David Byers-Chief Executive

David Byers is the Chief Executive of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA), a position he took up in February 2007. Before heading CEDA, David worked in a variety of roles in Australian companies BHP, Evans Deakin Industries and Woodside Petroleum before joining law firm Morris Fletcher and Cross. Most recently he worked at Mobil Oil Australia and then ExxonMobil in a number of senior roles in Singapore, Dallas (Texas) and Melbourne (Australia). David's most recent role was as General Manager, Human Resources & Public Policy for ExxonMobil's operations in Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Pacific Islands. David holds degrees in Economics and Law and was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in 1991.

Damian Kelly-Finance Director

Damian Kelly was appointed Finance Director & Company Secretary to CEDA in November 2008. Damian holds a Bachelor of Business with an Accounting major and is a CPA.

Damian's work experience is quite diverse, consisting of eight years as Finance Director & Company Secretary with the National Safety Council of Australia (NSCA). Most recently he was positioned as the Finance Manager for Environmental Consultants International Pty Ltd. His cultured background also includes senior finance roles in the following industries: Import/Wholesale, Transport and Commercial Cleaning sectors and finally with a large national not-for-profit,  the RACGP.

Taking overall responsibility for all facets of Finance & IT for CEDA, Damian manages a team of three.

Hamilton Calder-State Director, South Australia

Hamilton Calder runs CEDA's South Australian and Northern Territory office.

Hamilton was formerly Senior Public Affairs Analyst with the RAA, the SA motorists' body. He has a broad background in public policy issues and media relations within the SA government and in the private sector, holds an economics degree from the University of Adelaide and is completing an MBA.

Peter Fitzgerald-State Director, Victoria

Before becoming State Director for Victoria and Tasmania, Peter was CEDA's National Planning Manager and Roundtable Convenor. Peter has extensive industry experience; most recently as Executive Director for a global management consultancy establishing offices in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. Before that Peter enjoyed a 20-year career with Mobil Oil. During that time he held senior roles across a number of portfolios including business strategy, global sales and marketing, franchise development and human resource development. Peter has worked internationally, based in Washington DC, with business development responsibilities for Africa, Asia Pacific and South America.

Robert Fuller-State Director, Queensland

Robert is the CEDA Brisbane State Director prior to which he was the Chief Executive Officer of the Newcastle Master Builders Association (MBA) and the NSW General Manager and National Operations Manager for the Printing Industry Association of Australia. Earlier in his career, he worked for Honeywell Engineering and BP Australia. He holds a Commerce Degree majoring in Industrial Relations and Marketing from Newcastle University.

He is highly regarded in the IR field with background as the senior industrial advocate for the construction industry in the Hunter Valley during the 1980s resources boom, active participation in the deregistration of the Builders Labourers Federation, and enduring two Royal Commissions into the building industry. He also possesses national and international perspectives through his experience with the MBA and from leading Australian business delegations on overseas immersion tours.

Robin McClellan-State Director, Western Australia

Robin McClellan joins CEDA as State Director for Western Australia, from a twenty year career as an American diplomat.  Prior to joining CEDA, Robin was based in New Delhi as the State Department's Senior Counterterrorism Advisor for South Asia, with responsibility for U.S. programs in Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.  She fell in love with Western Australia during her tour as Consul General in Perth from 2004 -2007, which followed assignments in Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, and Mexico, as well as Washington DC.

Robin grew up on a wheat and cattle farm in Western Kansas.  She has degree is in economics and Latin American Area studies from the University of Kansas and a Master's Degree in Economic History from the University of Exeter, England and an MBA from Duke University in North Carolina.  She is intrigued by the relationship between the structure of language and economic development and hopes to pursue further research in that area.  Robin speaks Indonesian, Spanish, French, and German. 

Steven Liu-National Events Director

Steven leads CEDA's national events program, developing and managing event programs as well as handling marketing and sponsorship.

Steven is a 16-year veteran of the events business. Working with AiC Worldwide Group (now known as Terrapinn) between 1990 and 1998, he helped developed the firm's Asian and Australian events businesses. More recently, he has worked at the Australian Institute of Management and at the Informa Group, which houses the events businesses of IBC Conferences and manages The Australian Financial Review Conferences.

Steven has an economics degree at honours level from The University of Western Australia, and began his career in the early 1990s as an analyst with the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Dr Michael Porter-Director, CEDA Research and Policy

Dr Michael Porter is National Director of CEDA Research and Policy.  Dr Porter is founding Executive Chairman, Tasman Asia Pacific and Tasman Institute. He was founding Professor and Director of the Centre of Policy Studies (CoPS), Monash University, 1980-1990.  Prof. Porter received a Commonwealth Research Centre of Excellence Award in 1982, one of 10 selected national centres, the only award in economics. Areas of research covered taxation, public sector reform, environment, resources and the financial sector. CoPS in the 1980s, and its successor the Tasman Institute in the 1990s led reforms under Project Victoria, 1991-92. Strategies covered electricity, gas, ports, water, transport, state enterprises, labour markets and taxation. Michael has taught at universities including Yale (where he was Irving Fisher Professor from 1978-79), Stanford, Monash and the ANU. He is a winner of the Adam Smith Medal.

Dr Suzanne Rickard-State Director, New South Wales and the ACT

Dr Suzanne Rickard is the head of CEDA's NSW and ACT operations. She is also responsible for membership and business development activities in NSW and the ACT.

Dr Rickard has more than 20 years' experience in public policy research and management. She has been a postdoctoral fellow at the ANU's Institute of Advanced Studies, was awarded the C H Currey Memorial Fellowship at the State Library of NSW in 2000-2001, and is a former member of the Council of the University of Canberra.

Dr Rickard has worked as a principal researcher for Senate committees, analysing issues such as the privatisation of Australia's telecommunications sector, corporate governance in the public and private sector, accountability and improved annual reporting, and IT outsourcing policy. Earlier in her career, she gained extensive experience in professional business administration in the private sector.

Dr Rickard came to CEDA from the ABC's Strategy and Communications Division, where she was a key member of the Government and Parliamentary Relations team.

She has a first class honours degree and a PhD from the Australian National University.

Eliza Spring-Marketing and Communications Manager

Eliza Spring manages CEDA's marketing, communications and publishing activities.

She has ten years' experience in marketing and strategic communications across the private, public and non-profit sectors with an ongoing focus on economic and public policy issues.

She has worked in management consulting, for the Victorian Government and for the Greater London Authority in the UK.

Eliza has a BA (Hons) in literature and journalism from the University of Queensland, a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from the Melbourne Business School (MBS), and is completing an MBA at MBS.