Donald Robert Argus AC is an Australian businessman, and the former chairman of BHP Billiton, National Australia Bank Brambles. He was educated at the Anglican Church Grammar School.
Argus spent much of his early career in the banking industry. He was the general manager of products and service at the National Australia Bank having been at the bank since the 1956. He became the Chief Executive Officer on 1 October 1990 succeeding Neil "Nobby" Clark. He was credited with leading NAB to recovery from a difficult period in the late 1980s. However, there was criticism of huge financial losses from overseas acquisitions that occurred under his leadership.
He joined the board at BHP in 1996, and in 1999 he assumed the role of chairman at the corporation, where he oversaw its merger with Anglo-African miner Billiton. He was also part of the board of the winemaker Southcorp, but resigned following its acquisition of Rosemont. In 2007 he was named one of the most influential figures in Australian business by The Bulletin magazine.
He is a close friend of former Prime Minister John Howard, and provided substantial financial backing to the Liberal Party campaign at the 1996 election. Outside of work he is a member of the Queensland cricketer's club.
