Kerry Stokes AC is one of WA's wealthiest and most influential business leaders. Through a network of private companies, notably Australian Capital Equity and Wroxby, he holds business interests in a diverse range of industries including broadcast and print media, property, mining, and construction equipment. ACE has a controlling stake in ASX company SGH (formerly) Seven Group Holdings, which in turn controlled Seven West Media, owner of the Seven Network and West Australian Newspapers, until its 2026 merger with Southern Cross Austereo to become Southern Cross Media Group.
SGH was originally formed in 2010 when Mr Stokes vended his Westpac Caterpillar dealership and his majority stake in National Hire and an unlikely mix of media assets including stakes in Channel Seven, Foxtel and The West Australian. The media assets were later spun off to become Seven West Media.
Mr Stokes has been a long-term backer of the Channel 7 Telethon Trust, a major WA charity, and has a keen interest in Australian art and military memorabilia.
Mr Stokes’ many board memberships have included the International Council for Museum & Television, the National Gallery of Australia and the Australian War Memorial, where he served as chair for six years.
In 1995, Mr Stokes was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia for services to business and commerce to the arts and to the community. In 2008, he was invested as a Companion of the Order of Australia for services to business and commerce through strategic leadership and promotion of corporate social responsibility, to the arts through executive roles and philanthropy, and to the community, particularly through contributions to organisations supporting youth.
In 2020, Curtin University awarded Mr Stokes an honorary science doctorate for his significant and sustained contribution to child health research in WA.
