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| 13 Jul 2025 | |
| Old Boy News |
| Class of 1994 |
Back in Year 12 Physics at Churchie, John Reeve (1994) never imagined that one day he would be advising governments on climate finance or leading master plans in Iraq. He would have asked you to pass the ball and stop dreaming; but life’s path, like any good rugby match, is rarely linear.
After graduating in Agricultural Economics from the University of Queensland, John began his career in independent Ag commodity risk advisory. Following a stint at Rabobank he later joined Commonwealth Bank’s Global Markets team. A CEO Award for customer service, innovation and leadership led him to Singapore. There he worked with UBS, Goldman Sachs and Standard Chartered across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Interestingly, captaining the Singapore Cricket Club rugby team taught him as much about leadership as any boardroom risk discussion.
Returning to Brisbane a decade ago, with a son now at Churchie in Year 7, John has led resilience-focused projects for governments and research bodies, including work with AusAID in Timor-Leste, supporting food systems and rural livelihoods and SunRice’s exploration of market entry into Asia’s poorest country. However, not every venture succeeded. Failures in finance and tech came at a cost, but sharpened John’s judgment and deepened his resilience.
Today, through his firm AgRee Commodities, John advises on climate-linked infrastructure and irrigation projects across Australia and Iraq. This month, he’ll facilitate a Green Climate Fund workshop in Zambia, aiming to support millions of African smallholders.
John has also joined Lockton, the largest privately held insurance broker globally, as a Special Projects Consultant. He helps clients rethink risk through insurance innovation and ESG strategy. Recent work with MLA, AMPC and government bodies has led to nationally adopted Farm Business Resilience Plans and new market indices.
If you're navigating risk in agri-finance, infrastructure, or regional development, John is always open to a chat with fellow Old Boys and would love to connect.
