The 45th AKBC-KABC Joint Meeting | Australia-Korea Business Council on Glue Up

Agenda

September 1, 2024

September 2, 2024

September 3, 2024

Golf Day (Invitation only)

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Proudly sponsored by EcoGraf and Intercontinental Energy, the invitation-only Australia-Korea Golf Day will be held on Sunday, 1 September, and marks the inaugural event of the 45th Australia-Korea Business Council-Korea-Australia Business Council Joint Meeting conference from 1-3 September in Perth.

The Golf Day will be held at Cottesloe Golf Club, one of Australia's premier golf courses and renowned for its stunning coastal location and challenging course. The Cottesloe Golf Club offers a unique and picturesque setting for our golf day, with breathtaking views and meticulously maintained greens. This exclusive venue, celebrated for its rich history and exceptional facilities, ensures a memorable experience for all participants.

The golf day will begin with a shotgun start at 8:00 am, with the format Ambrose. Following the round of golf, attendees will be treated to an Australian-style BBQ paired by local fine wines. The 19th hole provides an excellent opportunity to relax and engage with fellow delegates from both Australia and Korea.

Prizes will be awarded for the top-performing teams, as well as individual competitions such as the nearest to the pin (sponsored by InterContinental Energy) and the longest drive (sponsored by EcoGraf).

45th AKBC-KABC Joint Meeting

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The 45th AKBC-KABC Joint Meeting will officially commence at 7:45 AM on Monday, 2 September, marked by an opening ceremony with introductory speeches by both the AKBC and KABC Chairman, and Premier Roger Cook welcoming us to the state of Western Australia. The Hon Don Farrell, Minister for Trade and Tourism, Special Minister of State as well as Minister Cheong, Korean Minister for Trade, Industry and Energy will also provide remarks, setting the tone for a day of insightful discussions and bilateral cooperation.

The Joint Meeting will feature five focused sessions, each addressing pivotal sectors where Australia and Korea are making significant advancements. Topics will include critical minerals supply chains, AI and startups, defence and space, innovation in traditional industries, and the green energy transition. These sessions will be led by distinguished Australian and Korean speakers who are at the forefront of their respective fields, providing valuable insights and showcasing leading-edge developments.

Australian Ambassador Briefing & Western Australian Government - International Delegate Briefing

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The Joint Meeting agenda continues with a briefing and discussion with the Australian Ambassador to the Republic of Korea H.E. Mr Jeff Robinson, who assumed the position in January 2024. With this being his third posting to Korea, Ambassador Robinson will share his insights on the Australia-Korea bilateral and strategic relationship, covering key developments, areas of mutual interest and industry sectors that hold potential for enhanced collaboration and investment. His extensive experience and deep understanding of Korea and the regional dynamics will provide valuable perspectives on the opportunities to expanding economic, diplomatic, security and other ties between our two nations.

Concurrently, Korean delegates will attend a briefing presented by representatives from the Western Australian government. This briefing will focus on identifying key investment opportunities and strategic interests in Western Australia, aiming to deepen understanding and foster mutual benefits.

Following these sessions, both delegations will come together for an informal networking reception, sponsored by Santos. This event will serve as the first official event where the full delegations from both Australia and Korea can meet and engage in a relaxed atmosphere. The evening will also feature a special Australian native animal guest, adding a unique touch to the event and allowing our Korean delegates with a quintessential Australian experience.

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Golf Day (Invitation only)

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Australian Ambassador Briefing & Western Australian Government - International Delegate Briefing

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Welcome Cocktail Reception

Speakers

Hon. Martin Ferguson AM

Chairman at Australia-Korea Business Council

Hon Martin Ferguson AM has a long history of public service and work in economic and social policy. From 1984 until 1990 Martin served as the General ...

In-Hwa Chang

Chairman at Korea-Australia Business Council; CEO of POSCO Group

Mr. Chang is a seasoned veteran in the steel industry and became the CEO of Posco Group in March 2024. He studied shipbuilding engineering at Seoul Na...

Hon Roger Cook MLA

Premier of Western Australia

Hon Roger Cook MLA is the Premier of Western Australia. With oversight of the key portfolios of State and Industry Development, Jobs and Trade; Public...

H.E. Jeff Robinson

Ambassador at Australian Embassy in Republic of Korea

Mr. Robinson is a highly experienced senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He has worked extensively across a wide r...

Senator the Hon Don Farrell

Minister for Trade and Tourism Special Minister of State

Don Farrell was born in Murray Bridge, South Australia, and is a fourth generation South Australian.While studying law at the University of Adelaide, ...

In-Kyo Cheong

Minister for Trade at Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE)

Mr. In-Kyo Cheong, named as South Korea's trade minister in January 2024, is a scholar specialising in economic security with experiences of participa...

Hon Madeleine King MP

Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia

Madeleine grew up locally at her parents’ home in Shoalwater. Her father worked for 30 years at BP Kwinana, and her mother and grandmother ran the pop...

Chang-Beom Kim

Vice-Chairman & CEO of Federation of Korean Industries (FKI)

Vice-Chairman & CEO Kim Chang-beom is a former career diplomat with 38 years’ service. He is currently serving as Vice Chairman at the Federation of K...

Mark Abbotsford

Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer at Woodside Energy

Mark was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Woodside Energy in August 2024. In this role Mark leads Woodside’s Commerc...

Darryl Cuzzubbo

Managing Director and CEO of Arafura Rare Earths

Darryl Cuzzubbo is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Arafura Rare Earths.Darryl has more than 30 years’ of experience in the global...

Goran Galic

Partner at A&O Shearman

Goran is an energy, resources and projects specialist.He brings market-leading experience advising across the ‘pit to port’ spectrum of the energy and...

Jenny Kang

Project Manager at Australia-Korea Business Council

Jenny joined the Australia-Korea Business Council as a Project Manager, after dedicating over ten years of her career to working at KOTRA Melbourne (K...

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...

Gerhard Veldsman

Chief Executive Officer at Hancock Operations

Gerhard Veldsman is Chief Executive Officer, Operations at Hancock Prospecting, with responsibility for the two iron ore producing businesses Roy Hill...

Blair Williams

Korean TV Personality; Copywriter at Cheil Australia

Having lived, studied, and worked in Korea for more than ten years, Blair Williams is an Australian who proudly calls Seoul and Korea his second home....

Hon Martin Ferguson AM has a long history of public service and work in economic and social policy. From 1984 until 1990 Martin served as the General Secretary of the Miscellaneous Workers Union and from 1990 until 1996 as President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). As a senior trade union official, from 1984 until 1996 he sat on the ACTU National Executive, participating directly in shaping and implementing many of the economic reforms of the Hawke and Keating Governments.

In March 1996, Martin was elected as a Member of the Federal Parliament in the seat of Batman, in Melbourne, which he held until retiring in 2013. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in June 1996.

During the Howard Government, Martin served in a range of economic shadow portfolios, including Employment and Training; Immigration and Multicultural Affairs; Regional Development, Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Services and Population; Urban and Regional Development, Transport and Infrastructure; Primary Industries, Resources, Forestry and Tourism; and Transport, Roads and Tourism.

Upon the Rudd Government assuming office in December 2007, Martin was appointed the Minister for Resources and Energy and the Minister for Tourism, and acted as the Chair of the Standing Council on Resources and Energy and the Ministerial Council for Tourism. He held the Resources, Energy and Tourism portfolios until March 2013, when he resigned from the Cabinet.

Martin is a member of an Advisory Board to the Australian Oil and Gas industry association, AEP and is the Strategic Director of Natural Resources to SGH Energy. He also chairs the CO2CRC, is a consultant to the Board of Accommodation Australia and the Minerals Council. He served until recently as the Chair of Clare Valley Wine and Grape Association and was an Independent Director of the Stars Foundation.

Martin was a member of the University of Western Australia’s Industry Advisory Board on Resources and Energy from 2013 until it was abolished in late 2018. From 2014-16 he was an Independent Director of the BG Group in London prior to its takeover by Shell and he chaired the The University College of London’s, Adelaide Campus Advisory Board until it merged with the University of S.A. in late 2017. Martin has an honours degree in economics from Sydney University.

Mr. Chang is a seasoned veteran in the steel industry and became the CEO of Posco Group in March 2024. He studied shipbuilding engineering at Seoul National University and received a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In 1988, Mr. Chang joined Posco Group as a researcher at the Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology (RIST) under the company-sponsored advanced research college, Pohang University of Science and Technology.

Mr. Chang has held several key positions at the group, including director of the RIST Steel Structure Research Institute, head of Posco’s new business department and steel marketing solutions department, chief technology investment officer, director of the Technical Research Laboratories, and head of the steel production division.

In 2018, Mr. Chang became head of Posco’s steel division. He became an adviser in 2021.

Academic Career
1988 Ph.D., Ocean Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, U.S.A.
1981 M.S. (and B.S. ’79), Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering, Seoul National University (SNU),
Seoul, Korea

Professional Career
2024. 03. CEO, POSCO Holdings
2021. 03. Advisor to POSCO
2018. 03. President, POSCO Head, Steel Business; Member of the Board
2017. 02. Senior Executive Vice President, POSCO; Member of the Board; Head, Steel Production Division
2016. 02. Senior Executive Vice President, POSCO; Head, Technology Investment Division; Head, Technical Research Laboratories
2015. 02. Executive Vice President, POSCO; Head, Steel Solution Marketing Office;
2014. 03. Executive Vice President, POSCO; Head, New Business Office
2011. 02. Senior Vice President, POSCO; Head, New Growth Business Office
1988. 06. Joined POSCO Group at Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology (RIST)

Hon Roger Cook MLA is the Premier of Western Australia. With oversight of the key portfolios of State and Industry Development, Jobs and Trade; Public Sector Management; and Federal-State Relations, Roger has been a member of the Legislative Assembly(link is external) since 2008, representing the seat of Kwinana.

Prior to entering politics Roger studied Arts and Public Administration at Murdoch University before completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Relations and a Master of Business Administration at Curtin University. He was active in campus politics and established the National Union of Students as its first National President.

After completing his studies Roger worked for a number of Federal and State Members of Parliament including Jim McGinty, Stephen Smith and Senator Chris Evans in policy and electorate officer roles.

Roger is passionate about Aboriginal issues and served as the Chief Executive Officer of a number of Aboriginal Land Councils, along with a communications role assisting industry and government to reach agreement with Aboriginal Native Title groups. He was previously the National President of Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation.

Roger is a strong advocate for health and fitness, competing in regular triathlons, marathons and rides for muscular dystrophy along with the walk for diabetes. He is an avid supporter of the Western Force and Fremantle Dockers.

Roger Cook was born and raised in Western Australia. He lives with his wife Carly in Wellard, and has two adult children.

Don Farrell was born in Murray Bridge, South Australia, and is a fourth generation South Australian.

While studying law at the University of Adelaide, he worked as a shop assistant and later joined the South Australian Shop Distributive and Allied Employees' Association, beginning a 32-year career working for the rights of retail and fast-food workers. Don led the union at the state and national level, overseeing the introduction of the 38-hour week and universal superannuation for retail workers.

He was elected to the Senate in 2008, and served as Minister for Science and Research, Minister for Sport, Minister Assisting on Tourism, and Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and Urban Water during his six-year term in the Rudd and Gillard governments.

Following his first term in the Senate, Don spent time tending his small vineyard in South Australia's Clare Valley wine region and knows firsthand the daily challenges faced by local growers and primary producers.
He again nominated for the Senate and was re-elected in 2016, serving as the Shadow Special Minister of State, Shadow Minister for Sport and Tourism, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader of the Opposition and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.

Following the election of the Albanese Government in 2022, Senator Farrell was appointed Minister for Trade and Tourism, Special Minister of State and Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate.

As a proud South Australian, Senator Farrell is honoured to represent the people of his home state in Federal Parliament.

Senator Farrell lives in Adelaide with his wife Nimfa and enjoys spending time with his three daughters, and doting on his grandchildren.

Mr. In-Kyo Cheong, named as South Korea's trade minister in January 2024, is a scholar specialising in economic security with experiences of participating in key free trade agreement negotiations.

Mr. Cheong served as a researcher at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy and also as a professor at Inha University, focusing on trade policies and economic security.

He participated in South Korea's major FTA negotiations, including those with Chile and the United States.

Mr. Cheong also has experience serving as an adviser for various government bodies, including the finance, industry and foreign ministries.

He took the post of the president of the Korean Security Agency of Trade and Industry in August last year.

He earned his doctor's degree in economics at Michigan State University.

His appointment does not require a parliamentary confirmation. While he is granted the title of minister, the position holds the rank of a vice minister.

Madeleine grew up locally at her parents’ home in Shoalwater. Her father worked for 30 years at BP Kwinana, and her mother and grandmother ran the popular drapery and women’s fashion store – The Family Traders – in Railway Terrace, Rockingham.

After graduating from Safety Bay Senior High School, Madeleine moved to Perth to attend university, where her passion for the importance of education began. Madeleine has continued to work to promote the value of higher education and training to the individual and to the wider community.

Through her leadership of the Perth USAsia Centre, she has helped to bring a unique Western Australian perspective to the international discussion on Australia’s role in the emerging Indo-Pacific region.

Madeleine believes in the importance of creating opportunities for people to improve their lives and the lives of their families and communities. We can build these opportunities through job security, education, vocational training, and support for small business.

The people of Brand are rightly concerned about local jobs and the increasing cost of living in our area, including the cost of child care and health services. These costs on wellbeing have placed extraordinary pressure on young families and workers of all ages.

Madeleine is building on the work of previous MPs for Brand Gary Gray, Kim Beazley and Wendy Fatin to increase local opportunities and enable young people to access further education, and vocational and trades training. She is a passionate advocate for the communities of Brand and works to protect the pensions of the elderly and the vulnerable, and to maintain the integrity of our world-leading Medicare health system.

Vice-Chairman & CEO Kim Chang-beom is a former career diplomat with 38 years’ service. He is currently serving as Vice Chairman at the Federation of Korean Industries since September, 2023. He has served as a global advisor for Hyundai Motor Group before joining in FKI.

He has served as Korean Ambassador to Indonesia from January, 2018 through July 2020. He also worked in Brussels as Korean Ambassador to the European Union and Belgium from 2012 through 2015. Amb. KIM has special ties and experiences with EU affairs, ASEAN and Indonesia, in particular.

During his career, he made significant contributions to the promotion of Korea’s partnership with the EU and ASEAN through summit meeting preparations and substantial progresses in trade, investment, and people–to–people exchanges. He has worked together with the Indonesian Government in reaching a final conclusion of Indonesia – Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IK CEPA) in November 2019.

As a career foreign service officer, he has served five overseas posts (US, Japan, Pakistan, Indonesia, EU/Belgium) and worked at various positions within the Korean Government ever since he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in December 1981. He has worked for President LEE Myung-bak as chief of presidential protocol at the office of the President from 2008 till 2012.

He earned a Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC, USA (1986) and is a distinguished graduate of Seoul National University (B.A., 1982).

Born in 1960, in Seoul, Korea, he has a wife and two sons.

Mark was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Woodside Energy in August 2024. In this role Mark leads Woodside’s Commercial and Marketing and Trading teams and is responsible for developing the company’s growth opportunities through mergers and acquisitions, new energy business development, exploration and new ventures.

He has been a member of the company’s Executive Committee since 2021. Following the completion of Woodside’s merger with BHP Petroleum in 2022, Mark was appointed Executive Vice President of Marketing and Trading. Mark has more than 20 years of commercial, marketing, trading, finance, and Mergers and Acquisitions experience across roles based in Australia, Singapore, Japan and United Kingdom.

Mark has held several senior positions at Woodside, including Executive Adviser to the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, and Vice President and Group Financial Controller. Prior experience includes roles at the Western Australian Department of Treasury and BHP Iron Ore.

Mark holds a Master of Philosophy in Finance from the University of Cambridge, and a Bachelor of Economics (1.Hons) and MBA from the University of Western Australia. Mark is also a graduate from the Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School.

Mark is a Board member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WA), GLX Digital and Asia Natural Gas & Energy Association (ANGEA). He is also a director of numerous Woodside subsidiaries.

Goran is an energy, resources and projects specialist.

He brings market-leading experience advising across the ‘pit to port’ spectrum of the energy and mining sectors, including on project acquisitions, joint ventures, developments and operations. He is involved in amongst the largest LNG and mining projects in Australia and globally. He is a lead partner on hydrogen and CCS regionally, and leads on amongst the first hydrogen and CCS mandates in Australia.

Additionally, Goran advises on regulatory and environmental aspects of energy and mining projects and brings considerable expertise in ESG/sustainability considerations and strategies relevant to the resources sector. He is an active member of our Sustainability Board.

Goran is sought for his deep sector expertise and solutions focussed approach. He is recognised by clients for his ‘client-centric [approach] and good big picture view of deals’ (Legal 500 Australia 2022) while another source adds that his ‘depth of energy & resources expertise is top of the market… [and that] it’s difficult to choose any other adviser as he has a genuine knowledge of the issues we face…’ (Legal 500 Australia 2022).

Jenny joined the Australia-Korea Business Council as a Project Manager, after dedicating over ten years of her career to working at KOTRA Melbourne (Korea Trade and Investment Promotion Agency).

During her tenure at KOTRA, Jenny managed research and marketing activities, with a particular focus on facilitating business collaborations between Korean SMEs and Australian companies. Her responsibilities included writing articles and reports for corporate members, policymakers, and the general public, covering various aspects of the Australia-Korea bilateral relationship. These pieces encompassed trends, statistics, market barriers and regulations identification, as well as assessments of opportunities and challenges across diverse industries.

Her work has earned recognition as the Best Article of the Year and Best Researcher of the Year for two consecutive years, awarded by KOTRA’s headquarters in Seoul. She delved into in-depth analyses of key sectors such as food and agriculture, energy, and critical minerals to promote opportunities for both Australia and Korea.

Jenny holds a Bachelor’s degree in Korean Language and Media Communication from Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul, Korea. Additionally, she pursued postgraduate studies and earned a Master’s degree in International Business from Monash University.

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.

Gerhard Veldsman is Chief Executive Officer, Operations at Hancock Prospecting, with responsibility for the two iron ore producing businesses Roy Hill and Atlas Iron.
Gerhard has extensive mining industry experience spanning various commodities and operations in Australia and South Africa, including more than a decade in iron ore.
He has managed mine, port, and rail operations in the Pilbara, overseen major capital projects, and led organisation wide strategic planning and implementation.
Gerhard initially joined Roy Hill as Chief Operating Officer in August 2019 and was named Chief Operating Officer of the Year in 2020 by CEO Magazine.
He has previously held senior management positions at Fortescue Metals Group, BHP, and BIS Industries.

Having lived, studied, and worked in Korea for more than ten years, Blair Williams is an Australian who proudly calls Seoul and Korea his second home. His time in Seoul fuelled his curiosity for language and culture, launched his advertising career, and kickstarted an unexpected yet fulfilling adventure in Korean TV & media.

This includes welcoming Korean TV viewers on a televised tour of Australian shores in ‘Where Is My Friend’s Home’, and highlighting Aussie family dynamics in the program ‘Welcome First Time in Korea’.

Now back in Australia, Blair still works closely with Korea, leveraging his experience as a member of the Cheil Australia team in Sydney. At all other times, you might find him quietly enjoying a cup of his favourite Hadong green tea.