Export Council of Australia Board of Directors
The Export Council of Australia’s Board of Directors are appointed by members of the Export Council of Australia. The Board of the Export Council undertakes to accept the full fiduciary responsibilities for the business, including finance, regulation and governance.
Andrew Hudson - Director
Andrew commenced working with Hunt & Hunt in 2004 and is a member of the firm's corporate and international relations teams. Andrew practices in the area of commercial law with a focus on customs and international trade. He has provided legal services to all parties involved with industry, including importers, exporters, customs brokers, freight forwarders, shipper and trade financiers. This has involved advice and actions seeking judicial and administrative review of the actions of various government departments. He has provided advice covering all aspects of trade ranging from international trade conventions, arbitrations to resolve disputes, trade financing options, commodity and freight contracts to dealing with inquiries and prosecutions by Customs in such matters as dumping and alleged underpayments of customs duty, together with all related litigation. Andrew was awarded the CBFCA National Award for contribution to the CBFCA and Barrier Clearance/International Freight Forwarding Industry in 2002 and
Barbara McGeoch- Director
Barbara is co-owner and a director of McGeoch's Birkdale Nursery Pty Ltd, which has been at the forefront of developing export markets for Australian ornamental horticultural products over the last 20 years. The company currently has a large production facility in China and offices in Hong Kong and Macau. Over the last ten years, Birkdale has built an extensive global network of suppliers to ensure that it can be competitive and meet the diverse and demanding requirements of clients markets throughout Asia and the Middle East. This encompasses complex logistical and quarantine management in supplying a diverse range of plants from seedlings up to large 12 metre high mature trees and palms from multiple countries, and training staff from other cultures to meet the exacting requirements of high profile clients. Barbara is a director of the Queensland Air Freight Council, member of Women Chiefs of Enterprises International and past member of other national and state industry bodies. In 1995, Birkdale received
Dianne Tipping - Chairman
Dianne has a long and varied career in international trade promotion and facilitation. Dianne Tipping is the founder and Managing Director of Excon International Pty Ltd. an Export Management Consultancy business that focuses on the management of Exports and International Projects on behalf of Australian Exporters throughout the world. Dianne has spent over 35 years handling export transactions and during the early years worked for 2 large multi-nationals and later after opening her own company in 1982 worked with the same multi-nationals and others handling their export matters. Companies that she has dealt with since 1982 are still valued as part of her client base. During the past 20 years Dianne has spent a great deal of time working with the Australian Institute of Export and various other non-government and government agencies to teach and encourage exporters to achieve their global ambitions in a safe and secure way. Dianne is Chairman of the Education Committee. As senior lecturer for the Australian Institute of Export a great of her time has been utilised working with exporters and Government personnel to promote the globalisation of Australia’s export potential.
Ian Murray, AM - Executive Director
Ian Murray is Executive Director of the Australian Institute of Export. Ian has held senior general management positions with private sector companies including Johnson & Johnson, and has lived and worked in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Pakistan. During 25 years of service with Johnson & Johnson, Ian was Marketing Director of J & J Indonesia and Group Marketing Manager of the Australian company. Ian’s major focus at J & J was new product development, market research and marketing strategy.
In 2007 Ian was appointed a member of the Australian Governments Trade Advisory Council; He is Deputy Chairman & Treasurer of the Australian Logistics Council, Treasurer of the European Australian Business Council, Director of Tradegate and a Director of the Freight & Logistics Council of NSW
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Michael O'Callaghan- Director
Michael O’Callaghan has been involved in senior executive management in the mining, shipping and logistics industries for the last 37 years. During his career span, he has held senior staff positions with WMC Resources Ltd in the role of Production Coordinator - Nickel Division and then Shipping Manager for the Nickel Marketing Group. He also established and developed his own logistics company namely Total Logistics Systems which specialises in the provision of a full raft of land based and marine logistic services to the mining industry. Immediately prior to joining Seacorp, Michael was the Marketing Administration Manager for Consolidated Minerals. Michael has been a fellow of the Australian Institute of Export (AIEx) since 1997. He is currently the WA Director for the Export Council of Australia and a member of the Federal Board of Management. He has served as a member of the panel of the WA Industry and Export Awards for over 15 years and has chaired the panel since 2006. Michael was also the inaugu
Paul Cooper FCPA GAICD- Director
Paul is an owner and the Director of Finance and Operations of an industrial electronics manufacturing company called Rinstrum. Rinstrum is based in Brisbane and has offices in the United States, Germany and Sri Lanka. Rinstrum exports to most parts of the world, either through its subsidiary operations or via its distributors in key markets.
Rinstrum manufactures components for industrial weighing applications, such as weighbridges, concrete batching and the packaging industries.
Paul Cooper is a qualified accountant and was the founding partner in the accounting firm Cooper Reeves which is now part of the national Countplus Accounting Group.
Paul retired from a full time role with Cooper Reeves December last year.
Paul has served on a number of boards including as a director of CPA Australia which is the largest professional accounting body in Australia and was the Board’s Chair of Finance and a former President of the Queensland Division of CPA Australia.
Paul is also a Board Member of Children’s H
Stephen Deady PSM- Director
Stephen worked for the Australian Government for over thirty years in a range of trade policy positions. He retired from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in October 2008. In the mid 1990‘s Stephen headed the Trade Branch of the Australian Embassy in Washington and between 2001 and 2004 he led the negotiating teams on both the Australia/United States Free Trade Agreement and the Singapore/Australia Free Trade Agreement. Earlier in his career Stephen was involved in the Uruguay Round agriculture negotiations.
Following his retirement from DFAT Stephen was Director, Industry Economics and Taxation with the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA). He was responsible for trade and investment policy issues at the MCA. He retired from the MCA in March 2010.
Stephen was awarded a Public Service Medal in the Australia Day 2006 Honours List for his outstanding work in developing and promoting Australia’s trade policy, and particularly as Chief Negotiator for Australia on the Australia/Unite
Trevor Jorgensen - Director
In 1999 Trevor was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Sea Freight Council of Queensland and been actively serving the Transport and Logistics Industry associations throughout the period. Trevor has been a successful Senior Manager and Director in bulk liquid terminal and shipping operations in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne having over 35 years in the bulk petroleum and chemical storage, transport and shipping industries. He has been involved in federal and state committees on shipping and transport and has a strong commitment to customer service in particular to the exporting community.
William A. Hutchinson- Director
William Hutchinson is Executive Chairman of Sydney, Australia based aerospace & defence technology group Thomas Electronics of Australia. Thomas Electronics is a diversified supplier of display technology and electronic systems solutions for global aerospace, defence and commercial markets.
Since joining Thomas Electronics in 1986, William has been instrumental in the transformation of Thomas Electronics into an international leader in cockpit display systems, and a leading supplier of defence systems, simulation and technology support. With a 56 year record of product innovation and reliability, Thomas Electronics’ customers include major defence forces and prime contractors, over 50 international airlines, MROs and electronics OEMs.
William is a member of the National Executives of the Australian Industry Group (AiGroup), the AiGroup Defence Council and the Export Council of Australia. He was recently awarded an Export Heroes Award for achievements in developing Australian export business. This award was presented by the Governor-General in Canberra in August, 2010.
William graduated in Chemical Engineering from the University of Sydney in 1975 and subsequently worked in a variety of process industry roles with Colgate Palmolive, Corn Products Corporation and Exxon.
