By Stephen Mayne

We’ve packaged up our list of longest serving non-executive directors on the site here,
so now it’s time to start tracking the longest serving directors who
have also been full-time executives at the same listed company. Here’s a start to get things moving:

Ian McMullin: Founded Spotless in 1946 and is now 79 but still a non-executive
director since retiring as CEO in 1972
Rupert Murdoch: CEO of News Corporation and its predecessor companies
since 1953
Frank Lowy: CEO of Westfield since it first floated in 1961
Robert Millner: MD of WH Soul Pattinson from 1968-86 and still a
director
Barry Thornton: Current GWA chairman first joined board as finance
director in 1974
Brian Blythe: Now non-executive chairman of Spotless but first appointed MD
in 1978
Ron Evans: First appointed executive director of Spotless in 1978, now
non-executive director
Ken Cowley: News Corp director since 1980, retired as News Ltd executive
chairman in 1996
Rob Patterson: Current MD of Argo Investments and a director since 1983
Wal King: CEO of Leighton Holdings since 1987
John Gay: CEO of Gunns since 1987
Gerry Harvey: CEO of Harvey Norman since 1987
Ian Norman: Co-founder of Harvey Norman since 1987 and still on the board today

The likes of Mark Johnson and David Clarke at Macquarie Bank should
arguably qualify having founded the business in the early 1970s, but it
only listed in 1996. We’ll work to a cut off of 15 years so information
on any other current or former executives who have been on a board
since before the 1990s should be sent to smayne@crikey.com.au.