Professor RO Watts has had a distinguished scientific career in research, in academic management, and now as Chief Scientist and Vice President of Technology for the world's largest minerals company, BHP Billiton. His distinguished scientific career has been recognised with election to the Australian Academy of Science; he is the past Head of a major School of Chemistry in the USA; past Head of the School of Chemistry at the University of Melbourne; and now leads the technology for BHP Billiton. Watts is the most distinguished industrial technologist in Australia today.