Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Additional Information
Timeline
Generic

James Baker

Burbanks,Queensland

Overview

35
35
years of professional experience

Work History

Head of Government Affairs

Duties
12.2016 - Current
  • Lead Government Relations and Strategic relationships for Boeing in Australia:.
  • Reporting directly to Country President for Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific.
  • Identify strategy, priorities and government relations plan, including messaging.
  • Coordinate with global government relations function.
  • Represent the company and Country President.
  • Engage with state and federal governments at all levels, up to senior Cabinet level.
  • Achievements.
  • Government liaison for convincing Australian Government to invest in “Loyal Wingman”.
  • Led to development of first fully autonomous vehicle, currently in testing with RAAF.
  • Also led to allocation of between $7.4 - $11 billion in the latest Force Structure Plan.
  • Devised and implemented Government relations campaign that resulted in win of $4 billion plus (price is still TBD) contract to replace the Tiger helicopters with Boeing Apaches.
  • Lobbying campaign to convince government of the need for early decision to buy more P-8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
  • Led Boeing’s presence at the Invictus Games, including associated forums and presenting medals.
  • Represented Boeing Country President and Boeing Defence Australia Managing Director in high profile forums:.
  • Appeared before Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade hearing into Bipartisan Defence Policy.
  • American Chamber of Commerce Defence Industry Tour of USA.
  • Conducted strategic relations aspects of Avalon Airshow, including:.
  • Visits by Governor General, three federal ministers, state ministers and other VIPs.
  • Coordinated government, VIP and media flights in Apache helicopter.
  • Helped achieve public change in government policy on program of note.
  • Established relationships with Ministers, MPs and Senators, state and local governments, and a network throughout government.
  • Boeing Australia champion for Veterans.
  • Led the nomination process that won Boeing Defence Australia the Prime Minister’s Veteran Employer of the Year Award.
  • Led the recruitment process that led to the hiring of Mark Donaldson VC into Boeing.
  • Coordinating government relations for all Boeing businesses in Australia.

Period Organisation Role, Boeing Australia
01.2016 - Current

Communications Director

12.2009 - 01.2016
  • Responsible for all aspects of leadership and management of the Communications team across all aspects of operations:.
  • External Communication.
  • Internal Communication.
  • Marketing and Advertising.
  • Events, Sponsorships and Community Affairs.
  • Digital Production.
  • Marketing.
  • Visits coordination.
  • Leadership Team executive, working directly to the Managing Director and Vice President of Boeing Defence Australia as well as with all General Managers and support function department heads.
  • Achievements.
  • Planned marketing, media and communication activities for Boeing’s multi-billion dollar defence products in Australia.
  • Major company wins:.
  • 12 x P-8A Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
  • 12 x EA/18G Growler.
  • 2 x C-17 Globemaster III.
  • 14 x CH-47 Chinook.
  • Helicopter Aircrew Training System.
  • Battlespace Communications System.
  • Support to F/A-18 Hornet fleet.
  • Key member of the LeadershipTeam that saw Boeing’s backlog of orders grow 300% in four years.
  • The business grew by more than three times, to almost a $900 million enterprise in 2017.
  • Responsible for Boeing Centennial celebrations across Australia at 15 sites.
  • Deployed at short notice to manage UK communications for Boeing Defense, Space and Security through a period of leadership and organisational change.
  • Oversaw Boeing sponsorship of and participation in the Royal International Air Tattoo and the British Military Tournament with official guest up to and including royalty (Prince William).
  • Hosted Corporal Dan Keighran VC to Buckingham Palace for his appointment with HRH Queen Elizabeth II.
  • Planned and conducted media tours, airshow participation, trade shows, product and service promotion, executive sponsorship for Global Day of Service volunteering activity.
  • Liaison with state, federal and local government officials.
  • Led executive communications for Australian and US senior executives.
  • Visitors included The Boeing Company Chairman and other senior VIPs.

Boeing Defence Director of Communications

01.2009 - 01.2016

Army Officer (Major), Staff Officer and Public Affairs Officer

03.2003 - 09.2009
  • Headquarters 1st Division Duties.
  • Senior Public Affairs Officer for The Army’s 1st Division of up to 12,000 personnel.
  • Achievements.
  • Senior Public Affairs Officer for Australian intervention in East Timor – May-September 2006.
  • Managed all communication and community affairs aspects of rapid deployment to East Timor, including leading in-theatre staff for all phases of the operation.
  • Managed media for deployment in response to Fiji coup, including welcome home service November-December 2006.
  • Spokesman for Defence on numerous high-profile issues, domestically and on operations.
  • Event organiser for visits to the Middle East and East Timor by the Prime Minister and Defence Minister.
  • Managed all personnel “sensitive issues” in the 1st Division, including responsibility for management of all criminal acts committed by soldiers, self-harms, and any incidents likely to attract media or parliamentary attention.
  • Operations Officer on Australian Headquarters Middle East Area of Operations for Iraq War and the War on Terror – 2003.
  • As Operations Officer, managed operational aspects of Defence Public Affairs Office deployment to the Middle East for the War on Terror and the Iraq War, including oversight of staff of 15.
  • Managed three Deployable Field Teams dispersed over operations in three countries throughout the War.
  • In February 2015 I deployed to the Middle East Region (MER) for six months as the Senior Military Public Affairs Officer to manage the reputation and public image aspects of Australia’s contribution to the war against Islamic State (Operation OKRA), maritime operations in the Gulf of Arabia (Operation MANITOU), the contribution to the Advise and Assist mission in Afghanistan (Operation HIGHROAD) and Australia’s sustainment of all operations in the MER (operation ACCORDION).
  • I was selected as a Reservist because of my ability to work in high pressure environments and because of my subject matter expertise.

Australian Army Staff Officer and Public Affairs Officer

01.2003 - 01.2009

Senior Media Adviser

The Regional Australia Summit
01.1999 - 02.2003
  • Deputy Prime Minister Tim Fischer Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson Foreign Minister Alexander Downer Trade Minister Mark Vaile Leader of the Queensland Opposition Mike Horan MP Duties Media Advisor responsibilities included high-level strategy development and implementation, event organising and coordination, media release writing, speechwriting, managing outcomes from portfolio communications staff, ensuring the communication product achieved the Government’s intent in line with strategic objectives, annual report oversight, media training and media liaison, as well being spokesman for Ministers and Government.
  • Managed communications, events and visits for various portfolios.
  • Top issues included:.
  • International cultural relations aspects of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, including high-profile visiting dignitaries and guests of Government such as Henry Kissinger, Chelsea Clinton and Nelson Mandela.
  • US Free Trade Agreement.
  • World Trade Organisation, APEC and Cairns Group of agricultural trading nations.
  • Trade disputes with Japan, the USA and New Zealand.
  • International trade across all sectors.
  • The Ansett Airline collapse.
  • Rail infrastructure, including announcement of the Alice Springs to Darwin railway.
  • Y2K changeover.
  • Phase out of analogue mobiles and introduction of CDMA;.
  • The Fiji Coup.
  • The Solomon Islands coup.
  • Peacekeeping operations in East Timor.
  • Re-establishment of diplomatic relations with North Korea after a 50 year freeze.
  • The US Free Trade Agreement dealing across all export sectors, including numerous trips to the US, dealing with both Australian and international media.
  • Achievements.
  • Most notable achievements in Government:.
  • Worked on the Federal Government’s Olympic Communication Strategy.
  • Proposed the appointment of a federal spokesperson who became the official spokesperson for the Federal Government, which to that point had a significant investment in the Olympics but no spokesperson.
  • Managed communications through high-profile resignation of Deputy Prime Minister.
  • Advised Government on successful resolution of New Parliament House ‘Tent Embassy’ confrontation.
  • I devised a strategy to defuse the tensions as the protesters tried to move the Tent Embassy to the new Parliament House.
  • That issue was resolved in a very low-profile manner and the Tent Embassy is still at the Old Parliament House.

Fed Government/ Communications Adviser QLD Opposition
01.1999 - 01.2003

Network Ten Journalist and ABC
01.1994 - 01.1999

Political Reporter/Presenter

Backup Presenter for Australia Television International News
12.1993 - 01.1999
  • Duties and Achievements.
  • News Presenter for Ten’s First at Five News Hour and Late News.
  • Political reporter - Canberra Press Gallery.
  • Lead Reporter on Thredbo Landslide disaster.
  • Lead Network Reporter on Australian Defence Force Services Assisted Evacuation of Cambodia.
  • Lead Network Reporter on death and funeral of Princess Diana from London.

News Editor and Chief of Staff

ABC, Charles Sturt University
01.1990 - 12.1993
  • Video journalist and producer.
  • Deployment to Somalia as a uniformed military officer, and freelance work in Cambodia 96 Wildsoet St Burbank QLD 4156 Phone: 0401.

Education

BA - Communication (Broadcast Journalism)

Charles Sturt University
Bathurst, NSW

Skills

  • Advertising, Theatre
  • Apache, Trade shows
  • Army, Video
  • C, VC
  • Freelance, Y2K
  • Government
  • Hiring
  • Image
  • Journalist
  • Leadership
  • Local government
  • Director
  • Managing
  • Mark
  • Marketing
  • Media training
  • Messaging
  • Office
  • Win
  • 2000
  • Defence
  • Enterprise
  • Network
  • Personnel
  • Presenting
  • Presenter
  • Press
  • Prime Minister
  • Prince
  • Producer
  • Promotion
  • Recruitment
  • Reporter
  • Reporting
  • Solomon
  • Speechwriting
  • Strategy
  • Strategic
  • Strategy development
  • Phone

Additional Information

  • Security Clearance: Top Secret (NV2)

Timeline

Head of Government Affairs

Duties
12.2016 - Current

Period Organisation Role, Boeing Australia
01.2016 - Current

Communications Director

12.2009 - 01.2016

Boeing Defence Director of Communications

01.2009 - 01.2016

Army Officer (Major), Staff Officer and Public Affairs Officer

03.2003 - 09.2009

Australian Army Staff Officer and Public Affairs Officer

01.2003 - 01.2009

Senior Media Adviser

The Regional Australia Summit
01.1999 - 02.2003

Fed Government/ Communications Adviser QLD Opposition
01.1999 - 01.2003

Network Ten Journalist and ABC
01.1994 - 01.1999

Political Reporter/Presenter

Backup Presenter for Australia Television International News
12.1993 - 01.1999

News Editor and Chief of Staff

ABC, Charles Sturt University
01.1990 - 12.1993

BA - Communication (Broadcast Journalism)

Charles Sturt University

Similar Profiles

CREATE PROFILE
James Baker