Lead the Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) global network with offices in Australia, China, Europe, Japan, New Zealand

As a Trade and Investment Commissioner at PTI Australia my mandate is to drive sustainable trade, investment and economic development outcomes on behalf of 16 Pacific Island Forum member countries. The PIFS member countries are expansive, remote, and complex multi-layered environments that incorporate: the Cook Islands; Nauru; Federated States of Micronesia; Noumea, Niue; French Polynesia, Fiji; Samoa; Kiribati; Solomon Islands; Republic of Marshall Islands; Tonga; Palau; Tuvalu; Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu. This contributes to the complexity and professional rewards in achieving sustainable trade, investment, and economic development across this region. I actively empower and mentoring the internal workforce and PIFS member countries through effective thought leadership, innovation, and diverse international stakeholder collaboration. The adoption of empowering leadership approach has enabled effective management and mentoring that has driven successful delivery of economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable trade and investment opportunities for entrepreneurs across the region. The significant trade, investment and development outcomes achieved to date have been leveraged through collaboration at the senior most level of the Pacific Island and Australian Government, DFAT, Non-Government Agencies, AusAID, World Bank, ADB, UN, ITC, private banks, tourism operators, industry bodies, entrepreneurs, and private sector. Key to the successes to date has been robust marketing strategies/ programs, effective financial and human capital resource utilisation aligned to strategic priorities. Demonstrably this has improved both the management and effectiveness of PTI, and the trade and investment potential of Pacific Island businesses during my tenure.

A Senior Business Consultant delivering expertise and advice in a number of key strategic areas. The ongoing development of the private sector in the Pacific region remains a key priority. Key services have been provided to DFAT, Fairtrade and TDi who are a new group of ethical investors. Whilst working for Laing and Simmons expertise has also been provided in the areas of property investment, development and sales.

I was responsible for the design and the implementation of the Pacific Business Investment Fund with specific focus on PNG and Vanuatu

As the VP I provide executive leadership to the APIBC, a non-profit association of Australian-based businesses with interests in the Pacific Island economies. With a membership base across Australia (and also open to Pacific Island countries), management of the Council is vested in the Executive Committee, of which I am a VP. In my capacity I actively contribute to the financial and operational success of the Council, including oversight of its’ financial management, policy development/ reform, member and industry engagement, and reporting. With a key interest in values-based sustainable trade and economic development across the Pacific Islands, I have used my considerable 20 years of regional expertise in trade, investment and development, a diverse professional network, influence and executive leadership to successfully advance Australian business in the Pacific island economies and Pacific islands’ business with interests in Australia. Through my professional network of stakeholders I have actively improved the development of bilateral trade and investment between Australia and the Pacific Island region through brokering commercial partnerships that have developed and expanded the Pacific Island economies with great success. As an empowering executive leader contributing to these outcomes has meant representing Australian business interests to the Australian and Pacific Island governments, and leveraging from a diverse network of business stakeholders with shared interests in the Pacific Island economies. Successful commercial outcomes have been achieved by the APIBC by maintaining ongoing dialogue with the Australian and Pacific Island Governments at Ministerial level to: advocate policy development and reform; receive and send trade and investment delegations; contribute to trade and investments conferences and seminars; and to research, analyse and share trade and investment information that achieves APIBC strategic objectives.

As a values-based executive leader with both a key interest and extensive expertise in international trade and investment, this role provided a professional development opportunity to make a significant contribution to the international trade and investment successes of Australian businesses. Leading a team of 36 Export Advisors geographically dispersed across NSW and ACT, using marketing programs as the vehicle for trade development, including trade shows and conferences (CeBit, Australian Fashion Week), I led the identification and development of diverse international trade opportunities for Australian businesses. With a strong commitment to performance improvement, change and innovation I consistently leveraged improved team performance and trade outcomes for Australian businesses with export capabilities. This translated into the restructuring of the NSW team, implementation of key performance indicators (KPI’s), and establishing a collegiate, high-performing and accountable workplace culture that rewarded achievement. The change management program also incorporated: the implementation of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system that supported effective management, analysis and reporting regarding diverse industry sectors and SME’s; the building of capability across agriculture, ICT, professional services, design, visual arts, and FMCG sectors; and development and facilitation of coaching/ training programs across Pricing, Account Management, Freight & Logistics, e-Commerce, Finance and Risk Management. Through implementation of a robust strategic change management program and agile executive leadership and mentoring of the Export Advisory team across NSW and ACT I was able to successfully drive and achieve the strategic mandate of the Austrade export advisory unit. This resulted in the unit exceeding their collective targets year upon year for: 2003/04 - 105%; 2004/05 - 135%; 2005/06 - 120%; 2006/07 – 125%; and 2007/08 - 152%.

As Acting Trade Commissioner to Mexico, with daily oversight of the office’s strategic achievements, operational management, leadership and mentoring of the Business Development (BD) team, I was afforded the opportunity to deliver the strategic mandate of this role, including marketing strategies and programs that promoted Australia’s international business capability across diverse business sectors. Stepping into this acting opportunity required exceptional professional agility, strong commercial acuity and executive leadership capabilities in order to adapt my professional style and commercial approach to address the complex challenges and opportunities presented in the role. Utilising my exceptional executive leadership, strategic trade and investment expertise, and well-developed communication, influencing and negotiation capabilities, I was able to successfully identify products and services for distribution by regional partners, and drive the BD team to achieve this end.

As National Sales and Operations Manager of this pharmaceutical, medical device and FMCG trading wholesale trading organisation, I deployed my exceptional executive leadership, pacific trade, commercial acuity and operational management expertise to lead, drive and mentor the sales and operations workforce. This translated into: speed to market strategies for new product lines; increasing market share of new product lines to PNG, Fiji, Micronesia and NZ; and national sales of new grocery lines to Woolworths, Coles, Metcash, and The Warehouse that significantly improved profitability across the Australian, New Zealand and Pacific client base. Contributing to these outcomes was the fostering of a high-performing and accountable workplace culture that valued outstanding performance, and the effective development of new commercial partnerships with key pharmaceutical and medical device organisations that led to diversification in product lines across the client base.

As a locally based Director, I utilised my exceptional executive leadership, commercial acuity and operational management expertise to lead and mentor the internal workforce of 460 staff, which resulted in driving successful diversification, increased market share, delivery of an increase in sales from $20M to $34M, and improved profitability. Contributing to these outcomes was the fostering of a high-performing workplace culture that valued outstanding performance, my effective management of key C-Level executive stakeholder relationships across all functions, and development/ implementation of strategic plans that actively supported the sales team to leverage the most from key accounts with: PNG Government; OK Tedi; Chevron; Lihir; PNG Department of Health; Doctors; and major FMCG distributors. Instrumental in achieving significant enterprise-wide organisational change that enabled double digit top line growth and bottom line results was my commitment to driving strategic level continuous improvement, change and innovation. In my dual capacity as Director and Manager, National Sales and Operations I successfully delivered an organisational change management program comprised of: defining strategic, operational and individual employee key performance indicators (KPI’s); sign off on performance management agreements with all employees; and the implementation/ upgrades of Financial, Warehousing and Retail technology/ software that delivered significant cost, time, quality and compliance efficiencies. Taking a top down approach organisational change through empowering leadership that rewards achievement, not only was system and process change successfully achieved, a positive, high-performing and accountable workplace culture with an ongoing commitment to continuous improvement, change and innovation was established.