6th Australia Vanuatu Business Forum

Mr Gary Clifford is President, Australia Pacific Islands Business Council. Gary is the founder and managing director of Pacific Air Express, the south pacific region’s first international cargo airline. Pacific Air Express has provided scheduled and charter freighter services linking the Solomon Islands, PNG, Vanuatu, Nauru and other pacific islands with Australia since 1993, and presently uses Boeing 737 freighter aircraft for this work, together with two recently acquired long range Boeing 757 freighter aircraft which will enable pacific islands exporters to connect with the vast China market via Brisbane. Gary went to the Solomons in 1984 as a young pilot, and has over 7000 hours logged flying in Solomon Islands and connecting international routes. Gary has dedicated his time and energy to providing a product that allows transport by air that caters to overlength, oversized and overweight items that would usually require the services of other modes of transport. Gary has assisted in developing access to rural areas by also participating in planning and building basic airfields to allow smaller aircraft access to remote areas. With 30 years plus in the region, Gary has embraced a passion in investing into the people and empowering them to building a better future, by being able to provide opportunity through this unique product and service to the community and their businesses. These days his time is spent managing the airline and developing new air freight routes in the region.

The Hon Salwai MP has been the Member of Vanuatu Parliament for the Pentecost Constituency since 2002, and Prime Minister of Vanuatu since 11 February 2016.  He has previously held a range of Ministerial portfolios in Governments of Vanuatu, he has been Chairman of the Vanuatu Public Accounts Committee, Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the Opposition Whip.  He undertook tertiary education in New Caledonia.  He then held a number of accounting and public service and political staff appointments before entering politics in 2002.

The Hon Mark Coulton MP is the Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment in Australia's Federal Coalition Government. He has served in the House of Representatives as the Member for Parkes since 2007.

Mr Coulton has also held the position of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Ageing and the Voluntary Sector, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Water and Conservation and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Emerging Trade Markets and was the National Party's Chief Whip from September 2010 to May 2016.

Prior to his election to the House of Representatives, Mr Coulton was the Mayor of Gwydir Shire Council from 2004 until 2007 and has an extensive agricultural background having spent 30 years as a farmer and grazier.

Mr Coulton is married with three children.

Shaun, an Australian Citizen by birth has been resident in Vanuatu since 2009 and held a number of roles both domestically and internationally during that time. Initially employed as Regional General Manager of a large regional IT Company based out of Port Moresby, he was responsible for the operations of Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Fiji businesses. Following this he has consulted to both Telecommunications Companies in Vanuatu (Telecom Vanuatu and Digicel) on operational and strategic operations.

Shaun has held the position of Interactive Gaming Regulator for the Vanuatu Government since 2014 and has been instrumental in the development and reform of the sector to ensure compliance to international standards and meet the Vanuatu Governments commitment to AML risk minimisation.

Shaun is Chairman and CEO of Azure Pure Water, Vanuatu’s first and largest bottled water manufacturer and actively involved in the promotion and development of the Vanuatu Manufacturing sector both domestically and internationally.

Shaun is the President of the Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and is actively involved in ongoing dialogue with the Vanuatu Government on the revision and suitability of Government Bills prior to presentation to Parliament. Shaun has represented the VCCI and Private sectors at a number of regional forums, the most recent of which was the Pacific Islands Leaders Forum in Nauru in September 2018, to present to regional Heads of State on the effects of NCD’s (Non Communicable Diseases) and Disaster Relief (Insurance) following regional disasters and has recently represented Vanuatu’s Private Sector in the Trade Negations with New Caledonia in February 2019

Governor Athy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the University of Papua New Guinea (1991) and a colorful central banking and government sectors senior management experience.

Mr. Athy held various positions within the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu from 1991 to 2003 including the position of Director of the Research and Statistics Department of the Reserve Bank.

Within the Government level Governor Athy held the senior positions of the Director General of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management and the Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office for ten (10) years before re-joining and heading the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu”.

Simeon Athy is married with four children. He studied at Malapoa College in Vanuatu in the early 80s and the University of Papua New Guinea from 1987 through 1990, where he gained a Bachelors Degree in Economics. He was also awarded Best Third Year Economics Student at UPNG in 1989. In 1991, he joined the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu, where he made his way up the ranks to the position of the Director of Research before he left the Bank in 2003. At the same year, Mr Athy joined the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management as Director General. In mid-2008, he served in the same position at the Prime Minister’s Office till November 2013 when he was appointed Governor of the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu.
Mr Athy also served in several capacities while serving in these public offices, including among others Chairman of the Millennium Steering Committee that oversaw the construction of two major national roads in Vanuatu in late 2000, Board Member of the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission, Board Member of the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu, and Chairman of the Air Vanuatu since 2009 till late 2013—latter of which had witnessed a marked turnaround to the company books. He also served as a Board Member representing Vanuatu in the Board of Trustees of the Small Island States based in Malta. He was Chairman of the Vanuatu Financial Services Advisory Group on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorist Financing since 2006 till 2013.
In these capacities, Mr Athy has been attending to matters relating to Pacific Islands Forum, IMF/World Bank, Commonwealth Finance Ministers, CHOGM, ADB meetings, and many others.
Mr Athy co-edited “20 Years of Central Banking”– a publication by the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu to commemorate 20 years of its inception. He has also published a few papers together with others including an unpublished work on Real Effective Exchange Rate of Vanuatu.

Ralph Regenvanu is currently serving his third term as the Member of Parliament for Port Vila, and is also currently the Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and External Trade. He is also an experienced anthropologist and painter. He studied in Australia and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with 1st Class Honors in Development Studies and Anthropology between 1988 and 1993. As an anthropologist, Ralph was Curator of the National Museum of Vanuatu and Director of the Vanuatu Cultural Centre for eleven years until 2006. During this time he was appointed as a committee member for the “Convention for the Safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage” which was adopted by UNESCO in 2003. Ralph went back to study in 2007 and graduated with a Bachelor of Law degree from the USP in 2011.

As a politician, Ralph became the first President of a new political party called ‘Graon mo Jastis Pati’ (GJP) in 2010. He first served as the Minister of Justice and Social Affairs from June 2011 to January 2012. Between May 2013 and June 2015 as Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Ralph was the main driver behind a major overhaul of the land laws which came into effect in early 2014. The January 2016 elections, winning the highest number of seats of any political party in the 2016 general elections. election re-assured him the post of Minister of Lands until December 2017 when he was reshuffled to the Foreign Affairs portfolio. In Foreign Affairs, his views on labour mobility focus on enhancing employment opportunities for ni-Vanuatu, and ensuring the growth and contribution of this very significant program to the Vanuatu economy as a whole.

Anthea is the CEO at The Difference Incubator (TDi) and is currently focussed on expanding their enterprise development method into developing countries, particularly in the South Pacific. She comes with a background as an entrepreneur and impact investor, allowing her to have a deep practioner focus in her work. She is deeply driven by the idea that business is part of the solution to address the social and environmental issues we face.

Anthea brings deep experience in social enterprise development, international development and commercial business. TDi works with enterprise at what ever stage of development from early stage trading entity through to mature business ready to grow. It runs a successful accelerator program called Two Feet which is helping MSMEs through Australia & the Pacific get on their own Two feet.

Cornelia Wyllie has lectured at Polytech “Profit from Small Holdings” and practiced what she preached.  Cornelia speaks with experience as an agricultural entrepreneur and a food processor in Vanuatu.

Cornelia is the co-founder and CEO of Fine Foods ltd, a food processing company that adds value to local foods.  With 80 % of the production exported it is a great testimony to the international standards maintained.  Cornelia focus is on functional foods – discovering their unique values and capturing them in a shelf stable pouch .

Cornelia Wyllie established the Sowers and Growers program and recently entered into an agreement to be the primary processor for 350 cooperatives under the banner of Vanuatu Cooperative Business Network.

Cornelia is serving on VCCI as councilor for large commerce. She is a strong advocate for fairness and development in Vanuatu whilst exuding a warm, motherly persona.

Cornelia has raised a family in Vanuatu and understands the challenges that face new comers.

www.finefoods.vu

has been the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of the National Bank of Vanuatu (NBV) since 2017. NBV is a leading domestic commercial bank with a special focus on building financial inclusion across every province of Vanuatu. Geoff is currently the Chairman of the Bankers Association of Vanuatu. Prior to joining NBV Geoff spent three years in Papua New Guinea as Managing Director of Westpac Bank– PNG – Ltd. Geoff has also worked in senior roles with the Export Finance Insurance Corporation and the National Australia Bank.

Geoff has a Bachelor of Business in Banking & Finance along with a Graduate Certificate in Management. He is a Fellow of Financial Services Institute of Australasia, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Member of the Australian Institute of Project Management and an Associate Member of Australian Marketing Institute.

PEC PNG 07, MEEM Aus/UTS 10, MPM Aus/SydU 16.

Recruited to PWD 1994 as cadet civil engineer and work through to senior management level before I moved to the private sector (Airports Vanuatu Limited-AVL) early 2011 as the Infrastructure General Manager. I set up my own consultancy and become a Project Engineer Consultant 2014. In September 2016 I was recruited as the consultant project managing engineer under the World Bank/Vanuatu Project Management (VPMU) to the Vanuatu Investment Project (VAIP) worth about 7 billion Vatu.

Late 2018, I become the Director General to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities (MIPU)

Apart from usual technical administration of MIPU, my main aim now is to have the Vanuatu Transport Plan (VTP) (funded by ABD) approved by the government which will allow us to effectively align our corporate and yearly business plans to the NSDP (People Plan 2030).

John Tonner is a self taught businessman in Vanuatu and for over 10 years has successfully enjoyed the Island paradise of Port Vila as his home. Mr Tonner’s humble beginnings in Vanuatu began in 2007 with the acquisition of MCI, a Construction Material Supply business. MCI grew from a few employees to a staff of over 75, operating 46 Heavy Plant & Equipment Machines, Ready-Mix Concrete, Quarries, Concrete Block Production and Civil Works.

The hand’s on entrepreneurial leadership has seen Mr Tonner operate in a broad range of successful commercial activities from the early days of Construction and Material Supply to Resorts, Café & Restaurants, Gated Communities, Land Development, Freight Forwarding Agency, Conference Facilities, Plant & Equipment, Civil Works, Infrastructure Development, Tourism, Port Agency and  Manning Agency. In Jan of 2015 Mr Tonner acquired South Sea Shipping (Vanuatu) Ltd covering representation of the majority of Vanuatu’s Commercial Maritime Industry, both Cruise Tourism and Commercial Liners and today Mr Tonner remains in an active Management role of over 17 Individual entities in Vanuatu 

A firm believer in the commercial responsible of community contributions, Mr Tonner has also driven to realty the “Goodwill School” in Port Vila with 300students from Pre Kindy to Class 12. The school is a jewel in Mr Tonner’s interests and provides education to a vast array of social levels in the local community. Having now achieved over 125 Students on sponsored scholarships the foundation belief is for Vanuatu’s future to change it must be built on Education.

Mr Tonner has actively invested in improving his surroundings and his national vision for economic inclusion reaches from the top of the Torba all way down to Tafea and believes the most precious resource of this Nation is the people, if they are supported with improved connectivity it will foster economic stability and drive decentralized growth.

Jonathan Granger is the Director/Founder of Granger Australia Pty Ltd, an Australian migration consultancy practice based in Sydney. He is also  former National President of the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA).

Since 2016 Granger Australia has assisted Australian employers and Pacific workers under the Northern Australia Worker Pilot Program for Pacific Microstates workers from Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu. Since the introduction of  the Pacific Labour Scheme in July 2018 Jonathan has continued this work in Samoa and  recently participated with an Australian  employer in the first  recruitment mission to Vanuatu under the Pacific Labour Scheme.
Jonathan has significant experience in areas of Immigration policy and advocacy having previously held various  roles  at State and National Level over 9 years with the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA).

He received the MIA Service Award in 2012 for his contribution to “Advance the Migration Profession”.

Dr Kishti Sen is a forecaster and an applied macro economist. Born in Fiji, he is in a unique position of having acquired both public and private sector experience in Australia and the Pacific. Over a 25 year career, he has held senior positions at the Reserve Bank of Fiji, BIS Oxford Economics and is currently ANZ’s international economist covering the Pacific Island countries.

In his present role, Kishti produces economic outlook reports for the Pacific economies including Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Vanuatu. These reports provide institutional clients with timely forecasts of key economic indicators. In addition, he provides independent and accessible insights into current economic conditions, highlighting challenges, opportunities and risks.

Kishti holds a PhD in economics from the University of Sydney.

Linnea is the Business Development Manager of the Seasonal Worker Programme, for Jobs Australia Enterprises Ltd. She has been a working professional since 2011, after graduating from The University of Minnesota Duluth, in the United States; completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Business Administration. She loves fast paced, problem solving environments where the overall goal is to help people become better than they already are. She has mastered the art of customer service, team building and leadership that she is now merging into her role at Jobs Australia. Linnea has diversity of experience not only geographically but with a breadth of crops and industries using the SWP. Linnea resides in Tamworth, NSW with her husband, Michael, and two French Bulldogs.

Moses Amos is the Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, Fisheries, and Biosecurity. For 5 years was the Director of the Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems (FAME) Division of the Pacific Community (SPC). Before joining SPC, Moses Amos was the Director of Vanuatu’s Department of Fisheries for 12 years. From January 2007 to March 2010 he was Director of Fisheries Management Division at the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) in the Solomon Islands.

holds Masters in Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts (Economics & Management).

He has more than 28 years of experience in the Provident Funds, as well as lecturing in the School of Management and Public Administration HRM at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji.

Mr Achary has also received training in Enforcement & Inspections of Provident Fund Employers Quality Control Circles, Managing Problem Investments Accounts, Administration of Provident Fund Boards and Social Security Systems, as well as Pensions.

His favorite past time is reading.

Richard Curtain is a Research Fellow at the Development Policy Centre, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University, Canberra. He specialises in researching labour mobility in the Pacific, with particular focus on pathways to work in Australia and New Zealand.

As a public policy consultant for 25 years, Richard carried out assignments on Pacific labour markets for the Asian Development Bank (ADB), UN agencies and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). He co-authored a report in 2016 for the World Bank is entitled ‘Pacific Possible - Labour mobility: the ten billion dollar prize’ which can be found here.

His consulting work has included taking a lead role in the redesign of Stage 3 of the APTC, now called the Australia Pacific Training Coalition, with a focus on its labour mobility objective. He has recently completed an assessment of labour mobility options for the Government of Vanuatu.

Terry Adlington spent seventeen years working with the BHP Engineering Division as an Estimating Engineer on the Senior Professional Staff and was involved with mining projects throughout Australia. After this lengthy period, he needed a well earned break, bought a farm in northern NSW and started growing coffee. He was a founding member of the Australian Coffee Grower's Association, The Coffee Growers' Cooperative and the Food Institute Coffee Tasting Panel.

There was a distinct need to expand and develop this small Australian industry and Terry created a nursery business and coffee consultancy that worked toward establishing other coffee farming enterprises. His companies, Crystal Creek Coffee and East Coast Coffee, were key sales and marketing outlets for the fledgling Australian coffee industry.

Consultancy work lead Terry to Tanna Island in 1998 to undertake a review of what was needed to revive the productivity, sustainability, profitability and future development of the ailing Tanna Coffee Development Company.

After a brief period of time, Terry purchased the company which has grown from 3.5 tonne of annual production to almost 100 tonne of production after 20 years, developing Tanna Coffee as an iconic South Pacific brand with an international reputation.

Virginia Bruce is the Founder and CEO of REAL Impact Investments
Pty Ltd (REAL).
Virginia has 25-years experience in successfully developing and
implementing brand extension programs yielding tangible business
results. Virginia’s international reputation as a thought leader,
entrepreneur and brand & business strategist was forged through
her key roles in developing International brand and business
strategies for many Fortune 500 brands including Warner Bros,
Disney, Audi, Volkswagen, Coca Cola, and Network 7 including four
back-to-back Olympics starting with the Sydney Olympic Games.
She has worked extensively in the USA, Australia, Asia, China,
Middle East and Europe establishing successful business
operations in all of these markets.
REAL Impact is the culmination of Virginia’s ideas, values and
experience. It is a ‘profit for purpose’ social enterprise pioneering economic
development through market-based value-chain creation, technology and
global connectivity. Her vision is to catalyse the transformation of global
supply chains and brands to be a positive force.
REAL Impact is currently working with the Pacific nations to access to the
global handicraft market is worth US$38 billion which until now has not been
possible. Through the process of harnessing the potential of the Pacific
creative economy, REAL Impact is re-engineering its ecosystem to create
sustainable change that will generate real and impactful outcomes within their
communities and broader economy.