Australian ambassador to lecture at Westminster

The Honourable Joe Hockey, Australia's Ambassador to the United States, will deliver Westminster College's third annual Cherry-Price Leadership Lecture.

The lecture is planned for 6 p.m. Oct. 24 at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury and is open to the public.

Hockey's presentation is titled "Free Trade and Leadership in a Rapidly Evolving World."

A reception specifically designed for students and VIPs to converse with Hockey will take place prior to the presentation at 4:30 p.m. in the Anson Cutts Gallery of America's National Churchill Museum.

A long-time member of the Australian Parliament, Hockey took up his post as Ambassador in Washington, D.C., in January 2016. His ambassadorship follows a distinguished career in public service. He first entered the Australian Parliament in 1996 as the member for North Sydney and spent more than 17 years on the front bench.

Hockey also served as a minister in a number of different portfolios, including financial services, small business and tourism, human services and employment, and workplace relations. In 2013, Hockey was appointed treasurer of the Commonwealth and was responsible for all economic policy, including fiscal policy. He served as chair of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in 2014 and as a member of the leadership troika in 2015.

As treasurer, Hockey was a regular delegate to International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings. Previously, he served as a banking and finance lawyer with a major Australian law firm.

Hockey graduated from the University of Sydney with bachelor's degrees in arts and law. He is married to Melissa Babbage, a company director and former investment banker. They have three young children: Xavier, Adelaide and Ignatius.

The lecture

The Cherry-Price Leadership Lecture was established in 2017 and is made possible through the generosity of distinguished alumni Howard Cherry, '65, of Wellington, Florida; and Rob Price, '65, of Lake Charles, Louisiana. The lecture - which is a key component of Westminster's Price Leadership Program - shines the spotlight on the character traits of successful leaders of our time. The Cherry-Price Leadership Lecture reinforces Westminster's mission to educate and inspire young leaders to change the world.

Past Cherry-Price lecturers include Arnold Donald, president and chief executive officer of Carnival Corporation; and ­retired Lt. Gen. Richard C. Harding, formerly the highest-ranking attorney for the U.S. Air Force.