Meet The Committee
The Organising Committee is delighted to invite you to the inaugural International Business, Environment & Climate Conference (IBECC).
Ross Rolfe
Ross Rolfe has extensive experience in senior positions in both the public and private sectors, having served as Director General of five Queensland departments, from the mid-1990s until 2007, including Premier Department, Coordinator General, Department of State Development and Department of Trade.
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Ross has also been the CEO of two energy companies and has held a number of roles as Chairman and Non-Executive Director on Boards of publicly listed companies and Government owned Corporations in the infrastructure and energy sectors.
Dr Martin Parkinson AC PSM
Martin Parkinson is Chancellor of Macquarie University, a director of North QLD Airports, Worley, Champions of Change Coalition and O’Connell Street Associates. He is a member of the advisory boards of Bain, Fujitsu Australia, the Asia Society Australia, Thrive Refugee Enterprises and the NSW Net Zero Emissions and Clean Economy Board. He has almost four decades experience operating at the highest levels of government in Australia and internationally, working across economic, social, foreign, defence and national security policy.
Martin has been: Secretary of three Australian Government Departments - Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Treasury, and Climate Change; a member of the Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia; Chair of the Australian Office of Financial Management; Australia’s G20 Finance Deputy; and has worked at the International Monetary Fund.
Martin holds a B.Ec with First Class Honours (Adelaide), a M.Ec (ANU), and a M.A and Ph.D (Princeton). He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences Australia and of the Institute of Public Administration Australia.
Peter Varghese
Peter Varghese AO is the director of CARE Australia, and the Chancellor of The University of Queensland. Prior to this appointment, he served as Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (2012-2016). Previous senior appointments included High Commissioner to India (2009-2012), High Commissioner to Malaysia (2000-2002), Director-General of the Office of National Assessments (2004-2009), and Senior Advisor (International) to the Prime Minister of Australia (2003-2004). Peter Varghese was the author of a comprehensive India Economic Strategy to 2035 commissioned by the Australian Prime Minister and submitted in July 2018.
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Peter was educated at The University of Queensland, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours and a University Medal in history in 1978. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from The University of Queensland in 2013.
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Peter chairs The Advisory Council of Asialink, a body committed to deeper engagement with Asia, and also sits on the governing board of the Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
Liz Savage
Liz has extensive experience in the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors, with expertise in strategy, marketing and digital commerce. Liz held senior leadership roles in high growth, disruptive consumer businesses in the UK, Europe and Australia: including as Business Development Director of easyJet and Chief Commercial Officer of Virgin Australia.
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Liz is now a full time company director, her portfolio includes Auckland International Airport, Intrepid Travel Group and People Infrastructure. Previous Board roles include at Mantra Group, Swissport ANZ, Brisbane Marketing and Triathlon Australia. Liz holds a Bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from University of Bristol, a Master’s degree in Air Transport Management from Cranfield University and studied at Harvard Business School.
Colin Storrie
Colin Storrie extensive financial and aviation experience, which includes Group Treasurer, Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Chief Financial Officer roles within Qantas Airways Ltd and AMP Ltd. He has also held a number of director roles in both listed and non-listed companies including Qantas Airways Ltd, Jetset Travel Ltd, Qantas superannuation, AMP Bank and AMP Financial Services. Prior his roles at Qantas and AMP, Colin worked in investment banking and for the government of New South Wales.
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Colin is an independent non-executive Director of AIG Australia Ltd and is Chair of both its Board Audit and Risk Committees. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wollongong, a graduate diploma in management from AGSM University of New South Wales is a fellow of the Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants (FCPA) and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
Richard Barker
Richard Barker was appointed as the North Queensland Airports Group Chief Executive Officer in December 2020, after joining the North Queensland Airports Group Board of Directors in 2015. Richard has extensive experience in the Airports, Retail and Energy sectors. In his previous role as General Manager of Retail and Commercial at Auckland International Airport, Richard was responsible for the airport’s retail, transport and premium lounge businesses.
Richard has more than 30 years of global experience having worked and lived in New Zealand, UK, USA and Australia. Richard holds a BMS (Marketing / Finance) and a KMI from Kellogg Business School – Chicago and is a member NZ Institute of Directors.
Michele Wong
Michele Wong leads the North Queensland Airports Group finance, procurement and information technology activities. Michele has over 20 years’ experience in transport and infrastructure finance, including senior roles at Macquarie Group, Hastings Funds Management and Port of Brisbane. She was also previously a member of the board of directors of the North Queensland Airports Group.
Paul Ryan
Based in New York, Paul Ryan is CEO and Portfolio Manager of JPMorgan Asset Management's OECD Infrastructure Equity Strategy.
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Originally from Sydney, Paul has spent almost 20 years in the United States and has an MBA from Yale and a Bachelor of Economics from Macquarie University.