John W. H. Denton AO is a Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Corrs Chambers Westgarth, the leading Australian independent law firm.

A legal expert in the areas of government, international trade and investment and labour relations. He is also a national business leader and an international adviser on global policy.

In June 2016, John named as the First Vice-Chairman of the Paris based International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). The appointment is the first time that an Australian has held such a position.

John is Chair of the BCA’s Global Engagement Task Force; board member of Asialink; board member of Teach for Australia; Chairman (emeritus) of the Experts Group on Trade and Investment in Indonesia and a founding member of the Australia China CEO Roundtable meetings.

He is one of two originating members of the B20, the business reference group of the G20 and is a Member of the Australian B20 Leadership Group. He was also a member of the Australian Government advisory panel overseeing the development of the ‘Australia in the Asian Century’ White Paper. A former diplomat, John was a Panel Member of the Independent Review of Aid Effectiveness and has been Chairman of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, Australia for more than a decade.

In 2015 John was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia for his services to the business community, the arts and the rights of refugees.

Qualifications

John has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and a Bachelor of Law from the University of Melbourne, and is a Harvard Business School Alumnus.