Murray Spence

Murray was appointed Trade Commissioner & Counsellor (Commercial) - Austrade Tokyo in April 2021. In this role he is responsible for leading Agribusiness & Food strategies in Japan.

Murray joined Austrade in 2017 where he worked as a Senior Advisor in the Trade & Investment division, promoting Australian mining and METS capabilities across the Indo-Pacific and Middle East, and opportunities for foreign direct investment into Australian resource projects. As a Global Engagement Manager, he delivered bespoke services to Australian companies in the METS, Agribusiness & Food, and Consumer sectors to assist with market diversification and expansion of international trade activity.

In his 30+ year career Murray has held a range of C-suite international business development roles for large multinational corporations across a diverse range of industries, including consumer electronics, security solutions, cross-border consulting, and luxury goods. Before returning to Melbourne in 2016, Murray was based in Tokyo where he was General Manager of Cross of Japan from 2013-2015, a Senior Cross-cultural & Strategic Business Consultant with CyberMarkets.com from 2011-2012, and in the period 2007-2011 served as General Manager & Representative Director for ASSA ABLOY Japan.

Murray has a comprehensive understanding of business relationships in the Asian context, having lived and worked in North East and South East Asia for over 25 years. He also speaks Japanese and Mandarin Chinese. With a Master of Arts – Hons (International Politics) and Masters of Business Administration (International Business, Marketing), in 2019 Murray was recipient of the Austrade Asialink Business Leader Scholarship.