Dr Andrew Forrest AO awarded 2025 Progress Medal for Leadership

Fortescue Executive Chairman and Founder Dr Andrew Forrest AO has been presented with a 2025 Progress Medal by the Society for Progress, recognising his leadership in advancing business models that integrate economic performance with long-term progress for people and the natural world. 

The Progress Medal was presented to Dr Forrest by Salesforce co-founder, Chairman and CEO Marc Benioff, a recipient of the medal, and World Economic Forum Co-Chair and Vice Chairman of Roche Holding AG André Hoffmann at a ceremony at the World Economic Forum on Thursday. 

The Progress Medals honour scholars and business leaders whose work advances models of capitalism to better integrate economic performance with fairness, wellbeing and the natural world. 

Dr Forrest was one of four leaders and three scholars to receive the 2025 award, with the citation recognising his “daring and innovative commitment to defend and advance, from within the private enterprise system, the rights and interests of humans and nature”. 

Dr Forrest said he was deeply humbled to receive the award. 

“Business has a moral obligation to act in the long-term interests of humanity and the planet – alongside a responsibility to deliver durable economic value,” Dr Forrest said. 

“I don’t believe the world changes through appeals to conscience alone, but through the power of business. When capital is deployed well, it can drive innovation, productivity and enhance the natural world. 

“In the world as it is, there is one constant: the ongoing struggle between good and evil. The Progress Medal recognises the responsibility of business to ensure that in that struggle, its power is used to make sure good prevails.” 

“This honour belongs to the 25,000 people across Fortescue, the Minderoo Foundation and Tattarang who live and breathe this every day - whether it is inventing and deploying new technologies to decarbonise heavy industry or deploying capital, and influence to protect what matters and strengthen the systems the world relies on.”