David Grabau has strong technical proficiency and experience in the Resources and Energy sectors, and brings to Austrade a valuable combination of experience in government and ASX top-20 corporations.

David’s senior commercial roles include advising major resources and energy companies across strategy, risk, and project management. He was most recently the Global Resilience Program Manager for IAG and was previously Head of Government Relations at IAG and CGU Insurance.

David spent several years working with BHP Billiton across its minerals and petroleum businesses, including appointments as Manager Group Risk and Senior Advisor Corporate Development. He brings with his commercial expertise over a decade of experience in government, which included work with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra and Thailand, and with the Office of National Assessments.

David has a Masters in International Relations, a Graduate Diploma in Trade, Economics and International Law, and a degree in Politics.

David Gwyther is a highly respected executive and member of the community, with global experience gained through a distinguished military career and 10 years in the energy and oil and gas industry.

David’s trained as a Navy ship’s watch-keeping officer before sub specialising as a pilot. He graduated dux of his pilot’s course and helicopter conversions. David was Navy’s Instructor of the Year in 1993. David held many mid and senior level management positions in aviation safety, long range strategic analysis, whole of enterprise planning, career management, operations, airworthiness, project management and logistic support. Consistently progressing ahead of his peers, he held leadership roles at: Garden Island dockyard, the Navy’s Sea King helicopter squadron during operations in Timor and the Pacific, the Defence aviation security group for the Sydney Olympics and the Navy’s Aviation Group. David’s final appointment was Commander Northern Command leading 1000 people and deploying Navy, Army and Air Force assets on northern operations, including maritime security liaison with Indonesia and Timor Leste. As the senior ADF Officer NT he was accountable for whole of Defence coordination and engagement with Government, industry and the community.

David joined INPEX as the Deputy General Manager Darwin in 2011. He played a key role working collaboratively and with influence across the INPEX and Ichthys Project teams, Government, business and the community to assure the success of the US$40BN Ichthys LNG Project. He focused on safety, marine, air, and road operations, agreements with Government, energy and public utilities, major approvals, infrastructure investment, environmental offsets, stakeholder relationships, logistics, strategy and Defence liaison. David was a key negotiator and problem solver across all of INPEX’s business interests in the NT. In 2013 David led the development of the award winning Ichthys Transport Management Plan. In 2016 David was the President Director’s Employee of the Year.

David has consulted to industry across the energy, resources, defence, infrastructure, government, transport and industrials sectors for 2 years. Prior to joining Austrade he had most recently completed a 3 month Director level contract with LifeFlight.

David served as a non-executive director of the Cancer Council NT for 6 years; 3 of them as Chairperson. David volunteers with the Starlight Children’s Foundation, Ronald McDonald House and Total Recreation NT charities. During his 11 years in the NT he raised nearly $150,000 for charity. David also served as a Justice of the Peace.

He holds a BSc (Mathematics), an MBA (International Business), is a graduate of the AICD and enjoys the learning journey. David enjoys cycling and skiing, watching sport, travel, food and wine, his Labradors, and being with his family and friends.

David is a Senior Investment Specialist with Austrade, applying his unique skills and energy to assisting investors to make their projects happen. He works across sectors, all levels of government and through the project lifecycle connecting investors with solutions.

Bridie comes to Austrade with extensive experience in foreign investment, spanning government and the private sector.

Bridie’s government, regulatory and policy experience includes several years in the Foreign Investment Division of the Commonwealth Treasury Department. In this capacity, she collaborated with investors, advisers, and colleagues within government to facilitate investment outcomes with the potential to create jobs and stimulate Australia’s economy. Bridie played a lead role in relation to the significant foreign investment reforms introduced at the beginning of 2021, and provided strategic advice on significant cases. She also worked closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the investment aspects of free trade agreements.

Prior to joining Treasury, Bridie worked as an international M&A and investment treaty arbitration lawyer in well-known global law firms, based in London and Moscow. She advised clients on high value cross-border transactions and investments in a range of sectors, including telecommunications, energy, media, construction, and aerospace.

Bridie is also a Fellow of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration and served for almost three years as Legal Adviser to the President of an international dispute resolution tribunal in The Hague dealing with significant commercial cases.

Bridie has a Masters in Public and International Law, an LLB, and a BA in Russian language, history and politics, all from the University of Melbourne.