Celebrity Speakers - Book inspirational and motivational speakers & entertainers for corporate, association & social events

In both the business and arts sectors, James Strong has an impressive record of achievements few can rival.

Currently, he is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Woolworths; Chairman of Insurance Australia Group, Chairman of Rip Curl International and a Director of Qantas Airways. A passionate supporter of the Arts, he is also Chairman of the Australia Council for the Arts, the primary arts funding and policy body of the Australian Government.

His previous Arts associations include chairing the Sydney Theatre Company, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Australian Business Arts Foundation, the State Library of Victoria and serving as a director of Opera Australia. He also chaired a review of all Australian symphony and pit orchestras for the Australian Government.

However, James Strong’s interests extend beyond business and the arts. He is a keen sportsman, who enjoys scuba diving and riding motorcycles, and has scaled the highest mountain in Antarctica (Mt Vinson). He is currently a Director of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation which conducts the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne and the MotoGP in Phillip Island.

His business career has spanned Industrial relations, law, mining, political lobbying, aviation, the liquor industry, retailing and insurance. One of his higher profile roles was as CEO of Qantas from 1993 to 2001. He is also a former Chairman of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). James has been appointed Chairman of the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup in Australia/New Zealand.

He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2006 for his services to business and commerce, particularly in the aviation, insurance and retail fields, and to the arts as an administrator and philanthropist.

His achievements have been recognised on many occasions and include being awarded the Australian Centenary Medal for contributions to aviation and the arts, the Sir Charles McGrath Award for Excellence in Marketing, the Monash University and Mount Eliza Alumni Award for Leadership and the Smithsonian Institute’s Laureate Hall of Fame Award for Commercial Air Transport.

James Strong has a wealth of business experience and success to his credit. His special areas of interest have been strategy, communications, organisational change and people. An articulate and focussed speaker, James Strong provides straightforward, invaluable lessons for senior management.