Malcolm was raised near Drillham on the outer downs on a Sheep, Cattle and Grain property. He completed a Certificate of Animal Husbandry and Production at Longreach Pastoral College.
After leaving Longreach he worked around the Miles, Drillham and Condamine Districts, as well as running the family property with his brother. He joined QIDC in 1989 and through its merger to Suncorp spent 24 years in Business Banking, mainly lending to Agriculture, but also to commercial clients in the Kingaroy, Mackay, Richmond, Atherton, Roma and Toowoomba areas. He spent 11 years in Roma and 4 years in Toowoomba, before leaving Suncorp to do other work as a broker. Malcoms role of Agribusiness Relationship Manager is to provide business finance to rural clients from a diverse array of Agribusiness industries and locations around Downs and surrounding Shires.