Professor Shergold is the chief executive of the Centre for Social Impact, a cross-university partnership based at the University of NSW. He was Australia’s most senior public servant before retiring as secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet in February 2008.
He has held senior public service positions since 1987 including secretary of the Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business and secretary of the Department of Education, Science and Training.
Barb is a graduate of the Queensland University of Technology and holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting). She is also the 2009 Qld Rural Woman of Year and a past participant in Australian Institute of Company Directors Course. She is a also a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program Course 14. Barb is a partner and Chief Financial Officer of Smith field Feedlot, a large cattle feeding enterprise in South East Queensland.
Dr O’Brien is Managing Director of Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation and is on the Expert Advisory Board, Institute of Agriculture, University of Western Australia. Dr O’Brien is a highly experienced chief executive, director and science leader. He has wide experience in leadership development and capacity building and has led substantial organisational change to drive performance in BRS and RIRDC. He chaired the People and Strategies Committee of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, has grown the impact and sponsorship of the Rural Women’s Award through partnerships and studied and published on performance management and scenario planning.
Mr O'Donnell has worked with ABARE for many years in varying capacities and has experience in a large range of agricultural industries. He is currently managing ABARE's national and regional outlook conference program. He sees this as important work that provides an opportunity for informed debate on key issues of importance to rural and regional Australia and a forum where graduates can get involved. He is also actively involved in his community as a family group leader in his local church and is a basketball coach for a team of intellectually disabled adults. He was the Chair for the 2008 International Leadership Alumni Conference which was held in March 2008. He is a graduate of ARLP Course 8. 
