Following the Annual General Meeting, the Chamber officially welcomed our elected 2022 Board of Directors.

This year’s AustCham Korea Board of Directors will include:

– Jo Billing, Director and Co-CEO, JOST & Co

– Felix Busch, General Manager, Millennium Hilton Hotel Seoul

– Michael Chang, Senior Foreign Attorney (Partner), Shin & Kim

– Adam Farmer, President & Representative Director, A.P. Moller – Maersk

– Ryan Freer, Trade and Investment Commissioner, Trade and Investment Queensland

– Ross Gregory, Executive Director, Altor Capital

– Kelly Ki Jeong Lee, Director, Global Relationship Group and Korea Branch Representative, IFM Investors

– Jeff Mannering, Managing Director, Audi Volkswagen Korea Ltd.

– Sandra Park, Chief Representative and Country Manager, Woodside Energy Korea

– Sean Sutton, CEO, Korea, Schindler Korea Organization

– Chris Raciti, Country Head, ANZ Korea

– Joanne Rhee, Head of Infrastructure & Energy Group, Macquarie Capital

As well as three Ex-officio representatives:

– Rowan Petz, Executive Director, AustCham Korea

– Julie Quinn, Minister Counsellor and Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner, Australian Trade and Investment Commission Korea & Mongolia

– Russell Wild, Counsellor (Economic), Australian Embassy, Republic of Korea

We would like to congratulate Adam Farmer, Ross Gregory, Ryan Freer and Joanne Rhee on their inaugural appointments and also welcome the re-elected Board representatives, Jo Billing, Michael Chang, Jeff Mannering and Chris Raciti.

The Chamber looks forward to working with our 2022 Board of Directors to continue to deepen our engagement with various industry and government initiatives.

Read more about our Board of Directors here.

The Chamber officially welcomed our new Project Manager, Grace Casley to the team on Monday, February 7. The new recruit was introduced to Chamber life with not one, but two trips to FourB!

With a strong background in social media management and marketing, brand representation and business development, Grace is passionate about meeting new people to connect and collaborate on a professional and personal level. Grace has a special interest in promoting Korean and Australian business opportunities globally, at the same time, developing an awareness of and respect for the nuances of different cultures.

Grace holds a Bachelor of International Studies from the University of Queensland and, after being accepted into the Korean Government Scholarship Program, obtained a Master of Political Science and International Relations from Seoul National University. Alongside her studies, Grace has been active in Korea as an Australian representative to lead projects targeted towards the Australian market through social media, YouTube and television. Grace has achieved the highest level in the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK 6) and enjoys exercising her Korean language skills in everyday life.

Read more about our Secretariat here.

AustCham Korea consists of a small team of passionate individuals all working towards a common goal of fostering a stronger Australian-Korean and broader business community.

On Friday, February 11, AustCham Korea said farewell to our previous Project Manager, Kate Kalinova, as she left her full-time role with the Chamber for new opportunities.

“I would like to thank Kate for her dedication, passion, and energy in advancing the Australia-Korea relationship. She has been integral to the Chamber’s success over the last two and a half years.”

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, Secretariat, Sponsors, Members and community representatives, I want to thank Kate and wish her all the best for the future”, said the Chamber’s Executive Director, Rowan Petz.

The Secretariat would like to give their special thanks to Jessica Welch, our student Program Officer from Griffith University, after finishing up her internship with the Chamber on Friday, February 18.

Jessica is a dedicated worker who assisted the team at the AustCham Korea office remotely from Queensland for the past 6 weeks, as part of the final leg of her bachelor's degree.

It was great to have her support during this busy time of year, particularly with the organizing of the Annual General Meeting, and the Lunar New Year campaigns.

Jessica shared her reflections:

“It was a pleasure to work alongside the AustCham Korea team and learn how the company helps to foster and encourage the Australia-Korea relationship. I have learnt many new skills and made lots of valuable connections during my time interning with AustCham Korea, and I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to the amazing team for allowing me to assist them, remotely, over the past 6 weeks", she said.

We wish her all the best for her academic and professional endeavours back in Queensland and hope she will get the opportunity to visit Seoul soon!

With expectations for new living with COVID measures meaning 2022 is the year things start to kick back up again, it was great to catch up with our members, Harry Lee and EunHwa Kim, to discuss potential CSR activities for this year.

Coffee catchups at FourB have been a great way for the AustCham team to connect with our members and plan future events, whilst also enjoying a #HojuStyle coffee!

Both the Chamber and CSR team are looking forward to supporting many fulfilling activities this year, and hope to see our members excited to participate as well.

On Wednesday, February 9, the AustCham Korea team successfully hosted the 2022 Annual General Meeting.

To start the AGM, some introductory remarks were made from our Patron, the Australian Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, H.E. Catherine Raper, and our Ex-officio Board Member, Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner, Julie Quinn.

The Chamber’s Chair, Chris Raciti, shared an overview of AustCham Korea’s growth in the past year, which included a successful continuation of digital engagement and hybrid events, numerous Ministerial engagements and membership growth. For his final remarks, Chris thanked the members for their support over the many years and indicated he will be stepping down for the 2022 Office Bearers election. In addition, he thanked AustCham’s Project Manager, Kate Kalinova, for her contribution to the Australia-Korea bilateral relationship and wished her all the best in her new chapter, and welcomed the new Project Manager, Grace Casley, to the role.

The Treasurer, Kelly Lee, presented the Treasure’s Report, which provided insight into the composition of the Chamber’s membership, sponsorship and funds allocation, which reiterated that 2021 was a year of significant growth for the Chamber.

Wrapping up the AGM, the Chamber’s Executive Director, Rowan Petz, provided some insights into the year ahead and reinforced his commitment to assisting members in navigating towards a post-COVID-19 world. He further highlighted the many exciting events the Chamber has planned for the upcoming year.

Click here to find out more.

On Tuesday, 22 February, AustCham Korea and the AHK Korea (Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry) (KGCCI) co-hosted an online Intercultural Workshop: Yongo and Beyond.

This workshop focused on tips for managers not familiar with the Korean business environment, and how to manage new and challenging relationships with employees, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders.

Topics that were covered included:

Special thanks to the German Chamber for co-hosting the event, and Dr Sven Horak, St. John’s University, New York for leading the discussion.

Did you know that you can find AustCham Korea's past webinars on our YouTube channel?

We upload complimentary past webinars to make them accessible to you for review or viewing at your leisure. If you are an AustCham Member and would like to access some of the past paid webinar recordings, please get in touch with us at info@austchamkorea.org.

Click here to browse AustCham Korea's YouTube Channel and subscribe to keep track of our webinars and other initiatives.

In partnership with the Australian Embassy in Korea, AustCham Korea invites you to our upcoming International Women's Day webinar, #BreakTheBias.

Bringing together industry leaders with extensive public and private sector experience across Asia, the panel will facilitate a compelling conversation exploring the challenges women face across diverse sectors and organisation types.

Panellists will address some of the barriers encountered by women across different industries - covering biotech, investment, energy and government sectors, and explore policies that have facilitated and supported the advancement of highly qualified women in business. They will also share their thoughts on ways to champion a gender-inclusive world moving forward, in both Australia and Korea.

Hosted at 12 pm KST (2 pm AEDT) on March 4th, in the run-up to International Women's Day on March 8th, the webinar provides a platform for senior business leaders, policymakers and young professionals to connect, exchange insights and share ideas on ways to navigate the complexity of doing business in the Asia region.

Dr Alexandra Siddall​, Deputy Head of Mission, Australian Embassy to the Republic of Korea, will provide some introductory remarks for the event before opening the discussion up for our panel of speakers, which include:

This event will be moderated by Jo Billing​, Director & Co-CEO at JOST & Co, and Board Member at AustCham Korea.

Our expert panellists will share insights on:

This will be based on the panellists' own journeys of working in leadership roles across the region.

Join us in celebrating International Women's Day by registering your details below and submitting a question to our panel. Email events@austchamkorea.org if you would like more information about this initiative.

Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm KST

Date: Friday, March 4, 2022

Virtual access: Zoom

Register and see more details about the event below.

AustCham Korea is pleased to welcome VMIC AVIATION as our newest Corporate Member!

VMIC Aviation is a rapidly growing aircraft technical and financial specialist based in South Korea. They intend to create an aviation total platform where clients can receive any services related to the aviation industry.

Currently, they provide technical services, market analysis and comprehensive financial consulting services including financial advisory, fundraising and asset brokerage such as ships and aircraft with technical support.

Find out more about VMIC Aviation on their website here.

AustCham Korea is pleased to welcome ResMed Healthcare Korea as a Corporate Member.

At ResMed Healthcare Korea, they pioneer innovative solutions that treat and keep people out of the hospital, empowering them to live healthier, higher-quality lives. Their digital health technologies and cloud-connected medical devices transform care for people with sleep apnea, COPD, and other chronic diseases.

ResMed Healthcare Korea's comprehensive out-of-hospital software platforms support the professionals and caregivers who help people stay healthy in the home or care setting of their choice. By enabling better care, they improve quality of life, reduce the impact of chronic disease, and lower costs for consumers and healthcare systems in Korea.

Find out more about ResMed Healthcare Korea on their website here.

Australian Strategic Materials Ltd (ASM) announced that following ongoing discussions with HEC in relation to the development of the Dubbo Project, it has signed a Heads of Agreement with Hyundai Engineering Corporation Co., Ltd., to exclusively negotiate with HEC the delivery of the FEED, which could progress to the EPC.

The agreement for the exclusive negotiation follows the request for proposal process run by ASM for FEED for the Dubbo Project, where HEC have been identified by ASM as the preferred candidate based on HEC’s experience and capability.

For more information, click here.

Congratulations to AustCham Korea member IFM Investors for successfully raising $380m for their second mid-market PE fund!

IFM Investors’ second private equity fund has raised $380 million after Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) tipped in $80 million alongside commitments from HESTA and Legalsuper.

The investments were in IFM Investors Private Equity Growth Partners Fund, which made its first close a year ago and has already been scouting for mid-market deals.

IFM has already invested $50 million of the fund in construction payment software business Paypps (formerly, Zuuse), which leaves the team $330 million to play with.

To find out more, click here.

The new ANZ and Pollination strategic partnership is set to allow customers to take advantage of robust, innovative solutions to accelerate net zero in the Asia Pacific, according to Katharine Tapley, Head of Sustainable Finance at ANZ Institutional.

The partnership will see ANZ invest $US50 million for a minor equity stake in Pollination, a leading global climate change investment and advisory firm.

The parties say the investment allows them to bring together their own track records financing and advising on sustainability to deliver impactful solutions across the Asia Pacific, including achieving levels of innovation, integrity and scale which would be unreachable without the strategic partnership.

To find out more, click here.

Shareholders of POSCO, South Korea's top steelmaker, approved the company's plan to transform into a holding company by splitting it into two business entities, the steelmaker said Friday.

After the breakup, the steelmaking group's holding company, tentatively named POSCO Holdings, will focus on charting out future business, research and development, and investment.

The steelmaking business will be dubbed POSCO, which will be wholly owned by POSCO Holdings and remain unlisted.

The steelmaker's affiliates, such as POSCO Chemical and POSCO Energy, will be under the wing of the holding firm.

To find out more, click here.

Australian Strategic Materials (ASM) announced the consortium of South Korean Investors, comprising Cerritos Holdings Co., Ltd, Kamur Partners LLC and ACE Equity Partners LLC, successfully completed due diligence on the Company’s flagship Dubbo Project.

This represents a key milestone in progressing with the consortium fund’s proposed conditional investment under the Framework Agreement.

After a delay due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, ASM recently hosted an extensive Australian due diligence visit by the Investing Partnership. This included visiting the Company’s Dubbo Project and discussing ASM’s research partnerships and business activities in Australia.

ASM’s Managing Director David Woodall said the completion of due diligence to the satisfaction of the Investing Partnership had taken place in parallel with continued progress on the remaining formal binding terms of the consortium’s investment.

“We are very pleased to have successfully concluded the due diligence process. Together we are now focused on securing a significant South Korean, strategic investor to partner with ASM on its Dubbo Project and to completing the terms for a formal binding agreement.”

“Our relationship with our Korean partners continues to go from strength to strength,” Mr Woodall said.

ASM will continue to update the AustCham Korea community as further milestones are reached.

To find out more about ASM’s success, click here.

Mott MacDonald has been certified carbon neutral for the second year running after meeting the internationally recognised PAS2060. This year Mott MacDonald expanded its ambition to include the contracting part of the Group comprising JN Bentley and subsidiary companies Mott MacDonald Bentley and JBA-Bentley, which has achieved verification by the Carbon Trust for the first time. JN Bentley’s emissions are currently reported separately but will be merged from 2022.

To achieve carbon neutral certification, the Carbon Trust independently verified the carbon footprint across Mott MacDonald’s business. In addition to emissions from office energy and business travel, Mott MacDonald’s carbon footprint now includes the emissions from colleagues working from home, which was a significant number due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and those arising from commuting – going beyond the requirements of the standards required for carbon-neutral certification.

Sally Sudworth, Mott MacDonald’s global head of sustainability and climate change, said: “We are proud to have been certified as carbon neutral for the second year running which continues to support our efforts to becoming a net-zero carbon business by 2040 and boosts our credentials as an industry leader when it comes to tackling climate change.”

Sally continues: “The continued reduction in our emissions means we are well on our way to addressing climate change in line with the recommendations of the 2015 Paris Agreement. Over the course of this year and beyond, we will continue to broaden and deepen our activities to reduce carbon emissions even further.”

To find out more, click here.

Specialist professional recruitment firm Robert Walters Korea announced the launch of its digital “Salary Survey 2022,” which provides a comprehensive insight into hiring trends and salary levels for thousands of roles across 31 countries.

The new digital Salary Survey is packed with helpful tools and resources for hiring managers and job seekers alike, including the latest trends and analysis for all industries, as well as video updates on market conditions. A comprehensive summary of salary levels allows employers to benchmark teams’ salaries and benefits packages against the industry standard, and benefits employees who are job searching or negotiating their salary. It also provides an overview for employers looking for employee achievement and bonus evaluation, to ensure the business remains competitive.

To find out more, and see the survey results, click here.