(Chair)
Professor of Tropical Regional Development, JCU
General Manager Business and Workforce, Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade
Catherine White is a highly qualified and multi-faceted executive leader with 30 years’ experience and leadership across the business, training and employment sectors. Her current role is General Manager of Business and Workforce in the Department of Industry Tourism and Trade. Known for her communication skills and strengths in working in cross cultural settings with a strong track record of leading teams and delivering results in challenging and changing environments.
CEO, NT Farmers Association
Paul has extensive experience in the agricultural sector, working in government and non-government roles advocating and supporting the agricultural sector. He worked in AgForce Queensland as the State Operations Manager and was the Chief Executive Officer for NT Cattlemen’s Association. Prior to becoming CEO of NT Farmers in 2019, he was the Director of Infrastructure Assets and Major Projects for the NT Government Department of Primary Industries and Resources.
Head of Northern Australia Strategic Policy Centre, Australian Strategic Policy Institute
Dr John Coyne is Head of the Northern Australia Strategic Policy Centre and Head of Strategic Policing and Law Enforcement at ASPI.
He is an award-winning author who has published widely on policing, national security, northern Australia and organised crime.
John has worked in intelligence and national security for over 25 years. He has been an intelligence professional at tactical, operational, and strategic levels across military, regulatory, national security and law enforcement organisations.
He has been a Winston Churchill Fellow and a Vincent Fairfax Fellow.
Board Director, CRC for Developing Northern Australia & Deputy Director, Menzies School of Health Research
Brendon is experienced in executive leadership in the higher education, commercial, and public service sectors. He has a track record of identifying opportunities and developing strategies for enhanced organisational performance, expansion and growth, and building new partnerships.
He presently works as the Deputy Director at Menzies School of Health Research. Brendon is a lawyer, a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, an International Fellow at Oxford Academic Health Partners, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, and has completed executive education programs at London School of Economics. Brendon is presently on the CRC for Northern Australia Board.
Chief Executive Officer, Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association
Chief Executive Officer, Northern Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance Ltd
Ricky Archer is a Djungan man from the Western Tablelands region of North Qld.
Ricky has a strong network of on ground land and sea managers across northern Australia from which to draw from and has demonstrated an ability to connect on-ground work of Indigenous organisations with regional, state and commonwealth priorities.
In his current role, Ricky is the Chief Executive Officer of the North Australian Indigenous Land & Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA). He is involved with numerous organisations and committees enabling strategic input across a diverse field, these include;
Previous engagements include:
Ricky has a background in geographical information systems, Indigenous knowledge management, and natural & cultural resource management. He is passionate about the advancement and improvement of Indigenous livelihoods across the north.
General Manager, Cooperative Research Centre Northern Development
Carla Keith is the General Manager at the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA). As part of her role, Carla oversees the delivery of the organisation’s research programs and day-to-day operations of the CRCNA, including strategic communications, media and stakeholder management. Carla also manages the CRCNA’s education and workforce development program.
Before joining the CRCNA, Carla worked in strategic communications, stakeholder engagement and business development for raw sugar marketer Queensland Sugar Limited and spent seven years as a radio journalist and news director for a regional radio network.
COO, Darwin Innovation Hub
Emma holds extensive industry and bipartisan government relationships across Australia and abroad, with 10 years-experience managing and designing programs and strategic operations, communications and generating business diversification and growth strategies across various industries. A progressive and modern leader, influencing and developing solutions-based cultures. Emma is able to generate and source projects, investment opportunities and investment partners and take a lead through to execution of the deal. Regional Development projects that Emma has led have included transformational strategic projects, deal sourcing for Private Equity and Venture Capital funds, designing and facilitating cross-regional strategic implementation for investment prioritisation tools and working within industry and with government to inform intelligent led proposals and advocacy. Emma is a certified member of the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists, the Australian Investment Council, the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Institute of Management and Leadership ANZ, and holds a Graduate Certificate of Leadership & Strategy.
CEO, Pilbara Development Commission
Stakeholder Relations, NAIF
Lead Partner, Global Investment & Innovation Incentives (Gi³) and NT Public Sector Advisory, Darwin
Managing Partner, NAB Regional and Agribusiness for the Northern Territory
Deputy Director-General, Regional Economic Development, Department of Regional Development Manufacturing and Water
Bernadette has worked in government for more than 20 years, holding leadership roles in multiple agencies across state government. She specialises in leading regional economic development initiatives across the state, including bulk water infrastructure assessment, planning and delivery and grant programs. Bernadette has strong skills in policy development, strategic analysis, interdepartmental and interjurisdictional engagement, and negotiation.
Prior to taking the role of Deputy Director-General of Regional Economic Development, Bernadette was the Executive Director of Water Infrastructure and Strategic Co-ordination for the department. In that role, she provided governance oversight of government-owned bulk water providers, contributing advice on bulk water infrastructure projects and regional urban water security and oversight of SEQ water supply planning.
General Manager, Investment Territory, NT Department of Trade, Business and Innovation, Northern Territory Government
Luke was born and raised on a mixed farm in Western Australia, educated in Perth and studied agriculture at Curtin University. Early in his career he spent time working in the agriculture sector in Western Australia and Europe and six years as a sales and marketing executive in building and construction, service and supply sectors.
He has extensive experience in Indigenous economic development across Australia and particularly pastoral development in Northern Australia.
Luke was Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association from 2008 – 2014 and a member of federal Agriculture Minister’s Industry Advisory Council.
In 2014 Luke was engaged by the Northern Territory government to run the Northern Australian Development Office, which expanded to key responsibilities for international relations, trade and investment. Since January 2021, under a new Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade, Luke has taken responsibility for agriculture, fisheries and biosecurity.
Chief Executive Officer, Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3)
Kylie Porter is the Chief Executive Officer of Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3). GW3 is the peak independent, economic development organisation for the Mackay, Isaac, Whitsunday region. The organisation is a strategic and coordinated point of contact for local, national and international networks and advocates for, and promotes prosperity across the Greater Whitsunday region. GW3’s focus is not centred on one specific industry and has a remit to deliver across all key driving industries in the region including mining and METS, agriculture, tourism, bio-futures and others. Kylie more than 25 years professional marketing and corporate communications experience, and is well versed on all the big issues the Mackay Isaac Whitsunday region today. She also is a Director of C-Res, a company which delivers the Local Buying Program across Australia in partnership with BHP.
Northern Australia Science Consultant, CSIRO
PVC Research & Innovation, Charles Darwin University
Professor Steve Rogers is the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation at Charles Darwin University (CDU) who was appointed to CDU as the Director of Research and Innovation in 2020.
Professor Rogers has research and high-level leadership experience in the environment sector, mining exploration and mineral processing industries with an extensive understanding of the complex regional issues facing Northern Australia and the Asia-Pacific.
Professor Rogers was formerly the CEO at the Centre for Appropriate Technology Ltd (CfAT Ltd), an Aboriginal-controlled, not-for-profit technology and infrastructure solutions company based in Alice Springs, operating across rural and remote Australia.
With a PhD in Microbiology, Professor Rogers spent 13 years with the University of Adelaide and CSIRO Land and Water at the Waite Research Institute in Adelaide. His research interests include using microorganisms to clean contaminated industrial sites.
Professor Rogers has held several other positions working with global mining and oil and gas sectors, as the CEO of the CRC for Landscape Environments and Mineral Exploration, Managing Director of the Parker CRC for Integrated Hydrometallurgy Solutions and WA program manager with the Australian Institute of Marine Science. Outside of his career, Steve has been a volunteer firefighter in WA and the NT for 11 years, enjoys bush camping with his wife and is an amateur cook.
Strategic Policy Advisor, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
Indigenous Development Officer, Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade, Northern Territory Government
CEO, Association for Sustainability in Business
NT Liaison, Austrade
A/Director Engagement, Office of Northern Australia
Bio coming soon.