Background
PARBO, Arvi was born on February 10, 1926 in Tallinn, Estonia. Son of Aado Parbo and Hilda Rass.
(In the four countries in which The Australasian Institute...)
In the four countries in which The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy has branches -- Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea -- the mining and mineral industries have a long and honourable place in national, economic and social history. This book, based on papers given to AusIMM branches by Sir Arvi Parbo in 1990, when he was President of The Institute, tells the story of the mining and mineral industry in the four countries (from the Publisher's notes inside the dustjacket).
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0646067214/?tag=2022091-20
PARBO, Arvi was born on February 10, 1926 in Tallinn, Estonia. Son of Aado Parbo and Hilda Rass.
He graduated from the University of Adelaide with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in 1955.
Along with thousands of his Estonian countrymen, Parbo fled from his homeland ahead of the Soviet occupation in 1944, ending up in a refugee camp (DP camp) in Germany. After attending the Clausthal Mining Academy in Germany from 1946 to 1948 he migrated to Australia in 1949. Parbo joined Western Mining Corporation in 1956 and over the next 12 years held the positions of Underground Surveyor, Underground Manager, Technical Assistant to the Managing Director, and Deputy General Superintendent.
He was appointed General Manager in 1968 and became a Director in 1970.
He was appointed Deputy Managing Director in 1971 and became Managing Director in the same year. In 1974, Parbo was appointed Chairman and Managing Director of Western Mining Corporation, subsequently renamed WMC Limited.
In 1986 he relinquished this position and became Executive Chairman. In 1990 he retired as an executive but was appointed non-executive Chairman and retired from this position in 1999.
Parbo was Chairman of Alcoa of Australia from 1978 to 1996, Chairman of Munich Reinsurance Company of Australia from 1984 to 1998 and Chairman of Zurich Australian Insurance group from 1985 to 1998.
He was appointed a Director of the Aluminum Company of America from 1980 to 1998, Hoechst Australian Investments from 1981 to 1997, Chase Accredited Mortgage Professional Bank from 1985 to 1991 and Sara Lee Corporation from 1991 to 1998. In 1987, Parbo was appointed a Director of the Broken Hill Proprietary Company (BHP) and was appointed Chairman in 1989 until retirement in 1992. In the New Years Honours of 1978, Arvi Parbo was knighted.
(In the four countries in which The Australasian Institute...)
Chase Manhattan Institute Advisory" Committee since 1983, Degussa AG Supervisory Board.
Married Saima Soots in 1953.