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Taewoo Lee
Consul-General of the Republic of Korea (NSW) at Ministry of Foreign AffairsMr. Taewoo Lee, Consul-General of the Republic of Korea, is a distinguished diplomat with a career spanning several key positions. Mr. Lee's impressive diplomatic career began when he passed the High Diplomatic Service Examination in 1995, leading to his tenure at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). Over the years, he has held significant roles such as Director for Protocol of Ceremonies and International Conference and Director-General for North Korean Nuclear Affairs at MOFA. In December 2022, he assumed the position of Consul-General at the Korean Consulate General in Sydney, Australia, demonstrating his dedication to international relations and diplomacy.
Peter Cleary
Board Member, Chair of the AKBC Energy sub-committee at Australia-Korea Business CouncilPeter is now pursuing a portfolio of opportunities as an Adviser and Board Member. Peter moved from executive life when he left Santos at the end of 2015 where he helped two commercial Vice President positions. Prior to Santos, Peter enjoyed a 24- year career with BP where he held senior management positions in Australia, Indonesia, Korea, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi and the United Kingdom. Prior to joining Santos, Peter was the President of North West Shelf Australia LNG. Peter is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Australia Korea Business Council and the Australia Japan Business Co-operation Committee. Peter Cleary is also the Chair of the AKBC Energy sub-committee.
Hohyeon Lee
Deputy Minister for Energy Policy at Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), Republic of KoreaMr. Hohyeon Lee, prior to his recent appointment as deputy minister for energy policy, took a number of senior executive roles responsible for electricity policy, energy innovation policy and international trade policy in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea. Hohyeon was commercial counsellor in London and assistant secretary to the President for planning and coordination before his posting to London. He received his B.A. degree in economics from Yonsei University and while he lived in the U.S. he graduated from Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. with a M.A of finance and was a visiting fellow to the Brookings Institution in the U.S. He received Korea’s Order of Service Merit (Red Stripes) in 2018.
Sid Marris
Deputy Chief Executive at Minerals Council of AustraliaSid Marris has had an engaging career that has covered journalism, business, politics and community service. Born in Canberra, he worked in various reporting and management positions at The Australian newspaper from 1991 until 2008, in Sydney and Melbourne before returning for the newspaper to Canberra.
From 2008 he was at the Minerals Council of Australia initially in corporate affairs and industry policy and then covering energy, environment, climate change and communities policy.
In February 2017 he joined the Office of Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull as senior adviser for energy, resources, climate change, heavy industry and Northern Australia.
Late in 2018, he returned to the Minerals Council, working on policy issues such as the future workforce and innovation, state and Territory relationships, as well as advising on strategy. In 2021, he was appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer. Sid has an Executive Master of Business Administration from QUT and an honours degree in Arts from Macquarie University
Clare Pope
Treasurer, Chair of the AKBC Critical Minerals sub-committee at Australia-Korea Business CouncilClare Pope joined Gilbert + Tobin as a Partner in the Energy + Resources team in September 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.
James Choi
Honorary Ambassador of Foreign Investment Promotion for Korea at KOTRAJames Choi was Australia’s Ambassador to the Republic of Korea from 2016 to 2021. During his term, he managed the upgrading of the Australia-Korea relationship and facilitated a rapid expansion in trade and investment ties, especially in infrastructure and financial services. He led the Australian Government’s strategy to create a hydrogen supply chain with the Republic of Korea, creating the basis to transform the bilateral energy partnership.
James was also Senior Adviser to Australia’s Foreign Minister from 2013 to 2016, overseeing the direction of Australia’s foreign relations with Korea, China, and Japan. He was Australia’s Ambassador to Denmark (2010-2013), with previous postings to Australia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York (2002-2005) and Seoul (1995-1997). While in Canberra, he led Australia’s consular support for Australians overseas, managing global crises, terrorist attacks and high-profile consular cases. James shaped Australia’s international policy and engagement towards Asia and Australia’s hosting of the APEC Leaders’ Summit while working as Senior Adviser in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
After 27 years in public service, James completed his ambassadorial term and resigned to establish J2 Advisory in 2021. At J2 Advisory, James is using his extensive experience and networks to accelerate opportunities in the hydrogen economy in Korea and Australia as both economies transition to a low-carbon future. In addition, he has been appointed as an adviser to the Korean steelmaking giant POSCO. He is a Senior Adviser to Prostar Capital and is a Director of Flowerstone, an investment company assisting startup initiatives in Australia. James graduated from the University of Sydney with degrees in economics and law.
Jessica Williams
Manager, Critical Minerals Office at Department of Industry, Science and ResourcesJessica is a Manager in the Australian Government’s Critical Minerals Office within the Department of Industry, Science and Resources. Jessica’s team leads on the Government’s bilateral critical minerals engagement with the Republic of Korea. Jessica has previously worked in several roles across the Australian Government, including in international trade policy and trade negotiations, strategic policy, humanitarian assistance, and bilateral and multilateral engagement, and United Nations policy.
Jessica holds a Master of Laws (LLM), Juris Doctor (JD), and Bachelor of Arts (BA) and has studied at the University of Melbourne, University of Oxford, University of Sydney and University College, Dublin.
Dr. Gyesoon Park
Head of Mineral Exploration and Mining Research Center at Korea Institute of Geoscience & Mineral Resources (KIGAM)Dr. Gyesoon Park is a principal researcher in Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM). He began studying earth science in 1996 at Seoul National University. He received his B.A. (2000) and M. Sc. (2002) degree in geophysics after having submitted his theses on geophysical inversion studies. He graduated from Seoul National University with a Ph.D. thesis on Geostatistical integration analysis using multi-geophysical data in 2008. He has been engaged in KIGAM since 2008. He was a visiting scholar of Colorado School of Mines, USA during 2014-2015. He carried out several International Cooperative Research Projects in the field of mineral exploration in Mongolia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique. His research interest includes potential methods, multi-geophysical data integration, and various application of 3D geological modelling. These researches are being applied in mineral resources exploration, archaeology, and environmental problems.
Peter Sherrington
Chief Financial Officer at ArafuraQualifications: BBus, CA
Peter is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
He commenced employment with Arafura in 2008 as Commercial Manager and was appointed Chief Financial Officer in July 2013. He has more than 20 years’ experience in professional and corporate roles in Perth. Prior to working with Arafura, he held senior finance and commercial positions with several ASX and public unlisted entities. He has also worked in public practice for 10 years in the areas of business services and corporate advisory.
Kyunglin (Lynn) Kim
Director, Mineral Resources Team of Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM)Kyunglin Kim has over 20 years financing experience in Korea Eximbank ("K-EXIM") with focus on infrastructure, energy and minerals. Currently she is a head of Mineral Resources team since July 2023. In this role, she covers financing for mining, metals as well as agri-food projects where Korean entities are involved as investor, offtaker or any other major parties. Before joining Mineral Resources team, she led credit policy team and power (nuclear, renewable and conventional) financing team.
She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Seoul National University and Master of Overseas Investment from KDI School of Public Policy and Management. She is a CFA charterholder.
Andrew Spinks
Managing Director of EcoGrafAndrew Spinks has over 25 years’ professional experience in Australia, Asia and Africa on a range of commodities including speciality and industrial minerals. He has worked in a range of diverse roles across exploration through to successful project developments, and has held a number of board positions on both ASX and TSX.V listed companies.
Andrew was co-founder of TanzGraphite Pty Ltd and has been Managing Director of EcoGraf since its acquisition.
Jason Qi
Director, Resources, Energy & Infrastructure of ANZJason is a director in ANZ’s Resources, Energy & Infrastructure (“REI”) business. In this role, Jason manages client relationship in a highly specialised global segment of the bank with strong focus on mining, minerals and energy transition. Jason drives strategic dialogues with clients through in-depth knowledge of the industry specialisation and delivers appropriate financing solutions to achieve clients’ strategic objectives.
Prior to the current role, Jason led ANZ’s Client Insights & Solutions team in NSW and QLD. As part of an insights led, solutions-based origination team, Jason works closely with bank’s Institutional clients to initiate strategic discussions and provide tailored financing solutions.
Jason has over 15 years experience as a senior banker in Australia and overseas with strong focus on cross-border trade and investment deals in natural resources, infrastructure and energy transition industries. He has helped major offshore investors with their banking and financing needs for their significant investments in Australia. He has also helped major Australian companies expand into Asian markets.
Jason holds a Masters of Commerce (Applied Finance) degree from University of Queensland. He is a CFA charterholder, a member of CPA Australia.
Eva Hanly
President, Asia Pacific Region at Fortescue - EnergyEva Hanly is the President of Asia Pacific Region for Fortescue Energy, where she is responsible for leading the Company’s Asia, Australia and New Zealand projects. She has more than 20 years’ experience in the energy and infrastructure sector and has held senior roles at Squadron Energy, WorleyParsons, Origin Energy and Transurban.
Before joining Fortescue Future Industries in 2023, Eva was the Chief Executive Officer of Squadron Energy, a company of Tattarang, which is the largest private investment company in Australia. In this role, Eva oversaw Squadron Energy’s goal of rapid decarbonisation and transitioning the energy system to renewable power sources.
Prior to this, Eva was Group Executive at Transgrid, where she was responsible for transitioning the company into new businesses and services aligned with the energy transition. She also led the functions for corporate strategy, commercial, innovation and technology, new energy ventures, and policy reform and economics.
Eva holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours), a Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and Government and a Masters of Business Administration from UNSW, as well as other qualifications from the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Daniel Kim
Chief Executive Officer at Ark EnergyDaniel has more than 20 years’ experience advising on cross-border deals between Asia and Australia across a broad range of industries including renewable energy, natural resources and infrastructure. He is currently the CEO of Ark Energy, which is part of the Korea Zinc Group. Previously, Daniel was Queensland Government’s Trade & Investment Commissioner for Korea and based in Seoul for more than 5 years. Prior to that, he had a long career at KPMG in Transactions and Restructuring. The Australian newspaper named Daniel in The List: 100 Green Power Players 2023 and in the top 3 for hydrogen. He has been a Board Member of the Australia-Korea Business Council since 2014. Daniel received a Korean Government Minister’s Citation in 2017.
Kyu Hong Lee
Chief Strategy Officer at ElecseedKyu is a hard-working individual who possesses a strong desire for achievements of right things with a humble approach to his working life and an advocate of sustainability and passionate about clean technology. Following years of managing experience in multi-million dollar cross-border investment projects, he opened an office of Elecseed in Brisbane and has been developing the Kumbarilla Renewable Energy Park (K-REP) project in cooperation with the Korea Midland Power in Southeast Queensland since 2019, and recently commenced a green hydrogen project with the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power in South Australia.
He is also serving as an Executive Committee Member of the Korean Federation of Environmental Movements – Seongnam as well as the General Auditor of the Seongnam Citizen’s Solar Farm Coop because he likes to make contribution to local community.
Varya Davidson
Partner, Energy Transition at PwC AustraliaVarya leads PwC Australia’s Energy Transition business, made up of more than 130 energy and sustainability specialists who are committed to accelerating Australia’s transition to a decarbonised economy. Varya is an expert in transformational change and sustainability strategy, with more than 25 years of consulting experience as a Strategy& partner working with public and private sector Energy and Resources organisations across Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific. Varya’s an advocate for sustainable change bringing together cultural, environmental, social and economic opportunities and works with executives and Boards to translate ambition into action.
Tom Shon
Partner at MinterEllisonTom Shon is a partner within the Corporate M&A group of MinterEllison based in Sydney. Tom is a trusted adviser to his clients on their public and private M&A transactions, strategic joint ventures and a broad range of corporate, commercial and governance matters. Tom regularly advises both foreign and domestic blue-chip clients across a broad range of sectors including Energy & Resources, Renewables, Defence, Financial Services, Tech and Pharmaceutical.
Tom is fluent in Korean and as the firm's Korea Practice Leader, he regularly acts for major Korean multinational corporations and State-owned enterprises on their Australian strategic investments and on-going operations.
Chang Eun Park
General Director of KOTRA SydneyMr. Chang Eun Park is the General Director of Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency(KOTRA) in Sydney. He has 10 years experience in field of information & communication and next 10 years experience supporting multilateral trade activities as expitriates in diverse countries. Having passed through London, Hanoi, Laos and here in Sydney, he has wide understanding of international economics in Southeast Asia in particular, and is on his way of expanding his insight to Ocean states as well. He is currently in doctoral program for Ph.D. degrees in International Marketings from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, Korea.
Details of more speakers will be confirmed in coming weeks.