Special Trade Representative to the Middle East and India, The Queensland Government,

Mr Loftus Harris has extensive experience in international trade, investment, and economic development having held positions as Chief Executive and Director-General and as a Senior Executive in Australia's Queensland and New South Wales public sectors, and in the Australian Trade Commission. He has had chief executive responsibility for government programs covering trade, investment, innovation, tourism, major events and regional economic development.

Having served as an Australian Trade Commissioner and Senior Trade Commissioner in Australian embassies in West Africa, Asia, Scandinavia, Europe and the Middle East and as head of the India, Middle East, and Africa Branch of Austrade in Canberra, Loftus Harris has extensive international operational and policy experience in export and investment development. He also has wide experience in international trade and investment between the United States and Australia.

For 10 years until late 2007, Loftus Harris was the Director-General of the Department of State and Regional Development, the lead economic development agency in New South Wales, Australia. During this time he was responsible for the full range of the Government's international trade and investment programs as well as the development and implementation of Government business programs supporting the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Prior to that, he was Director-General of the Queensland Department of the Premier, Economic and Trade Development and the Coordinator-General for Queensland. He was also Director-General of the Department of Tourism, Small Business and Industry and the Executive Director of International Trade and Investment.

Loftus Harris has served as Chair and member of numerous state and national bodies concerned with international trade and business development. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the immediate former National President of the Australian Institute of Export and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2008.