Meet the Trade and Investment Queensland board
The Hon. Will Hodgman – Chair
Will Hodgman brings a rare combination of government, diplomatic, legal, and commercial leadership experience.
Will was Premier of Tasmania from 2014 to 2020, leading a government that transformed the State’s economy from the worst performing in the nation to the best.
After retiring as a Member of Parliament, Will was appointed as the inaugural Chair of the Australian Business Growth Fund, launching a $540 million fund backed by the Commonwealth Government and Australia’s major banks to provide equity funding for SMEs.
In 2020, Will was appointed as Australia’s top diplomat to Singapore at the height of the global pandemic, leading a team that strengthened trade, the green and digital economies, defence and public health care.
Will is a lawyer and practised for seven years in Australia and the United Kingdom in civil and commercial litigation, criminal law and prosecuting cases of child abuse.
In 2024 he was appointed as the inaugural Chair of Invest Gold Coast, and lives with his wife, Nicky, at Burleigh Heads.
Peter McKay
Peter is the Director-General for the Department of Trade, Employment and Training. He previously served as the Director-General for the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training.
Peter brings over 25 years public sector experience where he has led service delivery, policy, corporate and regulatory functions across a broad range of Queensland Government agencies.
Delivering more impactful public services through improved leadership has been a strong focus of his recent work, including development of new public employment laws for a fair and responsive public sector.
Peter believes that working in partnerships is the pathway to better services. His most recent role as Deputy Director-General of the Office of Industrial Relations has focused on improving the performance and reputation of their important regulatory functions.
Peter sees the importance of our functions in supporting Queenslanders to improve their social and economic circumstances by connecting their hopes with the opportunities that our programs provide.
John Sosso
John is the Director-General of the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning.
He graduated from the University of Queensland with Honours Degrees in Law and Public Administration.
After serving as a private solicitor, he joined the Queensland Department of Justice in 1984 in the Policy and Legislation Division. Subsequently, he served in senior roles in the Department of Justice, Department of Consumers Affairs, and Department of Emergency Services.
He served as Deputy Director-General of the Department of Premier and Cabinet between 1996 and 1998. During that time, he acted as both Director-General and Coordinator-General on a number of occasions.
As a Member and Deputy President of the National Native Title Tribunal between 2000 and 2012, he mediated, arbitrated, and negotiated native title claims and litigation throughout Australia.
Professor Scott Sheppard
Scott is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (International and External Relations) at QUT. Scott previously held positions as Minister-Counsellor Education and Science at the Australian Embassy in Beijing, Consul Economic in Hong Kong and Queensland Commissioner to China.
He has lived and worked in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing for more than 12 years.
Scott is the Deputy Chair of the Trade and Investment Queensland Board, the Chair of the Queensland Health Services Export Consortia, a Co-Chair for the national University Foreign Interference Taskforce Working Group and several other advisory roles.
Josie Angus
Josie, along with her husband Blair and their four adult children, owns and manages a vertically integrated prime cattle business. Angus Pastoral Company runs 42,000 head of cattle across 400,000 acres in Central and Northern Queensland.
The couple launched a branded beef strategy in 1999 and Signature Beef now packs into multiple brands enjoyed in 30 countries. They also embarked on building an ambitious export-accredited on-farm processing operation, Signature Onfarm, which can process up to 50,000 head per year and generates a range of high-quality bespoke beef products.
Josie, who has previously been a board member of Trade and Investment Queensland, is a current Cattle Australia representative on the Export Meat Industry Advisory Group and is a former chair of Queensland Food Futures, which provides advocacy and educational services to enhance our farming industries.
Together, the Angus family have been the recipients of many awards, including the inaugural Rabobank Innovative Producer Award.
Jeff Pfaff
Jeff is a finance professional with over 30 years of experience across both the public and private sectors. His career includes senior roles as a partner at a large professional services firm and, prior to that, within the Commonwealth Government.
Jeff has advised some of Australia’s largest public and private companies across sectors, including education, property, agriculture, resources and financial services. He also has extensive experience advising Australian inbound investors and has worked on some of Queensland’s largest infrastructure projects.
He is the Managing Director of Tax Navigate Australia, a boutique taxation advisory firm that has a particular focus on the marine sector. Outside his professional career, Jeff sits on the boards of several charities and not-for-profits across sport, the environment and health.
Lisa France
Lisa is an experienced international leader with more than 30 years across engineering, environmental services and corporate affairs in the resources and energy sectors. Her rare combination of environmental expertise, energy capability and political insight allows her to navigate complex issues and shape practical, long‑term solutions.
Currently the General Manager for Energy and Advanced Facilities at Sener Australia, Lisa is a recognised environmental scientist with global project experience, advising on major resource and infrastructure developments. She is also an accomplished speaker who has represented Australia internationally on environmental and energy matters.
Lisa previously served as the Queensland Member for Pumicestone and Assistant Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, as well as Assistant Minister for Finance, Administration and Regulatory Reform. Her blend of technical knowledge, policy experience and strategic thinking positions her as a trusted advisor and strong advocate for Australia’s sustainable energy transition.