Experience

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  Access KSA

  • Australia

  • Executive Director Strategy and APAC

    • Nov 2023 - Present
    • Australia

    I'm pleased to announce that I have commenced in a new role as the Executive Director for Strategy and the APAC region with Access KSA. Said El-Saadi, our Chief Executive, has built a terrific team of talented business development experts with a truly impressive depth of knowledge regarding doing business in the Gulf. I look forward to making a contribution and supporting Said in what is going to be a very busy year ahead. I will continue as a board member and adviser to my much loved BACK 2 BUSINESS International and support Farah London in her quest to open markets acoss the globe.

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  BACK 2 BUSINESS Joint International Trade Network

  • Chief Executive

    • Oct 2022 - Nov 2023

  • Regional Director Indo-Pacific

    • Jul 2019 - Oct 2022

    Leading business development, research and development and innovation partnerships and investment facilitation activities for BACK 2 BUSINESS across the Indo-Pacific region.

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  Farah London, Mayor of London, 2021 campaign

  • Campaign Policy Director

    • Jun 2020 - Jun 2021

    As the policy director for the campaign I was responsible for overseeing the development of the complete campaign policy, ranging from social policy reform, transportation and local planning issues through to economic policy. I provided specific guidance on trade and investment opportunities for London, the development of innovation and entrepreneurship support programs (including targeted female entrepreneurship initiatives), the creation of new business migration and investor start-up hubs and proposed the development of a London based Commonwealth nations trade and investment centre as a post Brexit initiative.

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  Department for Trade and Investment

  • Adelaide

  • Executive Director International Engagement, Trade, Immigration and Higher Education

    • Jul 2017 - May 2019
    • Adelaide

    Responsible for the delivery of South Australia’s international engagement and trade promotion activities, international education policy and the State’s immigration and business migration program. Leading a strong team of dedicated and skilled South Australians I was proud to be able to open new South Australian trade and investment offices in Shanghai and Tokyo and establish a new business migration program for the State, addressing skills shortages and driving the growth of innovation and entrepreneurship in the South Australian economy. Leading my team and developing complex international partnerships to drive trade and capacity building investment into innovation and entrepreneurship underscored my contribution. Creating the correct policy settings to ensure a strong working relationship between industry and government with industry was equally rewarding.

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  Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade)

  • Australia
  • International Trade and Development
  • 700 & Above Employee

  • Australian Trade Commissioner Tehran

    • Aug 2015 - Jul 2017

    I was deployed to Tehran by the Australian Government to rebuild Australia’s economic engagement with Iran as part of its commitment to the 2015 UN Security Council resolution to reduce sanctions. I was successful in establishing working relationships with key Iranian Government Ministries and relevant private sector entities to deliver commercial outcomes in the mining, minerals, agriculture, advanced manufacturing and energy sectors. Critical to this success was my work with Australian and international financial institutions to establish new protocols for facilitating payments and clearing funds originating in Iran despite ongoing restrictions imposed by the US Federal Reserve. Negotiating the highly complex international regulatory, security and stakeholder environment on behalf of Australian firms was a very rewarding part of the role.

  • Consul General and Trade Commissioner Istanbul

    • 2012 - 2016

  • Deputy Consul General and Trade Commissioner Dubai

    • 2010 - 2012

  • Director, International Engagement, Europe, Middle East and Africa

    • 2004 - 2010

    Responsible for stakeholder engagement and the delivery of Australia’s trade, tourism and investment programs relating to Europe, Middle East and Africa. This included contributing to building Australia’s investment relationship with Europe, developing Australia’s international education strategy, coordination of defence export control activities, facilitating research and development exchanges in partnership with the European Commission and guiding the Australian Government Iraq Taskforce on development and commercial engagement opportunities. Representing the Australian Trade Commission on the Council for Australian, Arab Relations was a rewarding part of this role. Analysis and supporting the Australian Government’s ongoing assessment of the operation of Australia’s network of trade and investment posts across the Middle East and North Africa was a core responsibility. I was able to visit the region extensively, including visiting frontier markets, where I liaised with local contacts and other OECD member foreign missions to gather intelligence and assess Australia’s relative opportunities. I had the opportunity to present findings to the Joint Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade.

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  Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications

  • Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

  • Director, E-commerce and Innovation Strategy

    • 2001 - 2004
    • Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

    Responsible for delivering business innovation and market development programs to assist Australian SME’s participate in international e-commerce and the broader digital economy. This included conducting workshops for businesses across 40 Australian towns and regional centres and negotiating concessions from service providers to assist firms with the development of their first websites and e-commerce platforms.

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  Department of Treasury and Finance, Victoria

  • Melbourne, Australia

  • Investment Advisor

    • Apr 1998 - Apr 2000
    • Melbourne, Australia

    Investor liaison and analyst as part of the Victorian Government Energy Privatisation Taskforce. The first privatisation in Australia’s history.