Whilst working in the Australian Government Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories, he played a role in the establishment of the new Australian Sports Commission as the government authority responsible for all sports development in Australia. He became Executive Director of the Australian Sports Commission in 1990 replacing Ron Harvey. He took over the ASC at a time when it had just completed the merger between the ASC and the Australian Institute of Sport and the Senate Inquiry into Drugs in Sport. In 1993, Australia won the right to host the 2000 Sydney Olympics and Paralympics. This resulted in the Australian Government announcing the Olympic Athlete Program (OAP) in 1994. He was responsible for implementing this six-year program which lead to major changes in Australia's elite sport system. The OAP program resulted in Australia from progressing from 27 medals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics to a record 58 medals and fourth place on the medal tally at the Sydney Olympics. He left the Australian Sports Commission at the end of 2000 and was replaced by Mark Peters. On his departure from the ASC, Peter Bartels, ASC chairman stated "Jim’s contribution to the development of sport in Australia is immeasurable. The level of excellence now reached and the international standing of Australian sport is the best testament to Jim’s time at the ASC". In December 2000, he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for leadership of the Australian Sports Commission and Australian sport. In 2007, he published the book "More than Sunshine &amp; Vegemite : Success the Australian Way" which documented the development of Australian sport for the period 1990 to 2000.