James Pearson is a former diplomat and business advocate who is the Chief Executive Officer of the
City of Joondalup
The City of Joondalup is a local government area in Perth, Western Australia. Its central business district is located in the suburb Joondalup, and it includes the town centres of Hillarys and Warwick.
History
Prior to the 1970s, the region n ...
in Western Australia, the centre of the north west metropolitan region of Perth and one of Western Australia's largest local government areas. He is the former Chief Executive Officer of the
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) is Australia's largest and most representative business association, comprising state and territory chambers of commerce and national industry associations. ACCI represents Australian busines ...
, Australia’s largest business advocacy network.
Career
Pearson started his career with the Australian
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is the department of the Australian federal government responsible for foreign policy and relations, international aid (using the branding Australian Aid), consular services and trade and inv ...
in 1984. He served as Political & Economic Officer at the Australian High Commission in Vanuatu and as First Secretary, Economic & Trade, at the Australian Embassy in China.
Pearson joined the Western Australian
Department of State Development
The Department of State Development was a department of the Government of Western Australia. The department was formed on 1 January 2009, out of the former Department of Industry and Resources and Department of Consumer and Employment Protecti ...
as a Policy Director in 1997, where he led government initiatives to support development of the resources and energy industry.
From 2000 he represented the oil and gas industry in Western Australia and the Northern Territory as a director of the
Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association
The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association, known as APPEA, is an Australian industry association representing companies which explore and produce oil and gas in Australia. APPEA is a non-profit organisation.
The organisatio ...
before joining
Chevron
Chevron (often relating to V-shaped patterns) may refer to:
Science and technology
* Chevron (aerospace), sawtooth patterns on some jet engines
* Chevron (anatomy), a bone
* '' Eulithis testata'', a moth
* Chevron (geology), a fold in rock ...
in 2002 as External Affairs Manager. In the role he led lobbying, reputation management, workforce communications and corporate social responsibility in Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines.
Pearson become CEO of the
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia (CCIWA), founded in 1890,Poprzeczny, Joe. (1998) ''Roles for community. Obituary of former president of Perth Chamber of Commerce, the WA Employers Federation and the Confederation of WA ...
in 2008, where he led the peak group representing employers in Western Australia through the global financial crisis and local gas supply crisis, followed by unprecedented population growth and a rapid increase in private sector investment.
In 2013 Pearson joined
Shell
Shell may refer to:
Architecture and design
* Shell (structure), a thin structure
** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses
** Thin-shell structure
Science Biology
* Seashell, a hard ou ...
as General Manager, External & Government Relations, where he was responsible for protecting and building Shell's reputation in Australia through significant business change, including merger with global BG group, divestment of refining and retail, and construction of Prelude FLNG and Gorgon gas projects.
In 2016 Pearson commenced his role as CEO of the
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) is Australia's largest and most representative business association, comprising state and territory chambers of commerce and national industry associations. ACCI represents Australian busines ...
, Australia’s largest business advocacy network. He has led the Australian Chamber’s Top 10 in 10 competitiveness advocacy campaign and overseen a period of significant membership growth.
As CEO of the Australian Chamber, Pearson spoke publicly on issues including company tax, apprenticeships, public finances, wages and cyber security.
He has been published in outlets including The Australian, the Australian Financial Review, the Sydney Morning Herald, The West Australian, the Courier-Mail, the Herald Sun, The Advertiser, The Huffington Post and Crikey.
Pearson was appointed as CEO at the
City of Joondalup
The City of Joondalup is a local government area in Perth, Western Australia. Its central business district is located in the suburb Joondalup, and it includes the town centres of Hillarys and Warwick.
History
Prior to the 1970s, the region n ...
, a planned commercial and residential centre with an economy driven largely by the services and knowledge sectors, in March 2021.
Education and affiliations
Pearson is an adjunct professor at
Deakin University
Deakin University is a public university in Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1974, the university was named after Alfred Deakin, the second Prime Minister of Australia.
Its main campuses are in Melbourne's Burwood suburb, Geelong Waurn Ponds, ...
, has a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from the
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Perth, the state capital, with a secondary campus in Albany, Western Australia, Albany an ...
, a Master of Business Administration from
Deakin University
Deakin University is a public university in Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1974, the university was named after Alfred Deakin, the second Prime Minister of Australia.
Its main campuses are in Melbourne's Burwood suburb, Geelong Waurn Ponds, ...
and is a Life Member and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and a Fellow of the
Australian Institute of Company Directors
The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) is a non-profit membership organization for directors. The AICD is a founding member of the Global Network of Director Institutes (GNDI).
History
The origins of the AICD can be traced ba ...
.
Personal
Born in the United Kingdom and a naturalised Australian citizen since 1980, Pearson grew up in Perth, Western Australia where he was a scholarship student at
Scotch College, Swanbourne. Pearson is married with three adult children. He is a keen sailor and supports the
Fremantle Dockers
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Dockers, is a professional Australian rules football club competing in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. The team was founded in 1994 to represent the port city of Fr ...
in the
AFL
AFL may refer to:
Sports
* American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues:
** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pearson, James
Australian business executives
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Fellows of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
English emigrants to Australia