Jim Whalley AO

Business leader, Business mentor, Change Agent, Entrepreneur

Former FA-18 RAAF test pilot, Jim is founder & chair of global defence company, Nova Systems. In addition to his role at Nova Systems, in September 2018 he was appointed inaugural Chief Entrepreneur for South Australia by the Premier to advocate for economic growth in the State. Jim stepped down from this role in February 2021. In 2023 Jim was recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours List and made an Officer (AO) in the General Division for distinguished service to business, particularly the defence capability industry, to the public sector, to aviation history, and to the community.

I’m passionate about building bridges between history and the future. I restore historic warbirds not as relics, but as storytellers of courage and ingenuity. I champion startups in space and defence because they give shape to the future of humanity. And I’m passionate about creating ecosystems where failure isn’t feared but harnessed—because true innovation requires both bravery and humility.

As a boy, I grew up hearing stories of my father flying a Boomerang fighter in WWII. Decades later, I rebuilt that same aircraft—its fuselage pieced together with fragments of his own—and climbed into the cockpit myself. As the engine roared and the aircraft lifted, I felt generations compress into that moment. I wasn’t just flying; I was finishing a story my father began. It taught me that legacy is not about looking back—it’s a runway that can launch us forward.