Professor Simon Biggs

Vice Chancellor and President of James Cook University

Professor Simon Biggs commenced his appointment as Vice Chancellor and President of James Cook University Australia in February 2022. He is responsible for ensuring clear and effective leadership and management of the University across all operating sites, including campuses in Cairns, Townsville and Singapore.

Professor Biggs’ former appointments include: Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Western Australia, Executive Dean for the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology at the University of Queensland and Royal Academy of Engineering/National Nuclear Laboratory Chair in Particle Science and Engineering at the University of Leeds in the UK. His first academic appointment was at the University of Newcastle (Australia).

Educated at the University of Bristol in the UK, Professor Biggs holds a PhD in Colloid Science. He developed his research through post-doctoral positions at the Institute Charles Sadron in Strasbourg, France and the University of Melbourne, Australia.

Professor Biggs’ main research interests are in the field of colloid and interface engineering. He has a strong interest in the measurement, control, and manipulation of inter-particle forces to allow more efficient process engineering of particulate systems. Professor Biggs was the chief investigator on numerous research projects and has authored more than 270 refereed publications as well as being named on over 20 patents.

Professor Biggs received the 2005 SCI/RSC/IMMM Beilby Medal awarded for “a substantial contribution towards fundamental research of practical significance”. His work has led to a substantial number of research partnerships with a wide cross-section of industrial partners covering diverse sectors such as pharmaceuticals, personal care, foods, minerals processing and water treatment. Whilst at Leeds, his group developed a strong partnership with the UK nuclear industry working on legacy waste clean-up problems.

Professor Biggs is a Council Member of the Australian Institute of Marine Science and serves on the Board of Directors of Advance Cairns, Townsville Enterprise Limited and Smart Precinct NQ. He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2011 and in 2016, as a Fellow of the Australian Academy for Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Professor Carole-Anne Upton

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Singapore

Prof Upton joins JCU Singapore from Middlesex University London where she served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for Global Innovation and Impact, including oversight of overseas campuses and partnerships, and previously as DVC for Research, Knowledge Exchange and Engagement. As Pro Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean of Arts and Creative Industries she led a vibrant practice-based Faculty.

She held the Chair in Drama at the University of Ulster from 2004-2012, having begun her career as a lecturer in Drama and then Deputy Dean at the University of Hull.

She has held board directorships in higher education, the arts and a health charity and is Vice-Chair of the Board at LAMDA, a world-leading Drama School and examinations business in London. Alongside her institutional responsibilities she has provided academic leadership nationally and internationally with research councils and a variety of sector and cross-sector bodies, most recently chairing the Research Excellence Network at London Higher. In her spare time she is a keen runner and cyclist.

Dr Cam Charlton

Non-Executive Director

Cam Charlton is Managing Director of Kleinhardt Pty Ltd, a corporate advisory firm, specialising in strategic and business planning for business and industry, and in regional economic development.

His current JCU appointments include: Member of the Board of Directors of James Cook University Singapore Pte Ltd and Member of JCU Singapore Finance and Risk Management Committee.

His former JCU appointments include: Deputy Chancellor; Chairman of Audit Risk and Compliance Committee; Chairman JCU Enterprises Pty Ltd; Member of Chancellors Committee; Chairman James Cook Holdings Pte Ltd; Chairman Futures Committee; Team Leader in acquisition of minority shareholder equity in James Cook University Singapore; Chairman of Faculty of Law Business and Creative Arts Review Committee (2009) (inaugural faculty review); Member of Appeals Panel Committee; Member of Strategy Committee; Member of Finance Committee; Member Vice Chancellors Cairns Advisory Committee (mid 2000’s) and Chair Centre for East and South East Asian Studies (circa late 1990’s).

Cam is also a Director of the Cowboys Rugby League Club.

Cam has previously held positions as a Director of the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland, a Member of the Committee advising the Queensland Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games as regards the 2018 Commonwealth Games Legacy opportunities, Chairman of Advance Cairns, Chairman of Tourism Tropical North Queensland, Chairman of the Cairns Regional Economic Development Corporation, Committee Member of Regional Development Australia Far North Queensland and Torres Strait, Director of Telecasters Australia Limited (the Channel 10 network in Northern New South Wales and Queensland), partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers Chartered Accountants, Chairman of the International Business Committee of the Queensland Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and a Regional Councillor of that Chamber.

Cam has extensive commercial experience throughout Australia, South East Asia, the United Kingdom, Papua New Guinea and Russia.

Cam graduated from the University of New South Wales with a Bachelor of Commerce in 1977 and with a Bachelor of Laws in 1980. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an accredited consultant with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation. Cam is a retired fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, the Institute of Management Consultants in Australia, and the Australian Institute of Management.