James Bolton Leslie AC MC (27 November 1922–28 May 2012) was the first Australian managing director of

Mobil Oil Australia Mobil is a petroleum brand owned and operated by American oil and gas corporation ExxonMobil. The brand was formerly owned and operated by an oil and gas corporation of the same name, which itself merged with Exxon to form ExxonMobil in 1999. ...

, was chairman of

Qantas Qantas Airways Limited ( ) is the flag carrier of Australia and the country's largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations. It is the world's third-oldest airline still in operation, having been founded ...

for 10 years and was chancellor of Deakin University. Military Cross
10 January 1946, It's an Honour, "AMF - South West Pacific"Officer of the Order of Australia
11 June 1984, It's an HonourCompanion of the Order of Australia
26 January 1993, It's an Honour, "For service to the aviation industry and to community and cultural affairs".James Bolton Leslie
East Melbourne Historical Society, emhs.org.au Born 27 November 1922 in Melbourne, he grew up in country Victoria, moving back to Melbourne for high school. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

he served in New Guinea where he was

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

Mention in despatches
19 July 1945, www.awm.gov.au and earned a

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

. After the war he joined Mobil Oil Australia where in 1971 he became the first Australian to be appointed as managing director. In 1979 he left Mobil and became chairman of Qantas, a position he held for 10 years under both Liberal and Labor governments. In 1987, he was appointed chancellor of Deakin University and eventually received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws. Leslie was made an Officer of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

in 1984 and elevated to Companion in 1993. He died on 28 May 2012.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leslie, Jim 1922 births 2012 deaths Australian chief executives Australian businesspeople Companions of the Order of Australia Australian recipients of the Military Cross Australian military personnel of World War II Australian expatriates in Papua New Guinea