Chris Aston James

Speaker Profile

CEO of Aston James International Pty Ltd for over 25 years, Chris Aston James was previously Chief Executive, UK & Europe, Drake International Pty Ltd - a group of eight Business Units, with 53 profit centres, across the UK, Germany and Switzerland.

Chris has Chaired, Moderated & Facilitated over 2500 top-level discussion sessions over the past 20 years, on every conceivable topic of relevance to senior Corporate and Public Service executives. He has chaired many very significant people including Henry Kissinger, Edward de Bono and the majority of the most prominent business and public sector people in Australia over the past 20 years.

Chris, one of the elite chairmen/facilitators in Australia is equally adept in the larger group situation (100-200 delegates such as the Australian Business Congress) or the interactive often smaller groups that may be strategy, content or outcome driven. Whatever the facilitation role, Chris’ performances are polished, refect a rare understanding and experience, and, importantly keep those energy levels up.

He has been Chairman (1986 & 1988), and Program Director, of The Australian Business Congress 1983-1999, Chairman (1996), and Program Director, of The Oxford Strategic Leadership Program 1989-1996, Chairman of The Amdahl Executive Institute Program, Australia, 1987-1999, and Chairman & Program Director of The Optus Future Strategy Series, on behalf of the Optus Foundation, 1994 - 2003.

He, and his company, have created, program directed, and presented numerous additional influential forums including The Westpac 'Spirit of Achievement' Olympic Program, The Australia's Managers for the 21st Century Program, and The Australian-American Bicentennial Project. He Chaired the PricewaterhouseCoopers ‘Financial Services Future’ seminars, for Partners, in 2003, and The Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) ‘Financial Markets to 2010’ program in 2004.

Chris Aston James is a Fellow of The Australian Institute of Company Directors, was Chairman of the Board, Pittwater Festival (1994 - 98), and a Vice-President of Variety Club, Australia (1983-4). He holds a BA (Hons) from London University, and is a member of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.

Travels from New South Wales