Jack Cotton was Managing Director of Kiewit Australia from 2010 to 2018. He passed away on January 17, 2026 from the complications of Parkinson's Disease. He was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's some 10 years ago and fought valiantly against its symptoms and degradation of daily life until he finally succumbed to it.
His full name was John (Jack) LeGrand Cotton, Jr and he was born in 1958.
Jack and his family moved to Perth in 2010 to establish a new office for Kiewit Corporation, one of the largest and well regarded industrial and civil construction companies in the US. During his time as MD for Kiewit Australia, he oversaw all business operations and executed major EPC (Engineer, Procure, and Construct) projects in the Power, Mining, and LNG sectors. Before moving to Perth, Jack worked across the United States and in India and Singapore, as the quintessential ‘global citizen’.
Jack was known by his friends and business colleagues as an astute business strategist and innovator in the power sector, creating solutions for clients to develop cleaner and more efficient power production. He also was involved in seeking solutions and applications for alternative fuels such as hydrogen, methane, and biomass. In the year prior to his passing, Jack had submitted significant proposals to major power generators in Western Australia for the use of biomass fuels to reduce their dependence on coal and to generate less pollution.
Jack is survived by his wife and life partner of over 40 years, Susie Cotton, and their son, Luke, who reside in Perth.
