Consul-General in New York

Today I announce the appointment of Mr Alastair Walton as Australia's next Consul-General in New York.

New York is one of the world's most significant financial and business capitals. Our Consul-General engages business leaders in the United States and promotes Australia as a natural trade and investment partner.

Given New York's global cultural significance, our Consul-General also promotes Australia's strength in education, creative industries and the arts, including through Australia's premier economic and public diplomacy platform in the United States, G'Day USA.

The United States is Australia's largest two-way investment partner and a top trading partner in goods and services. Two-way trade has grown from $42 billion in 2005 when the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement came into force to $64 billion in 2016. Two-way investment has more than doubled since 2005, to $1.48 trillion in 2016.

The Consulate-General provides consular and passport services to Australians living, working in and visiting New York and surrounding areas.

Mr Walton was most recently Consul-General and Senior Trade Commissioner in Houston, Texas. He has previously held a wide range of roles in the investment banking sector, including Chairman of BKK Partners, Co-Chairman and Managing Director of Goldman Sachs Australia, and Head of Investment Banking for non-Japan Asia at the Credit Suisse Group.

Mr Walton holds a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University Graduate School of Business in New York and has a Bachelor of Economics from the Australian National University. He is expected to take up his appointment in August.

I thank outgoing Consul-General Nick Minchin for his contributions to advancing Australia's interests in New York since 2014.