Peter Fritz

Peter Adalbert Robert George Fritz AM (born 4 January 1943) is an Australian businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was born in Arad, Romania and migrated to Australia in 1962. He has been group managing director of the TCG Group of Companies since 1971 and Chairman of public policy institute Global Access Partners since 1998.

Peter is a co-founder of well over 100 companies and several business accelerators. TCG® is a group of innovative businesses which over the last 46 years have been at the forefront of Australian innovation. They produced many breakthrough discoveries in computer and communication technologies, data transmission, management structures and the food industry, including VIOP telephony (1998); design and manufacturing of plastic note sorting machines (1995); lottery ticket validation terminal (1988); mirror microwave communication technology and CT3 technology, first in the world (1986); BOW Memory unit for cash registers (1985); credit card validation system (pioneer technology in secure transmission) and MOX memory unit for building security (1984); low-cost fossil fuel power station simulator (1983); the first echo-free, hands-free telephone handset (1978); and online stock control system - the first real-time system in commercial use (1972).

Peter established and chaired the National Incubator Companies Board (ATP) between 1992 and 1997 and co-founded the Joint Technology Partners incubator – a significant investor in Australian technology start-ups.

In 1993, some of the 65 companies in the TCG Group were publicly floated on the Australian Stock Exchange as TechComm Group Limited, later renamed Utility Computer Services (UXC). In 2016, UXC was acquired by CSC for $430 million. Another former TCG company floated on the New York Stock Exchange in November 1997 for US$600m (AU$1 billion), making it the largest technology company to be established in Australia until that time. Today the TCG companies, and entities with TCG roots, employ well over 6000 people with a turnover in excess of $1.5 billion annually.

Peter's innovative management style and corporate structuring has led to the creation of a business model which is being copied by many successful entrepreneurs, and has become part of university undergraduate and masters programs in business management in Australia and around the world.

Peter holds six degrees and professional qualifications, is an adjunct professor at the University of Technology Sydney and a Honorary Member of the Hungarian Academy of Engineering 1998. He is a fellow of the Australian Computer Society, the Institute of Engineers Australia, and the Australian Society of Accountants. His many awards include The Order of Australia in 1993 and the UTS Alumni Award for Excellence 2010. His books include 'The Possible Dream' (Penguin 1988) and 'Beyond "Yes"' (Harper Collins 1998), "The Profit Principle" co-authored by business journalist Jeanne-Vida Douglas (John Wiley and Sons 2010) and "Managing for Change" co-authored by Brad Howarth (TCG Publications 2014).

Peter chairs the Australian Government Consultative Committee on Knowledge Capital and serves on a number of private enterprise boards. He is a member of the Children's Promise Advisory Committee, a not-for-profit philanthropic organisation. He represented Australia on the OECD Small Medium Size Enterprise committee and in other OECD forums , and was dubbed the “Father of the OECD SME Working Group” established in 1993.

Peter Fritz is a Member of the Board of the Global Panel Foundation - Australasia - a respected non-government organisation (with offices and satellites in Berlin, Copenhagen, New York, Prague, Sydney and Toronto) that works behind the scenes in crisis areas around the world. The current Australasia Chair is the Rt. Hon. Don McKinnon, former Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand and Commonwealth Secretary General, and the Vice Chair is Hon. Philip Ruddock MP.

Peter co-chaired the government-commissioned Working Group on Education and Training in Philanthropy and Social Investment (2007–2008) which led to the establishment of the Centre for Social Impact (CSI) in 2008, with an Australian Government endowment of $12.4 million. The CSI is a joint collaboration between the business schools of the University of New South Wales, Melbourne Business School, Swinburne University of Technology and the University of Western Australia and provides managerial education, executive support and research for the not-for-profit sector.

Peter was instrumental in the establishment of the Society for Knowledge Economics (2005), Australian Society for Progress and Wellbeing (2014), National Small Business Centre (1992), International Institute for Negotiation and Conflict Management (1996), and many others.

Peter Fritz is a regular blogger on the issues of innovation and entrepreneurship on Open Forum (Australia).