Prior to entering politics he was a registered psychologist and worked in human resources and industrial relations.

[2] He holds the degree of Bachelor of Arts from the Australian National University and a graduate diploma in applied social psychology from Swinburne Institute of Technology.

[2] Before entering politics he worked as a training officer with Victorian Railways, as a human resources and industrial relations manager, and as a consultant.

[3] At the 2007 election, Barresi was defeated by Australian Labor Party (ALP) candidate Mike Symon.

[5] In 2019, the Morrison government appointed Barresi to a five-year term on the board of the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation.