Phil Aiken among friends at UK Australia Day awards Save Share Ex-BHP petroleum boss Phil Aiken was awarded the Australian of the Year in the UK gong at the Australia Day Foundation Awards last week, which are usually (when not in lockdown) held annually at Australia House in London. Itâs another one of those corporate coincidences weâre so fond of, numerous as they are in a country as fond of oligopolies as this one. Australia House in London, which in normal years hosts the Australia Day Foundation Awards. AFR The main sponsor of the awards is BHP, where Aiken â these days a leading UK-based director â worked until 2006. And after leaving the Big Australian (having been cleared of wrongdoing during the Oil for Wheat scandal), he turned up as chairman of yet another of the eveningâs platinum sponsors, being recruitment firm Robert Walters.