On December 1, 2013, the Hon. Richard Alston, former Australian Senator, Cabinet Minister and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, was officially appointed as Non-Executive Chairman of Waratah Group.
Mr. Alston graduated from Melbourne University with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts, and went on to obtain a MBA and a Master of Laws from Monash University. He was a career barrister until he entered Parliament in 1986, where he served until 2004. During his 18 years in Parliament, Mr. Alston served as Minister for Broadband and Communications under the Howard Government, and was also the Deputy Leader of the Senate for a long period of time. He left Parliament in 2004, and was appointed as Australia's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, where he served until 2007. Since retiring from the private sector, Mr. Alston has served on the boards of several publicly-listed companies in Australia, including TFS, Chime, CQS and a London-based hedge fund.

As the largest Australian enterprise in southern China, we are highly honored and delighted to have Mr. Alston join our team, and his extensive expertise and experience in both the private and public sector will be a great asset for Waratah Group. With Mr. Alston on board, we seek to further strengthen our long-term commitment to enhancing business and cultural ties between Australia and China.