Brendan Nelson

Senior Vice President; President, Boeing Global Boeing

Last Reviewed: October 3, 2026

Executive Summary

Brendan Nelson has been a Boeing senior vice president and president of Boeing Global since January 2023, responsible for the company’s strategy and operations outside the United States through 20 regional offices. His path to the role ran through medicine, politics and diplomacy. A physician by training, he led the Australian Medical Association, sat in the Australian parliament for 13 years, served as minister for education and then for defence, and led the Liberal Party in opposition. He went on to be Australia’s ambassador to the EU and NATO and director of the Australian War Memorial before joining Boeing in 2020 to run its Australian business.

Career Highlights

• Senior Vice President of Boeing and President, Boeing Global, since 12 January 2023.
• President of Boeing Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific, 2020 to 2023.
• Director of the Australian War Memorial, 2012 to 2019.
• Australian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, the European Union and NATO, 2010 to 2012.
• Australian Minister for Defence and Minister for Education, Science and Training.

Professional Journey

Nelson earned a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at Flinders University in South Australia. As a physician he was elected national president of the Australian Medical Association, its youngest ever, and received its Gold Medal in 1995.

He was a member of the Australian parliament from 1996 to 2009, serving as Minister for Education, Science and Training from 2001 to 2006 and then as Minister for Defence, overseeing deployments and major acquisitions of ships, helicopters and fighter jets, and he led the Liberal Party and the federal Opposition from 2007 to 2008. From 2010 to 2012 he was Australia’s ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, the European Union and NATO, and from 2012 to 2019 director of the Australian War Memorial.

He joined Boeing in February 2020 as president of Boeing Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific and chairman of Boeing Australia Holdings, while also chairing the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia and the council of the Australian War Memorial.

On 12 January 2023 he became senior vice president and president of Boeing Global, responsible for growth, partnerships, international affairs and functional support outside the United States, and a member of the Executive Council. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2016 and a Commander of the Order of the Crown of Belgium in 2021, and published a memoir, Of Life and Of Leadership, in 2022. Boeing builds commercial airplanes and defense, space and security systems and provides aerospace services, and employs about 182,000 people, according to the company.

Education

Flinders University

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery