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 was born in Brisbane in 1960. He holds degrees in Economics and Law and was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in 1991.

Tom Baddeley - State Director, Western Australia

Tom Baddeley runs CEDA's West Australian office.

Tom was formerly Manager of Media and Communications at Rugby WA. Prior to this, he worked in the media: firstly, as a journalist for the West Australian, and then as a presenter for the ABC's Stateline and TV news bulletin.

Tom holds degrees in Arts and Law from the Australian National University, and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice from the University of Technology Sydney.

Hamilton Calder - State Director, South Australia and Northern Territory

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.

David Edwards - State Director, Queensland

David Edwards is CEDA's Queensland State Director.

David's background is in Queensland government and public policy, most recently as Chief of Staff for the Leader of the Opposition. Prior to that he worked on major government projects including Invest Queensland and the Queensland Centenary of Federation campaign. He has held senior positions in the Department of State Development and the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

David has degrees in arts and economics from the University of Queensland.

Peter Fitzgerald - State Director, Victoria and Tasmania

Before becoming State Director for Victoria and Tasmania, Peter was CEDA's National Planning Manager and Roundtable Convenor for Victoria. Before joining CEDA, 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.

John Harris - Corporate Relations Director

John Harris is CEDA's Corporate Relations Director. He is responsible for building relations with the federal government and national media, and ensuring that CEDA has greater engagement in national public policy debate.

John has over twenty years' experience in managing public policy, corporate reputation and strategic communications issues in public and private companies, membership based business associations, and the government sector. He has worked with organisations included Telecom and OTC, Jennings Industries, ACI International, Tattersalls, the RACV and Elders IXL, and was private secretary to the Minister for Industry and Commerce in the Fraser Government.

Damian Kelly - Finance Director

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

Damian 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 the RACGP.

Taking overall responsibility for all facets of finance for CEDA, Damian manages a team of three.

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 of Research

Dr Porter is Director of CEDA Research. Dr Porter is founder and Executive Chairman, Tasman Asia Pacific Pty Ltd and Tasman Institute. Dr Porter was Professor and founding Director of the Centre of Policy Studies (CoPS), Monash University, between 1979 and 1990. Dr Porter received a Commonwealth Research Centre of Excellence Award in 1982, one of 10 program covering taxation, environment, resources and the financial sector. CoPS in the 1980s, and its successor the Tasman Institute in the 1990s, played a lead role in preparation of reform strategies for Victoria under the banner of Project Victoria in 1991-92. These strategies covered electricity and gas, ports, water, transport and general reform of state enterprises, environment policy and taxation. He has also taught at leading universities including Yale (where he was Irving Fisher Professor from 1978-79) and Stanford in the US, and Monash and the ANU in Australia.

Dr Suzanne Rickard - State Director, NSW and 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 Publications 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.