Dr Andy Sheppard’s scientific and technical reputation and academic achievements are in biosecurity, invasion ecology, biological control and risk analysis. Since 2006 has been a CSIRO Research leader of three different CSIRO programs on plant, animal and environmental biosecurity and terrestrial biodiversity management. He was Research Director in the CSIRO Health & Biosecurity business unit from 2015-2021. He is the non-residential Director of CSIRO’s European Laboratory in Montpellier since 2002. Current primary role is a secondment into the Commonwealth Department Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry as Co-Executive Director of DAFF-CSIRO Catalysing Australia's Biosecurity Initiative after instigating this partnership across both agencies. This $50-$100M Mission launched in early 2024.He serves on a number of boards/advisory committees including the Governing Board and the Scientific Advisory Body for the OECD Cooperative Research Programme, the Federal Government National Biosecurity Committee, the Federal Government Threatened Species Scientific Committee and the CSIRO Centre of Australian National Biodiversity Research. He has led a portfolio of research projects in weed and pest and invasive species management based on Australia, South Africa and France He was elected to the Australian Academy of Technology & Engineering in 2019 and International Fellow of the Académie d'Agriculture de France in 2020

Dr Sheppard's scientific reputation and academic achievements have been established in invasion ecology and classical biological control of weeds (where he is regarded in the top 2% globally. His greatest successes in application of his research have been with the control of Paterson's Curse and Cape Broom in Australia. His more recently developed expertise in risk analysis, biosecurity science and biodiversity enhancement, together with his exceptional leadership and collaboration skills, have contributed significantly to policy development and the management of biosecurity both in Australia and internationally.