Robert Milliner - Chief Executive Partner, Mallesons Stephen Jaques

Robert Milliner, 52, was raised and educated in Brisbane. He completed degrees in commerce and law (with honours) at the University of Queensland and after completing articles with Cannan & Peterson (now part of Deacons) in Brisbane, was admitted in Queensland in February 1980.

Robert moved to Perth in 1981 and joined the leading Perth firm of Stone James & Co (now the Perth office of Mallesons). Intending to stay in Perth for 18 months, Robert spent the next 11 years building his practice and his management skills.

In 1982, Robert commenced a Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Western Australia, which he completed three years later. In January 1984, he became a partner at Stone James & Co. That year, Stone James & Co merged with Stephen Jaques & Stephen, which later became the Sydney office of Mallesons Stephen Jaques.

Robert says the best part of doing an MBA was meeting his wife, Diana Choquette, who was on a Rotary scholarship from Nebraska, USA, studying post-graduate research in psychology.

In the early 1990s, Robert was heavily involved with the Melbourne office in acting for the State Energy Commission of Victoria on the privatisation of the partially completed Loy Yang B Power Station.

At the culmination of that transaction, Robert took a leading role with a number of other Melbourne partners in developing the Melbourne projects, energy and resources practice.

His expertise in the area of energy was recognised by the Victorian Government when he was appointed as a key adviser on the Victorian electricity reform process and subsequent privatisation program. This was later followed with leading roles in national electricity and gas reform, including the design and implementation of the National Electricity Market.

Robert’s practice in Melbourne remained focussed on the energy and resources sectors, including mergers and acquisitions, competition, regulatory, capital markets and commercial work. In 2002 as part of the firm’s Asian expansion plans, Robert transferred to the Hong Kong office as a projects/project finance partner. In the 12 months preceding his appointment as CEP, Robert was Managing Partner, International.

Robert and Diana have three daughters aged 15, 13 and 10. In his spare time he is a ‘chauffeur’ and spectator at ballet, basketball, swimming, gymnastics, music lessons and other family activities.

Other times Robert enjoys music (specially pre-1980s, the era of real music), reading and hiking.

In the weeks leading up to the announcement of his appointment to Chief Executive Partner of Mallesons Stephen Jaques, Robert and Diana climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.