Consul General H.E Mr. Shi Weiqiang of the People’s Republic of China in Melbourne and Co-Patron of ACBC Victoria, will be returning to China after a two-and-a-half year posting in Melbourne. Mr. Shi has been a career diplomat for almost three decades and has worked as a third secretary, second secretary and first secretary in the Permanent Mission of China to United Nations. Mr. Shi has also worked as the Deputy Director General of Foreign Affairs Office of Tibet Autonomous Region People’s Government. After that, Mr. Shi took his post as the Consul General of China in Cape Town in South Africa. He was a counsellor in the Department of International Organisations and Conferences of Ministry of Foreign Affairs prior to his posting in Melbourne.

 

*Pictured above: Victorian Premier Denis Napthine and Mr Shi Weiqiang Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Melbourne.

 

Ms Nancy Gordon has been appointed as Australia’s first Consul-General in Chengdu, the capital of China’s Sichuan Province. Ms Gordon is a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. She has previously served overseas as Counsellor at the Australian Embassy in Japan, Second Secretary at the Australian Embassy in China and Vice-Consul at the Australian Consulate-General in Shanghai. She was most recently the Department’s Director of the Trade Advocacy and Statistics Section. Ms Gordon holds a Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies (Honours) and a Master of Arts in Applied Japanese from the University of Sydney, as well as a Master of Arts in Foreign Affairs and Trade from Monash University. She speaks Mandarin and Japanese.

 

The Chengdu Consulate-General will cover Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces.

The Consulate will help identify and build on opportunities for Australian businesses by providing a direct link to a region containing more than 190 million people. Many Australian companies, including BlueScope Steel, ANZ and Cochlear, are already active in western China.

International policy executive and non-profit leader, Martine Letts (pictured left) has been appointed the new CEO of the Australia China Business Council’s national office and will be based in Sydney.

 

Ms Letts brings strategic and organisational leadership skills and expertise in government, the non-profit and “ideas” sectors from her background working as CEO of the Australian Red Cross and Deputy CEO of Australia’s leading think tank, the Lowy Institute for International Policy.

 

“My ambition is to strengthen and expand the ACBC’s membership base around Australia, and to work closely with all ACBC branches (and state and territory governments) to promote all opportunities for Australian business in China, no matter how small or large the business,” said Ms Letts.

 

Andrea Myles is the Australia China Business Council’s Manager of Marketing and Development, previously acting as General Manager of the Council. Andrea was formerly an education development professional working with the University of Technology, Sydney connecting the university with China via in-country events and business development, prior to which she worked in rural China at the Eastern Tibet Training Institute in a fundraising and development role.

While completing her MA China Studies and MA International Studies, Andrea undertook Mandarin study at the National Political University in Taipei and at Yunnan Normal University.  She is a fellow of the School for Social Entrepreneurs and currently studying with the Sydney Leadership Program. Outside of the Australia China Business Council, Andrea is the National Director of the Engaging China Project, a national youth-based mentor program inspiring high school students to engage with China.

Australian Chef Peter Gong recently opened La Poste in Shanghai. Born in Shanghai Peter was inspired to cook at a young age and started his formal training at 18 after arriving in Australia, starting his career as a mere “kitchen hand” from which he realized his calling and progressed quickly to the position of cook. Peter has worked in a diversity of kitchens in Sydney learning the techniques of the great French masters and the freedom of Australian cuisine.
For the past eight years Peter has worked in Shanghai at Kathleen’s 5 and La Fourchette. For La Poste, Peter has created a simple French-inspired menu that will evolve with the seasons. Peter is fluent in English and Mandarin.

 

Edwina Pickering has been appointed Argyle Hotel Group’s Project Manager where she is working in Branding, Social Media and assisting the CEO, Mr. Kevin Zhang. Edwina recently graduated from Bond University with a Masters of Business Administration. Prior to her return to studies, Edwina lived in Sydney, working for companies including Macquarie Group and Vodafone Australia. Throughout her Bachelors and MBA, Edwina specialised in the study of business and culture in China.

Michael Sullivan is a new Grade 5 teacher at the prestigious Western Academy of Beijing. Originally from New South Wales, Michael has lived and worked extensively throughout the world, from London to Taipei, with a backpacking stint in Asia. Previously, Michael has taught at the British International School in Shanghai. He is a graduate of the University of Wollongong and enjoys playing rugby league, swimming and basketball. Michael also has interests in photography, scuba diving and travel. ■

*If you or your organisation have a human resources related announcement to make, or you know of people on the move, please send details to sophiel@chinaconnections.com.au