Executive Staff

Mr Bruce Gosper commenced as Chief Executive Officer of Austrade on 1 February 2013.

Mr Gosper was Deputy Secretary with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade from February 2009 until his appointment to Austrade. In that role he was Australia’s Senior Trade Policy Official, responsible for all trade negotiations.

Mr Gosper was Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva from 2005 until 2009. He was also Chair of the WTO General Council in 2008–09 and Chair of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body in 2007–08.

From 2000–2005, Mr Gosper was First Assistant Secretary, Office of Trade Negotiations, in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra. Prior to that, he served as Minister (Commercial) at the Australian Embassy in Washington (1998–2000). Mr Gosper was also an Adviser to the Minister for Trade (1996–1998), and Assistant Secretary, Agriculture Branch, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Canberra (1995).

Before joining the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr Gosper worked for the Department of Primary Industries and Energy, and served overseas as Minister-Counsellor (Agriculture) at the Australian Embassy in Tokyo (1989–1992). Mr Gosper has also worked for the Department of Trade and Resources (1980–1987).

Mr Gosper was born in Parramatta in 1957. He is a graduate of Macquarie University and the University of New England. He is married and has three sons.

Laurie Smith has 25 years’ experience in international corporate, advisory and government roles that includes overseas assignments in Guangzhou, Beijing, Taipei and Shanghai.

For the past six years, Laurie has been Regional Director, North East Asia with Austrade, responsible for Austrade's teams in over 20 locations across the region. In this time he has led the strengthening of Austrade’s presence across central and western China, developed new strategies to take advantage of opportunities arising from structural change in Japan and established in market support for Australian firms in the emerging market of Mongolia.

Laurie previously held a number of senior roles with News Corporation and its affiliates in Hong Kong and Beijing including as Executive Vice President (China) of STAR TV in Hong Kong. He led China business development for multiple divisions of the company, overseeing a range of direct and portfolio investments in China.

As executive director of a Sydney based Asian markets and strategy consultancy, Laurie worked on projects across markets including India, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Indonesia and South Africa with a client base that spanned Australia, Europe, the US and Asia.

In his various roles, he has accumulated diverse industry experience ranging from agribusiness, to infrastructure and from technology to education and training services.

Laurie’s early career was with the Department of Trade & Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra and Taipei. Laurie has a Bachelor of Science (Mathematics, Statistics) from Melbourne University, and undertook post-graduate study at Peking University. He is fluent in Mandarin.

Tim Beresford brings to Austrade a track record of senior leadership in government, financial services, professional services and not-for-profit; managing global teams of up to 1,000 employees. Tim was recruited from the private sector into the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. As First Assistant Secretary Social Policy Division in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet he co-led negotiation and delivery of the National Health Reform Agreement with all states and territories.

Tim joined Austrade as Executive Director, Australian Operations, in October 2011. He is responsible for delivering trade development and facilitation services to Australian businesses and attracting foreign direct investment into Australian Government priority areas. His other responsibilities include strengthening Austrade’s strategic marketing capability, building an integrated online services platform, managing partnerships with other public and private sector organisations, and overseeing the Commonwealth Government’s brand roll out, called Australia Unlimited.

Tim has over 18 years’ experience and a strong record of achievement in business including a number of roles in Westpac Banking Corporation: specifically, General Manager Pacific Bank; Head of Retail Banking Strategy; and State General Manager, South Australia and Northern Territory Retail Bank. Prior to Westpac, Tim worked as a management consultant for ten years, representing clients in the financial services, infrastructure and mining sectors across Europe, Asia and Australia. For the majority of that time he worked for McKinsey & Co on strategic, operational and organisational issues.

From 2003-2012, Tim Beresford was on the Board of Plan Australia International, holding positions as Chair, Fundraising and Marketing Committee and Chair, Corporate Governance Committee. In February 2013, he joined the Board of The Benevolent Society.

Tim has a Masters of Philosophy (International Relations) from the University of Cambridge, as well as bachelor degrees in Law and Economics (First Class Honours) from the University of Sydney. He was a Menzies Scholar in 1994. Tim is an Associate of the Securities Institute of Australia and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

In April 2007, Peter Yuile joined Austrade as Deputy CEO and Executive Director, Government and Corporate Services. During this time, Peter has been responsible for the negotiations around the integration of Invest Australia and the Global Opportunities program into Austrade, and later the transfer of the responsibility for the international marketing of Australian education.

He was also responsible for working with the Minister for Trade, the Hon. Simon Crean, on the initiation of the Brand Australia program. Peter worked closely with DFAT and the joint Secretariat on the Mortimer Review of export policies and programs and the subsequent Cabinet consideration. Peter supported the CEO in his recent review of Austrade, particularly working with Departments in Canberra in preparation for Cabinet’s consideration of the recommendations of the review.

Prior to joining Austrade, Peter held the positions of Deputy Secretary, Department of Transport and Regional Services where he was responsible for aviation, transport security and regional policy and services issues; and Deputy Secretary, Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry, where he was also the Executive Director in charge of the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service.

Peter has worked previously in the former Departments of Trade (in its various forms), Primary Industries and Energy and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade where he had responsibility variously for issues such as the development of bilateral trade strategies; Regional Forest Agreements; fisheries negotiations with Japan; bilateral agricultural and resource relations; human resource management; and was Departmental Liaison officer in the office of the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy. He was posted to the Australian Embassy in Seoul as Counsellor (Trade) from 1989-1991.

Peter has a B.A. (Hons, First Class) from the University of New South Wales.