MPEC SPEAKERS

Meet our Speakers

This year’s Meat Processing and Export Conference has the greatest line-up of speakers the meat industry has ever seen. MPEC 23 will feature renowned economist Saul Eslake; highly respected journalists Peter Hartcher and Stan Grant; Minister for Agriculture, Fishing and Forestry Murray Watt; former Ag Minister Joel Fitzgibbon; Supply chain specialist Michael Byrne; and CEO of the RSPCA, Richard Mussell, who will be discussing the future of meat processing according to the RSPCA. In addition to our great keynote speakers, we have Georgie Aley as MC and the greatest minds of the industry participating in hard-hitting panels.

Senator The Hon. Murray Watt

Minister for Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry

Murray Watt is the Albanese Government’s Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and Minister for Emergency Management. He has..

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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

Renowned
Economist

Saul Eslake is one of Australia’s most respected and renowned economic commentators. Having worked as an economist in the Australian financial..

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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.

Joel Andrew Fitzgibbon

Former Agriculture Minister
and Labor MP

Joel represented the Hunter electorate between 1996 and 2022. He served as Minister for Defence and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry..

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Joel represented the Hunter electorate between 1996 and 2022. He served as Minister for Defence and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in the Rudd Governments. He also served as Chief Government Whip in the Gillard Government.

Joel also held a number of Shadow Ministerial positions including Assistant Treasury, Financial Services, Defence, Mining, Energy, Agriculture, Small Business, Tourism and Regional Australia. He was also the Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence & Trade.

A senior player in the political processes over a long period of time, Joel enjoys a high level of respect on both sides of the political divide. For a long period, he was the Convenor of the Labor Party’s Right faction.

Since leaving the Parliament Joel has been retained by CMAX Advisory and serves on the boards of Brickworks, the Australian Forest Products Association, and the Crawford Fund.

Georgie has more than 15+ years of Executive and Non-Executive Director experience within the Australian and international food and agribusiness..

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Georgie has more than 15+ years of Executive and Non-Executive Director experience within the Australian and international food and agribusiness sector. She is currently the National Sector Lead – CPG & Agribusiness leading the Firms sector mandates and supporting our client’s growth in market and also leads our Operational Transformation capability within our Operations Advisory business supporting clients to transform their middle office operations.

Georgie provides an insightful lens for clients on organisational and industry challenges, ensuring KPMG clients are equipped to solve complex challenges and remain competitive and sustainable. As a recognised industry leader, Georgie is a trusted advisor to Government, ASX listed and industry/NFP associations, assisting Boards, Directors, C-Suite and Management teams to drive strategic positioning, facilitate sustainable growth and deliver operational excellence.

With an extensive industry network, Georgie remains up-to-date on the key trends and opportunities occurring across the sector. Prior to KPMG Georgie held C-Suite roles across the agribusiness and FMCG supply chain. Georgie is also Non-executive Director of Agribusiness Australia and Chair of Pulse Australia Ltd.

Stan Grant

Renowned
Journalist

He was formerly ABC’s Global Affairs and Indigenous Affairs Analyst and host of Q&A. A Wiradjuri man, Stan is an enormously accomplished..

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Professor Stan Grant is Vice Chancellor’s Chair of Australian/Indigenous Belonging and Director of The Yindyamarra Institute for Democracy at Charles Sturt University.

He was formerly ABC’s Global Affairs and Indigenous Affairs Analyst and host of Q&A. A Wiradjuri man, Stan is an enormously accomplished journalist, author, filmmaker and presenter, who has won three Walkley awards, a Peabody in the US, and an AACTA Award for the Adam Goodes documentary The Australian Dream, which grew out of an oration he
gave in early 2016.

He is one of Australia’s most respected and awarded journalists, with more than 30 years experience in radio and television news and current affairs. Stan has a strong reputation for independence and integrity and has interviewed international political and business leaders, including our own prime ministers and senior ministers.

In previous roles, Stan served for a decade as a Senior International Correspondent for CNN in Asia and the Middle East, broadcasting to an audience of millions around the world. He has interviewed numerous world leaders including Nelson Mandela, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Condoleezza Rice, Yasser Arafat, Mahmoud Abbas, Shimon Peres, Bill Clinton, and
Australian Prime Ministers Bob Hawke, Paul Keating, John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott, and Malcolm Turnbull.

Stan has published six critically acclaimed and best-selling books. He has also written a Quarterly Essay and has contributed opinion articles to Australia’s major news publications. Stan has won numerous international and Australian awards including a Peabody Award, Columbia University Alfred I. duPont award, four times winner of the prestigious Asia TV awards including best news story and reporter of the year, three times winner of the coveted Australian Walkley Award, as well as a TV Logie award, GQ Magazine agenda setter of the year and an Australian Academy of Arts Cinema and Television Award (Australia’s Oscars) as
male TV presenter of the year.

Michael Byrne

Supply Chain Specialist and
Industry Advisor

Michael Byrne was appointed International Freight Coordinator General, Austrade on 31 March 2020 in an interim role to assist
with the..

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Michael Byrne was appointed International Freight Coordinator General, Austrade on 31 March 2020 in an interim role to assist with the Federal Government’s COVID-19 response. This role finished in September 2022, though continuing to support the Federal Government on Export Supply Chain and the Simplified Trade System taskforce.

Michael’s appointment followed a distinguished 30-year career in executive positions both in Australia and internationally in the logistics, supply chain, retail and property sectors. Previous roles include Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Toll Group Holdings; Chief Executive Officer of Coates Hire; Linfox and Westgate Holdings, as well as Non-Executive Director of Australia Post.

Michael currently serves on the Boards of Ausgrid Asset, Management, Finance and Operator Partnership, NSW Ports and Peel Ports UK. Michael is a Senate member, Chair of ARC and Chancellors Advisory Board for the University of Western Australia and is a Strategic Advisor on Infrastructure to IFM Investors and Australian Super. Michael is the Chair of HSE Global, a specialist safety consulting group. In more recent time, Michael has been appointed to the Boards of Sydney Airport, CBH Group and National Intermodal Corporation.

Michael currently serves on the Boards of Ausgrid Asset, Management, Finance and Operator Partnership, NSW Ports and Peel Ports UK. Michael is a Senate member, Chair of ARC and Chancellors Advisory Board for the University of Western Australia and is a Strategic Advisor on Infrastructure to IFM Investors and Australian Super. Michael is the Chair of HSE Global, a specialist safety consulting group. In more recent time, Michael has been appointed to the Boards of Sydney Airport, CBH Group and National Intermodal Corporation.

Previously, Michael has been on numerous government boards advising on transportation, infrastructure, food security and security matters. He has also held board positions with OzHarvest (a food charity) and education committees for Victoria University and the University of Denver.

Michael holds a Master of Science in Transportation and Infrastructure from the University of Denver, USA. He completed management training at the Darden School of Management at the University of Virginia, as well as the International Management Program at the MIT Sloan School of Management, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 2017, Michael became the inaugural Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Supply Chain and Logistics at Deakin University.

Michael has been married to Leah for over 30 years and they have three adult children – Sarah, Jacob and Isaac. He has been a patrol captain and board coach at Elouera Surf Club, Sydney, for more than 20 years. Michael has also coached children’s sport for over 30 years in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire.

Peter Hartcher

Renowned
Journalist

Peter Hartcher is a leading Australian journalist and author. He is the political editor and international editor of the SMH and The Age, the the papers’ main..

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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

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..

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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.

Sam Burke

Chef
 

Sam Burke is an executive chef, marketing and hospitality operations manager with more than 28 years industry experience working with premium beef..

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Sam Burke is an executive chef, marketing and hospitality operations manager with more than 28 years industry experience working with premium beef, lamb, veal and goat.

Starting out as an apprentice chef Sam worked his way up the catering trade in butcher shops, corporate, leisure and sporting events including the Olympics and Rugby World Cup, before joining one of Australia’s largest commercial catering companies for 20 years.

Trading catering halls for beef and boardrooms, Sam took over the executive chef reins at Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) in 2014 and has since travelled across Australia and the globe promoting and celebrating the quality and diversity of premium Australian red meat to the wider community.

Sam’s expertise in large scale catering environments has enabled him to educate Australian Red Meat users on plate costs, product development and extracting value from the whole carcase. This included working with McDonalds Japan on new sandwich concepts using Australian red meat alongside their traditional burger offerings and enabling other quick service restaurants and retailers to present smaller primal cuts to suit the growing convenience trend.

Globally, Sam has cooked for thousands ranging from trade shows in Asia, wagyu experts in Japan, politicians, sports stars, musicians in Australia and in 2016 at the Queen’s Young Achievers annual celebration at the Australian High Commission in London.

Sam’s knowledge of red meat spans the entire supply chain, having worked closely alongside farmers, processors, food technology scientists, chefs, restaurant chains, retailers, CEOs and meat traders to understand and celebrate the attributes of beef and lamb to the global chef and foodservice community.

Patrick Hutchinson

CEO, AMIC

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..

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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

Special Representative for AUS Agriculture

Su McCluskey is a distinguished senior business executive and company director renowned for her profound expertise in agricultural policy, production, and research.

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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.

Sirma Karapeeva

CEO Meat Industry Association of New Zealand

Sirma joined the New Zealand Meat Industry Association (MIA) as Trade and Economic Manager in March 2015 following a career in the public sector during which she developed..

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Sirma joined the New Zealand Meat Industry Association (MIA) as Trade and Economic Manager in March 2015 following a career in the public sector during which she developed a deep knowledge of trade policy and significant trade negotiations experience. She was appointed as CEO in April 2020.

Prior to joining MIA Sirma was with the Ministry of Primary Industries’ (MPI) trade policy team, where she was involved in progressing the primary sector interests in the negotiations of goods market access and sanitary and phytosanitary provisions in New Zealand’s free trade agreements. Sirma has also worked with the Ministry of Economic Development (now MBIE) in negotiating and implementing New Zealand’s technical barriers to trade obligations.

In addition to a long history of negotiating bilateral and pluri-lateral trade agreements, Sirma has represented New Zealand’s interests at a number of international forums including the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

Julie Anna Potts

President & CEO, North American Meat Institute

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..
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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

President & CEO, Canadian Meat Council

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..
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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.

Doug Ferguson

NSW Chairman Asia & Int. Markets for KPMG

Doug is the NSW Chairman and Head of Asia & International Markets for KPMG, leading over 300 partners and around 4,500 employees across six NSW office locations to drive growth..
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Doug is the NSW Chairman and Head of Asia & International Markets for KPMG, leading over 300 partners and around 4,500 employees across six NSW office locations to drive growth, connectivity, and culture since March 2019. He began his career with KPMG in Financial Services Audit in the late 1990s and later spent over a decade with KPMG in China in the Deals Advisory business.

He returned in 2012 to lead the Asia & International markets team, now based within Enterprise, serving inbound clients from Japan, China, India, South Korea, Indonesia, and the Middle East. Beyond KPMG, Doug serves on the boards of Reconciliation Australia, Committee for Sydney, and advisory councils for Asia Society, BCA’s International Engagement Committee, UNSW CIBEL Law, and is a Trustee of CEDA. He is the Co-Chair of AmCham Board of Governors in NSW, Chairman Emeritus of Asia Society Australia, a Business Champion of the New Colombo Plan, and an Adjunct Professor for the University of Sydney’s Business School.

Doug passionately supports cultural diversity, inclusion, and Australia’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. Additionally, he has a strong interest in agribusiness, fueled by his family’s cattle grazing business in Central West NSW.

Jenny Chan

ACT president Australia China Business Council

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

CEO Australian Pork Ltd

Margo is an accomplished leader with over 20 years of experience and networks across primary industries, regional Australia and research environments. Margo joined..
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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.

Jason Strong

MD, Meat & Livestock Australia

Jason Strong has more than 30 years’ red meat and livestock experience, knowledge and connections from the farm through to the end consumer in both domestic and..
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Jason Strong has more than 30 years’ red meat and livestock experience, knowledge and connections from the farm through to the end consumer in both domestic and international markets.

He is a well-recognised and respected senior executive with extensive skills in commercial and industry business management and administration, supply chain development, meat science and grading, genetics and marketing as well as on-farm experience. Mr Strong is Managing Director of Meat & Livestock Australia Ltd and is a director of Integrity Systems Company Limited, MLA Donor Company Limited, AUS-MEAT Limited and Red Meat Traceability Systems Pty Ltd, and Chair of the EU and UK Red Meat Market Access Taskforce.

Chris Taylor

CEO, AMPC

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..
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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.

POLICY & SUBMISSIONS

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EVENTS & COMPETITIONS

 

MEMBERSHIP

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