Saul Cannon

Saul joined Port of Melbourne in November 2021 and brings to the role over 25 years of commerical, strategy, finance, legal and corporate governance experience. Most recently, Saul was Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer at global logistics provider, Toll Group.

Prior to Toll, Saul spent nearly a decade at ASX-listed Asciano Limited, which then owned the Patrick Terminals ports and Pacific National rail businesses. Saul holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Law (with honours) and is also a graduate of the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at Harvard Business School in Boston.

The Hon. Bridget McKenzie

The Hon. Bridget McKenzie is the Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, and the Leader of the Nationals in the Senate.

She is a former Cabinet Minister, and the first federal female Agriculture Minister and has held a number of portfolios including emergency management, national recovery and resilience, sport, regional communications, education and health.

Bridget was elected Senator for Victoria in 2010.

She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science and Education, specialising in mathematics and physical education. She lectured at Monash University.

Bridget is the author of a biography of former Country Part Prime Minister: John McEwen 
- Right Man, Right Place, Right Time.

Dr Merriden Varrall

Dr Merriden Varrall is the Lead for Geopolitics at KPMG Australia. In this role she helps business understand and navigate the complex global geopolitical environment. Merriden provides business-relevant insights into global, regional and local geopolitical trends and works with clients to develop strategies and solutions to identify and mitigate risk, and maximise opportunities.

A former UN diplomat based in China, Merriden is a sought-after commentator on geopolitics, East Asia, China's foreign policy, and Australia's bilateral relationship with China.

From 2014-2018, Merriden was the Director of the Lowy Institute's East Asia Program. She is currently a Non-Resident at Lowy. Before joining the Institute, Merriden was the Assistant Country Director and Senior Policy Advisor at United Nations Development Programme, China, where she worked on China's role in the world, focussing on its international development cooperation policy. Prior to that she worked for the Australian Government Treasury and the Department of Family and Community Services.

Merriden spent almost eight years living and working in China, including lecturing in foreign policy at the China Foreign Affairs University and conducting fieldwork for her doctoral research.

Merriden has a PhD examining Chinese foreign policy from Macquarie University, Sydney, and the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. She has a Master's Degree in International Affairs from the Australian National University, Canberra, and completed her undergraduate studies in international studies at the Univeristy of Technology Sydney. Her analyses have appeared in academic journals, as well as publications such as The Quarterly, The New York Times, Nikkei Asian Review, Foregin Policy, The East Asia Forum, and the Lowy Interpreter, among others.

Phillip Parsons

Phillip Parsons is a logistician and General Manager with 30 years' experience working for a variety of ASX 100 companies within the FMCG, media, retail, construction and 3PL sectors. Currently Director of Supply Chain for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (Australia & Pacific) responsible for one of the largest Supply Chains in Australia manufacturing, delivering to every postcode every week.

Phillip holds a Board seat on the Australian Logistic Council and in his spare time he has a passion for Rugby and the Warringah Rugby Club.

Christine Holgate

Christine has extensive diverse international leadership experience in highly regulated industries, at both Board and Executive level. Christine is currently the Group Chief Executive Officer at Team Global Express - a $4bn leading logistics organisation in Australia & New Zealand.

In 2017-2020 Christine was the Group Chief Executive Officer at Australia Post, with $8bn in revenue employing 75,000 people, leading the company through a period of growth and transformation. 2007-17 Christine was the Chief Eecutive Officer, Blackmores Ltd; Australia's leading Natural Health Company, expanding the company through Asia, and increasing the market capitalization more than 15-fold to over $3bn. Christine has also held several Non-Executive positions including, 2018-2020 Vice Chair Aramex, a Dubai publicly listed Freight business, Deputy Chair Sai Cheng, a joint venture with China Post. 2010-2016 Non-Executive Director Ten Network Holdings; 2005-2008 Non-Executive Director for Key Corp Ltd.

Mike Edmonds

Mike Edmonds is the Executive General Manager – Commercial at NTI, Australia’s leading specialist insurer. He is responsible for the national distribution of NTI’s commercial products through brokers and agents, and for managing key relationships across major accounts and industry associations.

With over 20 years of Executive-level experience, Mike brings a unique perspective shaped by a diverse career spanning transport, industry advocacy, sports management, and policing. Prior to joining NTI, he held roles with Suncorp Stadium, Finemore Holdings, and the Australian Trucking Association. He has been part of NTI’s Executive team for more than two decades, contributing to its growth into a market leader in heavy motor, plant and machinery, and marine insurance.

Mike holds a Master of Business Administration and is a Fellow of both the Institute of Managers and Leaders and the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance & Finance. He is also a Certified Insurance Professional, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and a former Adjunct Associate Professor at Bond Business School.

He currently serves as a Councillor for both the Australian Trucking Association and the Australian Logistics Council, and is Chair of the Underwriting Agencies Council. NTI also actively supports a broad range of industry bodies including HVIA, Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds, the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association, NatRoad, Transport Women Australia, and all State Transport Associations.

Mike is a strong advocate for people and culture, often attributing NTI’s success to its dedicated team and their shared commitment to service, expertise, and innovation.

Lisa Archbold

Lisa Archbold was appointed vice president of customer Australia and New Zealand in May 2025. This role brings together the retail convenience business together with the fleet and dealer businesses to create a truly customer focused operation. In this strategic role, she is responsible for shaping and executing bp’s strategies across ANZ.

Ms Archbold is a qualified Chartered Accountant commencing her career and gaining her accounting qualification with PricewaterhouseCoopers before joining bp Australia in 2001. Additionally, Ms Archbold is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Ms Archbold’s early bp career included a variety of roles across finance and strategy for the Castrol lubricants business both in Australia and in the United Kingdom. Upon returning to Australia, she was appointed as Chief of Staff for the Australian Fuels business before moving to the operational role of General Manager bp Bitumen, where she successfully led the business before then leading it through its divestment. Subsequent to this, Ms Archbold returned to the Castrol business based in Singapore where she assumed the role of Finance Director for the Asia Pacific Region. After finishing up that role, she returned to Australia to lead the finance organisation as VP Finance Asia Pacific then as VP Business Development & Low Carbon Solutions across the Asia Pacific region. Ms Archbold then undertook the role of vice president mobility & convenience ANZ, leading the retail front line and operations for ANZ before taking on her current role.

Mark Mazurek

Mark is responsible for leading the largest privately-owned logistics company in Asia Pacific to achieve its vision to be the most trusted logistics partner in Australia and New Zealand. Linfox has a focused and integrated business strategy that strives for industry-leading safety and compliance, outstanding customer service and smarter, sustainable supply chain solutions – all underpinned by Linfox’s ‘LIFT’ values of loyalty, integrity, fairness and trust. Mark has held senior roles at Linfox since 2006, including Chief Operating Officer and various business unit President appointments.

Prior to joining Linfox, Mark held senior executive board and management roles with major companies in the FMCG and retail sectors including a global role based in Europe. Mark has studied at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Harvard and Stanford Business Schools. He is currently a board member of the Australian Logistics Council, Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds, a member of the RMIT College of Business and Law Industry Advisory Board, and a member of Champions of Change.

Sandra McNeil

Sandra McNeil is the Country Director of Operations for Amazon Australia, where she leads end-to-end Supply Chain including Fulfillment & Logistics, Print on Demand, Transportation & Delivery, Reverse Logistics and Operational Excellence.

Prior to joining Amazon, Sandra spent 24 years in the automotive industry at General Motors, most notably as the Manufacturing Chief Engineer for the mid-engine Corvette and other programs across the US, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Asia, ASEAN, Australia, Europe, Middle East, India, Egypt and South Africa. Sandra has a passion for advancing diversity in STEM and enjoys volunteering to help cultivate a diverse talent pipeline.

Ben Newton

Ben Newton leads the Strategy, Governance and Sustainability functions in Primary Connect (part of the Woolworths Group). Ben has extensive expereince in Strategy and Supply Chain developed over his career with Woolworths. Primary Connect is the largest food and retail supply chain business in Australia and New Zealand with 10,000 team members providing services to Woolworths Group, as well as more than 1,200 external partners. Primary Connect is an essential part of Woolworth Group with a simple but important purpose of connecting communities with the products they need and love.

Ben is Deputy Chair of the Australian Logistics Council (ALC) and also on the Board of Health Heads in Trucks and Sheds Foundation.

Renee Holbrook

Renee Holbrook is responsible for leading all aspects of the CHEP business in Australia. With more than 25 years in the supply chain industry, Renee has broad General Management experience leading several businesses within the Brambles group including Global Managing Director of Kegstar, a tech-enabled keg rental business, and CHEP South East Asia expanding the reach of pooling services on CHEP's circular business model.

Renee is also a Director of Brambles Digital and is passionate about the development of technology services that solve real world sustainability and supply chain problems.

Renee holds a Masters in Business Administration from Monash University, Australia and a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Logistics.

Gareth Long

Gareth Long was appointed as Group Executive Containterised Freight in February 2023. He has been with Aurizon for over eight years. Prior to this, Gareth was Group Executive Corporate, headed our Risk and Assurance function and led the HR function and Aurizon's operating model review.

Gareth led the stand up of the new Containerised Freight business, securing the necessary infrastructure, rollingstock and crew to establish freight flows across Australia's States and Territories. He was also responsible for creating Aurizon's new landbridging supply chain, connecting the Port of Darwin to southern capital state cities - an Australian first.

Prior to joining Aurizon Gareth worked in the Oil & Gas industry as well as professional services both in Australia and the UK.