Industry fellows

Stefan Armbruster

Industry Fellow and Correspondent

Stefan Armbruster is an award-winning correspondent with more than 30 years of reporting experience in Australia and overseas. His coverage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait, multicultural, and Pacific affairs has been recognised with numerous journalism awards including from the Australian Human Rights Commission, UNAA , Queensland Clarions. He is a Colombia University Dart Centre Asia-Pacific fellow and a Walkley Sean Dorney Grant for Pacific Journalism recipient in 2023.

A delegate with Australian journalists’ union MEAA for more than a decade, he advocates for media freedom and media workers' rights. Stefan mentors and trains students and journalists, including in the Pacific with ABC Pacmas, and produces and delivers regional journalism workshops and forums.

He began as a broadcaster at Brisbane public radio 4ZZZ-FM in 1988. A DFAT -funded journalism attachment in 1994 at the Fiji Broadcasting Commission ( FBC ) established his ongoing connections with the Pacific region.

During almost a decade based in London he was a journalist and senior producer at BBC Radio 4’s flagship ‘Today’ current affairs program, the World Service and then ground-breaking News Online platform, as well as reporting and producing for Dow Jones and CNBC .

Returning to Australia in 2003, he was a senior producer at ABC News Online before becoming SBS World News’ Brisbane-based correspondent, covering Queensland and the Pacific region.

Dr Adam Banai

Industry Fellow

Dr Adam Banai is Executive Director and Chief Economist at the Magyar Nemzeti Bank (Central Bank of Hungary), leading the Executive Directorate for Monetary Policy and Financial Stability. An accomplished economist and academic, he has over 17 years of experience in financial regulation, banking research, and macroprudential policy.

Adam has held senior leadership roles within the central bank, overseeing major analytical, research, and policy initiatives focused on banking systems, financial stability, and the real estate market. He is also a Board Member of the Investor Protection Fund and a Member of the Board of Supervisors at KELER KSZF, Hungary’s central counterparty.

In addition to his policy leadership, Adam is an Associate Professor at John Von Neumann University and an Industry Fellow with Griffith University. His research and commentary are widely published and frequently cited in international media and academic circles.

Rowan Callick

Industry Fellow and Columnist

Rowan Callick is an Industry Fellow at Griffith University’s Asia Institute, and a columnist for The Australian. He grew up in England, graduating with a BA Honours from Exeter University, and worked for a daily newspaper before moving to Papua New Guinea, becoming general manager of a locally owned publishing, printing and retail group. In 1987 he moved to Australia, working for almost 20 years for The Australian Financial Review including as Hong Kong based China Correspondent and as Asia Pacific Editor. He worked for The Australian from 2006 to 2018, including two postings to Beijing as China Correspondent, and as Asia Pacific Editor.

Rowan is a governor of the Foundation for Development Cooperation and a member of the advisory boards of La Trobe Asia and of the China Studies Department also at La Trobe University. He was appointed an Honorary Fellow of the Australian Institute for International Affairs, and has won two Walkley Awards and the Graham Perkin Award for Australian Journalist of the Year. He was awarded the OBE at the nomination the government of PNG for services to journalism and to the training of PNG journalists. He has written three books, each published in English and Chinese, the most recent being “Party Time: Who Runs China And How” (Black Inc in Australia, and internationally by Palgrave Macmillan as “The Party Forever: Inside China’s Modern Communist Elite,” by Palgrave Macmillan).

Dr William Chen FCPA FCMA CGMA

Industry Fellow

Dr William Chen is an experienced finance and business leader with more than 30 years’ experience across the food and beverage, manufacturing, sales and distribution, medical device and electronic components sectors. He has provided strategic and financial leadership to high-growth companies with multi-million-dollar operations across Greater China and the Asia-Pacific region, working closely with senior executives and international headquarters.

Dr Chen is an Adjunct Professor and Industry Fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute, bringing extensive industry experience to research, education and industry engagement. His areas of expertise include international financial management, business performance measurement, business case analysis, financial intelligence, franchising, food and beverage, and environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices. His recent professional interests also encompass artificial intelligence and its implications for business and finance.

A Fellow of CPA Australia and the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Dr Chen is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and a Chartered Global Management Accountant. He holds DBA and MBA qualifications, alongside credentials including Certified Management Consultant and Certified ESG Strategist. He is also a CIMA Council Member and regularly contributes to professional education and industry discussions on ESG, finance and the future of the profession.

Melissa Conley Tyler

Industry Fellow

Melissa Conley Tyler is an Honorary Fellow at the Asia Institute, The University of Melbourne, and a leading commentator on Australian foreign policy, Australia’s relationships across Asia and the practice of diplomacy.

She served for 13 years as National Executive Director of the Australian Institute of International Affairs, where she led the organisation to recognition as a leading think tank in the Southeast Asia/Pacific region and among the top 50 think tanks worldwide in the University of Pennsylvania’s Global Go To Think Tanks Index. In 2017, she co-authored Think Tank Diplomacy, the first book-length examination of the role of policy institutes in international affairs.

As founding director of the Asia-Pacific Development, Diplomacy & Defence Dialogue (AP4D), Melissa led a five-year initiative funded by defence and DFAT that helped shape policy thinking around an all-tools-of-statecraft and whole-of-nation approach to Australia’s international influence.

She joined the University of Melbourne in 2019 as Director of Diplomacy at Asialink and has held research roles with the Asia Institute, including a visiting fellowship in Taiwan. Melissa is also a lawyer and specialist in conflict resolution, with expertise in negotiation, mediation and peace education. She holds degrees from the University of Melbourne and the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Philip Forrest AM

Industry Fellow

Philip Forrest AM is an Australian who has lived in the ASEAN region since 1982, and in Singapore since 1991. In 2022 he was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to Australia-Singapore business relations, and he has also received the Australian Chamber of Commerce Singapore President’s Medal for his contribution to the Asia/Australia commercial relationship, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from Australian Alumni Singapore.

He was a member of the Governing Council of the Singapore Institute of Directors for nine years until the end of 2023 (when the constitutional term limit kicked in) and continues to be closely engaged. He is a director of James Cook University Singapore, and sits on the Council of Australian Alumni Singapore and the APAC board of Advance Global Australians.

In past years he has served on the Councils of the Singapore Business Federation, the Australian Chamber of Commerce (former president), the Australia-ASEAN Chamber of Commerce, the British Chamber of Commerce, The Australia-Thai Chamber of Commerce (former president) and the Association of Banks in Singapore.

Philip is an independent director of several companies in the region, most recently joining the Board of SGX mainboard-listed Grand Banks Yachts Limited as Lead Independent Director and AC chair. He was previously Asia Head for ANZ Bank, and also spent 15 years with Citibank in Australia, USA, the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand.

Rebecca Hall

Industry Fellow

Rebecca Hall is an experienced senior executive and strategic advisor with extensive expertise in public policy, global affairs, and stakeholder engagement. She currently serves as Head of Government Relations at Online Education Services (OES), leading strategic policy and advocacy initiatives in the digital learning sector.

Previously, Rebecca was Assistant Director-General, Policy, External Relations and International at the Queensland Department of Education, and served as Commissioner for Victoria, South East Asia, representing the Victorian Government across Singapore, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, and Kuala Lumpur. Earlier in her career, she led Austrade’s International Education Centre of Excellence, advancing Australia’s international education strategy.

A Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Certified Board Chair, Rebecca is also an IEAA Senior Fellow, recognised for her leadership in strengthening Australia’s international engagement and global partnerships.

Dr Mark Hickey

Industry Fellow

Dr Mark Hickey is an international horticultural consultant and Industry Fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute with over 40 years’ experience in horticultural research, development, and extension. After nearly four decades with the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Mark continues to lead initiatives that improve the livelihoods of farmers across Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

He has extensive experience in project design, management, and evaluation for agencies including ACIAR, Australian Aid, and Hort Innovation. Since 1989, he has specialised in Cambodian agriculture, including four years living in-country, and currently works as an agronomist on the Cambodia Quality Horticulture Project managed by New Zealand Plant & Food Research.

Mark’s passion lies in empowering farmers through practical, science-based solutions. Notably, he led the successful negotiation of a four-year ACIAR project supporting Cambodian and Australian mango growers in developing biological controls for the fruit spotting bug.

Sean Jacobs

Industry Fellow

Dr Shawn Hunter

Industry Fellow

Ian Kemish AM

Industry Fellow

Ian Kemish is a former senior Australian diplomat with interest and expertise in the history of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and in Australia’s engagement with those regions. He originally graduated with Honours in modern Southeast Asian history from the University of Queensland. Ian’s Government career included service as High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Ambassador to Germany, Head of the Prime Minister’s International division and DFAT’s Southeast Asia Division. He was awarded membership of the Order of Australia for his role, as Chair of the Government’s International Emergency Task Force, in leading the response to the 2002 Bali bombings. Mr. Kemish moved to the private sector in 2013, supporting companies to improve their sustainability and community development outcomes in the Indo-Pacific. This included the adoption of new greenhouse gas emissions targets and biodiversity objectives by leading ASX companies. Ian received a UQ Alumni Excellence Award in 2014.

Dr Peter Layton

Visting Fellow

Peter Layton has extensive military and defence experience over more than 35 years. He has a doctorate from the University of New South Wales on grand strategy and has taught on the topic at the Eisenhower College, US National Defence University. For his academic work he was awarded a Fellowship to the European University Institute in Italy.  For his work at the Pentagon, he was awarded the US Secretary of Defense’s Exceptional Public Service Medal. In 2020, he became a RUSI (UK) Associate Fellow.

Research interests

• Grand strategy, including national security strategies
• Strategic/ security studies particularly as relates to middle powers
• International relations theory
• Australian defence policy
• Alternative Futures development including for the Pacific Islands
• Pacific Island defence, security and aviation issues

Ben Mullen

Industry Fellow

Ben Mullen is an International Development Consultant with extensive experience in agribusiness, rural development, capacity building, governance, policy research, market access, and program design. He has worked across the Asia-Pacific, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. A sector specialist, Ben has led numerous consultancies assessing economic opportunities and designing initiatives to realise them. He recently completed eight years as Strategic Adviser to the DFAT-funded Indonesia–Australia Red Meat and Cattle Partnership.

Between 2017 and 2020, he undertook several assignments for the DFAT-funded Pacific Horticulture and Agriculture Market Access Program (PHAMA), focusing on economic impact assessment, and in 2019 conducted a livelihoods assessment in PNG’s New Ireland Province. Since 2011, Ben has designed and delivered DFAT short course programs in over ten countries, and currently supports Griffith University in developing and implementing international skills development initiatives.

Dr Krista Singleton-Cambage

Industry Fellow

Dr Krista Singleton-Cambage is a policy and partnerships strategist specialising in climate, nature, and development. With deep experience in diplomacy, strategy, and sustainable policy design, she connects climate resilience, ocean health, and food security to drive real-world impact.

Krista has led teams and forged partnerships across governments, international institutions, and communities to advance investments in climate resilience and nature-based solutions. She brings expertise in strategic planning, negotiation, and program delivery to support countries and organisations in achieving sustainable development goals.

Her work focuses on developing pathways to food security through conservation, strengthening adaptation to climate impacts, and supporting emission reduction commitments toward net-zero. Krista also contributes to the negotiation and implementation of global environmental agreements and policy frameworks that promote equitable, long-term solutions for people and the planet.

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Elizabeth Sullivan

Industry Fellow

Elizabeth Sullivan is an experienced international business and government relations professional with extensive trade and investment expertise across the Asia-Pacific region. She has held senior federal and state government positions in China, India, Taiwan and Vietnam, promoting international business opportunities across a broad range of industries.

Her career also includes roles with the British Council, Evergreen Marine Corporation and Taiwan’s trade promotion agency in London, providing a strong foundation in international engagement and cross-cultural collaboration.

Elizabeth brings expertise in stakeholder engagement, strategic advocacy, policy development, business development and the management of international operations and multicultural teams. A Mandarin speaker, she studied Chinese at Griffith University and National Taiwan Normal University, and holds advanced Chinese language qualifications from the University of Queensland.

She also holds a Certificate in Governance from the Governance Institute of Australia, reflecting her ongoing interest in corporate governance and strategic leadership.

Dan Wang

Industry Fellow

Dan Wang is a Director on Eurasia Group’s China team, providing strategic insights into China’s economic trajectory, policymaking, and global influence. She was previously Chief Economist at Hang Seng Bank China in Shanghai and an analyst with the Economist Intelligence Unit in Beijing.

A frequent commentator in global media, Dan has appeared on CNBC, Bloomberg, and the BBC, and writes a column for FT China. She is a sought-after keynote speaker at government and industry forums and contributes to high-level policy discussions worldwide.

Dan holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Washington, specialising in property rights, environmental economics, and econometrics. As a postdoctoral researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, she led nationwide agricultural surveys on land and productivity.

Jack Whelan

Industry Fellow

Jack Whelan is a senior international technical, environmental and sustainability specialist with experience working with governments, multi and bi-lateral development agencies, public and private sectors, and leading not-for-profit organisations. I returned from Europe to Australia in 2008 after 30 years in tertiary education and senior technical, research and policy advocacy positions specialising in energy, climate change, biodiversity, sustainable development, responsible business practice and public-private partnerships. Engaged in the Asia-Pacific region while based in Sydney, my international development sectoral focus has focused on solid waste management, clean technology, renewable energy, infrastructure disaster resilience, climate change policy, social and environment safeguards and sustainability. I have also initiated and led several multi-stakeholder partnership programs in Asia-Pacific, including the ‘E4ALL’ - Energy for All partnership supported by ADB, and ‘ACRE’– Australian Carbon Rangeland Enterprises – which developed a rangeland carbon methodology for deployment under the Carbon Farming Initiative. I currently participate in the Sustainability Professional Membership category of the Australia New Zealand Pacific Plastics Pact ‘ANZPAC’, including its 3 technical workstreams.

Research interests

Australia, New Zealand, Asia-Pacific:

• sustainable development, disaster risk and resilience planning;
• post-COVID economic, social and environmental recovery;
• climate change adaptation, mitigation, renewable energy/clean tech policy, planning and management;
• solid waste, recycling and resource management.