Jim McDowell

Jim is Chief Executive of Nova Systems and has more than 30 years of experience in international defence and aerospace sectors and has lived and worked in the UK, the USA, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia. Prior to this appointment  Jim was Chief Executive of South Australia’s Department of Premier and Cabinet. Jim joined BAE Systems in 1996 and his last executive appointment with the Group was as Chief Executive Officer of their A$5 billion annual turnover business  operations in Saudi Arabia. Prior to this he was Chief Executive Officer of BAE Systems Australia for 10 years. Based in Adelaide, he drove a major expansion program as the Group grew to become Australia’s largest defence business. Prior to his  time at BAE Systems Jim worked for 18 years at aerospace Group Bombardier Shorts in legal, commercial and marketing positions, making a major contribution to that Group’s growth into the USA. In 2014, Jim was appointed by the Australian  Federal Government to the team to conduct the First Principles Review of the Australian Department of Defence. The Team’s ‘One Defence’ recommendations included transformational changes to structure, governance arrangements, accountabilities, processes and systems of Defence. Jim was also Chair of the Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organisation which is a centre-of-excellence in Australia for radiation safety and nuclear medicine research.