A tribute to one of the greats

The Synergy Group family wishes to pay tribute to one of the truly great and inspirational leaders of our country as we come to grips with the loss of Professor Brendan Sargeant who died suddenly last Sunday.

Robert Kennedy, Synergy Executive Chairman, said “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Brendan’s family and his extended family. Brendan’s loss will also be felt across his numerous personal and professional friendships throughout the Commonwealth public sector, industry, and academia.”

After a stellar 35+ year career in the public service leading to his time as the Associate Secretary of Defence from 2013 to 2017, Brendan then went on to serve as the Honorary Professor at the ANU Strategic and Defence Studies (SDSC) in the ANU Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs from 2018.

Brendan joined Synergy’s Advisory Board in 2020 and agreed to be one of our first Non-Executive Directors of the company from 1 January 2022.

“Brendan’s humility, generosity, and universally likeable nature combined with his unrivalled intellect made him a truly unique individual. He brought a clarity of vision and a questioning approach that challenged us to have a positive impact on public administration in Australia. Brendan’s insights will guide our firm’s future direction for many years to come. We were honoured and privileged to have known and worked with Brendan.”

“Professor Brendan Sargeant willingly gave so much to our world and had so much more to give. Synergy Group will be forever in his debt and will do all we can to live up to the legacy he has left behind and the challenges he put in front of us.” Mr Kennedy said.