McKinnon Prize 2023 Selection Panel

Luke Achterstraat

Luke Achterstraat is the CEO of the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA), the only national peak body dedicated exclusively to the interests of over 2.5 million small businesses in Australia.

He has advised two federal government ministers and appeared before parliamentary inquiries on behalf of both federal and state industry groups.

Most recently he was the NSW Executive Director of the Property Council of Australia and was also appointed by the NSW Government as the inaugural Chair of the NSW Expert Housing Advisory Panel.

Luke is passionate about small business, having helped co-found and lead the talent disruption business Commtract. His grandfather emigrated to Australia from the Netherlands in 1951 and started a small business, a legacy that helps inform Luke on the vital role small businesses play in building livelihoods and communities across Australia.