Ms Liu Yu is the new Commercial Counsellor, for the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Melbourne.

Since graduating from the University of International Business and Economics of China in 1990, Ms Liu has worked with the Ministry of Commerce of China where her responsibilities have ranged from the administration of foreign investment, coordination of fiscal and taxation policies, planning of economic and foreign trade development to the latest economic analysis.

From 2002 to 2006, Ms Liu served as a first secretary in the Economic & Commercial Counsellor’s Office of the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom. She was a director in the Department of General Economic Affairs of Chinese Commerce prior to her current posting in Melbourne.

 

Eva Huang is Tourism Australia’s new Regional Director for Greater China. In this role, Eva is responsible for TA’s China, Hong Kong and Taiwan businesses and leading the growth of Tourism Australia in China, Australia’s fastest growing and the most valuable overseas tourism market. Eva oversees the Shanghai and Hong Kong offices including Consumer Marketing, Industry Development and Business Event functions.
Eva has cross-industry marketing and business management experience in multi-regions having worked in China, the UK and Canada with global leading consumer goods companies including Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola. Eva is currently living in Shanghai with her husband and two young children.

 

Kate Axup has joined the Beijing office of law firm Allens Arthur Robinson. Ms Axup is a Special Counsel who practices in the energy and resources sectors, with particular expertise in the power and water industries. She has relocated to Beijing from Allens’ Melbourne office, and has previously worked for Allens in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Ms Axup is a Mandarin speaker.

 

AustralianSuper has announced the appointment of Stephen Joske to the fund’s newly created role of Senior Manager, Asia. In this role, Mr Joske will be responsible for overseeing the fund’s strategy for its increasing investments in Asia across all asset classes.
Previously, Mr Joske was Director of the China Forecasting Service for the Economist Intelligence Unit and as the Senior Australian Treasury Representative to China at the Australian Embassy in Beijing. Mr Joske has also served on the board of AustCham Beijing. He speaks and reads Chinese.

 

Ms Cathryn Hlavka is AEI’s new Minister Counsellor (Education and Research) in Beijing. Ms Hlavka was most recently the Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of NSW. A former Counsellor (Education, Science and Training) in Shanghai and Tokyo, Ms Hlavka has also held positions with DFAT as the First Secretary (Political and Trade Policy) attached to the Australian Embassy and Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Vienna, and as Director of the Australia-China Council Secretariat.

 

Shaun Miller has joined Steel Framing Systems (SFS) International as General Manager of China. Prior to joining SFS Shaun worked for the ITW (Illinois Tool Works) Group in Australia for the past seven years and arrived in Beijing in 2009 as Regional Manager of North China for the ITW Construction Products division. Mr Miller is originally from Melbourne.

 

Annie Zhao is the University of Western Australia’s new in-country representative whose role is to promote study options to Chinese students interested in studying abroad and facilitating the needs of returning alumni. Ms Zhao holds a Masters of Communication from The University of Western Australia. She was previously the China Representative for Victoria University (Melbourne) and was responsible for marketing and recruitment activities in China.

 

Ms Jill Tang is Director of Development and Communications (East China), for the ACAA. Ms Tang has previous experience in the real estate and financial services industries in a combination of accounting and business development roles both in Australia and China. She recently obtained her MBA degree from the Melbourne Business School and holds a Masters of Applied Finance degree (Monash University) and Bachelor of Commerce (Latrobe University).  She is joined at the ACAA by Michelle Zhu, Project Manager (Shanghai Branch). Ms Zhu holds an Advanced Masters degree in Commerce from Griffith University.

 

Udo Dorring is AustCham Shanghai’s new Membership and Sponsorship Manager. Udo holds a BA from Queensland University of Technology and a Post Graduate Certificate in Chinese Law from Murdoch University and City University in Hong Kong. Udo has over nine years of experience working with consulting firms and government in Australia, Europe and China and has a background in sales and marketing consulting. Udo is originally from Brisbane but spent much of his childhood in Asia.

 

 

 

Hamer Scholarships announced

The Victorian government has announced the 11 winners of its inaugural Hamer Scholarships – allowing up to 50 Victorians a year to study Chinese language in Jiangsu province, Victoria’s sister state. The scholarships are valued at up to $10,000 and are targeted at people working or studying in industries/fields relevant to China. Applications for round two scholarships, close on August 26.

The initiative forms part of a $50 million ‘Victorian International Engagement Strategy’.

Victorian Emily Dunn, a public relations and media specialist currently working for the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, says the scholarship will assist her to concentrate on learning the intricacies of the Chinese language without having to seek excessive paid work to financially support herself as she pursues her studies in China.

Emily, who holds double degrees in journalism and arts (economics) and trained as a reporter with Seven News, hopes to use her improved language skills to promote Victorian, and more broadly Australian capabilities, in Jiangsu and China.

“I’d love to work on communications campaigns to help our products and services stand out from those of the thousands of international firms aggressively targeting the region.”

Emily’s China Career highlights include reporting for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games news service, managing marketing and communications for Queensland’s participation at Shanghai World Expo 2010 and co-hosting the 2011 Australian Football League Grand Final live on Chinese television.

Through her time with AustCham Shanghai, Emily says she has been impressed by the switched-on, hard-working ethos of Australians in China.

“I love the entrepreneurial spirit and energy of Australians in the Shanghai and broader Jiangsu region, and their ability to quickly change and adapt with challenges and opportunities.”

 

Scholarship recipients are:

 

Christopher Kong

Novelist and independent consultant

Matt Brent
Australian Industry Group

Michael Thyer
Telstra

Gene Michener
ANZ

Jenna Lipshut
Melbourne Convention and Visitors Bureau

Moyi Zheng
Department of Premier and Cabinet

Emily Dunn
Australian Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai

David Sobey
Rubicon Water

Chuan Tran
Port of Melbourne Corporation, Swinburne University of Technology

Alice Slevison
RMIT University, University of Melbourne

Daniel Ednie-Lockett
The Asia Institute

 

For more information on the Hamer Scholarships, visit:

www.dbi.vic.gov.au/hamerscholarships

 

AustCham SH announces new ED

 

AustCham Shanghai has welcomed new Executive Director James O’Loughlin, who replaces Kate Pollitt.

James has more than 20 years experience in marketing, publishing and customer account management across small dynamic enterprises and large international companies, and has contributed significantly to AustCham Shanghai as Membership Manager since early 2011.

Says James: “I am looking forward to the opportunity to follow on the outstanding legacy from outgoing Executive Director Kate Pollitt and the 2011-2012 Board of Directors under the Chairmanship of David Keir.”

The 2011-2012 year saw the chamber’s membership growing nearly 20 percent and the introduction of a number of new initiatives including the launch of the joint AustCham Beijing Financial Services White Paper, the expansion of the Industry Committees, and a measurable increase in membership engagement.

“I welcome the opportunity to be a part of a team that aims to expand the benefits and return on membership and match the lofty expectations of our fabulous AustCham Shanghai members.” ■

 

*If your company has an HR related news item you would like announced in People Watch, please send details to the editor: sophiel@chinaconnections.com.au