Brendan Pearson
Current Position
Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the OECD, 2021 – Present
Ex-Mineral Council of Australia CEO our ambassador to the OECD
Current Position
- Senior Advisor for International Trade and Investment for the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) 2019 to 2021.
- Senior Advisor, Minister for Finance and Leader of the Government in the Senate, 2018 – 2019
- Senior Advisor, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, April 2018 – September 2018
- Chief Executive, Minerals Council of Australia, 2014 – 2017
- Vice President, Government Relations, Peabody Energy, 2012 – 2013
- Deputy Chief Executive, Minerals Council of Australia, 2007 – 2012
- Assistant Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2006 – 2007
- Japan and Korea Correspondent, Australian Financial Review, 2002 – 2004
Mining Connections
Pearson’s previous association with multinational mining firm Peabody Energy and his longstanding, yet ill-fated, career with the Mineral Council of Australia (MCA) caused alarm for those hoping for unbiased prime ministerial advice.
Pearson began his pro-coal journey as the Deputy CEO of the MCA for four years between 2007-12 before transferring to Peabody Energy, the largest private-sector coal company in the US. At Peabody, Pearson was the Vice President of Government Relations, a position which had him labeled as the “chief lobbyist” in Australia for the multinational.
In 2014, Pearson accepted the role of CEO of the MCA. As a veteran of the Australian mining industry over the last decade, Pearson took part in the successful campaigns which toppled Rudd’s Resource Super Profit Tax and Gillard’s Carbon Tax along with their prime ministerships.
During Pearson’s tenure as CEO, the MCA launched a campaign to develop new coal-fired power stations throughout Australia seeking support through government subsidies despite widespread resistance to the plan.
This drew the attention of the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR) who, in 2016, engaged in talks with BHP Billiton regarding the unsustainability of the MCA’s practices.
BHP then stated that it intended to review its membership with the MCA if the organisation continued to pursue activities which were inconsistent with BHP’s Paris Agreement commitments and public opposition to government subsidies for coal.
Under pressure from BHP, the MCA could no longer support Pearson’s radically pro-coal stance. Fearing the loss of the multinational’s support the MCA and Pearson parted ways in 2017.
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