Jim Molan to be named as this year’s Australian Thinker of the Year
20 Jul 2009
Monday 20 July 2009
Each year the prestigious Australian Thinker of the Year Award is presented in recognition of the contribution Australian thinkers make both nationally and globally.
Created by the School of Thinking (SOT) and the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), this year's Australian Thinker of the Year award will go to Major General Jim Molan on Wednesday evening at a special presentation at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
As well as having a long and distinguished career in the Australian Army, Jim Molan is the author of the best selling ‘Running the War in Iraq', a candid and thought provoking account of his time spent as an Australian General working at the core of American military operations in Iraq.
Jim Molan joined the Australian Army in 1968 at the age of 17 and retired in 2008. In 2004, he was deployed to Iraq to manage a multi-national force of 300,000 troops, including 155,000 Americans. His task; to restore order in Iraq, protect his troops and bring about the first democratic elections ever held in the country.
For command and leadership in action, Major General Jim Molan was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by the Australian government and the Legion of Merit by the US government.
Previous Thinker of the Year award recipients have been honoured as great ‘Thinkers' for their contribution to, and involvement in the medical, scientific and sporting arenas. This year, the award pays special tribute to one of Australia's greatest military thinkers and leaders.
Pictorial and interview opportunities will be available directly before the 2009 Australian Thinker of the Year Awards from 4.30pm through to 5.30pm, and anytime through until noon on Thursday 23 July in Melbourne or at any convenient time by phone.
When: Wednesday 22 July 2009
Time: 5.30pm to 7.30pm (official proceedings start at 6.10pm)
Where: Melbourne Convention Centre
1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf, Melbourne
For further information please contact:
Suzi O'Dell, Communications Manager
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
Tel: +61 3 9235 8216 Email: sodell@mcec.com.au
Mobile: +61 419 387 242 Web: www.mcec.com.au