Asia Briefing LIVE 2023 - Melbourne

Mr. Park has more than 2 decades of experience as a development economist and is a well-known expert on the economy of the People’s Republic of China. He has worked on a broad range of development issues including poverty and inequality, intergenerational mobility, microfinance, migration and labor markets, the future of work, and foreign investment.  

Mr. Park is Chair Professor of Economics, Social Science, and Public Policy at HKUST (on leave). He served as a founding director of HKUST’s Institute for Emerging Market Studies and Center for Economic Policy, and previously held faculty positions at the University of Oxford and University of Michigan.  

A national of the United States, he received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University and his doctorate in applied economics from Stanford University. 

Richard's previous ministerial appointments include Minister of Trade, Minister for Employment, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation and Industry, and Chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Affairs.

Born in 1967, Richard was raised and educated in Geelong and went on to study Law and Science, achieving a LLB (Hons) and a BSc from the University of Melbourne.

Richard lives in Geelong with his wife Rachel and has four children, Sam, Isabella, Harvey and Georgia.

He is a devoted Geelong Cats supporter, golf fanatic, a keen photographer, a snowdome collector and local history enthusiast.

Ambassador Xiao Qian started his career in the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia in 1986. From 1990 to 2000, Ambassador Xiao Qian was Third Secretary of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Third Secretary then Second Secretary in the Chinese Embassy in India and became Deputy Director and then Director of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In 2000, Ambassador Xiao Qian became Counselor for the Chinese Embassy in the United States. In 2003, he became Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, and from 2006 to 2012, Ambassador Xiao Qian was a Counselor at the General Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In 2012, Ambassador Xiao Qian was appointed Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Hungary. From 2015 to 2016, he was Deputy Representative on Korean Peninsular Affairs and Ambassador on Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and became Director-General of the Department from 2016 to 2017.

Ambassador Xiao Qian is married and has one daughter.

Madan is the author of the book “Fateful Triangle: How China Shaped US-India Relations during the Cold War” (Brookings Institution Press, 2020). Her ongoing work includes a book project on the recent past, present, and future of the China-India-US triangle, and a monograph on India’s foreign policy diversification strategy.

Madan is a member of the editorial board of Asia Policy and a contributing editor at War on the Rocks.

Previously, she was a Harrington doctoral fellow and teaching assistant at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. In the past, Madan has also been a research analyst at Brookings, and worked in the information technology industry in India.

Madan has authored a number of publications on India’s foreign policy and been cited by media outlets such as the Associated Press, The Economist, Financial Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. Madan has also appeared on a number of news shows including on the BBC, Bloomberg, CBS, Channel NewsAsia, CNBC, Fox News, India Today TV, NDTV, NPR, and PBS.

In addition to a doctorate in public policy from the University of Texas at Austin, she has a master’s degree in international relations from Yale University and a bachelor’s degree with honors in history from Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, India.

He was elected to the Victorian Parliament in 2006 as the member for the seat of Werribee, in Melbourne’s west.

Tim previously served as Minister for Roads and Ports, and Major Projects. He was Minister for Resources in the Andrews Labor Government’s first term, overseeing significant growth in that sector.

Tim’s political career followed roles as Chief of Staff to Premier Steve Bracks and Assistant Secretary of the ACTU. He has served with the Firefighters Union and the Storemen and Packers Union.

He studied Arts/Law at Australian National University and still holds a legal practising certificate. He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

He is married with two children and is a passionate supporter of the Western Bulldogs, Melbourne Storm, Melbourne Victory and the Melbourne Vixens.

Courtney is on the editorial board of Contemporary Security Policy, the Australian Journal of International Affairs and H-DIPLO ISSF. Her research examines how rising powers address the norms and provisions for global governance and international security, with an empirical focus on China.

He's a former senior government official with 30 years’ experience in foreign policy and national security.

From 2018 to 2019, Mr Maude was Deputy Secretary, Indo-Pacific Group, in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Australia’s senior official to the East Asia Summit.

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.  Before taking up this position, Mr Maude was the senior adviser on foreign policy and national security issues to Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

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.

Reporting to Aurecon’s Group CEO, Louise is a member of the Group Executive Leadership Team.
In addition to her role with Aurecon, Louise is also a member of both the National Advisory and Fiduciary Boards of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, a member of the Consult Australia’s Champions of Change Group and is an elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology & Engineering (ATSE). She is also a member of Chief Executive Women (CEW).

In 2020 Louise joined over 50 business leaders working under the guidance of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry alongside Global Vic, to develop the Victoria Summit – a playbook on the state’s strategy to 2050. In 2022 she was also invited by the Chamber to be one of the inaugural Champions for their Chamber Change program, highlighting Louise’s advocacy for female leadership and equality within STEM.

In October 2021, Louise was appointed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as one of three inaugural Business Champions to further two-way trade and investment opportunities to business communities in Vietnam and Australia.
Louise has received numerous awards including the prestigious Sir John Holland Australian Civil Engineer of the Year Award from Engineer Australia’s Civil College in 2023, the 2022 Excellence in Engineering accolade at the Women in Industry Awards and a 2021 Deakin University Alumni of the Year Award.

In November 2020, whilst in the role of Chief Executive for Aurecon across Australia and New Zealand, Louise was named the Australian CEO of the Year as part of The CEO Magazine’s Executive of the Year awards. In 2018 Louise was awarded a Chief Executive Women (CEW) Scholarship to attend the Wharton Business School and in 2016 she received a high commendation at the Consult Australia Awards for Excellence in the Champions of Change Female Leadership Award.

As a Chartered Civil Engineer, Louise has over 20 years’ experience managing and designing works in both civil and multi-disciplinary projects in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, Iran, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Singapore, Guyana, North America, Pakistan, Libya, Qatar, and the UAE. 

He holds a Bachelor’s degrees in Law (with honours) and Commerce. He spent the first part of his career in law and joined La Trobe Financial from one of Australia’s leading commercial law firms as senior legal counsel in 2006.

In 2009, Chris moved into the position first of Head of Funds Management and later Chief Investment Officer.  From 2009 until his appointment as CEO in 2022, Chris was at the helm of the Asset Management business for La Trobe Financial, the fastest and largest growing fund of its type in Australian corporate history.

As CEO, Chris brings sharp focus to customer service, business performance, capital management, technology uplift, risk management and people and culture.

Chris is one of the youngest CEOs in the Banking & Financial Services Industry in Australia.

Prior to joining Asia Society, Anthony was the Chief Operating Officer of the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas. Before that he was a Principal at the international management consultancy, Nous Group. In 2004 he joined the Lowy Institute as one of its founding researchers and established its West Asia Program. Between 2012 and 2018 he was the Lowy Institute’s Research Director and Deputy Director.

While at the Lowy Institute Anthony published research on Islamist, energy security and geostrategic connections between the Middle East and Asia, and on Australian sports diplomacy in Asia. He is the author of Remaking the Middle East, published by Penguin Random House Australia. He has written for Australian and international publications including The Australian, the Australian Financial Review, the Financial Times, Asahi Shimbun, Foreign Policy, The National Interest, and The New Republic. 

Between 1991 and 2003, Anthony worked in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He served as an Australian diplomat in Saudi Arabia and Israel. From 1997 to 1998 he was seconded to the Office of National Assessments, where he was the senior Middle East analyst. He was a departmental speechwriter twice, in 1999 and 2003.