Hugh Bucknall attended Scotch College and Monash and Melbourne Universities where he gained qualifications in psychology, genetics and computer science. His career is varied, having worked with BHP, Shell Development, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Commonwealth Public Service Board, Victorian Forests & Lands, Myer, then finally with Mercer, where he was a world-wide partner and the principal executive/MD covering their human capital consulting across 13 countries in the Asia Pacific region. He is the author of two successful books on human resources and the measurement of human capital in a corporate environment.
Hugh was inducted into the Rotary Club of Melbourne on 28 November 2007. He has always been a very active member, being awarded the Club’s Royce Abbey Award in 2010 and a Paul Harris Fellow in 2014. Hugh served on the Vocational Service Committee for several years, including as Chairman; also on the International Programs Committee; and as a keen ‘Second-Biter’. In 2013-14 he was Vice President: Club Management and Communications.
Hugh continues to passionately coordinate the ongoing planning exercise, and the activities of our Club and many others around Australia and NZ, as we all build towards the celebration of Rotary’s Centenary in 2021.
However it is Hugh’s leadership of our Rotary Centenary Committee, formed to find ways of celebrating the Centenary of Rotary in Australia and NZ in 2021, and the awarding to Melbourne of the 2023 Rotary International Convention, that is the reason for this award to Hugh.
Over many months, Hugh and Jason Balkin of the Melbourne Convention Bureau jointly championed the promotion of Melbourne as the location of the 2023 Rotary International Convention. Hugh, as the key Rotary player and Jason, as the key contact at Melbourne Convention Bureau, gathered around them a hard-working team to develop the Melbourne bid. Nevertheless in the first round Melbourne was knocked out in favour of an alternative city.
When the alternative city’s bid was subsequently cancelled, the Melbourne team was then invited to make a second bid, as was the other short-listed city: London. Strenuous efforts were made to overcome the key obstacles that had impinged on Melbourne’s first attempt – transportation between venues and guaranteed discounted hotel rooms. They formulated an amazing program to impress the delegation of six RI representatives who visited Melbourne late last year to see for themselves how the Convention would be run here. The second bid was successful – particularly due to the ‘above and beyond’ work of Hugh and Jason throughout the process.
Hugh continues to passionately coordinate the ongoing planning exercise, and the activities of our Club and many others around Australia and NZ building towards the 2021 Centenary.
Hugh is an instigator, a mentor, a confidante and an energiser. He has made many friends within the Club. His cheeky smile and quirky sense of humour endear him to members and guests alike, as does his colourful collection of bow ties. But it is his enthusiasm, energy, vitality and strategic approach that makes him a Rotary achiever and it gives me great pleasure to again recognise Hugh Bucknall as a Paul Harris Fellow.
Robert W Fisher
President 2018-19
