Today I announce the appointment of Mr Brendan Pearson as Australia's next Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris.
Mr Pearson was most recently Senior Adviser (Industry, Trade and Investment), Office of the Prime Minister. He has previously worked overseas as Counsellor (Trade Policy) at the Australian Embassy in Washington, North Asia Bureau Chief for the Australian Financial Review in Tokyo and as a Visiting Scholar, Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge.
In Australia, he has worked in a number of senior trade roles at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and has also served in business representation roles, including as Chief Executive of the Minerals Council of Australia and at Peabody Energy.
Mr Pearson holds a Master of Philosophy in International Relations from the University of Cambridge; and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Australian National University.
The OECD performs an important role in developing and promoting global best practice on economic and governance matters of direct relevance to Australia. It is a trusted and credible leader in economic research, analysis, and policy advice.
Australia benefits from the OECD's work in areas such as trade, health, employment, agriculture, overseas development assistance, energy, education, digital economy, and environment policy.
We are also working with the OECD to support its increased engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. The OECD is well placed to support the work of regional forums such as APEC and ASEAN, as well as international forums like the G20, and to promote an open, rules-based multilateral trading system.
I thank outgoing Ambassador Alexander Robson for his strong contributions to advancing Australia's interests in the OECD since 2019.
