Stephen Loosley
Stephen Loosley was a NSW ALP Senator from 1990 to 1995. From November 2012 to September 2016 he was Chair of the Woomera Prohibited Area Advisory Board, a role required to be independent, yet he concurrently sat on the Thales Australia advisory board. He is now a non-executive director and chair of Thales Australia. Thales is one of the world’s top 10 weapons-makers.
Current Positions
Industry
Deputy Chairman and Non-Executive Director, Thales Australia (13.12.19–present)*
* ASIC record (accessed 7.11.20)
Other
Visiting Fellow, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney (2017-present)
Senior Fellow, Australian Strategic Policy Institute (2016-present)
Director, O’Connell Street Associates (4.4.16-present)*
Advisory Council, Asia Society Australia (2012-present)
* ASIC record (accessed 29.4.20)
Previous Positions
Industry
Member, Thales Advisory Board (2010-2019), including Chair (2015-2019)
Director, Thales Australia Ltd, and various subsidiaries (17.3.08–28.6.10)*
Director, Australian Defence Industries (ADI) Pty Ltd, and various subsidiaries (17.3.08–28.6.10)*
Political and public administrative positions
Chair, Woomera Prohibited Area Advisory Board (12.4.16–30.9.16 and 9.11.12–30.10.15)^
Chair, Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (May 1993-May 1995)
Senator for New South Wales (1.7.90–21.5.95)
Other
Director, Asia Society Australasia Centre (5.3.12–16.3.16)*
Director, The Ethics Centre Limited, (2.12.10–7.2.17)*
Strategic counsel, Minter Ellison Lawyers (2009-2015)
Chair, Australian Strategic Policy Institute (2008-2016)
Director, European-Australian Business Council Ltd (17.4.08–6.2.14)*
Strategic adviser, Babcock & Brown Ltd (investment firm) (2006-2009)
Director, Australian Strategic Policy Institute (22.8.01–31.12.07)*
Director, Australian American Education Leadership Foundation Limited (1.1.99–18.10.11)*
Partner, Dunhill Madden Butler (law firm) (1996-2006)
Director, international and trade law division, Dunhill Madden Butler (1995–1996)
Before politics
ALP General Secretary (NSW) 1983-1990
Newspaper and magazine columnist
* From ASIC record
^ From Austender contract notices
Are Australians paying for secret US weapons tests at Woomera?
James is studying a bachelor of Communication (Journalism) at the University of Technology Sydney. He is a producer at 2SER radio and contributor at UTS’s Central News.