John Hart OAM is National President of Restaurant & Catering Australia, the peak body representing more than 57,000 cafés, restaurants and caterers across the country.
John led R&CA as Chief Executive Officer for 18 years, from 1999 to 2017, a period in which the association grew tenfold and the sector it represents more than doubled in size. He remains a leading voice on national policy and advocacy for the foodservice industry, representing operators on the issues that hit their bottom line, from payroll tax and card surcharge reform to workforce shortages and rising input costs.
Alongside his R&CA role, John is Chair of Policy & Advocacy at the Foodservice Suppliers Association Australia, Executive Chair of Australian Chamber Tourism, and Executive Chair of Australian Grape and Wine. He also sits on the boards of Tourism Australia, the Australian Business Register and the Angus Knight Group, and previously served on the board of Food Standards Australia New Zealand.
He holds a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Business Law and a Master of Business Law, and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2021 for service to the tourism industry.