Dr Brian Jones was appointed Deputy British High Commissioner to Australia in July 2025. Previously, Brian was British High Commissioner to Fiji from February 2022 to July 2025. Brian was also accredited as non-resident High Commissioner to Kiribati and Tuvalu, and non-resident British Ambassador to The Republic of Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia. Prior to this appointment he was the British High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands and Nauru from December 2019 to February 2022. Brian has served in a variety of roles covering the Middle East, Europe and Africa with postings in Pristina, Juba, Freetown and Amsterdam. He has experience in both operational and leadership roles in the FCO, Ministry of Defence and Cabinet Office. Before his postings to the Pacific, Brian was the Deputy Head of Security Policy Department until October 2019.

Elissa Romanin is the Managing Partner, Melbourne and a corporate tax partner at MinterEllison.  She specialises in providing tax structuring, tax due diligence, contract drafting and general income tax advice. Many of the matters she works on involve corporate income tax issues related to mergers and acquisitions, divestments and capital reorganisations.  Elissa is the current Vice Chair of the International Bar Association Taxes Committee.

Dr Alex Joiner is Chief Economist at IFM Investors, a role he has held since 2016. He leads the firm's economic, financial markets, and geopolitical risk analysis — work that underpins IFM's investment process and asset management decisions. Alex advises clients globally on macro-investment trends, thematic opportunities, and strategic asset allocation.

A recognised thought leader, he is a regular commentator on economics and markets across traditional and social media, and a sought-after speaker at industry conferences and public forums.

With more than two decades of experience in economics and financial markets, Alex previously served as Chief Economist for Bank of America Merrill Lynch (Australia & New Zealand) and as a senior economist at ANZ Bank. He holds a First Class Honours degree in Economics and a PhD in Econometrics (from Monash University). Alex is also a committee member of the Australian Business Economists.

Rebecca Shrimpton is Senior Vice President at The Asia Group. In this capacity, Bec supports TAG’s industry-leading Australia practice to help global and Australian corporations develop business strategies to unlock opportunities and overcome market access challenges. Based in Melbourne, Bec brings deep expertise on defense, foreign relations, trade, and investment to support clients across Australia’s most dynamic sectors and the broader Indo-Pacific.

Bec is a recognized expert on space policy, nuclear and strategic deterrence, and advanced dual-use technologies within national security settings. Prior to joining TAG, Bec served as Director of Defense Strategy and National Security at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI).

Bec brings over 25 years of government experience, including senior positions at the Australian Department of Defense, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade). At Austrade Bec led Australian trade and investment engagements and priorities for the defence, space and infrastructure sectors globally. Bec served as Counsellor for Defense Strategic Policy at the Australian Embassy in Washington, D.C. from 2015 to 2017 and later as Senior Adviser for Major Powers to the Australian Foreign Minister from 2019 to 2020 where she provided high-level policy advice on Australia’s relationships with key partners, including the United States and China.