Meet The CEO with Michael Dorrell, CEO of Stonepeak
Michael Dorrell, CEO of Stonepeak, explains how to build and scale a firm, navigate a maturing asset class, and lead with a long-term view in a fast-changing world
This Meet the CEO event took place on 31 March 2026 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.
What does it take to build a $70B investment firm from scratch – and keep it growing through a financial crisis?
Michael Dorrell (UNSW BCom ‘98, LLB ‘97), Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of Stonepeak, sat down with UNSW Emeritus Chancellor David Gonski, AC for UNSW Business Schools' first Meet the CEO event of 2026, and shared his candid thoughts on what it takes to build and scale a firm, navigate a maturing asset class, and lead with a long-term view in a fast-changing world.
Widely regarded as a leader in infrastructure investing, successfully deploying capital through economic cycles, he founded Stonepeak in 2011. Prior to that, he was a Senior Managing Director in Private Equity and Co-Head of the Infrastructure Investment group at Blackstone. He was named AFR Business Person of the Year for 2025 by the Australian Financial Review in recognition of his significant contributions to the private equity sector and his role in managing a substantial global investment portfolio.