{{Short description|Australian politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}} {{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Ben Keneally | honorific_suffix = | image = | office = Mayor of Botany Bay | deputy = George Glinatsis<br/>Stan Kondilios | term_start = 8 September 2012 | term_end = 9 September 2016 | predecessor = Ron Hoenig | successor = ''Council abolished'' | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | party = Labor | other_party = | spouse = Kristina Keneally | children = 3 (1 deceased) | alma_mater = University of Sydney | website = }} '''Ben Keneally''' is an Australian management consultant and politician. He was the Mayor of Botany Bay from 2012 to 2016.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-news/keneally-romps-in-as-mayor/story-e6freuzi-1226468205711|title =Keneally romp in as mayor}}</ref> His wife is the former NSW Premier and former Senator Kristina Keneally.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/another-keneally-sets-sights-on-politics-20120727-22xvv.html | title=Another Keneally sets sights on politics | publisher=Sydney Morning Herald | date=27 July 2012 | accessdate=27 July 2012 | author=Nicholls, Sean}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/two-keneallys-in-a-game-of-labor-musical-chairs/story-e6frgczx-1226429445978 | title=Two Keneallys in a game of Labor musical chairs | publisher=The Australian | date=19 July 2012 | accessdate=27 July 2012 | author=Imre Salusinszky}}</ref>

==Early life and career== Keneally grew up in Gladesville, New South Wales. Educated at Holy Cross College, Ryde and the University of Sydney. Keneally worked in the Boston Consulting Group from 1994 to 2003,<ref name=snow/> then as a management consultant for Medical Imaging Australia Limited (MIA).{{citation needed|date=April 2022}} He then worked as executive director at NSW Department of Housing, and then as Premier Morris Iemma's deputy chief of staff.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/ben-keneally-3299220.html | title=Ben Keneally, contributor profile | publisher=Drum TV | work=The DRUM Opinion | accessdate=27 July 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120817101403/http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/ben-keneally-3299220.html | archive-date=17 August 2012 | url-status=dead }}</ref> He then worked for an environmental consultancy before entering politics.<ref name=linkedin/>

Keneally was originally planning to challenge Deirdre Grusovin for Labor preselection in the state seat of Heffron in 2003. However, Labor's affirmative action rules required a female candidate, so he stood down in favour of his wife Kristina.<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/national/labors-least-likely-20091204-kb2i.html Deobrah Show & Anne Davies, ''Labor's least likely''], ''The Age'', 5 December 2009</ref>

Keneally was the Labor candidate for City of Botany Bay's mayoral election during the 2012 local government elections, and was elected as Mayor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/elections/nsw/2012/council/?page=BotanyBay|title=2012 NSW Local Council Elections - The Council of the City of Botany Bay|publisher=ABC News|access-date=1 April 2022}}</ref> Later while he was Mayor, Keneally also began to work as a chief executive of a health care company.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/city-east/botany-bay-council-mayor-ben-keneally-steps-down-in-advance-of-baird-governments-decision-on-local-government-mergers/news-story/9028db980c20f2b99d199c20240a662c|title=Botany Bay Council Mayor Ben Keneally steps aside in advance of Baird Government's decision on local government mergers|publisher=The Daily Telegraph|date=1 December 2015|access-date=1 April 2022}}</ref> In December 2015, he delegated his mayoral duties to deputy mayor Stan Kondilio due to his increased workload at the health care company. He officially continued as Mayor until the council was dissolved and amalgamated to form Bayside Council in September 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/3883862/council-amalgamations-botany-lodges-proposal-for-merged-port-council/?cs=300|title=Council amalgamations: Botany lodges proposal for merged 'port' council|publisher=Illawarra Mercury|date=2 May 2016|access-date=1 April 2022}}</ref>

In January 2017, Keneally returned to the Boston Consulting Group to be a managing director and partner at its Sydney office.<ref name=linkedin>{{cite web|url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-keneally-3a2b591b/details/experience/|title=Ben Keneally|website=Linkedin|access-date=1 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bcg.com/about/people/experts/ben-keneally|title=Ben Keneally - Managing Director & Partner Sydney|website=Boston Consulting Group|access-date=1 April 2022}}</ref> He still holds these positions {{as of|2023|3|lc=y}}. Keneally is the Asia-Pacific Healthcare lead for BCG.

==Personal life== Keneally met his future wife Kristina at World Youth Day 1991 in Poland. She moved to Australia in 1994 to be with him, but they returned to the US so Ben could take up a position with the Boston Consulting Group. They married there in 1996.<ref name=snow>{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/labors-least-likely-20091204-kb2i.html |author1=Snow, Deborah |author2=Davies, Anne |author2-link=Anne Davies (Australian journalist) |title=Labor's least likely |work=The Age |date=5 December 2009 }}</ref><ref name="Walker">{{cite news|last=Walker |first=Frank|title=Fine romance for young believers|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=29 March 2008|url= http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/fine-romance-for-young-believers/2008/03/29/1206207489788.html |access-date =26 July 2009}}</ref> They returned to Australia two years later, after their son was born.

The couple has two sons. A daughter died at birth.<ref name="smh2">{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/world-youth-day/faith-but-its-a-test-of-spirit-for-the-junior-minister/2008/07/10/1215658037571.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1|title=Faith, but it's a test of spirit for the junior minister|last=Smith|first=Alexandra|date=11 July 2008|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=3 December 2009}}</ref>

Keneally is the nephew of Australian author Thomas Keneally.<ref>{{cite news |author=Jerga, Josh |url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/katrina-keneally-is-catholic-feminist-with-american-twang/story-e6freuy9-1225806750479 |title=Katrina [recte Kristina] Keneally is Catholic feminist with American twang |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=3 December 2009 |access-date=3 December 2009}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-civ}} {{s-bef|before=Ron Hoenig}} {{s-ttl | title= Mayor of Botany Bay |years=2012{{ndash}}2016}} {{s-non| reason=Council abolished}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Keneally, Ben}} Category:Australian Labor Party mayors Category:Mayors of Botany and Botany Bay Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Public servants of New South Wales Category:University of Sydney alumni Category:People educated at Holy Cross College, Ryde