ACBC Tas 2021 Insights Breakfast Series: Singapore – Tasmania’s Gateway to Asia

06 Aug 2021

What on earth does Singapore have to do with the Australia-China business relationship? In fact, many Australian companies channel their exports through Singapore to China and elsewhere in Asia. Not only do Australia and Singapore have a strong, vibrant, and longstanding trade and business relationship, but Singapore enjoys an enviable position as a nexus into Asia. It is no coincidence that Singapore is Australia’s largest trade and investment partner in ASEAN and our sixth-largest trading partner overall, with $27 billion in two-way trade in 2020.

Special Guest: The Hon. Will Hodgman, Australian High Commissioner to Singapore

Former Premier of Tasmania Will Hodgman has been Australia’s High Commissioner in Singapore for six months. He and his team on the ground are well equipped to support and represent Australia’s business interests in this vibrant market. Join the ACBC for breakfast with our special guest speaker via Satellite, His Excellency the Hon Will Hodgman, to learn about the opportunities for Tasmania’s businesses in Singapore and beyond.

ACBC National President David Olsson will also join us live online from Hong Kong, to give us an on-ground perspective on the national activities of the ACBC and its role in the Australia-China relationship.

Event Details:

Date: Friday 3 September 2021

Time: From 8.00am

Venue: The Old Woolstore Hotel, 1 Macquarie Street, Hobart

Cost: ACBC Members – $40.00 (plus Eventbrite booking fee)

Non-Members – $50.00 (plus Eventbrite booking fee)

For more information please contact:

Adrian Wood, Executive Officer, ACBC Tasmania | M: 0414 902 450 | E: acbctas@acbc.com.au

The Hon Will Hodgman – Australian High Commissioner to Singapore

Will Hodgman commenced as Australia’s High Commissioner to Singapore in January 2021. Mr Hodgman was previously Premier of Tasmania from 2014 to 2020 and served in the Parliament of Tasmania from 2002 to 2020. As Premier Mr Hodgman initiated trade missions to the Indo-Pacific and Europe to promote economic, cultural and social links with Tasmania. Mr Hodgman also held various Ministerial positions in the Tasmania Government, including; Attorney General, Justice, Tourism, Trade, Hospitality and Events, Advanced Manufacturing and Defence Industries, Prevention of Family Violence, Parks, Heritage, Sport and Recreation, the Arts and Aboriginal Affairs. He was Leader of the Opposition from 2006 to 2014 and is the longest serving Tasmanian leader of the Liberal Party.

Mr Hodgman was the Inaugural Chair of the Australian Business Growth Fund in 2020, and practiced law in Tasmania and the United Kingdom prior to entering Parliament. Mr Hodgman holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Tasmania. He was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor and became a Practitioner of the High Court of Australia in 1994. He is married to Nicola and they have three children, William, James and Lily.

David Olsson, National President, Australia China Business Council

David is the National President and Chair of the Australia China Business Council, and an International Director of King & Wood Mallesons.

He has over 30 years’ experience working as a lawyer in the Asian region, having lengthy periods in Beijing, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. He is currently based in Hong Kong/Shenzhen where he focuses on the Greater Bay Area, cross-border trade and investment and financial markets.

David has spent most of his professional career as a partner of KWM, having held key practice and management positions including as Managing Partner, Australia from 2004 to 2007 and as senior partner based in Beijing from 2008 to 2013.

Outside of his practice as lawyer, he is a business leader with extensive executive and board experience with public and private companies, business associations and government.

David leads several industry working groups that focus on financial market connectivity between Australia and China; he is a business champion for the Australian Government’s New Colombo Program, a member of the Council of the Australian National University Foundation and sits on several advisory boards focused on Australian business engagement in the Asian region.

With the support of the Port of Melbourne and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Port of Melbourne is Australia’s largest capital city container and general cargo port, handling more than one-third of the nation’s container trade. With the necessary port facilities and transport connections to handle each of the major trades, the Port of Melbourne serves as a vital freight hub for Australia, including southern New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania.