MPEC SPEAKERS

The Hon. Julie Collins

 Julie Collins was elected as the first female representative for Franklin in 2007.

Julie entered politics because she deeply believes quality education, decent health services and fairness in the workplace should be available to everyone.

Throughout her career in politics, Julie has worked tirelessly to help improve the lives of others.

Julie has held numerous portfolios in both Government and Opposition.

Julie is the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister for Small Business. 

Since taking over the Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Portfolio in 2024, Julie has been delivering for Australian farmers and producers by strengthening biosecurity, boosting the ag workforce, opening up new trade opportunities and supporting improvements to farm sustainability.    

Julie lives on Hobart’s Eastern Shore with her husband Ian and has three children.

The Hon. Joe Hockey is a global authority on commerce and politics, with nearly 20 years in the Australian Parliament, including as Treasurer overseeing a record economic run. He chaired the G20 Finance Ministers in 2014 and later served as Australia’s Ambassador to the U.S., negotiating key wins under Presidents Obama and Trump. Now, he advises on business strategy, infrastructure, and global politics, drawing from his deep expertise in diplomacy and economic leadership.

Master of Ceremonies – Leigh Sales AM is one of Australia’s most recognised journalists, known for her 12 years anchoring the ABC’s flagship program 7.30. A three-time Walkley Award winner and Order of Australia recipient, Leigh has covered politics, national security, and major global events as a journalist and foreign correspondent. She is the presenter of Australian Story, a bestselling author, and co-host of the podcast Chat 10, Looks 3. Leigh brings exceptional depth and insight to every conversation.

PETER DRAPER

Peter is Professor and Executive Director of the Institute for International Trade in the School of Economics and Public Policy, The University of Adelaide, Australia. He holds a Jean Monnet Chair in Trade and Environment and directs the Jean Monnet Centre on Trade and Environment. He is a board member of the Australian Services Roundtable. He is also a Director of the Board of Trustees of the International Chamber of Commerce’s Research Foundation; non-resident senior fellow of the Brussels-based European Centre for International Political Economy; and Associated Researcher at the German Institute of Development and Sustainability.
Peter has extensive international trade and investment policy research experience, traversing a wide variety of global, regional, and national contexts from the WTO, through various regional economic integration groupings, to country-focused projects. He has also worked on many different aspects of global supply chains, particularly their governance and immersion in trade cooperation arrangements, including the political economy of evolving governance arrangements. He has consulted to many international organizations, including the OECD, the World Bank, the WTO; the United Nations including UNESCAP; the EU, the African Union, and the Southern African Development Community. He has also worked for G7 governments on a bilateral basis, and key developing countries, notably the BRICS, in the G20 context. For ten years he was closely involved in the World Economic Forum’s Global Trade and Investment Council, including as Chair, Co-Chair, and Vice-Chair. He has published widely on trade policy, arrangements, and negotiations, and has extensive experience in the think tank world. His expertise lies in international political economy, or the practical study of why states pursue particular forms of integration into the global economy and their approaches to negotiating their terms of engagement (or trade policy settings). He has led and participated in many consulting projects related to these themes.

Andrew McCallum – Global Lead, Trade & Market Access, Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA)
Andrew McCallum is the Global Lead for Trade & Market Access at Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), where he leverages his extensive experience in global agribusiness to enhance market opportunities for Australian red meat. His role involves policy development, project management, and strategic initiatives aimed at improving economic resilience and market access for the industry. Andrew has also been involved in projects like “Global Economic Access FY24,” focusing on reducing economic barriers and supporting trade negotiations to benefit Australia’s red meat trade. He holds an educational background that includes studies at Harvard Business School.

Richard Mussell
CEO, RSPCA

Richard Mussell has been an animal welfare advocate and leader in the sector for almost a decade. Prior to commencing as CEO of RSPCA Australia in January 2020, he led AWL South Australia for six years. Previously, he spent almost 30 years in the travel and tourism industry, including leadership roles with both commercial and not-for-profit organisations such as YHA South Australia, Air New Zealand and Cathay Pacific Airways internationally.
Currently a Board Member with the Community Council for Australia, Richard has also served as a member of the Veterinary Surgeons Board of South Australia and the South Australian Government Animal Welfare Advisory Committee. He was also Chair of the Companion Animal Network Australia and Tourism Industry Council SA. Richard’s formal qualifications include a Bachelor of Business from Edith Cowan University, an MBA from the University of South Australia and graduate membership of the Australian institute of Company Directors.

Sarah is a veterinarian and animal welfare scientist who has held roles in private and government veterinary practice and has previous experience in dairy farm management and calf rearing. More recently, she has worked in animal welfare management roles in both the dairy industry and commercial beef processing. She holds a PhD in Veterinary Science (Animal Welfare) and completed a Nuffield Scholarship on surplus dairy calf welfare and cow-calf contact. Sarah’s research has focused on the welfare of surplus dairy calves and approaches to complex challenges in food production. This work has included the use of participatory methods to identify and integrate the needs of a wide range of stakeholders, including industry, the public, and the animals themselves. She is passionate about working towards food production systems that are simultaneously environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable.
Sarah has recently stepped down from her position as Dairy Beef and Animal Welfare Manager at Greenham after accepting a Research Fellowship at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver as part of their Animal Welfare Program. She will commence her new role in late March 2025.

Air Vice-Marshal John Blackburn AO (Retd) MDefStud, MStratStud

John Blackburn is the Chair of the Institute for Integrated Economic Research – Australia.

He retired from the Royal Australian Air Force in 2008 as the Deputy Chief of the Air Force, following a career as an F/A-18 fighter pilot, test pilot and strategic planner.    Since 2008, John has consulted to Industry and Government Agencies and has undertaken a range of National Security and Resilience related studies, as a Reservist until 2019 , and also with the Institute for Integrated Economic Research – Australia, the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group, the Kokoda Foundation, and the Sir Richard Williams Foundation.   

For the past four years he has led a National Resilience Project that has highlighted a lack of resilience in Australia in addressing the pandemic, climate change impacts, the ongoing energy transition, and growing regional security threats.

Tim was appointed CEO for AMIC in February 2025. Tim joined AMIC in 2023 and was previously General Manager – Industry Affairs, overseeing AMIC advocacy and engagement across animal welfare, biosecurity, traceability, sustainability, industry standards and competition policy.

Tim has over a decade experience in the Australian red meat industry, with roles spanning market research, economic services, business development, and trade and market access. Prior to joining AMIC, Tim worked at Meat & Livestock Australia for over eight years, with positions in the Market Information Team and International Markets Team, including a three-year posting to Singapore. Tim worked across an array of program areas, including industry forecasting, supply-chain and market analysis, and non-tariff barrier alleviation.

Tim has prior experience in livestock processing and meat wholesaling, and grew up on a sheep property in central Victoria. Tim was a committee member of the Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging Association for seven years, with stints as treasurer and national team coach, where he developed a passion for supporting young people entering the meat industry. Tim has a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours in Economics) and a Graduate Diploma in International Trade and Development.