Speakers 2025

Until his retirement from politics, Andrew was Australia’s Minister for Trade, Investment and Tourism. In this role Andrew negotiated Free Trade Agreements with South Korea, Japan and China, as well as the 12 country Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Singapore. Additionally, he conducted 85 investment roundtables with 28 countries.

Andrew is currently Chairman of The Robb Group (wealth management, corporate and investment advisory company), CLARA Energy and CBMA; a Board Member of Tamboran Resources (listed on the NYSE), UHL Limited, Mind Medicine Australia, and strategic advisor to Allcap Securities on a $15 billion port and freight rail infrastructure project in Central Queensland.

In the 70s Andrew worked as an animal health officer and then as an agricultural economist. In the 80s he was Executive Director of the Cattle Council of Australia, and later, Executive Director of the National Farmers’ Federation.

From 1990 to 1997 Andrew was the General Secretary and Campaign Director of the Liberal Party. The highlight of that time was restructuring the Liberal Party, and directing the successful 1996 federal election campaign which brought former Prime Minister, the Hon John Howard AC, into government.

From 1997 to 2004 Andrew worked for Kerry and James Packer (leading the digital TV negotiations for Channel 9 in 1997/98), as well as advising major companies around Australia and overseas. During this time, he also built an Australia-wide data technology company, was on the investment team for the Gorgan Gas Project, and was a Board Member of Sinclair Knight Merz, then Australia’s largest consulting engineering company.

Andrew has also been Chairman of Asialink, the Australian Direct Marketing Association, the Menzies Research Centre and The Boathouse Group; a Board Member of the Kidman Cattle Enterprise; the Ten Television Network, the Garvan Medical Research Foundation and the Big Brother Big Sister mentoring organisation.

In 2003 Andrew was awarded the Office of the Order of Australia (AO) for his service to agriculture, politics and the community.

In 2004 Andrew was elected to the Federal seat of Goldstein holding positions as Chairman of the Government’s Workplace Relations Taskforce, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs and then Minister for Vocational and Further Education. In Opposition, he held positions as Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Climate Change, Chairman of the Coalition Policy Development Committee and Shadow Minister for Finance, Deregulation and Debt Reduction.

Following the Coalition victory at the 2013 election, Andrew was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister for Trade, Investment and Tourism.

Andrew has qualifications in Agricultural Science and a first-class Honours Degree in Economics, and lives in Sydney with his wife Maureen, and has three adult children Tom, Joe and Pip.

Andrew is the author of “Black Dog Daze: Public Life, Private Demons” (Melbourne University Publishing).