My Australia Story Session 3: James Jegasothy

For many university students and young professionals from diverse cultural backgrounds, the challenges of building a successful career in Australia can seem daunting, and perhaps insurmountable. 

Is “working hard and being passionate” good enough to help you find a dream job in a new country? New life, new path, new beginning… how can you achieve success in your career?

Mr James Jegasothy, Executive Director Office of Multicultural Interests, will share his career journey as the featured guest in the third instalment of My Australia Story conversation series.  

Having come to Australia as a refugee, James is passionate about achieving equitable outcomes for vulnerable people and communities. Informed by his personal history, he has more than two decades of experience working with culturally and linguistically diverse communities and has held strategic leadership and governance roles in government, for-purpose, and community organisations. He has degrees in law and politics.

James is the Executive Director at the Office of Multicultural Interests (OMI), Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, providing leadership and strategic direction while advising the Minister and State Government on policies and programs to achieve the full potential of multiculturalism. Before joining OMI, he was State Program and Stakeholder Coordinator at the Australian Red Cross, Migration Support Programs where he led a multidisciplinary team to provide culturally appropriate services to asylum seekers and new migrants. Before arriving in Western Australia, he worked in refugee advocacy to support detained and community-based refugees and asylum seekers to gain access to legal protection and humanitarian support.

James has also held the strategic leadership roles of Board Director of Rise Network, Vice Chair of the Centre for Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Detainees, Secretary of the Ethnic Communities Council of WA, WA State Manager of Welcome to Australia, and Commissioner on the Anglican Social Responsibilities Commission. He has travelled to the United States with the State Department to explore issues of race in law enforcement and has provided pro-bono strategic planning and change management assistance to grass-roots organisations.

Don't miss him in our February session, moderated by Associate Professor Maggie Jiang from UWA School of Social Sciences.

My Australia Story is a face-to-face conversation series that provides a platform for remarkable people who have immigrated to Australia as first-generation to share their life and work experience with the public. Initiated by Associate Professor Maggie Jiang at the School of Social Sciences at the University of Western Australia,  this initiative is proudly hosted by WA Museum Boola Bardip.

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