31 AUG - 3 SEP 2026 | Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

Lachlan Ward

Lachlan Ward is CEO of ST. ALi, the Melbourne roastery that helped pioneer Australia’s specialty coffee movement. Founded in 2005 as a single laneway café in South Melbourne, ST. ALi has grown into an international brand that has evolved with the needs of coffee drinkers, and with a footprint of stores across Asia.
Lachlan’s path mirrors that growth: he joined as a barista in 2011, won the Australian Brewers Cup Championship in 2013, and was appointed CEO in 2022.