Mr Garling said the recognition was an incredibly "humbling" experience and one he's very grateful for.

"You are always going to think there's others who deserve it a lot more than you, but it's a very nice recognition," he said.

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Mr Garling has worked in the energy, construction, infrastructure and investment sectors for more than 40 years.

He made special mention of the variety of roles he's undertaken helping to keep his work fresh and always presenting a new challenge to undertake.

At the turn of the century, Garling worked with the Royal Commission to help develop a blueprint for enhancing the trade industry with multi-faceted skills, with an aim of further progressing the careers of blue collar workers.

Garling then moved through senior roles in the energy industry to become the chairman of Energy Queensland, itself no small task which involved managing the largest government owned corporation in the country with $27 billion worth of assets.

"It's really exciting to be involved in the energy sector right now as there is an enormous amount happening," he said.

"There's going to be more change in the next five years than there has been in the last 30."

"It's all very exciting and it's going to bring with it new challenges, but I'm always excited by something new to tackle."

Mr Garling said he was honoured by the recognition and acknowledged the others who have helped shape his career path.

"I feel honoured to have received this recognition.

",I'm sorry both my parents aren't here to witness it because I know they'd be very thrilled," he said.

"A lot of fantastic people have lifted me up along the way that deserve just as much recognition."