Speakers

Mark Barnaba AM CitWA is an entrepreneur/investor, corporate adviser, philanthropist and company director with governance experience spanning resources, technology, infrastructure, finance, education and the arts. He is Deputy Chairman of Fortescue Ltd (ASX:FMG) and chairs its Audit, Risk and Finance Committee. He is also Chairman of Greatland Resources, a gold-copper producer that owns the Telfer mine and the adjacent Havieron project in Western Australia, and Chairman of AirTrunk, a hyperscale data-centre platform operating across Asia-Pacific and Asia-Pacific’s largest data centre provider.

He chairs the University of Western Australia’s Investment Committee and the UWA Business School Board, and is a Senior Fellow of Ernst & Young Oceania. Mark served two terms on the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia (Australia’s central bank), including as Chairman of its Audit Committee. His prior leadership roles include Chairman/President of the West Coast Eagles - an Australian Football League club in the country’s national 18-club professional competition - Chairman of Western Australia’s state theatre company, and Chair of the Steering Committee for the Commonwealth Business Forum at CHOGM in Perth (2011), appointed jointly by the Prime Minister of Australia and the Premier of Western Australia. He has also held board roles with the Hugh Jackman & Deborra-Lee Furness Foundation for the Performing Arts and Appian Capital Advisory, a London-based mining private equity firm. He previously chaired Western Power, operator of Western Australia’s main electricity network, and from 2019 to 2025 chaired the Investment Committee of HBF, a not-for-profit private health insurer.

In his executive career, Mark co-founded, built and exited two mid-tier corporate advisory / investment banking firms, GEM Consulting and Azure Capital. He later held senior leadership roles at Macquarie Group, including global and regional chair positions in natural resources and financing businesses, and earlier worked with McKinsey & Company across London, Johannesburg and Sydney. He completed a Bachelor of Commerce (First Class Honours; University Medal -- university-wide) at the University of Western Australia and entered Harvard Business School directly from his undergraduate study, graduating with an MBA (High Distinction; Baker Scholar). He has lived and worked across Australia, Europe, the United States, Africa and Asia.

Mark has been recognised with a number of honours, including an Honorary Doctor of Commerce from the University of Western Australia (2012) , appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2015 Australia Day Honours, and the Western Australian Citizen of the Year Award (Industry and Commerce) (2009).