Kerry O’Brien is one of Australia’s most distinguished and respected journalists with six Walkley Awards for excellence in journalism including the Gold Walkley, and the Walkley for Outstanding Leadership.
Previous Experience
Television and Media: His 50-year career has covered print, television and wire service, as a reporter, feature writer, columnist and foreign correspondent. He has specialised in national politics for the ABC, as well as the Ten and Seven networks, and was press secretary to Labor leader Gough Whitlam.
For ABC-TV he was the editor, presenter and interviewer for the 7.30 Report over 15 years, the presenter and interviewer at Four Corners for five years and at Lateline for six years. His time at the ABC has seen him interview many world distinguished world leaders including Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, as well as many influential figures in the arts, science and business. he was also the face of the ABC’s election night coverage for 20 years.
Kerry’s acclaimed four-part interview series with former Prime Minister Paul Keating was broadcast on the ABC in 2013, and his best-selling book expanding on those conversations was published in 2015 to rave reviews. He is also chair of the Walkley Foundation which promotes excellence in journalism. Kerry was inducted into the Logies Hall of Fame in 2019.
