The Canadian Australian Chamber of Commerce (CACC) is a not-for-profit organisation whose focus is to build and strengthen trade and business connections between Australia and Canada. The Chamber is pleased to present the volunteer members of the CACC Queensland Committee.
To contact please email: [email protected]
Mark Dwyer is a seasoned tech entrepreneur with an 18-year career spanning North America and the Asia-Pacific regions, marked by a people-first, data-driven leadership style that has consistently driven success. He has held executive roles in public companies, including serving as Managing Director at Afterpay (ASX:APT), acquired by BLOCK (NYSE:SQ), and Datawatch (NASDAQ:DWCH), acquired by ALTAIR (NASDAQ:ALTR). Mark has operationalized and scaled businesses in over 16 international markets, leveraging his expertise in forecasting, P&L management, and financial modelling to guide organizations toward sustainable growth. As a board director, serial entrepreneur, and corporate strategist, he has led capital raising efforts, M&A, and built strategic alliances with global leaders such as Microsoft, Apple, Google, and VISA. His journey reflects a powerful blend of global insight, innovation, and strategic execution.
Anthony is the Qantas Regional Manager for Queensland, Palau and Papua New Guinea, responsible for commercial activity, as well as, government, industry and tourism relations. He has considerable commercial experience, having led sales teams across the airline and has held management roles in customer experience, operational and learning and development areas.
Prior to Qantas, Anthony was the Executive Director, Industry & Government Engagement at Business SA, South Australia’s chamber of commerce. Sitting on the leadership team he led Business SA’s policy and advocacy efforts lobbying state and federal politicians regarding key issues facing South Australian businesses. He was also the media spokesperson conducting over 1000 interviews with local, national and international media outlets over a 4-year period.
Anthony has a Bachelor of Sports Science and a Masters of International Business and has lectured in Management, Organisational Behaviour and Business Communication at universities in Perth and Sydney.
Originally from Canada, he has lived and worked in Europe, Asia and Australia.
Deep Kaur is the director and founder of Patshahi HR Solutions, a global HR consultancy serving clients in Australia and Canada. As a dual resident of both countries, Deep is passionate about helping global companies learn from HR best practices in both regions.
With a wealth of experience working with prominent Canadian and Australian government and private organizations, including Bombardier Canada, Woolworths Group, Sydney Opera House, Cross River Rail Delivery Authority, The Evergreens Foundation, etc., Deep brings extensive expertise in HR strategy and implementation. Deep works closely with clients to support their HR objectives, providing services such as HR policy development, leadership training, recruitment, bespoke HR projects, ensuring compliance with ER/IR regulations, and change management. As a member of CACC's Queensland committee, Deep is dedicated to supporting the organization's mission of enhancing connections between Australia and Canada through her HR expertise.
Nitin is the Founder of NORPAC Immigration. As a distinguished member of an exclusive cohort of dual immigration practitioners between Australia and Canada, Nitin possesses a distinctive skill set focused on navigating intricate areas of immigration law and delivering specialised immigration counsel.
Previously holding the position of Vice President at the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA) QLD Chapter and currently serving as a QLD/NT Committee Member, Nitin further augments his expertise as an appointed expert on the MIA’s Special Interest - Health and Disability Advisory Panel. He also contributes to the Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants.
In addition to his advisory roles, Nitin actively contributes to submissions on diverse immigration matters and regularly assumes leadership in the organisation of prominent immigration events involving member groups, prospective applicants, and governmental bodies.
Furthermore, Nitin is actively engaged in delivering continuing professional development units and provides mentorship and informational sessions on a spectrum of immigration topics for fellow practitioners in the profession.
Brenda Nguyen was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. She studied Economics and International Relations at the University of British Columbia and began her career within the Canadian Government. She shortly moved to Asia to focus on M&A and the growing Vietnamese market. She had a brief sojourn in the Middle East before returning back to Asia to lead the Sustainability function for Jardine Cycle & Carriage, the Southeast Asian investment arm of Jardine Matheson. Jardines is a multinational conglomerate, Fortune Global 500 company with a market cap of ~ US$12 billion. With a workforce of about half a million, Jardines holds a diversified portfolio of market-leading businesses in Asia spanning over ten industries, including but not limited to: retail, property, automotive, mining, agribusiness and luxury hotels. For her day-to-day at work, working alongside the Group Managing Director, she is responsible for developing and driving the sustainability strategy for the Group. In her personal time, she loves to read and travel and looks forward to bringing her wide-ranging experience to the Australian market and contributing to the community.
Brandon Roy is a risk and internal audit professional who has more than 15 years of work experience spanning the public sector, professional services, and financial services spaces. Originally from Ottawa, Canada, Brandon currently resides in Auckland, New Zealand and has been involved with the CACC dating back to March 2019 when he resided in Canada.
Brandon prides himself on learning and continuous improvement. He views the CACC as a wonderful opportunity to expand professional networks, learn about various companies that operate in Canada and Australia, and learn about the micro and macro economic challenges facing companies today.
Carolyne Huber (Bachelor of Commerce (Honours), University of Ottawa, 2008) joined Global Affairs Canada in 2021 as Trade Commissioner for Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Based in Australia, she works as part of Team Canada to advance international trade and investment for Canadian companies across the defence, security, and aerospace sectors. In her role, Carolyne supports Canadian firms and advises senior leaders on market entry and growth strategies, partnership development, and access to the Australian market. She drives outcomes across priority sectors, working closely with government and industry stakeholders to strengthen bilateral trade relationships.
A strategic, systems‑oriented thinker with 18 years of international experience spanning professional services, manufacturing, government, and international business across Canada, Europe, and the Asia‑Pacific region, Carolyne is a dual Canadian Australian national, and a proud partner and mother.
Denny has over a decade of experience working at the intersection of Queensland and global markets. He represents Queensland Treasury in advancing the state’s investment priorities and strategy, economic growth, and engagement across government, industry and investors. He is passionate about international collaboration, engagement, and business development.
Brad has been developing and delivering Queensland Government innovation programs under the Advance Queensland initiative since its inception in 2015. His work spans a wide range of initiatives - from industry accelerators and technology hubs to international ecosystem development and engagement programs for SMEs and corporates.
Before joining the Innovation Division, Brad managed several Queensland Government programs in the life sciences sector. He continues to support the field through his volunteer role on the External Advisory Committee for the Griffith University Clinical Trial Unit.
Earlier in his career, Brad was part of the ICT sectoral development team, where he led corporate engagement initiatives and fostered collaboration between research and industry.
Prior to moving to Australia from Canada, Brad worked in the private sector, co-founding a small safety instrumentation company and subsequently holding account management roles in both a logistics firm and a global software organisation.
Brad is passionate about technology and innovation, and how they can drive meaningful outcomes for businesses.
Shauna Fjaagesund is a Research and Special Projects Manager for Health Developments Corporation, which supports the design, building and operation of large-scale integrated primary care facilities across Queensland. Shauna leads initiatives dedicated to enhancing healthcare delivery, with a specific interest in the integration of research and development, to develop novel services, diagnostics, and treatments.
Prior to entering the healthcare sector in Australia, she had over a decade of experience in trade and investment experience, notably within the Canadian agriculture sector, including serving as a director of Saskatchewan Opportunities Corporation (now Innovation Saskatchewan) and providing support to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Minister of the Canadian Wheat Board, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Lesley is the Founder and Director of Visa Application Australia and International Student Australia, organisations that support international students pursuing education opportunities in Australia. She has extensive experience in education counselling, international student recruitment, digital marketing, and stakeholder engagement with Australian education providers.
Prior to establishing her own businesses, Lesley founded Prepare for Australia (sponsored by ANZ Bank), a platform for skilled migrants, and built Englishlink, the world's first fully video-streamed online English language school, delivering to learners in more than 200 countries. She also contributed to the successful delivery of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, co-managing more than 2,000 Olympic Village volunteer drivers for the Olympic Roads and Transport Authority (ORTA).
Ania is an experienced commercial lawyer and in-house legal counsel specialising in intellectual property, research, and corporate governance at the University of Queensland. Originally from Vancouver, she has been based in Australia for over a decade and is passionate about strengthening the economic and cultural ties between the two countries.
Ania brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her work, supporting collaboration across education, research, and innovation sectors. She holds a Juris Doctor (JD), a Master of Business Administration (MBA), and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science.
Her commitment to fostering international relationships, combined with her professional experience in highly regulated environments, enables her to contribute valuable insights to the Chamber’s initiatives. Ania looks forward to leveraging her expertise to drive meaningful connections and foster a thriving, globally-minded business community.
Diana Palmerín Velasco is a senior international policy and strategy professional with more than a decade of experience advancing social and economic policy across government, business and civil society in the Americas. She currently serves as Senior Director at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, where she leads high-impact policy initiatives and provides executive-level advice on global economic trends, workforce mobility, immigration and inclusive growth.
Diana has extensive experience working across Canada, the United States, Mexico and Latin America, building trusted relationships with government officials, business and community leaders and bilateral partners. She has represented her organisation in international forums including the B7, B20 and Business at OECD, contributing to global policy dialogue on jobs, skills and economic resilience.
Holding a PhD in Sociology and graduate degrees from the London School of Economics and Political Science and FLACSO Mexico, Diana brings deep analytical capability, cultural intelligence and bilingual fluency in English and Spanish. As a volunteer with the Canadian Australian Chamber of Commerce, she is committed to strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties and fostering collaboration between Canadian and Australian businesses.
The CACC is looking for a data analyst and marketing/communications professionals for the Queensland Committee. If you are seeking to volunteer please submit your expression of interest to [email protected].
