Stephanie Fahey appointed Austrade Chief Executive Officer

Today I am pleased to announce Stephanie Fahey as the next Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade).

Dr Fahey will be the first woman to lead Austrade. She brings a wealth of international trade and investment experience.

She is currently the Lead Partner for Education, Oceania at Ernst and Young. Prior to that was Deputy Vice Chancellor at Monash University in Melbourne.

Dr Fahey has also led a research institute at the University of Sydney and is currently Chair of the NSW International Advisory Board, a Council member of the European Australian Business Council, a Board member of Canberra Institute of Technology, and a Board member of The Asia Foundation (Global Board).

Dr Fahey has served on a number of other bodies including the Foreign Affairs Council, the Australia Korea Foundation, and a subcommittee of the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council.

She was inducted as a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors in 2012, and brings long-standing experience in business and government both as an academic and executive, domestically and internationally.

I take this opportunity to thank outgoing Austrade CEO Bruce Gosper for his considerable contribution.

Under Mr Gosper's leadership Austrade has played an expanded role in advancing Australia's trade, tourism, investment and international education interests.

Austrade has supported Australia's exporters and helped SMEs make the most of the North Asia Free Trade Agreements.

It has developed a large program of minister-led business missions – including taking over 1,000 delegates to China earlier this year for the second Australia China Business Week – and worked to facilitate productive investment into Australia's economy.

Mr Gosper will continue to serve Australia's trade interests as High Commissioner to Singapore.

I welcome Dr Fahey to her new role which she is expected to take up in mid-February.