Ross’ senior executive career with leading multinational companies BASF and BOC in Australia, Asia and Europe spanned more than 30 years. Today, he holds several non-executive and advisory board roles in advanced manufacturing and commercialisation businesses. He brings an international, multicultural perspective to leadership and has extensive experience of start-ups, post-merger integrations and business transformations. Ross understands the importance of STEM based industries and especially chemistry, to a sustainable future and believes that business leaders have a responsibility to speak out on important issues.

Mr Pilling has made major contributions to the application of science and technology in the chemicals industry. He has built a relevant Australian-based chemical company through a deeper and broader engagement between BASF's global organisation and Australia's research community. In 2014, Mr Pilling led BASF through a major transformation, re-focusing on five key growth industries. He is a Director of PACIA (Plastics and Chemicals Industry Association) which developed a Strategic Industry Roadmap, that outlines how the Australian industry can work with governments and other stakeholders to take advantage of opportunities in the Asian region.