The Hon. Ros Bates MP, Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training

The Honourable Ros Bates MP is the Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training. She has represented the Queensland state electorate of Mudgeeraba since 2009. 

As a member of the government’s leadership team, the Minister is responsible for the management of government owned enterprises, insurance, investment facilitation, trade development, employment, vocation education and training, skills and workforce development and the marketing and promotion of international education and training.  

Before entering Parliament, the Minister spent over 25 years in the health sector as a nurse and health administration, receiving several awards for her dedication and service, as well as being a Queensland Telstra Businesswoman of the Year. 

The Hon. Will Hodgman, Board Chair, Trade and Investment Queensland

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. 

Justin McGowan, Chief Executive Officer, Trade and Investment Queensland 

With significant international trade experience, Justin was appointed to the leadership role to drive Queensland’s investment and export future.   

Justin McGowan has held Senior Executive roles within the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and is an accomplished diplomat. Most recently, he led the Capability Taskforce driving Australia’s Foreign and Trade capabilities to meet future challenges and deliver economic potential.   

He was previously Australia’s Commissioner General to the World Expo in Dubai for four years (2017 to 2021), facilitating engagement opportunities for government representatives, business councils, investors and entrepreneurs across most markets and sectors.  

In previous roles, Justin has held senior leadership positions a range of private sector companies, has delivered on major global programs with the Department of Defence and served in the Royal Australian Navy on numerous operational deployments, including enforcing United Nations sanctions in the Middle East.     

He has been awarded the Australian Active Service Medal, Australian Service Medal (Solomon Islands), Operational Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Australian Defence Medal and the Maritime Commander Australia Commendation.  

Mr McGowan holds a Master of Management and Graduate Certificate in Management from the Australian National University and has studied at Melbourne and Harvard Kennedy Business Schools and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

Stephanie Brantz, Master of Ceremonies

With over 25 years of experience as a major events presenter, sport producer, commentator and MC, she has wide experience beyond the sporting domain, regularly facilitating conferences and moderating panels in the fields of education, technology advancement and corporate product rollouts. 

Stephanie is immediate past Chair of DFAT’s Sports Diplomacy Advisory Council, she sits on the committee of the Primary Club of Australia, the Carbine Club of Australia and the Pacific Sports Diplomacy Network as well as the UNSW Sport Advisory Council. Previous trained in Health Sciences, she owned a complementary medicine clinic for 8 years before beginning her media career at SBS followed by stints with Channel 9, Fox Sports and ABC TV. 

Stephanie has more than a decade of experience as a contributor for ESPN, World Feed Host for Tennis Australia as well as a football commentator and producer for FIFA TV. 

An Adjunct Fellow of the Griffith University Business School, she is also a Membership Ambassador for the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground, an Ambassador and student mentor for both the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation and The Chappell Foundation. 

Professor Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, The Airport Economist

Professor Tim Harcourt is a renowned economist who is well known for his TV shows The Airport Economist and Footynomics: The Business of Sport based on his books of the same name. Professor Harcourt specialises in Australia’s economic engagement with the Global Economy particularly Asia, Latin America and Emerging Markets and has worked in both public policy and research roles in International Trade, Labour Markets, Climate Innovation and the Economics of Sport. 

From 1999 - 2011, Tim, was the Chief Economist for the Australia Trade Commission. He has also been an International Economist with the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and has worked as an Economist in the private sector in USA, UK and Israel. TIQ is a proud partner of The Airport Economist and our Trade Commissioners feature in the recent series on India (in Bengaluru) and in Taiwan 

Presentation: Around the world in 20 minutes: Global trade trends for Queensland and Australian exporters 

Professor Harcourt will share his insights on the macroeconomic trends shaping opportunities and challenges for Queensland exporters and explore where Queensland fits within the global economic landscape. 

Craig Scroggie, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, NEXTDC 

Craig Scroggie is the CEO and Managing Director of NEXTDC, Australia’s leading Data Centre as a Service provider, with more than 30 years’ executive experience in the ICT industry. Prior to becoming CEO in June 2012, Mr Scroggie served on the Board of Directors since the IPO (2010) as a Non-Executive Director, including as Chairman of the Audit and Risk Management Committee. 

Mr Scroggie has more than 30 years’ experience in the ICT industry, having held senior positions with Symantec, Veritas Software, Computer Associates, EMC Corporation and Fujitsu. Prior to joining NEXTDC, Mr Scroggie was Symantec’s Vice President & Managing Director for the Pacific Region.

Presentation: The fourth industrial revolution: Building the infrastructure of the intelligence era

Craig will share his perspective on how AI driven demand is reshaping digital infrastructure, the critical role data centers play in enabling global competitiveness, and Queensland's opportunity to position itself as a trusted digital infrastructure partner.