Rod Gonzales has more than 20 years of experience in the oil, gas, mining and chemicals industries in progressively responsible project management and operational roles. He has been the chief executive of NANA Australia for over 3 years and has facilitated three workshops with Prime Minister and Cabinet and Federal Procurement Leaders to share the US Federal Procurement Policy for Minority Businesses. Prior to joining NANA Australia, Mr Gonzales was the chief operating officer of VDM, a leading engineering and construction group serving the mining and resources, transport and civil infrastructure, and urban development sectors. He was a commercial director of Worley Parsons on assignments in Western Australia and Canada where he was responsible for managing the commercial and legal functions of the business, as well as development and implementation of new commercial business models on new contracts and business ventures. Mr Gonzales holds a MSc in Chemical Engineering from MIT and an MSc in Genetics from the University of Alberta. He completed a leadership and management Executive program at the Wharton School of business. Mr Gonzales received several industry and academic awards, and was named in the Top 40 Under 40 list for Calgary in 2008. He has been involved in music and holds ARTC diplomas in piano and voice with the Royal Conservatory of Music in Canada. Mr Gonzales has sung and played piano with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Calgary Opera and the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra. He has been involved on arts boards for 15 years including Honens International Piano Competition (2004-2009 in Canada), Dancer’s Studio West (2005-2009 in Canada), Awesome Arts (2011-2016) and the Lost and Found Opera in Perth, Western Australia. He is also the finance director on the board of Lost and Found Opera.
