I am an experienced former career home civil servant and diplomat with more than 35 years of international trade promotion, investment and business development experience working with UK companies in UK and overseas. I have worked in DIT trade promotion roles in South Africa, China, Vietnam and Myanmar (Burma), including head of Advanced Engineering sector across the Department for International Trade (DIT) network in China; HM Consul General, Ho Chi Minh City and DIT Country Director, in Vietnam; and DIT Country Director in Myanmar, for more than 11 years.I am currently focused on providing professional service and support to existing and potential UK exporters and overseas direct investors who are seeking to expand their exports and investment footprint globally but particularly in ASEAN and China markets.  I work with international and UK businesses; economic development agencies; trade associations; and other commercial organisations through the provision of a wide range of tailor-made professional services.Services include providing strategic export advice; government relations and business development; FDI attraction; trade/business promotion; business lead generation; connections to professional advisers, in market networks in the public and private sectors support. These services are aimed at UK businesses in all sectors and of all sizes. Always delighted to talk to and help UK companies and entrepreneurs, particularly those looking at ASEAN and China markets including Hong Kong and Taiwan, by drawing on my nearly four decades of significant international trade and investment experience, especially in Asia in both their private and public sectors. Below, you will find an outline of some of the trade and investment roles, experiences and key achievements I have acquired/delivered in ASEAN and China markets, along with other DIT roles I performed in the UK and South Africa.

DIT Country Director leading a team of UK based and local colleagues to promote trade and investment between UK and Burma. Supporting many UK small and medium sized enterprises to win business through exports and foreign direct investment.

As British Consul General and Country Director, Vietnam, I had the dual roles of Head of Post, at the British Consulate General, HCMC, and UK Trade Country Director, in Vietnam. I oversaw the British Consulate's delivery of consular support to British nationals visiting and living in South Vietnam. Whilst also leading a trade and investment team that was partly located at the BCG, HCMC and the British Embassy in Hanoi. Through both roles I developed a network of key contacts at senior levels in both the private and public sectors in Vietnam, which provided UK companies with the opportunity to develop their businesses with Vietnamese partners.

Head of DIT China's network for Advanced Engineering and Mass Transport. Led a team of DIT Trade and Investment Managers to provide support to UK companies to win business in China, in the two generic sectors.

Head of EISU, a team of 12 staff, promoting the UK environmental sector into developing and ermerging markets overseas. By leading environmental sector trade missions to listed priority markets I was able to create a platform for UK environmental companies to enhance their exports and attract foreign direct investment into the UK.

Deputy Director of a joint unit, between Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The Joint Environment and Markets Unit (JEMU) had lead responsibility for developing the then nascent UK environmental sector and to promote UK environmental technologies and solutions overseas, particularly in developing and emerging markets.

Head of industry sponsorship of the metal forming and casting/foundry sectors, with policy lead on Trade Associations. Main remit was to support the industries to enable domestic growth and work witj industry trade associations to consolidate the numbers representing the sectors and get them working more collaboratively.

Head of a team responsible for promoting trade and investment between UK and North Africa with particular emphasis on Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.

Short term attachnent as part of the BCG Commercial team to support UK companies doing or seeking to do business in S Africa.

Deputy Task Force Leader in one of 16 Inner Cities Task Forces in England. TFs were established by HMG in economically deprived areas where there was high unemployment and needing of economic regeneration. The TF in Tottenham supported projects that created jobs for local unemployed people.

Responsibility for providing subventions to UK companies exhibiting in International Exhibitions and Conferences in North America and Canada.