MPEC SPEAKERS

Murray Watt is the Albanese Government’s Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and Minister for Emergency Management. He has been a Labor Senator for Queensland since 2016.
Brisbane born and bred, Murray has strong family ties to regional Queensland, with both sides of his family having a long history in farming and teaching.

For over 20 years, Murray’s working life has been spent as an advocate for others, as a lawyer, a public servant and as Chief of Staff to former Premier Anna Bligh. Murray also served one term as a Queensland State MP and Assistant Minister in health and economic portfolios.
Since his election in 2016, Murray played a key role in Senate Estimates and a range of Senate Committees including the Rural and Regional Affairs Committee.

As a Senator and Shadow Minister, he led a number of Senate inquiries into issues including regional development, energy and resources, emergency management and health care.

Saul Eslake is one of Australia’s most respected and renowned economic commentators. Having worked as an economist in the Australian financial markets for over 25 years his comments and economic findings have been known to cause a stir in the media.

After more than 25 years working for a number of high-profile financial institutions, Saul established his own economics consultancy business in 2015. His previous roles include; Chief Economist at McIntosh Securities, Chief Economist (International) at National Mutual Funds Management, Chief Economist at the Australia & New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ), and Chief Economist (Australia and New Zealand) for Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

An impressive list of qualifications, achievements and presentation testimonials show the real depth and richness of Saul’s experience. Saul’s easily digestible and down to earth insights mean he presents a well-researched and clear economic picture on a range of highly charged and relevant topics to audiences, corporations and ‘mere mortals’ across the globe.

Peter Hartcher is a leading Australian journalist and author. He is the political editor and international editor of the SMH and The Age, the papers’ main commentator on national politics and international affairs. He is also a visiting fellow at the leading Australian think tank on foreign affairs, the Lowy Institute for International Policy.

Peter has been writing about politics, economics and international affairs for 40 years, including a decade as a foreign correspondent in Tokyo and Washington. He has won multiple awards for his news, financial and investigative journalism and for his books.

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.

Welcome to MPEC 2023. As CEO of AMIC, I’m thrilled to see our industry come together for this pivotal event. This year, we’ve curated a program that tackles the most pressing issues facing our sector, from global politics to intricate business risks. Our line-up of esteemed speakers promises to provoke thought and inspire action.

I’d like to extend a special thank you to our sponsors, whose generous support has made this event possible. MPEC 2023 is more than just a conference; it’s a catalyst for innovation and growth in our industry. I look forward to engaging discussions and collaborative solutions that will shape our industry’s future.

Su McCluskey is a distinguished senior business executive and company director renowned for her profound expertise in agricultural policy, production, and research. As a Director of Australian Unity, LiveCorp, Foundation for Young Australians, Australasian Pork Research Institute, and the Australian Wool Network, her leadership shapes diverse sectors. She recently concluded her role as a Commissioner for the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), championing sustainable livelihoods and food security in the Indo-Pacific and Africa.

In her current role as the inaugural Special Representative for Australian Agriculture at MPEC, Su vigorously advocates for sustainable agriculture, the multilateral system, and the principles underpinning global trade in agricultural goods. Her agricultural background, coupled with experience in farming, regulatory oversight, and research, equips her to address international market access, while addressing shared global challenges encompassing food security, climate change, and biodiversity loss.

With a rich history as CEO of the Regional Australia Institute, leadership at the Council of Rural Research and Development Corporations, and executive roles at the Business Council of Australia, the National Farmers’ Federation, and the Australian Taxation Office, Su McCluskey continues to shape the future of Australian agriculture on the global stage.

Julie Anna Potts has served on corporate and non-profit boards since first joining the board of a Washington, DC, homeless agency, Miriam’s Kitchen, in 2005, while she worked as an associate in a law firm early in her career.

Today, she serves on the board of Nationwide, a Fortune 100 protection company providing financial services and property and casualty insurance solutions for almost 100 years. She is currently a Trustee of The Pennsylvania State University where she leads the Governance and Long Range Planning Committee and co-chaired the 2021 Presidential Recruitment and Selection Committee for Penn State’s 19th president. As the President and CEO of the North American Meat Institute, Julie Anna supports the board of directors for NAMI as an officer, its affiliated Foundation as chair, and assists other organizations in the corporate family with governance and strategy.

An agriculture veteran, Julie Anna among many other roles she has previously served the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) as its executive vice president and treasurer.

Chris White has been the President and CEO of the Canadian Meat Council since 2017. Prior to that, for the first part of his career, he spent over a decade working on Parliament Hill, including time as a special assistant to the Honourable Paul Martin while Finance Minister and served as a Chief of Staff to five federal Cabinet Ministers under the governments of Jean Chretien and Paul Martin.

Since leaving government, he has worked as a Vice President of Government Relations in the Insurance, Financial and Auto sector. He also for a time worked for the NGO, Right to Play which built off his time working in India and Bangladesh as an administrator for a Canadian NGO.

He holds a Master’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Windsor as well as a Graduate Diploma and an Honours BA from the University of Ottawa. The father of 5, he lives in Ottawa and is an active supporter of Special Olympics Canada.

Jenny is the ACT president of the Australia China Business Council and director of business banking with the Westpac Group – St George brand.

She is a bilingual strategic management professional with over 15 years of hands-on leadership experience in retail banking, commercial banking, strategic sales planning, client acquisition, and team leadership.

Jenny has a keen understanding of diverse customer requirements stemming from the unique cultural nuances and preferences of both Australia and China – a perspective that adds enormous value to our MPEC 23 China panel.

Margo is an accomplished leader with over 20 years of experience and networks across primary industries, regional Australia and research environments. Margo joined Australian Pork Limited as the CEO in August 2019, where she has overseen the development of the Australian pork industry’s first Sustainability Framework, which outlines clear goals and demonstrable measures that aim to position the industry as one of Australia’s most sustainable proteins.

Margo has previously held positions with Cattle Council of Australia, CSIRO, University of NSW, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation and QLD Local Government. She was a non-executive Director of Australasian Pork Research Limited (APRIL) and was also an interim Director of Agricultural Innovation Australia (AIA).

Margo is currently completing her MBA through the Australian Graduate School of Management, UNSW.

As CEO of AMPC since 2019, Chris Taylor has led the industry-owned research and development corporation through a strategic and operational reset in the face of significant threats and opportunities to the red meat processing sector.

Chris has led the development of a customer-focused strategy, built a fit-for-purpose team and grown the business from a $20m to $40m annual investment.

Chris has a finance and corporate services background in agrifood and natural resources sectors and was AMPC’s chief financial officer 2016-2019.