as chairman of the Melbourne Victory Football Club from 2004 to 2010, winning additional premierships with the club.{{cite web|url=http://www.melbournevictory.com.au/aleague/MV/Article/show.asp?articleid=8162&menuItemID=545 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050527085838/http://www.melbournevictory.com.au/aleague/MV/Article/show.asp?articleid=8162&menuItemID=545 |archive-date=27 May 2005 |title=LORD LEADS MELBOURNE TO VICTORY AS HYUNDAI A-LEAGUE TAKES SHAPE|access-date=1 November 2004}}
Philosophy
In regards to operations at Belgravia, Lord said "Is Belgravia the most sensible business model in the world? That's not material to me because I'm not driven just by the money." and "Why're we doing this? Probably because I love it."
Lord keeps a low profile, reasoning that "I'm not out there trying to sell or promote Geoff Lord, probably because I'm scared and averse to what happened in the 1980s building megastars and seeing those megastars burned at the stake, a la John Elliott. That's the last thing I want to do draw attention to Geoff Lord."
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
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{{Succession box|title=Hawthorn Football Club President|before=Trevor Coote|after=Brian Coleman|years=1993–1995}}
{{s-sports}}
{{Succession box|title=Melbourne Victory Chairman|before=Office Established |after=Anthony Di Pietro|years=2004-2010}}
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{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lord, Geoff}}
Category:Australian businesspeople
Category:Hawthorn Football Club administrators
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