Ian Macfarlane

Chair

Ian Macfarlane is interim Chair of Toowoomba & Surat Basin Enterprise, a board member of the Australian Composite Manufacturing Co-operative Research Centre and Interim Chair of the Artificial Intelligence Enhanced Drug Discovery Co-operative Research Centre.

He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Honorary Member of AusIMM, and an Honorary Fellow of Emmanuel College, St Lucia and the Qld Academy of Arts and Sciences.

He has also served as a non-executive director of Woodside Energy, Chair of the Innovative Manufacturing Co-operative Research Centre and was a board member of CSIRO, the Mining Equipment and Technology Services Growth Centre and the Toowoomba& Surat Basin Enterprise.

Ian was elected to Federal Parliament as the Federal Member for Groom in October 1998 and is Australia’s longest serving Federal Resources and Energy Minister and the Coalition’s longest serving Federal Industry and Innovation Minister with over 14 years of experience in both Cabinet and shadow ministerial positions.

He has extensive experience across the resources and energy, agribusiness, science and innovation, skills and training and manufacturing and industry sectors. He combined this experience with his pragmatic approach to policy to built stronger links between business, agriculture and research institutions.

Before entering federal politics, Mr Macfarlane was one of the country's most active agripoliticians and farmed peanuts, sorghum and wheat, and ran cattle in Queensland's South Burnett region.

He was President of the Queensland Graingrowers Association, President of the Grains Council of Australia, and held executive positions on the National Farmers' Federations and the Queensland Farmers Federation.

Mr Macfarlane was born in Kingaroy, is married to Karen and has two adult daughters, Kate and Laura. He lives in Toowoomba, Australia's largest provincial inland city.

April Cavanagh

Deputy Chair

Appointed to the board on 11/10/2018

Appointed as Chair on 17/10/2024

April is passionate about Agribusiness and Regional Australia. Across her 20 year career she has gained diverse experience in Financial Services, Agriculture, and Manufacturing having worked in Brisbane, Sydney and London before returning to Regional Australia.

She is highly respected for her dynamic leadership style; track record of transforming businesses and ability to get the job done. Through her role at Suncorp and work in the community, she has built an excellent network of contacts throughout the Toowoomba Surat Basin region.

Renowned as a passionate leader in the community, April values making a difference and giving back. She has taken an active role in supporting a number of other community endeavours such as South West Region’s breast cancer van; Toowoomba Hospital Foundation; Aussie Helpers and Yellowbridge.

Kathryn McKeefry

Director

Appointed to the board on 15/01/2018

After leaving school, she trained as a registered nurse and worked in the field of Intensive care nursing in New Zealand, USA, Europe and Britain, before returning to New Zealand and completing Midwifery training. Kathryn then practiced for ten years in this role. From here Kathryn moved into administration and completed her MBS. Kathryn moved to Australia in 2009 to work in senior health roles in both Brisbane and Sydney, moving to be the CEO of St Vincents Toowoomba in 2016 and currently the CEO of St Andrew’s Private Ipswich.

Louise McMahon

Director

Appointed to the board on 16/10/2025.

Louise McMahon is an experienced General Manager – Strategy and Business Development with over 17 years in the mining and contracting sectors.

A Certified Practising Accountant (CPA), she leads digital transformation, ISO accreditation, and strategic growth at MFE Pty Ltd. Louise actively contributes to economic and regional development, collaborating through roles on the Queensland Manufacturing Advisory Council, Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise Board and the Chinchilla Community Commerce and Industry Board.

Catherine Ardi Brennan

Director

Appointed to the board on 16/10/2025.

Catherine Ardi Brennan is an accomplished business leader and investor with over 15 years of experience spanning heavy equipment, aviation, skincare, and commercial property. She is General Manager and Beneficial Shareholder of Excavation Equipment Group (operating across QLD, NSW, VIC and WA) and Manager and Beneficial Shareholder of Helicopters Australia. Catherine is also the Founder of The Know Skin, and Owner/Investor of the Brenardi Group, a diversified commercial and industrial investment portfolio.

Her career began with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, where she worked as a Business Banker supporting small to medium enterprises across Toowoomba and Brisbane. During her tenure, she was recognised with two CEO Awards for Excellence, including for her leadership and community response during the Queensland floods.

Catherine’s leadership has seen her companies achieve national recognition, including ranking in the AFR Fast 100 and winning Toowoomba Chamber’s Business of the Year. Personally, she has been celebrated as Downs Business Woman of the Year and Future Leader of the Year.

With postgraduate qualifications in strategic leadership and finance, Catherine is committed to building resilient, socially responsible businesses. Beyond her commercial success, she holds a strong passion for charitable work, with a particular focus on the mental health sector, where she is actively involved in awareness-raising and support initiatives.

Diego Tarre Moser

Director

Appointed to the board on 16/10/2025.

Diego is the managing Director of AUSCOIL and he has extensive experience in technically specialised well services operations, including well integrity, cementing, well intervention, technology development and implementation with in depth knowledge in Coal Seam Gas well challenges, and operations.

His impressive international experience spans Indonesia, Pakistan, USA, France, UK, Greenland, Italy, Israel, Spain, and Australia. During these assignments he successfully performed in a number of high-profile engineering and management roles.

Blair Batts

Director

Appointed to the board on 17/10/2024.

Blair brings more than 23 years' experience in Australia and the UK in project management, strategic planning and development oversight within the civil, transport and logistics sectors. Blair started his career with Bornhorst and Ward consulting engineers as a cadet draftsperson working his way to Associate level within the company before commencing his role as Development Manager at InterlinkSQ in 2014. For the past six (6) years Blair has been the General Manager for the InterlinkSQ project which has seen him successfully work alongside government agencies such as Queensland Rail, Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) and the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) on major infrastructure projects such as the Inland Rail.

Stephen O'Brien

Director

Appointed to the board on 17/10/2024.

A fourth-generation flour miller and baker, Stephen’s affiliation with the food industry began at an early age, when he started as an apprentice with Defiance Milling in Toowoomba. To complement his hands-on training, Stephen completed a tertiary degree in Commerce before undertaking further study with the Australian Institute of Company Directors. His combined experiences have allowed him to hold key roles with several listed, privately owned and private equity-based organisations. He has successfully led both food and beverage businesses in all states and territories throughout Australia. Additionally, Stephen has held executive and directorship roles with international companies in the USA, Middle East, Asia Pacific and across the African continent. In 2020, Stephen became only the second CEO of Mort & Co in its 27 year existence. Since his appointment the company has grown substantially, to now employ more than 300 employees and is regarded as a leading Australian Agricultural company.

Mayor Geoff McDonald

Ex-Officio Director

Born and raised in Toowoomba, Geoff is a fifth generation business owner along with his wife Lisa and parents John (Cracker) and Joan McDonald. Their company Cracker Print and Paper has a trading history dating back to 1901. Geoff's dedication to his pre-press trade was recognised with being awarded the Queensland Printing and Graphic Arts Apprentice of the Year in 1992.

Geoff has a long history of community involvement as a patron, ambassador, board member and life member of a number of community, business, sporting and charitable organisations. 

Geoff is a person with strong commitment, enthusiasm and energy to continually improve the lifestyle, economy and global standing of the Toowoomba Region.

Geoff was appointed as Deputy Mayor of Toowoomba Regional Council on 23 April 2020.

Geoff was appointed Mayor of Toowoomba Regional Council on 21 July 2023.

Sal Petroccitto OAM

Ex-Officio Director

Sal started his working life as a Land Use Planner and has recently joined Council having spent the past 10 years as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.

Awarded the Order of Australia in 2023 for contributions to the road transport industry, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and having held several high-profile roles within various Government agencies, Sal is delighted to be leading the Toowoomba Regional Council as Chief Executive Officer.