The Hon. Paul Keating
Former Prime Minister and Treasurer of Australia

As Prime Minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996, and Treasurer from 1983 to 1991, Mr Keating’s social and economic reforms include compulsory superannuation, financial sector deregulation, floating the Australian dollar, engaging with Asia, establishing the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ meeting, and reforms in education, training, labour market and the arts. He worked towards an inclusive social policy, arguing the case for Australia to become a republic and overseeing the Native Title legislation.

He is an occasional contributor to the contemporary debate, including on the economy, foreign affairs, architecture and urban design.

Catriona Noble
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, McDonald’s Australia

Catriona Noble started her journey at the age of 14 as a casual crew member in McDonald’s, and first made her mark in the business when she became the youngest ever female restaurant manager at the age of 19. Catriona was also the first female in any of McDonald’s major markets around the world to be appointed Managing Director as well as Chief Operating Officer.

With more than 20 years' of operations experience, Catriona has worked in corporate strategy and business planning, marketing and training. She is also actively involved in Ronald McDonald House Charities and is the chair of the board.

Craig Drummond
Chief Executive Officer and Country Head, Bank of America Merrill Lynch Australia

Craig Drummond joined Goldman Sachs JB Were in 1986. Between 2003-09 he has served as Chief Operating Officer, Executive Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer until he joined Bank of America Merrill Lynch Australia.

Craig is a Director of Scotch College, Florey Neuroscience Institutes, the Australian Financial Markets Association and the Geelong Australian Rules Football Club. He is a Member of the Business Council of Australia the University of New South Wales’ Australian School of Business Advisory Council.

Mark Skaife OAM

Skaife is the most successful driver in Australian Touring Cars/V8Supercar (V8SC) history. Mark has accomplished unparalleled motorsport achievements – five championship wins, six Bathurst victories, three Australian Drivers Championship titles and the all-time record for Round/Race wins. He also enjoyed great success as a team owner during this period with two of the sport’s factory race teams: Gibson Motorsport (Nissan) (1990–97) and the Holden Racing Team (2003–08).

After retiring from full-time racing in 2008, Mark joined the Channel 7 television V8SC commentary team. He is a Victorian SuperSprint Championship Board Member and Chairman of the V8SC Commission. Consultancy work for V8SC includes the “Car of the Future” project and a review and restructure of V8SC TV production. Mark is Chairman of the National Track Safety Advisory Committee and designer of V8SC street circuits in Townsville, Sydney (SOP) and the new Gold Coast revised layout. Mark is an advisor to companies and motoring groups regarding road safety, vehicle dynamics and driver training. He was awarded the medal of the Order Of Australia for his services to motor racing and the community in 2004.

James MacKenzie
Chairman, Pacific Brands; Chairman, Gloucester Coal; Chairman, Mirvac

James MacKenzie is is well-versed in Australia’s commercial relationship with Asia. He serves as a director of Melco Crown Entertainment, which owns and operates the City of Dreams and Altira resorts in Macau.

James has been Managing Director, Funds Management and Insurance, ANZ Banking Group (2000–01); Chief Executive Officer, Norwich Union Australia (1997–2000); and Chief Executive Officer, the Transport Accident Commission, Victoria (1994–97).He has been Director of the Australian Prime Property Fund; Paladin Australia Limited; Portfolio Partners Limited; and the Victorian Funds Management Corporation.

Simon McKeon
Executive Chairman, Macquarie Group (Melbourne); Chairman, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Business for Millennium Development; and 2011 Australian of the Year

Simon McKeon is Director, VisionFund, World Vision International; Director, the Global Poverty Project; and Director, Red Dust Role Models.

Simon serves on the Australian Government’s Human Rights Grants Scheme Advisory Panel and the Victorian Government’s National Disability Insurance Scheme Implementation Task Force. A sailing enthusiast and a patron of the Australian Olympic Sailing Team, he was also the helmsman of Macquarie Innovation, the first sailing vessel to set the speed record for a C-class catamaran.

Simon was Founding President, Australian Takeovers Panel, Australian Government; Founding Chairman, MS Research Australia; and Founding President, Point Nepean Community Trust, Australian Government.

Professor Ian Harper
Partner, Deloitte Access Economics

Professor Ian Harper is seen as one of Australia’s best economists. He has worked closely with governments, banks, corporations and leading professional services firms. As a member of the Wallis Inquiry, he was at the forefront of financial market reform in Australia. In 2008, following a 25-year academic career, Ian joined Access Economics.

In recognition of his service to the University of Melbourne, Ian was elected Emeritus Professor on his departure. He served as Chairman of the Australian Fair Pay Commission.

Adjunct Professor Martijn Wilder
Head of Global Environmental Markets, Baker & McKenzie

Martijn Wilder is regarded as a pioneer in the development of legal mechanisms and regulations for international and domestic environmental markets.

Martijn Wilder advises companies, multinationals and governments regarding climate change law, policy and markets. He serves as a Board Member, Low Carbon Australia; the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency partnership; Chair, the New South Wales Greenhouse Advisory Council; and Professor, Climate Change Law, the Australian National University. He plays a key role in advising clients on the carbon markets together with a climate change team which spans the globe.

Peter Meehan FCPA
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Group of 100 Forecasting Reengineering, Telstra Innovation, Products and Marketing Finance, Telstra

The Group of 100 is an association of Australia’s senior finance executives from the nation’s largest business enterprises. Its main objective is to advance Australia’s financial competitiveness.

Peter was Chief Financial Officer, Australia Post, 2000 –11. Peter was also a Board Member and Trustee of the Australia Post Superannuation Scheme and a Board Member of Star Track Express Pty Ltd. Previously, he was the Group Finance Manager, National Mutual Holdings (now AXA), and has over 25 years’ experience in senior finance and administration roles, including Chief Information Officer.

Professor the Hon. Stephen Martin
Chief Executive Officer CEDA

Professor the Hon. Stephen Martin represented the New South Wales electorates of Macarthur and Cunningham in the Australian Parliament from 1984 to 2002. He served as Speaker of the House of Representatives; Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade; and Chairman of the Inquiry into the Australian Banking Industry. After retiring from Parliament, Stephen held roles in academia, including President and Chief Executive Officer, University of Wollongong, Dubai; Pro Vice Chancellor, International, Victoria University, Melbourne; and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Strategy and Planning), Curtin University of Technology, Perth.

Stephen has held strategic and change management roles in the private and public sectors.  

Rod Sims
Chairman, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)

Rod Sims was appointed Chairman of the ACCC in August 2011 for a five-year term.

Rod has extensive business and public sector experience. Immediately prior to his appointment to the ACCC, he was the Chairman of the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of New South Wales, Commissioner on the National Competition Council, Chairman of Infra Co Asia, Director of Ingeus Limited, and a member of the Research and Policy Council of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia. Rod was also a Director of Port Jackson’s Partners Limited, where he advised the Chief Executive Officers and the boards of some of Australia’s top 50 companies on commercial corporate strategy over many years.

Peter Nochar
Managing Director, Harley-Davidson Australia and New Zealand 

Following a long career with BMW in the United Kingdom, Peter Nochar moved to Japan in 1995 as Operations Director for BMW (Japan) Corp and moved to Volkswagen Group Japan as Managing Director in 1998. In 2001 he moved to Australia where he completed the start-up of Volkswagen Australia.

In 2008 Peter joined Harley-Davidson as Managing Director. The Sydney-based company has 40 employees and has an annual turnover of around $160 million.

Professor Peter van Onselen
Winthrop Professor of Journalism, University of Western Australia and Contributing Editor, The Australian

Professor Peter van Onselen is the host of Sky News' Sunday Morning flagship political program, Australian Agenda, its Tuesday evening interview program Showdown and a lively Friday panel show, The Contrarians. He is the Contributing Editor at The Australian newspaper and a Winthrop Professor at the University of Western Australia.

Peter has written widely on Australian politics, including the bestselling John Winston Howard: The Biography (Melbourne University Press).

Kerry O'Brien
Business Journalist and Television presenter (Kerry O’Brien is represented by Binna Burra Media)

Kerry O’Brien has six Walkley Awards for excellence in journalism, including the Gold Walkley and the Walkley for Outstanding Leadership. He is Presenter and Interviewer for the Australian Broadcasting Commission’s (ABC) investigative program Four Corners, and anchors the ABC’s election night telecasts.

Kerry contributed as editor, presenter and interviewer for the ABC’s 7.30 Report for 15 years, and was presenter and interviewer for the ABC’s Lateline program for six years. He has interviewed leaders including Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, and influential figures in the arts, science and business.