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Joyoung Jeon
Deputy Head of Mission at Korean Embassy in AustraliaMr 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, Indonesia and Argentina. Prior to that, he was Director of Secretariat for Preparation of General Assembly of World Conservation Congress and of Central America & the Caribbean at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in Korea. He received his B.A. in International Relations and M.A. in Administration from Seoul National University.
Prof. Gordon Flake
CEO of Perth USAsia CentreProfessor 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.
Clare Pope
Partner, Gilbert + Tobin ; 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 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.
Liz Griffin
CEO of Australia-Korea Business CouncilLiz 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.
Dr. Xiaotian Zhang
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Global at Curtin UniversityProfessor 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.
Tom White
Former CEO of Uber Korea at Tom WhiteTom 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.
Issac Hinton
Head of Australia at InterContinental EnergyIsaac 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.
Andrew (Changwoo) Lee
WA Representative at LG Energy SolutionAndrew Lee is a professional in mineral and metal industry with 15 years’ experience in the sector including non-ferrous metal trading and battery metal procurement roles with Daewoo International, LG Chem and LG Energy Solution in Korea.
Andrew commenced his role as WA Representative of LG Energy Solution Australia on 1 October 2022 and is taking responsible role in securing key battery raw materials including lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese by forming strategic partnerships with Australian mining and processing industry.
Andrew holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies .
Young Yu
Managing Director of MGM O'Connor Corporate AdvisoryYoung 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