Brad Williams

Brad Williams commenced as Senior Trade Commissioner based in Auckland in 2022. He has responsibility for the Australian Trade and Investment Commission’s (Austrade) operations in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific. Mr Williams also holds the position of Consul-General of Australia to Auckland.

Mr Williams has held senior roles across a broad range of industry sectors including resources, energy, infrastructure, trade and agriculture. He has spent his career developing and implementing advocacy, reputation and stakeholder engagement strategies in complex operating environments both domestically and internationally.

Prior to joining Austrade, he was Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Logistics Council a leading industry body representing businesses operating in, and servicing, the freight and logistics supply chain in Australia.  This role included appointments as a member of the NSW Freight Transport Advisory Council, Qld Ministerial Freight Council and director of Safe Trucking and Supply Chains Ltd.

With a keen interest in the energy transition, he spent three years as the General Manager of Corporate Affairs at the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). ARENA is a Commonwealth corporate agency responsible for providing grant funding to innovative and early-stage renewable energy technologies and deployment projects. During this time ARENA’s operating window was extended to 2030 and they received a funding injection of A$1.6 billion.

Private sector roles include leading the global government relations function at mining and metals company, South32, following the demerger from BHP Billiton and their listing on the Australian, London and Johannesburg stock exchanges in 2015. He also managed the external affairs function at Japanese oil and gas producer, INPEX Australia, during construction of the A$52 billion Ichthys LNG Project in Darwin and offshore Western Australia.

From 2003 – 2007 Mr Williams served as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Trade and Minister for Transport and Regional Services.

He holds a degree in Business (Agricultural Commerce) from the University of New England.