From July 2026, Dr Jim Macnamara AM is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) after retiring from a full-time role as a Distinguished Professor, and a multi award-winning communication consultant, evaluator, and trainer. Prior to spending 18 years as Professor of Public Communication at UTS, he had a 30-year career in professional communication practice spanning journalism, public relations, marketing, and media research. 

Dr Macnamara is internationally recognised for his research into evaluation of public communication including government, corporate, marketing, and organizational communication and for his pioneering research to improve organizational listening.

He led evaluation of the World Health Organization’s communication globally during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2023) and has served as an adviser on evaluation to the UK Government Communication Service (GCS), The European Commission Directorate-General for Communication (DG COM), the OECD Open Government, Civic Space, and Public Communication unit, and the New South Wales Government, as well as multinational corporations and non-government organizations.

His work on organizational listening has led to invitations to present in the UK House of Commons, the UK Cabinet Office, the OECD Open Government Unit in Paris, to Church Communications Officers in Rome, to CEO Summits, and at numerous conferences globally.

He is the author of 21 books and more than 100 academic journal articles and book chapters. His recent influential books include:

*  Concise Introduction to Organizational Listening: Making Communication Meaningful (2026)

*  Public Communication and Public Policy: Reviving Democracy by Recalibrating Public Communication (2026)

*  Organizational Listening II: Expanding the Concept, Theory, and Practice (2024)

*  Evaluating Public Communication: Exploring New Models, Standards, and Best Practice (2018).

Jim was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2026 for service to tertiary education, communication research, and public relations. He has also received numerous industry and professional awards.

Immediately prior to taking up a senior academic position, Jim founded and was CEO of CARMA International (Asia Pacific) for 11 years (1995–2006), part of the leading global computer aided research and media analysis company. Prior to that, he was a founder and CEO of a leading public relations and marketing communication agency for 10 years with clients including Microsoft, Dell Computer, Vodafone, and Singapore Airlines after working in several in-house communication roles and spending the early part of his career in journalism.

Jim holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism, media studies, and literary studies, a Graduate Certificate in Writing; a Master of Arts by Research in media studies, and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in media research.