# Peter Farrell

> Peter Craig Farrell is the Australian engineer who founded ResMed in 1989 and served as its founding chief executive. Now chair emeritus and a director, he also supports education, student entrepreneurship and the arts through university involvement and the Farrell Family Foundation.

- **Role:** Founder and Chair Emeritus at ResMed
- **Organizations:** ResMed, Farrell Family Foundation, University of New South Wales, Arcturus Therapeutics, University of California San Diego, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Baxter International
- **Nationality:** Australian
- **Education:** Bachelor of Engineering with honours in chemical engineering, University of Sydney, Master of Science in chemical engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, PhD in chemical engineering and bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Doctor of Science, University of New South Wales
- **Known for:** Founded ResMed in 1989., Led ResMed through its 1995 public listing., Australian Entrepreneur of the Year, 2001.

## Career timeline

- **1964** — Graduated from the University of Sydney; began work at Union Carbide.
- **1965** — Transferred to Union Carbide laboratories in Montreal.
- **1978-1989** — Foundation director of UNSW’s graduate engineering school.
- **1984-1989** — Vice president of research and development at Baxter subsidiaries.
- **1985-1989** — Managing director of Baxter’s Sydney research centre.
- **1989** — Founded ResCare, later renamed ResMed.
- **1990-2007** — Served as ResMed chief executive from July 1990 to December 2007.
- **1995** — ResCare renamed ResMed; Nasdaq listing raised US$24 million.
- **2001** — Established Farrell Family Foundation; named Australian Entrepreneur of the Year.
- **2011-2013** — Returned as ResMed CEO from February 2011 to March 2013.
- **2013** — Michael Farrell succeeded him as CEO.
- **2023** — Became chair emeritus in January, remaining on the board.
- **2026** — Named to the Horatio Alger Association’s Class of 2026.

## Achievements

- Founded ResMed in 1989.
- Led ResMed through its 1995 public listing.
- Australian Entrepreneur of the Year, 2001.
- Member of the US National Academy of Engineering.
- Elected an ATSE fellow in 1987.
- Horatio Alger Award recipient, Class of 2026.
- Established the Farrell Family Foundation in 2001.
- Pledged $500,000 over five years to support a UNSW innovation and entrepreneurship centre.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — ResMed’s October 1 proxy statement lists Farrell as founder, chairman emeritus and a director.
- **2026-09** — The UNSW competition bearing his name held its finals on September 18; this is programme activity and does not establish his attendance.
- **2026-01** — The Horatio Alger Association announced his selection for its 2026 award class.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-farrell-065ab212

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/peter-farrell
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-24