2020 WA-ASEAN Trade and Investment Dialogue

16 - 20 November | 2020 WA-ASEAN Trade and investment dialogue

2020 Program

The Western Australia-ASEAN Trade and Investment Dialogue is an annual international engagement initiative of the Western Australian Government, delivered by the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation, in partnership with the Perth USAsia Centre. The dialogue enables the Western Australian Government and business community to build stronger relationships with influential government, business and community leaders across the dynamic communities and markets of Southeast Asia.

There is significant potential for new economic partnerships between Western Australia and Southeast Asia. Shared geography links the state with its northern neighbours, while economic complementarity supports economic partnerships. There are particular opportunities in services and technology sectors where Western Australian capabilities are well matched to regional needs. However, the potential for these trade and investment partnerships requires strong connectivity between the state and its Southeast Asian neighbours. Connectivity is central to this capacity-building endeavour. Defined as the strength of international ties – across infrastructural, technological and people-to-people (P2P) domains – connectivity is a key enabler of economic links.

The purpose of the annual Dialogue is to help strengthen economic and institutional understanding between WA and Southeast Asian countries, showcase complementary opportunities for trade and investment growth and enhance economic ties. In 2020, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have only hastened the need for WA to build closer economic and business relations with key markets in Southeast Asia. Developing stronger trade and investment links with large and emerging Southeast Asian markets is not a future pursuit, but an immediate WA business and economic imperative.

With both WA and Southeast Asia beginning to focus on post-COVID-19 economic and business recovery opportunities, as well as the need to strengthen supply chains with secure and reliable trading partners, the theme of this year’s Dialogue is WA and ASEAN: A Shared Economic Recovery. This year’s Dialogue, held from 16-20 November, will take the form of daily online live presentations and panel discussions. The Dialogue will be broadcast live from Perth into Southeast Asian countries, featuring established and emerging business leaders, policymakers and economists from both WA and Southeast Asia.

Of priority focus during the 2020 Dialogue will be driving new industry development, building secure and reliable agribusiness and energy partnerships, unlocking business investment opportunities, and planning today for tomorrow’s people-people and business-business reconnections.

Minister Tinley announces third annual ASEAN dialogue
Date	Program details
Mon 16 Nov	WA-ASEAN Economic Partnerships and post-COVID recovery
Tues 17 Nov	Australia’s abundance and ASEAN’s demands (Agribusiness)
Wed 18 Nov	21st Century Energy and Resource Needs
Thurs 19 Nov	Unlocking Investment Opportunities
Fri 20 Nov	Engaging and Reconnecting with ASEAN post-COVID

Watch

Peter Tinley

Minister Peter Tinley AM MLA

Minister Peter Tinley AM MLA was sworn in as the Member for Willagee on the 10 February 2010. During 2012, Peter was WA Labor’s Shadow Minister for Planning, Housing, and Local Jobs. After being re-elected in early 2013, Minister Tinley was elected President of the State Labor Caucus and in mid-2014 was elected by a popular vote of members as the President of WA Labor for a two-year term. In July of 2015, Minister Tinley was appointed to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Asian Engagement, Trade, Science and Lands.

Following Labor’s win in the 2017 State Election, Minister Tinley was sworn in as the Minister for Housing; Veterans Issues; and Youth on 22 March 2017. In a Cabinet reshuffle on 13 December 2018, the Asian Engagement portfolio was added to his ministerial responsibilities. Peter also added the Fisheries portfolio to his responsibilities on 17 December 2019. Prior to entering the WA Parliament, Peter served 17 of his 25 years in the Army with the Special Air Service Regiment. He held appointments from Trooper to Chief Operations Officer and commanded at every level from a patrol of six to an SAS Sabre Squadron.

Gordon Flake

CEO, Perth USAsia Centre

Professor Gordon Flake is the founding CEO of the Perth USAsia Centre at The University of Western Australia. Professor Flake is one of Australia’s leading authorities on the Indo-Pacific, with a particular specialisation on Korea having spent nearly three decades focused on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.

Prior to establishing the Centre, he was the Executive Director of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, an Associate Director of the Program on Conflict Resolution at The Atlantic Council of the United States, and Director for Research and Academic Affairs at the Korea Economic Institute of America. More details

Emma Connors

Australian Financial Review

Emma has three decades experience in journalism. She has worked at The Australian Financial Review for 18 years in total and also spent two years in an editorial role at the Sydney-based think tank, the Lowy Institute.

At the Financial Review Emma has reported on economics, health, technology, national politics and geopolitical issues and written across the paper and sister publications including The AFR Magazine. She has also edited various sections, including the influential opinion pages and AFR Weekend’s features section, Perspective.

A year ago Emma moved to Jakarta as the Financial Review’s Southeast Asia Correspondent. She is currently based in Sydney but hopes to return to Indonesia as soon as possible.

Alisha Sulisto

Deputy Managing Director, Bower Group Asia

Alisha is a seasoned government affairs and public policy professional who has deep understanding of the political-economic complexities of Southeast Asia’s largest economy, Indonesia. Currently Deputy Managing Director at Bower Group Asia, she has helped major companies forge meaningful relationships with government to contribute real value to the economy and benefit Indonesians. Her sector of expertise is financial services, ranging from banking, payments, fintech, insurance, microlending, and everything in between. She also oversees the company’s work in the tech, agribusiness, oil and gas, education, entertainment, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. Alisha holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Monash University, Melbourne and MBA from Binus Business School, Jakarta.

Dr Alice Woodhead

Board Member, Australia-ASEAN Council

Alice Woodhead is an inaugural board member of the Australia-ASEAN Council. Her expertise is in agricultural research leaderships, agri-business and food trends. She has an established international reputation for research in value adding and supply chains. She specialises in assessing how to optimise business models and reduce risks in agricultural and food exports. This includes how to optimise logistics and technology systems, productivity and market positioning of new products. She has worked on a wide range of product and business development projects from shelf stable meat products into ASEAN to tractor mechanisation in Africa. Clients have included MLA, ACIAR, CIMMYT, various Australian and State government departments and NGO’s such as the WWF.

She has a PhD in agricultural systems and a degree in information system. She was recently the Professor of Agriculture and food value chains at the University of Southern Queensland.

Franky Welirang

Head, Bogasari Group

Mr. Franciscus Welirang was appointed as Director of PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk in 1995. He heads the Bogasari Group and Corporate Human Resources Division.

He concurrently serves as Vice President Director of PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa Tbk (2011-present), Commissioner of PT Unggul Indah Cahaya Tbk (2011-present), President Commissioner of Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur Tbk (2015-present), Chairman of the Indonesian Flour Mills Association (2000-present), Advisory Board Member of the Indonesian Association of Food Technologists (2000-present), Member of the National Steering Committee Global Environment Fund (2003-present), Head of the Permanent Committee on Food Security at the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (2008-present), Secretary General of Partnership for Indonesia Sustainable Agriculture (2012-present), Chairman of the Indonesian Public Listed Companies Association (2014-present), Advisory Board Member of Nature Conservancy Indonesia (2014-present), Co-Chair of the Advisory Board to the Association of Philanthropy Indonesia (2015-present), and Advisory Board Member of the Employer’s Association of Indonesia.

He was previously President Commissioner of the Surabaya Stock Exchange (2001-2007) and Vice Chairman of the National Consumer Protection Agency (2009-2012). Mr. Welirang obtained a Higher National Diploma in Chemical Engineering from South Bank Polytechnic in London, UK in 1974.

Richard Lovell

Regional Head, CP Foods (Thailand)

A passionate leader with first class communication skills and a long track record of successful management and growing businesses from the ground up. Started in the Agro-Industrial business with the opening of Thailands’ first ever fresh water crayfish farm in 1996. After leaving aquaculture, he joined CP Group, Thailand’s largest private company representing 13% of Thailand’s GDP running their first ‘Frozen Ready to Eat Meals factory’.

He continues to create new business, products and opportunities for CP Foods and Australian exporters wanting to be part of the Asian food import growth. Apart from the roles associated with any ‘Regional Head’ he also evaluates and sources for M&A opportunities that may be suitable for CP Groups regional expansion.

Fluent in Thai, he has extensive knowledge of the current economic, social, regulatory and culture issues of that in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, South East Asia & Southern Africa. Within the role currently, he is very active with Government to Government negotiations and discussions on FTA’s & Bio-Security. More recently (2017) he successfully lobbied for Thai Frozen Duck to be considered and then approved as an import into New Zealand. This created not only a Thai first, but a world’s first as New Zealand only opened for Thai processed Duck and no other country. This on the back of a country with a history of extremely tough bio-security measures.

Hendro Fujiono

FujiShepherd & Associates

Hendro is an experienced organizational change professional and intercultural coach. His company is currently serving clients both in Indonesia and Western Australia on change management, innovation team performance and cultural intelligence.

Prior to travel restrictions, Hendro travels regularly to Indonesia to serve his clients and conduct series of business workshops. Given his practical experience, Hendro has been sharing his practical experience on doing business in Indonesia with professionals and academics in Perth. Hendro is one of the leaders of the Indonesian community in Perth.

Hendro is the President of West Java Community in Western Australia after serving as the President of the Institut Teknologi Bogor (ITB) alumni association in Perth until 2018.

Sophie Lu

Head of Metals and Mining, Bloomberg NEF

Sophie Lu is Head of Metals and Mining for Bloomberg NEF, leading a global team covering the technological impact on the future of mining and emerging investment, demand and production trends in minerals and metals including lithium, cobalt, aluminum, copper and rare earths.

Previously, she was the Head of China Research, leading a team of analysts covering financing, innovation, and transformation of energy, commodities, transport, and technology in China. Previously, she has worked as a consultant on clean tech financing with Azure International and natural gas markets with Regester Larkin. She has also worked in finance and regulatory issues with Merrill Lynch and Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

Ms. Lu was previously a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, Fulbright Scholar, and holds a BA in Economics and a MA in International Finance and Energy Resources and Environment from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

Daniel Moss

Columnist, Bloomberg

Daniel Moss is columnist for Bloomberg Opinion, covering Asian economies. Now based in Singapore, Moss returned to Asia in 2019 after almost two decades in London, Washington and New York.

Prior to joining the commentary team, he held leadership roles at Bloomberg spanning economics, politics and markets. He is a graduate of the Australian National University and was a director of ANU Foundation USA from 2016 to 2019.

Anita Prakash

Director for Policy Relations, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia

Anita Prakash is Director (Policy Relations) in the Office of President of Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Jakarta, Indonesia.

Her policy research supports the summits and ministerial processes in ASEAN, East Asia and Oceania, Europe and Africa, notably the Trade Ministers meetings in ASEAN, the East Asia Summit, Asia-Europe Meeting, and the T 20 and Sherpa process in G20.

Her policy research covers international trade, multilateral governance and international relations with special focus on trade and investment, regional value chains and connectivity in Southeast Asia, East Asia, and between Asia-Europe and Asia-Africa.

Prior to her work at ERIA, she served as Director in the Government of India in the Department of Commerce, and NITI Aayog. She was a Visiting Research Associate at the Graduate Institute, Geneva from 2016 to 2019. She writes extensively on connectivity in Indo-Pacific and has written the vision documents for Asia-Africa Growth Corridor and Asia-Europe Connectivity.

She is an alumni of Delhi University (M.Phil) and Australian National University (MBA).

Sherman Mak

Executive Director, Waleta Group

Sherman is a multi-disciplinary strategies and entrepreneur. He has over 25 years of experience in banking, investment and advisory. He has held senior appointments with global brands, such as Citigroup, HSBC, and Westpac.

He now personally advises several private family offices, governments, investment houses and international conglomerates. Just to name a few: Telkomsel Indonesia, KIDO Group Vietnam and CP group Thailand. More recently, he is involved in HealthTech, AI and the “Neo bank movement.” In this area Sherman has been appointed Independent Special Advisor to the executive team of Xinja bank (Australia’s independent 100% digital and mobile bank) and is building an AI big data research company in Australia with Eson Technology.

Sherman is an innovation mentor for Australia’s national science agency CSIRO and sits on the board of several of their spin off companies. He is also an industry mentor for Griffith University and advisory board member of La Trobe University’s accelerator program.

Huong Dang

Director of Partnerships and Strategy – KOTO
Founder and CEO – HopeBox

After graduating, Huong worked as a Business Analyst for Infrarisk – an IT firm in Melbourne. She is now returning to Vietnam and working as International Partnership and Engagement Manager for KOTO because her heart is always for KOTO. She is holding the role of Director of Marketing and Partnerships Engagement for KOTO. Recently, Huong founded HopeBox – a social project that provides employment for women who experienced domestic violence.

In March 2017, Huong was selected to be a Young Leader representing Vietnam to participate in the Australia Vietnam Young Leader Dialogue, which was held in Sydney in May 2017. Huong’s passion is to share her experience and story to inspire other people. She has spoken at many conferences including NEAS – Management Conference and Australian International Education Conference.

Huong has completed her Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Swinburne University of Technology (Melbourne, Australia). During the time at Swinburne, she was awarded Swinburne Achievement Award and involved heavily in community engagement programs.

Jason Craig

Chief Marketing and Trading Officer, CBH Group

Jason Craig was appointed Chief Marketing and Trading Officer of CBH in April 2012 and is responsible for the company’s Marketing and Trading division.

Jason has vast experience in domestic and international grain markets, and customer relationships through his previous roles of President Director with PT Eastern Pearl Flour Mills and as a Trading Manager with the Grain Pool (now CBH Marketing and Trading).

Robbie Gaspar

Australia Indonesia Business Council WA

Robbie’s professional football career spanned many countries throughout Asia and was the first Australian footballer to play professionally in Indonesia. He played in Indonesia for over seven years including playing for the country’s biggest football club, Persib Bandung. He was an executive committee member of the Players Association in Indonesia from 2011-2014.

In 2017, Robbie was the recipient of the Australia Indonesia Award for the Sports Category, and in 2014 was awarded Life Membership of the Professional Footballers Australia for his outstanding contribution in supporting professional football players across South East Asia, especially in Indonesia.

Robbie who is highly proficient in Indonesian and has a passion for Sports Diplomacy currently works for the Professional Footballers’ Australia as a Player Development Manager for Perth Glory Football Club and is the Vice-Chair of the Western Australian Chapter of the Australia Indonesia Business Council.

Fuadi Pitsuwan

Co-Founder, Beanspire Coffee

Fuadi is a co-founder of Beanspire Coffee, a developer and an exporter of specialty grade Thai coffee that focuses on quality and relationships at both ends of the supply chain. He also serves as President of Surin Pitsuwan Foundation, named after his late father Surin Pitsuwan, former ASEAN Secretary General. The Foundation aims to carry out his late father's missions in the ASEAN region in three areas: education, diplomacy and human security. Since 2012, he has also served as a Member of the Advisory Board for Teach For Thailand. Additionally, Fuadi is a predoctoral fellow at Chiang Mai University's School of Public Policy and currently a doctoral student at University of Oxford where his research focuses on the institutional design of military alliances. From 2008-2011, he was an associate at The Cohen Group, a DC-based strategic advisory firm, where he received a Rising Star award from US-ASEAN Business Council. He received his MPP from Harvard Kennedy School and received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.