Our Team

Rod Welford is an experienced Chief Executive, strategist and thought leader in energy, sustainability and strategic policy. He is an Adjunct Professor in the Griffith Business School of Griffith University in Queensland.

Rod grew up with water safety and lifesaving in his blood. He has been a member of SLSQ and Burleigh Heads Surf Club since 1972 having been a Junior member before that. He is a branch, State and National surf competition medal winner, an SLSA competition official and served on former branch and State Boards of Examiners. At Qld State Centre, he was Chair of the Patrol and Rescue Committee in 1979-80, the first State Education Officer of SLSQ in 1980 and thereafter the first (honorary) Director of Coaching when the accreditation of Surf Sports coaches was first introduced in the early 1980s.

While an SLSQ delegate to the national launch of the first large format Surf LIfe Saving Training Manual in 1983, Rod was simultaneously State Technical Director of Royal Life Saving Queensland and member of the National Technical Committee responsible for drafting the revised Swimming and Lifesaving Manual of Royal Life Saving Australia. During the period 1977-1982, he also worked as a Professional Lifeguard for the Gold Coast City Council.

Rod was later elected to the Queensland Parliament in 1989 and from 1998 served as Minister for Environment and Heritage, Minister for Natural Resources, Minister for Justice and Attorney General and Minister for Education, Training and the Arts until retiring from Parliament in 2009, Thereafter, Rod became CEO of the Australian Council of Recycling, the national peak industry body for the recycling industry, a company director of multiple public and private companies. and from 2013, Executive Chairman of an international, award-winning sustainable energy design practice, Ensight. He led Ensight to win the Optus Business of the Year Award and Export Business of the Year Award in 2016.  He now works as mentor to emerging entrepreneurs, on the boards of various non-profit community organisations and provides advisory support to government, industry and community organisations.