Established in 1989, St James Ethics Centre is a fully independent forum for the promotion and exploration of ethics. Operating both in Australia and abroad, the Centre provides a neutral, confidential setting in which ethical questions can be raised, ethical problems explored, and ethical dilemmas resolved.
One of the Executive Director's roles is to encourage the process of integrating ethical considerations into the strategic thinking of the management community and those who advise and regulate them. More generally, Simon Longstaff encourages and contributes to the active discussion of ethical questions amongst the widest possible audience.
Having completed his secondary education at Knox Grammar School in Sydney, Dr Longstaff spent time working on Groote Eylandt in the Safety Department of BHP subsidiary, GEMCO. Following his time in the Northern Territory he returned to take up full-time study, completing a Bachelor's Degree in Education in Tasmania.
Simon Longstaff spent five years studying and working as a member of Magdalene College, Cambridge, before returning to Australia in mid-1991. Having won scholarships to study at Cambridge, he read for the degrees of Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy. His research centred on related questions arising in the areas of political philosophy, ethics and the philosophy of education. Prior to returning to Australia, Dr Longstaff was lecturing at Cambridge and was working as consultant to the Cambridge Commonwealth and Overseas Trusts.
Dr Longstaff was inaugural President of The Australian Association for Professional & Applied Ethics and is a Director of a number of companies. He is a Fellow of the World Economic Forum and a member of the International Advisory Committee of the Foreign Policy Association, based in New York. His first book, Hard Cases, Tough Choices was published in 1997. He is currently preparing a second on the role of conscience.
Dr Longstaff serves on a number of committees, some of which include:
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Advertising Federation of Australia (AFA),
Ethics Working Party, Chairman
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Australian Institute of Company Directors,
Corporate Governance Committee, Member
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BHP Billiton, Business Ethics Panel, Independent
Member
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Cambridge Australia Trust, Chairman
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Community Cultural Development NSW (CCDNSW),
Chairman
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Gene Technology Ethics Committee, Member
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Genographic Project, International Advisory Board, Member
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Fonterra, Ethics Committee (New Zealand),
Member
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National Professional Engineers Registration
Board, Member
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NSW BioFirst, Ethics Panel, Member
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Westpac Customer Committee, Chairman
For further information about St James Ethics Centre,
please contact us by telephone on +61 (0)2 9299 9566
