Following a comprehensive search and selection process, James McNamee has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Clontarf Foundation, effective 1 May 2026.
The Foundation was founded in 1999 by Gerard Neesham, who announced his intention to step down from the CEO role in September last year.
Since its inception, Clontarf has grown from a single academy in Perth to a national program operating 161 academies across Australia, supporting more than 12,000 young First Nations men to attend school, complete Year 12 and transition into employment or further education.
Clontarf Foundation Chair Tom O’Leary said James was the stand-out candidate and the unanimous choice of the Board, which includes a majority of First Nations directors. James has worked in a number of senior roles at Clontarf over the past decade, including as Chief Operations Officer since the beginning of 2025.
“James will be an outstanding CEO and is the right choice to lead the organisation into the next important phase of its development,” Mr O’Leary said. “We are confident he will be able to continue to build on the extraordinary platform established by Gerard Neesham over the past 25 years.”
“Gerard leaves a remarkable legacy having conceived and built up the Foundation from a single academy in Perth in 1999 to one which now reaches communities across Australia.”
Gerard will work closely with James to support a smooth transition through 2026 before taking up a part-time role as Founder in 2027.
