BA Modern Asia Studies Griff

(Appointed member - from March 2010; Governor-in-Council member - from October 2013)

Clinton Dines was born and raised in regional Queensland and went to Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, graduating in 1978 with a Degree from the School of Modern Asian Studies. He is also a graduate of the Course in International Management at INSEAD in France.


Clinton arrived in China in early 1979 on a post-graduate program arranged by Griffith University and has lived and worked continuously in the Greater China Region for almost 36 years, mostly in mainland China.


Early in his business career, Clinton occupied frontline operational and commercial management positions in China with the Jardine Matheson Group, the Santa Fe Transport Group and Asia Securities Venture Capital. In 1988, he was recruited by BHP to be the company’s senior country executive for China and stayed with the group for more than 21 years, retiring as President of BHP Billiton China in July 2009.


Throughout his career, Clinton has specialised in both the strategies and business practices involved in negotiating, establishing and operating Sino-Foreign ventures, and in the management and development of foreign-invested and operated businesses in China. In an organisational setting he has developed and overseen processes and teams executing strategic marketing, organizational change, macro and sectoral trend analysis, and business development in China. He was closely involved in one of the earliest Sino-Foreign joint ventures in China in 1980 and he has subsequently been continuously involved in a wide range of joint ventures and wholly-owned investments, business development initiatives and commercial operations across a variety of industries and regions in China.


Clinton is a fluent Mandarin speaker and after 14 years in Beijing relocated to Shanghai in late 2002 to run the merged and restructured BHP Billiton China operations from there. He was a prime mover in the establishment of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in China in 1993 and chaired that organisation again from 1998 to 2000. He is a Founding Governor of the Capital Club in Beijing, served as President of the Board of the Shanghai Community Sports Club for nearly a decade, was a founding Member of the Oriental Mining Club Board and has been involved in various charitable and not-for-profit organisations. In 2006, he was the only non-Chinese person invited by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games to sit on the judging panel to select the design for the Beijing Olympic Medals and he was also named by the Australian Olympic Committee to be the Attaché to the Australian Olympic Team for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.


He is currently a Non-Executive Director of Fonterra Cooperative Group, Zanaga Iron Ore Company and Port of Newcastle. He is also a member of the Griffith University Council.

Current Appointments

  • Fonterra Cooperative Group Limited, Non-Executive Director - Global Dairy Products, Auckland November 2015
  • Zanaga Iron Ore Company, Non-Executive Director - Iron Ore Mining, London & Republic of Congo October 2010
  • Port of Newcastle, Non-Executive Director – Regional Port Operator, Australia February 2018
  • Griffith University Council, Member - Major Australian Tertiary Education, Brisbane March 2010

Other Advisory Appointments

  • Adjunct Professor, Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University - Asian Studies, Brisbane September 2015
  • Board Member, Oriental Mining Club - Resources Sector Forum, Shanghai & Beijing October 2009
  • Member, Griffith Business School Strategic Advisory Board - Business Education, Brisbane May 2007
  • Member, University of Sydney China Studies Centre Panel of Advisors - China Studies, Sydney March 2015
  • Member, Griffith Asia Institute Advisory Council - Asian Studies, Brisbane May 2015

Previous Appointments

Executive Roles
  • President BHP Billiton China [May 1988-Aug 2009]
  • Executive Chairman, Caledonia Asia  - Public Equities Fund Management, Shanghai & Sydney [Nov 2010-Dec 2013]
Non-Executive Consulting & Advisory Roles
  • Moreton Bay Partners, Principal  - Independent Strategic Corporate Advisory, Brisbane March 2015-December 2018
  • North Queensland Airports, Non-Executive Director - Regional Airport Operator, Australia January 2015-April 2019
  • Aurecon Group, Non-Executive Director  - Global Engineering, Australia, Africa, Middle East, Asia March 2014-Sept 2017
  • KAZ Minerals plc, Non-Executive Director - Copper Mining, London & Kazakhstan October 2009-December 2015
  • Freedom Road Travel, Non-Executive Director - Specialised Experiential Travel Operator, Shanghai & Brisbane December 2016 - August 2022
  • GE Mining Equipment China, Strategy Advisor - New GE business unit, China business strategy, Shanghai September 2013-September 2014
  • Pacific Aluminium, Non-Executive Director, Advisory Board - Rio Tinto BU preparing for divestment, Brisbane January 2013-September 2013
  • World Bank-IFC - Member, Competitive Industries Advisory Panel - Emerging Markets Strategy Advisory, Washington & Singapore 2012-2014
  • Burson-Marsteller China - Strategy Advisor  - Public Affairs & Government Relations, Beijing 2010-2012
  • IMI plc - Member, China Advisory Board - Diverse UK-based engineering manufacturer, Shanghai 2005-2009
  • CRH plc - Member, China Advisory Board - Building Materials, Beijing & Dublin Apr 2010-Nov 2014
  • Outukumpu Oyj - Member, China Advisory Board  - Stainless Steel, Shanghai & Finland Jan 2013-Nov 2014
Non-Executive Voluntary
  • Australian Chamber of Commerce in China - Business Association, Beijing 1993-2002
  • Half the Sky Foundation Australia - Board Member - Infant Nurture/Orphanage Charity, China Oct 2009-Apr 2014
  • President’s Roundtable - Founding Member, Steering Committee - MNC CEO Forum, Shanghai Nov 2011-Dec 2014
  • Sport for All Foundation - Founding Member, Executive Committee - Children’s Sports Charity, Shanghai June 2010-Dec 2014
  • Shanghai Community Sports Club [formerly Shanghai Rugby Football Club] President - Community Sports organization and club facilities, Shanghai Apr 2003-Dec 2014
  • The Capital Club Beijing - Founding Governor - Business and Community Club, Beijing 1994-current