Rod Sims

Chair
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
2011-2022

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Rod Sims was nominated by the Gilliard (Labor) Government and appointed by the Governor-General on 17 July 2011 with unanimous support by the states and territories.

Rod Sims was re-appointed for a further three year term in August 2016 and was re-appointed again on 25 October 2018 for a further three year term until 2022.

Sims holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons (first class)) from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Economics from ANU.

Prior to his appointment as Chairman of the ACCC Sims had worked for the Australian Government, including as the Deputy Secretary in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and Deputy Secretary responsible for Transport in the Department of Transport and Communications. From 1988 to 1990, he was the economic adviser to the then Prime Minister, Bob Hawke.

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Relevant qualifications

• Bachelor of Commerce (Hons (first class))
  University of Melbourne

• Master of Economics
  ANU

Relevant work history

1 August 2011 - current: Chairman, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

• re-appointed for a further three year term in 2019

• re-appointed for three year term in 2016 following expiry of initial five year term in July 2016

• re-appointed for a further three year term (until 2022) on 25 October 2018 (press release)

1988-1990 - Chief economic adviser to the then Prime Minister, Bob Hawke. 

-2011 - Chair of the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal

2010-2011 - Chairman of InfraCo Asia Development (IAD) (prior to that, Non-Executive Director since March 2009)

1994-2011 - Director of Port Jackson Partners Limited

Has also been

• Councillor of the National Competition Council (at time of appointment to ACCC)

• Adviser to the PM’s Multi-Party Climate Change Committee (at time of appointment to ACCC)

• Member of the Research and Policy Council of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (at time of appointment to ACCC)

• Chairman of the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of New South Wales (at time of appointment to ACCC)

• Deputy Secretary in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet

• Deputy Secretary responsible for Transport in the Department of Transport and Communications.

• Development economist in Papua New Guinea

• Development economist for the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Competition law publications and speeches

See also Reading room

Articles

Rod Sims, 'Australian Competition and Consumer Commission priorities' (2014) 22(3) AJCCL 184

Speeches (select)

2022

• Final address to National Press Club as Chair of the ACCC (24 February 2022)

2018

• Sims, 'Gilbert & Tobin seminar: the data economy' (15 October 2018)

• Sims, 'Address to the Law Council of Australia Annual General Meeting' (Sydney, 3 August 2018)

• Sims, 'Consumer data and regulatory reform' (National Consumer Data Policy Research Centre, 16 July 2018)

• Sims, 'Companies behaving badly?' (2018 Giblin Lecture, 13 July 2018)

• Sims, 'When and how to intervene in markets' (Australian Conference of Economists, 12 July 2018)

• Sims, 'Regulating for competition: stepping up for platforms & stepping back from media?' (International Institute of Communications - Telecommunications and Media Forum, 3 July 2018)

• Sims, 'Driving reform in the automotive market' (Autocare 2018 conference, 4 May 2018)

• Sims, 'Synchronised swimming versus competition in banking' (AFR Banking and Wealth Summit, 5 April 2018)

• Sims, 'Release of the OECD's Pecuniary Penalties for Competition Law Infringements in Australia report' (Workshop on Australian Pecuniary Penalties for Competition Law Infringements, 26 March 2018)

2017

• Sims, 'Populism and the CCA' (RBB Economics Converence, 30 November 2018)

• Sims, 'Evolution or revolution? Why competition matters for 5G' (Speech at RadComms 2017, 1 November 2017)

• Sims, 'Shining a light: Australia’s gas and electricity affordability problem' (National Press Club, 20 September 2017)

• Sims, 'Advocacy and the Regulator' (Australian Automotive Dealer Association, 18 September 2017)

• Sims, 'Fuel price transparency and regail industry competition' (Asia Pacific Fuel Industry Forum, 13 September 2017)

• Sims, 'Chairman's address to CEDA WA' (CEDA WA, 24 August 2017)

• Sims, 'Law Council of Australia' (Business Law Section Competition and Consumer Committee, 4 August 2017)

• Sims, 'Welcome address: ACCC and AER Regulatory Conference' (27 July 2017)

• Sims, 'Ceteris Paribus, Competition is King' (2017 Annual Conference of Economists, 21 July 2017)

• Sims, 'Communications at the turning point' (Communications Day: Unwired Revolution Conference, 20 July 2017)

• Sims, 'The role of the ACCC in restoring faith in free markets' (Competition Law Conference, Sydney, 5 May 2017)

• Sims, 'CCA compliance in interesting times' (CEDA, Sydney, 24 February 2017)

2016

• Sims, 'Is Australia's economy getting more concentrated and does this matter?' (RBB Economic Conference, Keynote address, 27 October 2016)

• Sims, 'Enhancing Competition in Retail' (AFR Retail Summit, Melbourne, 28 September 2016)

• Sims, 'Chairman's address to the Law Council Workshop' (Law Council of Australia, Competition and Consumer Workshop, Manly, 5 August 2016)

• Sims, 'Making markets work for consumers' (National Consumer Congress, Sydney, 16 March 2016)

• Sims, 'Increasing efficiencies in supply chains' (ABARES Outlook Conference, Canberra, 2 March 2016)

• Sims, 'ACCC compliance and enforcement priorities for 2016' (Committee for Economic Development of Australia, Sydney, 23 February 2016)

2015

• Sims, 'Promoting innovation through competition' (RBB Economics Conference, 2 November 2015)

• Sims, 'Competition key to restoring Australia's productivity' (Infrastructure Partnerships Australia Conference, Sydney, 4 September 2015)

• Sims, 'Communications affordability and the role of efficient markets' (ACCAN National Conference 2015, Sydney, 1 September 2015)

• Sims, 'Meeting expectations: Industrial relations as a case study' (Law Council of Australia, Business Law Competition and Consumer Committee AGM, 14 August 2015)

• Sims, 'Keynote Address: Inquiry into Australia’s East Coast Gas Market' (Energy Networks Association Seminar, Melbourne, 12 June 2015)

• Sims, 'Section 46: The great divide' (Competition Law Conference, Sydney, 30 May 2015)

• Sims, 'Working together to cement and improve the Australian Consumer Law' (National Consumer Congress, 20 March 2015)

• Sims, 'Priorities 2015' (Committee for Economic Development of Australia, Sydney, 19 February 2015)

2014

• Rod Sims, 'Solving the multi-technology puzzle: The ACCC’s perspective' (NBN Rebooted Conference, Sydney, 17 November 2014)

• Rod Sims, 'The future of competition policy and its implications for Australian agriculture' (Australian Farm Institute Conference, Melbourne, 13 November 2014)

• Rod Sims, 'Bringing more economic perspectives to competition policy and law' (RBB Economics Conference, Sydney, 7 November 2014)

• Rod Sims, Carbon, mergers and other issues (13 October 2014) Annual Energy Users' Association of Australia Conference, Melbourne

• Rod Sims, University of South Australia workshop: Regulator update (10 October 2014) UniSA Competition and Consumer Law Workshop

• Rod Sims, Enhancing competition policy (12 September 2014) Law Council of Australia, Competition & Consumer Committee AGM

• Rod Sims, Food and grocery and Australia's competition law (1 October 2014) Australian Food and Grocery Council Industry Leaders Forum

• Rod Sims, The need to elevate competition in our public policy (Speech at CEDA State of the Nation Conference, 23 June 2014)

2012

• Rod Sims, ACCC Priorities in Enforcing Competition Law (Competition Law Conference, Sydney, 5 May 2012)

2011

• Rod Sims, ACCC: Future Directions (speech to Law Council Competition and Consumer Workshop 2011, Gold Coast, 27 August 2011)

• Rod Sims, Is competition a myth? (speech to the Australian Economic Forum, Sydney, 23 September 2011

• Rod Sims, Some Perspectives on Competition and Regulation (Melbourne Press Club, 10 October 2011)

• Rod Sims, Competition and Consumer issues in the top end (ACCC Breakfast Seminar, Darwin, 8 November 2011)

• Rod Sims, Competition and regulating monopolies: some perspectives from the ACCC (Western Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 15 November 2011)

Other research and publications

Business Council of Australia report (research), Strategic Framework for Emissions Reduction, 3 April 2007 (challenged the Rudd Government’s emissions trading scheme (in the then proposed form) – see ‘The Strategist‘ (The Australian,  17 October 2008))

Sims, ‘Seizing the Opportunity to Reform and Restore Australia’s Economic Infrastructure‘ (report contained in the BCA’s report ‘Groundwork for Growth: Building the Infrastructure that Australia Needs‘)

Background

The Gillard Government nominated Rod Sims to be the next Chairman of the ACCC in May 2011. On 17 June 2011 the nomination was confirmed after received unanimous support by the states and territories.  His five year term started on 1 August 2011. 

Prior to his appointment as Chairman of the ACCC Sims had worked for the Australian Government, including as the Deputy Secretary in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and Deputy Secretary responsible for Transport in the Department of Transport and Communications.  From 1988 to 1990, he was the economic adviser to the then Prime Minister, Bob Hawke.  Until 2011 he was also:

• Chair of the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal

• Director of Port Jackson Partners Limited (since 1994)

• Business adviser, including adviser to the Business Council of Australia

• Councillor of the National Competition Council

• Adviser to the PM’s Multi-Party Climate Change Committee

• Member of the Research and Policy Council of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia.

See also my discussion of Sims' appointment on the competition blog.

Media

Ross Gittins, ‘Why outgoing competition boss Rod Sims fears for the future of the market economy’ (SMH, 28 February 2022)

Peter Hannan, ‘Reining in the digital giants: Rod Sims on the trials and triumphs of a decade as head of the consumer watchdog’ (The Guardian, 26 February 2022)

Appointment

David Bradbury, ‘Rod Sims Confirmed as ACCC Chairman’ (Treasury, 17 June 2011)

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Updated: 1 March 2022

Disclaimer
The information contained in this profile has been complied from publicly. While care has been taken to ensure information is accurate, it is possible that some information may be inaccurate, incomplete or out of date.