Whitlam first became publicly prominent in 1981 when he was appointed chief executive of the State Bank of New South Wales.
Three senior judges, sitting as the New South Wales Court of Appeal, unanimously found that he had not breached his duties as a director, reversed the ruling and exonerated him.
[4][5] Whitlam is a graduate of Harvard College (AB cum laude, 1967) and the London Business School (MSc, 1969).
Whitlam has been married to Judy (née Frye) since 1973; she was a publicist for Vidal Sassoon and the Savoy Hotel.
Believing they were unable to conceive children of their own, they adopted a girl, Alice, from Thailand and a boy, Edward, from Colombia.