How can Australia deepen its economic ties with Southeast Asia?

Southeast Asia is a key priority for the Australian government. In order to maximise trade and investment prospects, as well as expand people-to-people ties, the Albanese government has appointed Nicholas Moore as the Special Envoy for Southeast Asia. Mr Moore was the Chief Executive Officer of Macquarie Group for ten years and is currently the Chair of the Financial Regulator Assessment Authority.  

In his role as Special Envoy, Mr Moore will be responsible for leading the Australian Government’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040. This strategy will set out a pathway to strengthen Australia’s economic engagement with the region, map current and emerging opportunities, and provide a practical roadmap to bolster two-way trade.  

Join Asia Society Australia and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for a roundtable consultation with the Special Envoy. Mr Moore is particularly interested in hearing from Australian think-tanks on the opportunities, risks, and challenges to the Australia–Southeast Asia economic relationship.  

Date: Wednesday 14 December 2022
Time: 10:30am to 12:00pm AEDT 
Venue: Asia Society Australia, Level 24, Angel Place, 123 Pitt Street, Sydney  

This event is by invitation only and registration is essential. For any enquiries, please contact [email protected] 

This roundtable is delivered in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

About our Speaker

Nicholas Moore, Australian Special Envoy to Southeast Asia 

Nicholas Moore is a former Chief Executive Officer of Macquarie Group Limited. He retired in 2018 after 32 years at Macquarie, including 10 years as CEO. Nicholas has a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of NSW (UNSW). He was admitted as a solicitor and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. In 2017, Nicholas was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Business from UNSW.  

He is Chair of Screen Australia, The Centre for Independent Studies, The Smith Family, Willow Technology Corporation, the National Catholic Education Commission, the Financial Regulator Assessment Authority and the Markets Taskforce Expert Advisory Panel (within the Commonwealth Treasury) and Aldus Group. He is a member (and former Chair) of the UNSW Business School Advisory Council, a non-executive director of Q-Biotics Group, and a member of the Council of the National Gallery of Australia.  

In November 2022, Nicholas was appointed Special Envoy for Southeast Asia by the Commonwealth Government. Nicholas was previously Chair of the Sydney Opera House Trust, PCYC NSW, and has held directorships at Sydney Airport and Hills Motorway. 

Richard Maude, Executive Director, Policy, Asia Society Australia 

Richard Maude is the inaugural Executive Director, Policy, and Senior Fellow, Asia Society Policy Institute. Richard Maude most recently served as Deputy Secretary, Indo-Pacific Group, in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 

His portfolio covered Australia’s bilateral relations with Australia’s partners in Asia and North America, as well as Australia’s regional political, security, economic and development assistance interests. 

In 2017, Mr. Maude was head of the whole-of-government taskforce which supported the preparation of the Australian Government’s 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper. Mr. Maude was Director-General of the Office of National Assessments from May 2013 until November 2016.  ONA reports directly to the Prime Minister and provides all-source assessments on international political, strategic and economic developments affecting Australia’s national interests. 

Before taking up the position of Director-General ONA, Mr. Maude was the senior adviser on foreign policy and national security issues in the Office of the Prime Minister. Mr. Maude has worked extensively on international security and Indo Pacific affairs as a career foreign service officer in Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He has served overseas in Malaysia, where he was Deputy High Commissioner, Singapore and as the Liaison Officer for the Office of National Assessments in the Australian Embassy in Washington DC. 

Mr. Maude holds a first-class honors degree in politics from the University of Adelaide and a Master of Arts (International Relations) from the Australian National University.