Andrew Liveris (pictured with wife Paula) to lead efforts to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S
Donald Trump has tapped Australian-born multimillionaire Andrew Liveris to lead efforts to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S.
The chief executive of massive conglomerate Dow Chemical will head the American Manufacturing Council, which advises the Commerce Secretary.
Trump said the panel would be 'tasked with finding ways to bring industry back to America' as he introduced the 62-year-old at a rally in Michigan, where Dow is based.
'Andrew Liveris [is] one of the most respected businessman in the world and I'm asking him to come up and head up our American Manufacturing Council - and he's agreed to do it,' the U.S. President-elect said.
Creating blue-collar jobs and bringing manufacturing back from Asia are key goals of Trump's plan and were critical to his election the the back of working class votes.
Mr Liveris was born to Greek immigrants whose family arrived in Darwin in 1915 at stayed there until his father's construction business was destroyed in Cyclone Tracy.
His father died when Mr Liveris was 15 and he moved to Brisbane to finish high school and study chemical engineering at the University of Queensland.
The dual Australian-U.S. citizen told the screaming crowd 'we're going to put you all to work' and 'let's make America great again by building great things in America'.
'I tingle with pride listening to you... You’re paving the way with your policies to make it easier to do business in this country - not a red-tape country but a red-carpet country for American businesses,' Liveris said as he accepted the job.
Mr Liveris said the council of 25 businessmen would include 'America's finest and brightest' before addressing his broad Australian accent.
'As you rightly said, I may have a funny accent - we Aussies love America a lot - I bleed America and I bleed Michigan, that's what I do,' he said.
Mr Liveris did not endorse Trump or Democratic candidate Hilary Clinton, but said Ms Clinton the 'better candidate' and has donated to both parties in the past - US$40,000 to both 2012 presidential campaigns alone.
He was also forced to repay $US300 ($A399) worth of flowers he bought Ms Clinton on New Year’s Eve 2012 while she was Secretary of State.
The chemical mogul is a neighbour and friend of Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and spent Easter at his house in Point Piper.
He and his wife Paula Liveris own an $8.5 million home in the same suburb.
Mr Liveris earlier this year criticised Australian businesses' 'ability to innovate and develop the things that the United States has'.
'Australia, my wonderful home country, the lucky country, the well-written about happiest country in the world, of course has complacency as its greatest enemy,' he said.
Mr Liveris joined Dow's Melbourne office in 1976 straight out of university and was appointed chief executive in 2004 and chairman in 2006.
He in March laid out a 'simple three-step plan' to boost the Australian economy while speaking at the WestBusiness Leadership Matters in Perth.
He published the 240-page book Make It in America: The Case for Re-Inventing The Economy in 2011, arguing for an overhaul of the school system to focus on science, tax cuts, more free trade agreements, and more uniform regulation.
Mr Liveris has long been a proponent of keeping manufacturing industries in the U.S., which likely weighed into his appointment.
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