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NATIONAL PANEL OF EXPERTS 2018

Andrea Gleason

Director

DFAT Western Australia

Andrea Gleason commenced as Director of the DFAT Western Australian State Office in April 2015. She is responsible for managing the Department’s engagement with its diverse stakeholders in Western Australia, across government, business, academia and civil society.

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A career diplomat, Ms Gleason has served overseas in Washington DC and Stockholm. She has extensive experience in trade policy issues and negotiations and her previous assignments include Director, APEC Trade and Investment Section and Director, 

Andy Fell

Founder

GiFT 631

Andy Fell spent 30 years in financial services in the UK and Australia, 20 years of which were in senior leadership positions. Andy was General Manager of the St.George Retail Bank and Westpac Premium Bank which included responsibility for new to country and multi-cultural banking. On leaving the corporate world, Andy founded GiFT631 which centres on leadership development, change and building high performing, diverse and engaged teams.

Anupam Sharma

Film Producer & Director

Nominated as one of the 50 most influential professionals in Australian film industry and Director of the biggest Australian ad campaign films for India by Destination NSW, Anupam Sharma is a film maker, Reality TV Judge and leading Australian international expert on Indian Cinema. Specialising through a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in film, he is a frequent commentator on films/media and has written a thesis (with distinction) on Indian Cinema from University of NSW. Anupam is currently directing & producing three of the biggest India centric films and documentaries from Australia for the global market.

Brendan Smyth

Commissioner for International Engagement

Office of International Engagement

Brendan Smyth is the inaugural Australian Capital Territory's Commissioner for International Engagement for the ACT Government. During his 18 year service to the ACT, Mr Smyth has held Ministerial portfolios across a broad range of sectors. Mr Smyth was also elected as the Deputy Chief Minister from 2000-2001.

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From 2002 to 2006 Mr Smyth was the ACT Leader of the Opposition and from 2002 to 2016 held multiple Shadow portfolios.

Chidambaram Srinivasan

 Former Victorian Multicultural Commissioner

The East West Overseas Aid Foundation

 

Kylie Bell

Executive Director Industry

Trade & Investment at NSW Department of Industry

After working in the IT Industry (IBM) for over 3 decades in Australia & India, C.S.Srinivasan (Srini) has served, as a Commissioner of the Victorian Multicultural Commission, from 2011 to 2017. He is a Mentor for over 12 years, at Small Business Mentoring Service, Victoria. He is a Member of the Management Committee (Board) of The East West Foundation, a charitable foundation providing healthcare, education and community development, in rural India.

He is also a member of the Research Institute on Social Cohesion (RIOSC) (the Community Resilience Unit (CRU) 

within the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC). He has been a longstanding supporter of Indian & South Asian cultures & communities in Melbourne for over 3 decades.

Kylie is trade and investment specialist and the leader of EY’s India and ASEAN Business Group for the Oceania region. Kylie advises Australian companies, institutions and governments looking to grow their business into international markets, including developing market entry strategies, and identifying commercial partners and investors. Prior to join EY, Kylie also has more than 20 years of international experience and connections working in South Asia, South East Asia, Europe and Australia in senior diplomatic trade and investment positions with the Australian Government’s trade and investment facilitation agency.

Linda Fazldeen AM FAICD FIML

Director Community Engagement Defence NT

Department Trade, Business and Innovation NTG

Linda has specialist knowledge working with Multicultural communities; SMEs and NGOs, working in public and private sectors. A Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, she holds a Master of International Management degree and a Bachelor of Arts (Internet Communications). Currently enrolled in a PhD course at Charles Darwin University, she serves on the NT Telstra Business Awards and Telstra Business Women's Awards judging panels. 

Natasha Malani

Deputy Lord Mayor

Adelaide City Council

Natasha Malani has been re-elected as an Area Councillor for the 2014-18 term after first being elected in 2010. Natasha served as Deputy Lord Mayor in 2014 and has been re-elected by the Council to continue in this role until February 2015. She has also represented the Council on the Capital City Committee, Adelaide Convention Bureau Board, the SA Motor Sports Board and the Premier’s Taxi Council. Natasha manages her own consultancy called ‘Access India’, supporting Australian companies develop market entry strategies into India. 

Sarat Chandran

Director

Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce

Sarat Chandran plays a significant role in promoting trade between India and Australia. Mr. Sarat Chandran has also been a member of the Knowledge Commission of India headed by Mr. Sam Pitroda. Mr. Sarat Chandran has done his Master's Degree in Development Economics from the London School of Economics and has since worked with Commonwealth Development Institute in London (1980-85) and Sears Corporation in Chicago (1985-92) returning to India, in the 90's he has headed International Marketing divisions of several major corporate groups in the country like RPG Group, Enfield India Ltd. and Sterling Holiday Resorts Ltd. He has also been an Adviser to the United Nations Development Projects (UNDP) on issues relating to corporate social responsibility.​

Marcia Hoffmann

Deputy CEO

Trade & Investment Queensland

Marcia Hoffmann is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Trade & Investment Queensland. Her extensive executive management appointments have taken in central and line agencies in Federal, State and Territory jurisdictions. Marcia has specialised in leading large multi-disciplinary teams and she has a career-long interest and experience in government service delivery in rural and remote regions and cross cultural-settings.

Michelle Wade

Commissioner to South Asia

Government of Victoria

Michelle Wade is the Victorian Government’s Commissioner to South Asia based in Bangalore, India.  Michelle worked for almost 15 years in senior Australian diplomatic roles in in Italy, Malaysia and Spain and most recently managed Queensland government’s global network of offices. Michelle has an early career in classical music.  She grew up in Woolgoolga, NSW, home to Australia's first Sikh community.  

Neville Roach AO

Chairman

Tata Consultancy Services

Neville Roach AO is Chairman of the Advisory Board for Australia and New Zealand of Tata Consultancy Service  and a 2017 IABCA Lifetime Achievement Award Winner. He was Chairman of AIBC from 2000 to 2006. He is also a member of the Australian Government’s Advisory Panel on Positive Ageing and Patron of the UNSW node of the AII and the Australian Chapter of India’s industry association NASSCOM. He was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2000 for his contribution to business. In 2008, he received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, India’s highest honour for Overseas Indians from the President of India.

Rohini Kappadath

General Manager

Immigration Museum

Rohini Kappadath is on the Executive Leadership Team at Museums Victoria, as the General Manager of Immigration Museum. With a diverse career history spanning over 25 years, in the technology and professional services sectors, Rohini was previously a Senior Adviser at KPMG’s India practice, where she brought deep experience in working with businesses within Australia, India, ASEAN, China, Japan and New Zealand. 
 

For US-based, global software multinational, SAS Institute Inc.,  Rohini started-up and established the Indian subsidiary, as its Managing Director.  Kappadath also established the SAS Global Consulting Division,  which has grown to become the largest R&D centre for SAS outside Cary, North Carolina.  


 

 

 

Tess Bishop

Deputy Director General 

Strategy and Engagement

Queensland Department of Premier and Cabinet

Since January 2017, Tess has been leading the Strategy and Engagement Division comprising intergovernmental relations, strategic policy, and the integrated communications and protocol functions. Tess also oversees Screen Queensland and Trade and Investment Queensland’s interface with the Premier’s portfolio.  Prior to this, Tess was a Senior Executive in Queensland Health where she managed the Office of the Director-General Tess’s 18-year plus career in government is complemented by her extensive experience in the private sector, including her work with KPMG Europe, where she forged strategic relationships with business and industry stakeholders. Tess is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Masters of International Relations, a Graduate Diploma in Business Management and a Bachelor of Arts majoring in political science and public policy.

Panel of Experts 2017  - Click Here

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