Board & Staff
Ho Chi Minh City Chapter
The first meeting of forerunner of the Ho Chi Minh Chapter was held on 24 June 1995 at the Saigon Floating Hotel on the request of the then Australian Consul General, Peter Baxter. There were 30 participants. From this meeting, a steering committee was formed charged with guiding the group through the establishment stages.
The first elected committee took office in June 1996, with John Dick as Chairman and John Gourlay as Vice Chairman. John Dick held office as Chairman until 1999, when Damian Clowes of PricewaterhouseCoopers Legal became Chairman (1999 - 2000). Nigel Russell (Phillips Fox) was elected Chairman for the 2000/2001 year.
Since 1995, the activities of the HCMC Chapter have expanded from a once a month lunch discussion, to an organization providing an effective voice for the Australian business community in southern Vietnam, both in terms of clarifying business issues with the Vietnamese authorities and providing feedback to Australian authorities.
In the past, senior Australian government officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Tim Fischer, Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer, NSW Premier Bob Carr and then Minister for Trade Senator Bob McMullan have addressed the HCMC Chapter and learnt of Australian business issues in Vietnam. In April 1998, former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam was guest of honour at a dinner for 260 members and guests, as the HCMC Chapter celebrated the 25th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Australia and Vietnam.
The HCMC Chapter works closely with the Australian Consulate General and the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee, with whom it has regular meetings including participation in combined business group meetings. Numerous Peoples Committee officials including Vice Chairmen and heads of government departments have spoken at the regular monthly luncheons held by the Ho Chi Minh City Chapter.
In May 2000 as part of the My Thuan Bridge Opening activities, the Ho Chi Minh City Chapter held a half day seminar entitled "Vietnam in an Asian Business Environment" attended by over 140 people, at which Vietnamese government officials, economists and Australian investors shared their views of Vietnam's development. Minister for Foreign Affairs Hon. Alexander Downer delivered the luncheon address.
Other business activities include monthly business lunches with general and panel discussions as well as guest speakers and annual field trips to the provinces surrounding Ho Chi Minh City, to meet with provincial Peoples Committees and investors. In the past 4 years the group has held two trips to Dong Nai province, and trips to Binh Duong and Baria Vung Tau. A large contingent of members also participated at the official ceremony for the opening of the My Thuan Bridge.
On the social side, the HCMC Chapter activities include an annual ball and monthly Sundowners, providing a perfect opportunity for visiting business people to meet the local Australian community. The HCMC Chapter holds a sport weekend at Phan Thiet, where the annual ABGV HCMC Chapter golf tournament is held, playing for the perpetual "Peter Baxter Trophy". The Ho Chi Minh City Chapter also holds the annual "Australia Day in Ho Chi Minh City", which has the distinction of being the largest Australia Day celebration outside Australia.
International Red Cross for the flood relief appeal, the Fred Hollows Foundation, the Saigon Children's Charity and the Committee for Care and Protection of Children.
The Strength of the HCMC Chapter lies in the variety of business, most of whom are small and medium enterprises. Members are drawn from the senior management of companies based in Southern Vietnam and lead a 3000 strong Australian community in Ho Chi Minh City. The members represent a wide range of industries, in manufacturing, construction services and construction materials, law, accounting, human resources, telecommunications, banking, tourism, education and numerous trading companies.
Official membership of HCMC Chapter now numbers 140, representing approximately 100 business, mostly Australian.
| No | Profile | Name | Title | Company | Address |
|
| |||||
| AUSCHAM HCMC CHAPTER COMMITTEE 2008 - 2009 | |||||
|
| |||||
| 1 |  |
Glen Reinsch |
Chairman | GHD Vietnam Ltd. |
General Director |
|
| |||||
| 2 |  |
Patrick Downey |
Vice Chairman | LIMRA/LOMA Merger Global Inc |
Managing Director - SEAO Region |
|
| |||||
| 3 |  |
Philip Paterson |
Treasurer | ANZ Bank - HCMC Branch |
Head of Corporate & Institutional Banking |
|
| |||||
| 4 |  |
Thao Nguyen |
Secretary | Allens Arthur Robinson- HCMC |
|
|
| |||||
| 5 |  |
Kim Debenham |
Ex - Officio | Australia Consulate |
Consul (Economic/ Trade) |
|
| |||||
| 6 |  |
Tony Burchill |
Ex - Officio | Austrade |
Trade Commissioner |
|
| |||||
| 7 | Chris Byrne | Member | International School |
Co-Ordinator Admissions & Marketing | |
|
| |||||
|
| |||||
| 8 |  |
David Morton |
Member | HSBC The Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited |
Deputy CEO, Vietnam |
|
| |||||
| 9 |  |
Anthony Cursio |
Member | ANZ Bank - HCMC Branch |
Head of Transformation Program |
|
| |||||
| 10 |  |
Clive A Randall |
Member | Leighton Contractors Asia (Vietnam) Limited |
Pre Contracts Manager |
|
| |||||
| 11 | Brian O'Reilly |
Member | RMIT International University Vietnam |
Manager - Post Graduate Program | |
|
| |||||
| HANOI CHAPTER COMMITTEE 2007-2008 | |||||
|
| |||||
| 1 | Paul Fairhead |
National President Vice-chairman |
Idea Investments Limited |
No 10, Lane 283 Doi Can, Ba Dinh, Hanoi | |
|
| |||||
| 2 | Giles Cooper | Secretary | Duane Morris Vietnam LLC |
Pacific Place, Unit V1308, 13th Floor, Pacific Place Building, 83B Ly Thuong Kiet, Hanoi | |
|
| |||||
| 3 | Michael Francis | Treasurer & National Treasurer | Hanoi Backpackers Hostel |
48 Ngo Huyen, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi | |
|
| |||||
| 4 | David Low | SMEC International |
Suites 515-521, Guoman Hotel, 83A Ly Thuong Kiet, Hanoi | ||
|
| |||||
| 5 | Clint Lambert | MAG |
#202 Van Phuc, 298 Kim Ma, Hanoi | ||
|
| |||||
| 6 | Maeve Nolan | Exotissimo Travel Vietnam |
26 Tran Nhat Duat, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi | ||
|
| |||||
| 7 | Lauren O'Hern | RMIT International University |
2/2C Van Phuc Diplomatic Compound, Kim Ma, Hanoi | ||
|
| |||||
| 8 | Barry Redman | Total Building System Ltd |
26 Tran Nhat Duat, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi | ||
|
| |||||
| 9 | Mark Procter | Di Dong Truc Tuyen - Services JSC |
781/C9 Le Hong Hong noi dai Street,District 10, HCMC | ||
|
| |||||
| 10 | Ben Cole | KARIBON |
53A, 69A Hoang Van Thai | ||
|
| |||||
| 11 | Julie Glasgow | Australian Embassy |
8 Dao Tan, Ba Dinh, Hanoi | ||
|
| |||||
| 12 | Tony Burchill | Austrade Hanoi |
8 Dao Tan, Ba Dinh, Hanoi | ||
|
| |||||
| 13 | Pham Thi Thu Huong | Hanoi Chapter |
No 10, Lane 283 Doi Can Street, Ba Dinh, Hanoi | ||
|
| |||||
| 14 | Cao Kim Phung | HCMC Chapter |
18A/34B Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, District 1, HCMC | ||