Rod Barnaby is the Regional Director of Business NSW for the Mid North Coast, where he champions regional business growth, resilience and collaboration across the region.

A long-standing advocate for regional Australia, Rod brings deep experience working across business, community and government. His background spans military and commercial operations, business ownership, and complex stakeholder environments, equipping him with strong leadership, strategic judgement and a practical, outcomes-focused approach.

Rod has led and contributed to innovative regional projects across biodiversity, land stewardship and workforce development, including initiatives supporting Indigenous employment and emerging environmental markets. Since then, he has been closely involved in supporting Mid North Coast businesses through periods of disruption and recovery, with a clear focus on strengthening regional economies by backing local businesses and ensuring regional voices are heard in decision-making.

Lauren Charlton is the Strategic Partnerships Manager at Business NSW Mid North Coast, where she works closely with business leaders to build strong, enduring relationships that support regional growth and advocacy.

With a professional background spanning senior hospitality and club management roles across regional NSW and metropolitan Sydney, Lauren brings a deep understanding of member-based organisations, commercial operations, and relationship management. Her experience includes general management, people and culture leadership, and high-level stakeholder engagement.

Having grown up in regional Australia, Lauren has a genuine appreciation of the challenges and opportunities facing regional businesses. She brings this perspective to her work every day, connecting leaders with the networks, insights and support they need to remain engaged, informed and confident as part of the Business NSW community.

Carla Caswell is the Regional Coordinator at Business NSW Mid North Coast, supporting the delivery of regional programs, events and engagement activities that connect the local business community.

With experience across digital marketing, operations and client relationship management, Carla brings a highly organised, detail-focused approach to supporting the regional team. She has worked with global brands and small business owners alike, giving her a strong appreciation of both strategic planning and practical delivery.

Having lived and worked across South Africa, the United Kingdom and Indonesia, and as a former small business owner, Carla brings a strong cross-cultural perspective and a practical understanding of business realities, helping ensure Business NSW events and programs are well-managed, relevant and valuable for members.