John Pitt recognised for outstanding contribution to Tasmanian community

The engineer, a born and bred Tasmanian, has had a long and successful career as the managing director of one of the state’s most successful businesses, pitt&sherry, building the company from a microbusiness with less 10 employees in 1984, to one of Australia's top 20 engineering consultancies with over 200 employees across seven different offices.

Under Mr Pitt’s leadership, the business has carved a unique path, balancing development and the environment, where it now not only consults on infrastructure development, but also the environment, climate change and energy.

The AICD’s Tasmanian State Manager, Cathie Goss, said the Tasmanian Gold Medal Award recognises and rewards an individual’s contribution to the community across the business sector, charitable and philanthropic works and employment creation.

“The AICD Tasmanian Gold Medal is awarded to a member who upholds good corporate governance and high ethical standards in their business and public life,” she said.

“John has made a significant contribution to the Tasmanian community and built a small company into a major employer.

“To do that takes vision, leadership and the qualities of good governance that all directors should aspire to.”

Mr Pitt said it was a privilege to receive such an award from his peers in the director community.

“I aspired to build something of quality and to continue on the legacy established by my father and his business partner Clive Sherry. This award is recognition of that achievement and I am incredibly humbled by it,” he said.

However he also made sure to thank those who got the job done each day while he steered the ship.

“Maintaining a useable environment has become the catch cry of the business, and the success of this approach is due to the contributions of many, many people,” he said.

“While I may have provided leadership, direction and the desire to grow the business, it is my colleagues that are the ones getting things done.”

The Gold Medal was awarded by Tasmanian Governor Her Honourable Kate Warner AM.