(2026) Business Leader or Prime Minister: The Life of Steve Harker, 1955-2026
The death of Steve Harker, aged 70, begs the question of what Australia missed out on when his life steered in the direction of business instead of politics.
Harker was the longest serving CEO of a major investment bank in the country, leading Morgan Stanley Australia for 18 years up to 2016. The ten years thereafter saw a dramatic change in his fortunes. Already recruited in 2012 for a five-year term as a Guardian of the Future Fund, Harker also served on the Board of Westpac from 2019 before illness in 2021 cut short heavy business commitments. By any standards, his was a stellar, commercial career. Just as this was becoming even more diversified and interesting, he was diagnosed with scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disorder that involved hardening of the skin and trouble for internal organs. Winding back still had him actively chairing the investment committee of Future Now Capital, investing in global-potential businesses.
