Queensland Welcomes the Consul General of Canada in Australia

The Canadian Australian Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome Ghislain Robichaud, Consul General of Canada in Australia, to Brisbane for a boardroom briefing lunch bringing together leaders from across Queensland’s business, government and bilateral community.

At a pivotal time for the Australia-Canada relationship, this meeting will provide an opportunity to hear directly from the Consul General on Canada’s priorities in Australia and the opportunities to deepen commercial ties between Canada and Queensland.

Australia and Canada share a significant and growing economic relationship, with two-way trade in goods and services valued at approximately A$11 billion, underpinned by substantial investment flows between our two countries. With both nations increasingly focused on trade diversification, economic security and building resilient supply chains, there is considerable opportunity to deepen this relationship further. Queensland has an increasingly important role to play in the bilateral economic relationship, and significant potential remains to expand the commercial corridor between Queensland and Canada.

This private boardroom discussion will provide an opportunity for senior leaders to engage directly with the Consul General on where that relationship is heading and the opportunities ahead.

THIS IS A PRIVATE INVITATION-ONLY MEETING.

Ghislain Robichaud

Consul General of Canada in Australia

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA

Ghislain Robichaud (BSocSC [Political Science], University of Ottawa,1996; BSocSC [Economics], University of Ottawa, 1996) joined Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada in 2007 after serving in international relations roles at Natural Resources Canada and as a parliamentary page in the Canadian House of Commons. At Headquarters, he has worked in the European Union Division, Technical Barriers and Regulation Division and China Division, as well in the Invest in Canada Branch as deputy director. Overseas, he has served as counsellor and senior trade commissioner in Egypt and as science and technology counsellor in Germany. Most recently, he was regional director of the Trade Commissioner Service’s Quebec and Nunavut Regional Office.

Jan Kwak - B.Eng, M.Eng, Ing. (OIQ), Fellow AusIMM.

Managing Director

HATCH

Jan is a positive and proactive business leader who focuses on technology as a key enabler for positive change. A 30 year veteran of Hatch with roots in process engineering, he specializes in commercialization of new technology, from strategy to testing to full industrial operations, spanning the complete technical, financial, social and environmental spectrum. Based in Brisbane, Australia, Jan has a broad portfolio of responsibility at Hatch. He is Managing Director of Climate Change, Thought Leadership, Communications and Government Relations. He travels widely helping clients, partners and stakeholders achieve goals. In addition to his duties at Hatch, he is a Director of EnviroMets, a Queensland government initiative to find new value for post mining land; and an active contributor to many community focused organizations.

Melissa Wharton

Chief Executive Officer

CANADIAN AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (CACC)

Melissa Wharton is the Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Australian Chamber of Commerce (CACC), the peak bilateral business body advancing trade, capital flows and strategic partnerships between Canada and Australia.

She is widely recognised as a leading advocate for deeper economic integration between the two countries, working at the intersection of government, institutional investors and industry. Under her leadership, the CACC convenes senior ministers, pension funds, superannuation leaders and global corporates across priority sectors including institutional investment, critical minerals, infrastructure, energy transition, defence and advanced manufacturing. The Chamber is the only bilateral organisation with active operations and governance presence in both countries.

Melissa is a dual citizen and a recognised advocate for strengthening economic ties between Canada and Australia.

Mark Dwyer

Chairman and CEO

REVOLT ENERGY GROUP

Mark Dwyer is a seasoned tech entrepreneur with an 18-year career spanning North America and the Asia-Pacific regions, marked by a people-first, data-driven leadership style that has consistently driven success. He has held executive roles in public companies, including serving as Managing Director at Afterpay (ASX:APT), acquired by BLOCK (NYSE:SQ), and Datawatch (NASDAQ:DWCH), acquired by ALTAIR (NASDAQ:ALTR). Mark has operationalized and scaled businesses in over 16 international markets, leveraging his expertise in forecasting, P&L management, and financial modelling to guide organizations toward sustainable growth.

As a board director, serial entrepreneur, and corporate strategist, he has led capital raising efforts, M&A, and built strategic alliances with global leaders such as Microsoft, Apple, Google, and VISA. His journey reflects a powerful blend of global insight, innovation, and strategic execution. Mark is currently a Director and Company Secretary of the Canadian Australian Chamber of Commerce.

Anthony Penney

Co-Chair

CACC Queensland Committee

Anthony is a Regional Manager for Queensland, Palau and Papua New Guinea, responsible for commercial activity, as well as, government, industry and tourism relations. He has considerable commercial experience, having led sales teams across the airline and has held management roles in customer experience, operational and learning and development areas.

Previously, Anthony was the Executive Director, Industry & Government Engagement at Business SA, South Australia’s chamber of commerce. Sitting on the leadership team he led Business SA’s policy and advocacy efforts lobbying state and federal politicians regarding key issues facing South Australian businesses. He was also the media spokesperson conducting over 1000 interviews with local, national and international media outlets over a 4-year period.