On a whistle-stop visit to Australia, US business tycoon Andrew Liveris shared his views on boosting the Australian economy, the dangers of ignoring Donald Trump, and voters’ disillusionment with governments and the business community worldwide.
Speaking at an event in Perth a fortnight ago, the Darwin-born CEO of Dow Chemicals said the business community has been ignoring – at its peril – the response the Republican presidential candidate had received from the American public.
Mr Liveris said the “Trump phenomenon” was down to the billionaire property developer’s success in marketing himself to Americans who were disenfranchised from government and business.
“All of us in the business community, and maybe we are fooling ourselves, are fundamentally ignoring all of that right now,” Mr Liveris told the West Business Events breakfast.
Mr Liveris said an explanation of Trump’s success related to previous US presidents who mastered the power of mass communication.
“Now the presidential cycle is bringing us ‘the Kardashian presidency’,” said Mr Liveris, adding that the only conclusion to be drawn was that “America wants something different. Trump is an incredible marketer of the fantasy of what could be.”
Sixty-one-year-old Liveris has led Dow for more than a decade and served as a business adviser to President Obama. He is also the founder of The Hellenic Initiative, the US-based philanthropic diaspora organisation set up to assist Greece.
While the global business community was “aghast” at Mr Trump’s success to date, Mr Liveris tipped Hillary Clinton to win the November election.
Turning to Australian politics, he said Malcolm Turnbull, who is a close friend, would retain his role as PM when Australia goes to the polls.
After the Perth event Mr Liveris jetted across to Sydney (in Dow’s new $85 million Gulfstream jet) to spend the Easter weekend with Mr Turnbull and his wife Lucy at Point Piper.