Ross Cadell was born and raised in the Hunter Valley between the Lake Macquarie and Cessnock local government areas.

Ross spent almost a decade working for the NSW Nationals – initially as a key seats campaigner before taking over the role of State Director – a position he held from 2018 to 2020.  In 2019 Ross was responsible for running both state and federal election campaigns for the NSW Nationals.

Prior to entering the Senate, Ross was the Special Projects Director at the Port of Newcastle, where he was focused on diversifying the port’s operations and the Hunter region’s economy, including oversight over significant projects including a Multipurpose Deepwater Terminal and alternative energy precincts.

Prior to this, Ross worked in small business and sports marketing, with clients including the Newcastle Knights, V8 Supercars, MOTO GP, and Formula 1 athletes.

Ross lives in the Lake Macquarie area with his wife, Bethan and their four children.