WA-Korea Business Forum | Australia-Korea Business Council on Glue Up

The AKBC, supported by the Western Australia Government, is excited to host the 2024 WA-Korea Business Forum. Join us on Monday, 20 May, to further expand the deep economic ties between Western Australia and Korea.

South Korea and Western Australia have a longstanding energy relationship, brought about by South Korea's high demand for energy imports and Western Australia's large-scale energy supply capacity. This partnership has established Korea as WA's third largest trading partner and export market. As we anticipate increased engagement and opportunities to enhance our trade and investment relationship, this forum will serve as a critical precursor to the discussions we look forward to in September.

At this year's WA-Korea Business Forum, we are committed to highlighting the economic opportunities across various sectors, including energy, international education, food and agriculture, defence, and health and biotechnology. The forum will bring together industry leaders to discuss the most recent trends and emerging business opportunities, particularly focusing on hydrogen, critical minerals, and education sectors.

This event provides an invaluable networking opportunity for Western Australian businesses and government representatives to share experiences, contacts, and insights into this significant market.

We look forward to your participation in what promises to be a dynamic and insightful exchange, setting the stage for further discussions at our upcoming 45th AKBC-KABC Joint Meeting.

Click here to read more about the trade and investment opportunities for Western Australian businesses in Korea (Government of Western Australia publication).

Please note that we have recently made some changes to the event including the ticket price and venue. See below for the most up-to-date information on the event and to register.

Forum details:

Date: Monday 20 May 2024

Time: 3.30PM - 6.30PM AWST

Location: ANZAC Club, 28 St Georges Terrace, Perth WA 6000

Price: $40+GST for AKBC Members; $80+GST for Non-Members

Catering: Afternoon tea and coffee will be provided during a session break and canapes and beverages will be provided during the networking reception.

Follow us on social media for instant updates on all our events and news. For any further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us directly via info@akbc.com.au

Agenda

May 20, 2024

3

^15PM

Guest Arrival and Registration

3

^30PM

3

^50PM

Welcoming Remarks

3

^50PM

4

^25PM

Session One: WA-Korea Partnering Together for a Bright Future

4

^25PM

4

^45PM

Afternoon Tea and Coffee Break

4

^45PM

5

^15PM

Session Two: Green Horizons: WA-Korea's Joint Path to Sustainability

5

^15PM

5

^35PM

Panel discussion and Q&A

5

^35PM

5

^40PM

Closing Remarks

5

^40PM

6

^30PM

Network Reception

Speakers

Joyoung Jeon

Deputy Head of Mission at Korean Embassy in Australia

Mr Joyoung Jeon commenced as Deputy Head of Mission (DHM) at the Korean Embassy in Canberra in August 2023. He previously served as DHM in Thailand, I...

Prof. Gordon Flake

CEO of Perth USAsia Centre

Professor Gordon Flake is the founding Chief Executive Officer of the Perth USAsia Centre at The University of Western Australia.Professor Flake is on...

Clare Pope

Partner, Gilbert + Tobin ; Treasurer, Chair of the AKBC Critical Minerals sub-committee at Australia-Korea Business Council

Clare Pope joined Gilbert + Tobin as a Partner in the Energy + Resources team in 2023. She was a partner in the legal team at PwC, leading the practic...

Liz Griffin

CEO of Australia-Korea Business Council

Liz has been leading the Australia-Korea Business Council as CEO since December 2015, leveraging her extensive background with Asialink Business and K...

Dr. Xiaotian Zhang

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Global at Curtin University

Professor Xiaotian Zhang is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Global, a member of the senior leadership team at Curtin University in Australia. He is an expe...

Tom White

Former CEO of Uber Korea at Tom White

Tom was appointed CEO of a joint venture between Uber and the SK Group at its establishment in early 2021. He spent three years building a new team an...

Issac Hinton

Head of Australia at InterContinental Energy

Isaac Hinton is the Head of Australia at InterContinental Energy. He oversees the company’s Australian activities and partnerships to support the lon...

Andrew (Changwoo) Lee

WA Representative at LG Energy Solution

Andrew Lee is a professional in mineral and metal industry with 15 years’ experience in the sector including non-ferrous metal trading and battery met...

Young Yu

Managing Director of MGM O'Connor Corporate Advisory

Young is a professional business advisor with private and public sector experience in finance, consulting, trade and international business in Austral...

Professor Gordon Flake is the founding Chief Executive Officer of the Perth USAsia Centre at The University of Western Australia.
Professor Flake is one of the world’s leading authorities on strategic developments in the Indo-Pacific. Having spent twenty-five years in the US foreign policy community focused on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia and now nine years in Australia’s Indian Ocean capital he is an expert on key strategic relationships in the broader Indo-Pacific. He has authored many scholarly and policy studies on security developments in the region, and their policy implications for the US and its regional partners.

Since establishing the Centre in 2014, Professor Flake has worked to build stronger international relationships between Australia, the US and the broader Indo-Pacific. He has led the growth of several major international conferences in Australia and the region; and established a range of high-level diplomatic and policy dialogues on issues of shared concern for the Indo-Pacific.

Professor Flake is a sought-after media commentator, particularly on strategic developments in the Indo-Pacific and change order issues to do with US politics and foreign policy. His work has appeared in many leading international outlets, including the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, as well as across the Australian media landscape.

Professor Flake holds a number of strategic leadership roles. He is a Governor of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia (AmCham) and serves on the board of the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. He is a member of the Australian “Friends of Vietnam” group and a member of the international advisory board of the David M. Kennedy Centre at Brigham Young University.

Prior to joining 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.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Korean) and Master of Arts (International and Area Studies) from Brigham Young University. He speaks both fluent Korean and Laotian.

Session One: WA-Korea Partnering Together for a Bright Future

Clare Pope joined Gilbert + Tobin as a Partner in the Energy + Resources team in 2023. She was a partner in the legal team at PwC, leading the practice in Western Australia.
She specialises in M&A, joint ventures and project development in the mining, energy, power/renewables and infrastructure sectors. Clare is the AKBC Treasurer and Chair of the AKBC Critical Minerals Sub-committee.
Clare holds a Masters of Law from the University of Melbourne, and a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Australia. Clare has held non-executive director roles on the ASX listed oil & gas company Entek Energy Limited, as well as roles on other not-for-profit organisations. Clare has also been recognised in various legal directories, including Best Lawyers, Doyles Guide and Asia Pacific Legal 500.

Closing Remarks

Liz has been leading the Australia-Korea Business Council as CEO since December 2015, leveraging her extensive background with Asialink Business and KPMG to spearhead initiatives that enhance bilateral trade and investment between Australia and Korea. Her command of the Korean language is both deep and nuanced, evidenced by her completion of a Diploma of Languages (Korean) at Monash University, alongside her studies at Seoul National University. Liz's academic journey also took her to Yonsei University and Sogang University, further enriching her understanding of Korean culture and business practices.

In 2017, Liz's efforts in promoting economic collaboration between Korea and Australia were formally recognised by the Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Sydney with an appreciation plaque. Her dedication to leadership and excellence in governance was underscored in 2021 upon graduating from the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course.

Liz is passionate about unveiling the dynamic opportunities that exist between Australia and Korea, particularly in sectors critical to the future, such as energy transition, critical minerals, food and agriculture, and financial services. She is dedicated to educating Australian audiences about the strategic importance of our third-largest trading market, driven by a mission to ensure Australian businesses thrive in Korea, and likewise, Korean businesses find success in Australia. This commitment not only showcases her dedication to strengthening bilateral ties but also highlights her role as a pivotal advocate for cross-cultural business success.

Welcoming Remarks

Professor Xiaotian Zhang is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Global, a member of the senior leadership team at Curtin University in Australia. He is an expert in the internationalization of higher education and has held several senior executive positions at the world’s leading universities in Asia, Europe, and Oceania, including Deputy Vice President (International) of Shanghai University among others. In the past decade, he has successfully chaired and led largescale multinational education and research initiatives across the globe.

As an academic, Professor Zhang is the SHU Distinguished Professor of International Business and he held academic positions at the University of Southern Denmark, Stockholm University, University of Oulu, and the University of Tartu. He is also a former Rajawali Fellow of John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and a Visiting Fellow of Said Business School, University of Oxford. Professor Zhang is passionate about the strategic development of global entrepreneurial universities.

Session One: WA-Korea Partnering Together for a Bright Future
Panel discussion and Q&A

Tom was appointed CEO of a joint venture between Uber and the SK Group at its establishment in early 2021. He spent three years building a new team and ridesharing business, leveraging technology from both Uber and SK’s TMAP platform.

His journey with Uber began as the company's first local General Manager in Perth as well as Adelaide, and later included executive roles internationally, including as the General Manager of Vietnam and three years in Tokyo as the General Manager of Japan.

Tom has an economics degree from UWA, an MBA from the University of Chicago and in his spare time is now completing a second master's degree in the ethics of artificial intelligence at Cambridge University. In February he was chosen by the Liberal Party to be its candidate for the federal seat of Curtin at the next federal election.

Session One: WA-Korea Partnering Together for a Bright Future

Isaac Hinton is the Head of Australia at InterContinental Energy. He oversees the company’s Australian activities and partnerships to support the long-term growth strategy and project implementation. This currently includes serving as Chair for the consortia developing the Western Green Energy Hub and the Australian Renewable Energy Hub.

Isaac has nearly 20 years of experience in the energy and resources industries. Most recently he worked at BHP for over 10 years in various global leadership roles in sales, marketing, procurement, and Chief of Staff to the President Australia.

Isaac holds a Master of Commerce in Applied Finance and a Bachelor of Business Economics, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Session Two: Green Horizons: WA-Korea's Joint Path to Sustainability
Panel discussion and Q&A

Young is a professional business advisor with private and public sector experience in finance, consulting, trade and international business in Australia and Korea. Young specialises in providing international business development, cross cultural communication, and stakeholder engagement advice between Australian and Korean companies.

Relevant Experience:
• Currently Korea Representative and Senior Advisor at Santos Ltd
• Currently Korea Representative and Senior Advisor at InterContinental Energy and Western Green Energy Hub
• Currently Korea Representative and Senior Advisor at Arafura Rare Earths
• Currently Managing Director at MGM O’Connor Corporate Advisory
• Formerly Chairman of Asia Business Council of Western Australia Incorporated
• Formerly National Leader of Korean Services Group at Deloitte Australia
• Formerly represented the Australian Government and Austrade in Korea as Trade Commissioner in charge of trade and investment facilitation
• Formerly represented the WA Government in Korea as Regional Director at a senior level and liaised with the Korean government and its agencies, business groups and Korean corporates.

Major Clients Serviced:
• Rio Tinto, BHP, Arafura Rare Earths, Woodside, Oil Search and Austal Ltd,
• Posco and Posco Engineering and Construction
• Korea Gas Corporation, Korea Electric and Power Corporation
• Hyundai Heavy Industries, DSME
• Samsung Construction & Trade Corporation
• Korea Resource Corporation

Session Two: Green Horizons: WA-Korea's Joint Path to Sustainability
Panel discussion and Q&A

Event Details

Agenda

May 20, 2024

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4

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5

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Speakers