Joe is the CEO of ASW Global, an international talent partnering organisation with offices across four locations in Southeast Asia and a head office in Sydney, Australia. He is also the CEO of ASW Consulting, ASW’s subsidiary recruitment agency operating in Vietnam and Thailand. For more than 10 years, Joe has built and led the strategy for ASW Global in Southeast Asian markets, supporting partners from Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA.

Joe has over 30 years of experience in strategic planning, operations, and management in various industries, particularly in the IT and finance sectors. He was previously the CIO of EML, Australia’s largest provider of claims management services, and led an IT transformation in a period when EML grew from 100 staff in NSW to over 2,000 staff across Australia and Asia.

With extensive experience in fostering strong bilateral relationships in Southeast Asia, Joe is poised to lead ATBC into a new chapter of growth and collaboration. He looks forward to working closely with ATBC’s members, stakeholders, and partners to strengthen commercial ties between Australia and Thailand whilst further expanding the network.

Contact: president@aust-thai.org.au

Dale has extensive experience in working with government bodies in Australia and southeast Asia to promote investment and business interests. He has worked with companies across a broad range of sectors including trade, investment, international education, training and skill development, and primary industries.

Dale joined the Australia Thailand Business Council in 2021 and was elected National Vice President in 2022.

Currently, Dale is the Director and Founder of elkamy consulting and works across all areas of the consultancy leading the team in delivering elkamy’s contract with the Thailand Board of Investment, the Royal Thai Government’s investment promotion agency, under the Office of the Prime Minister of Thailand. He currently supports several Australian businesses with their investments in Thailand and expansion plans in Australia.

In the past, Dale worked for the Hon. Alan Griffin in the lead up to the 2007 Federal Election and then spent the following decade working as an Advisor and Chief of Staff to various state government Ministers. Dale has also worked as a public servant for the South Australian and Victorian Governments in media, communications, stakeholder relations and senior executive support roles.

Dale grew up in South Australia before moving to Victoria in 2006 to pursue a career in politics and the public service. He currently spends his time between Thailand and Australia.

Contact: vice-president@aust-thai.org.au

Chris Moor is currently Secretary of the Australian Thai Business Council and joined the ATBC board in 2021. He is also Deputy Chair of the Asean Business Alliance and the ATBC representative on this organisation.

He began his experience in Thailand as General Manager of BHP Steel Lysaght Thailand, in May 1992. He spent 14 years there in executive roles with BHP, British Steel, Metecno and HH Robertson. On returning to Australia in 2006, he maintained his links with Thailand through regular travel and in 2012 established McPherson Asia Pacific, based in Hong Kong. This company imported engineering products out of Thailand and China for the Australian market.

Chris moved to Perth in 2013 and is currently working with his business partners from McPhersons Asia Pacific in other business ventures focusing on investment in Thailand. In 2019 he was invited by Thantawan Thailand to explore new opportunities for their products in Australia.

Whilst living in Thailand, Chris was involved at committee level with the Australian Thai Chamber of Commerce, The British Chamber of Commerce, and the Lighthouse Club. He continues to maintain his close connection with Thailand through visits to meet with business associates and family members. Chris has qualifications in Metallurgy and Safety.

Contact: secretary@aut-thai.org.au

Ploy Heng is an experienced Professional Accountant operating her business ‘BP Tax & Accounting Services’, of which she is running it together with her husband who is also a Tax Accountant. Ploy graduated with Bachelor of Business, Major in Accounting from Edith Cowan University in 2003 and has been working in the Accounting section in various businesses across Perth, Western Australia. Ploy enjoys working within the Thai Community in Western Australia, helping them with their Tax and Business matters. She is fluent in both Thai and English languages.

Ploy migrated to Australia as a youngster in 1994. While she pursued her career in Accounting after graduated, she has also formed the Dara Thai Dancing School in Perth. The school is formed following the dreams of her mother who was a qualified Thai Dance teacher. Ploy is now teaching Thai dancing to adults and children on the weekend. Thai dancing has been her passion since the younger years, and she has kept up with the family tradition and take on the role of teaching from her mother. Dara Thai dancing has grown to showcase Thai culture in Perth since 2019 and has more than 30 students.

By joining the board, Ploy is bringing with her the vast of experiences that she has from working with the businesses and Thai community in Australia. She enjoys giving advice on all related matters and is well known in the Thai community for her helpful manner.

Contact: treasurer@aust-thai.org.au

Charn Saralertsophon has carved a niche in the corporate world as the Managing Director with a broad and dynamic portfolio. His professional journey is a testament to his versatility and expertise across various domains, having spearheaded startups and made significant strides in finance, services, manufacturing, digital transformation, e-commerce, trading, and logistics. His focus spans a wide array of industries, including machinery and auto parts, food processing, and the ever-evolving fields of information systems and application software.

Charn’s career notable achievements, underscoring his innovative approach to overcoming modern business challenges. He was instrumental in pioneering digitalized payment systems within the financial sector, enhancing retail commerce, and providing financial solutions tailored for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Moreover, his commitment to sustainability is evident in his efforts to tackle waste management and recycling challenges for industrial solid waste, showcasing his dedication to environmental stewardship.

At the heart of Charn’s vision for ATBC and its members lies a deep commitment to empowering SMEs in the manufacturing sector through digital transformation. He champions the integration of cyber and food security, ensuring that these enterprises are not only efficient but also resilient against the myriad of challenges they face. For the service sector, Charn emphasizes the importance of database analysis and security, recognizing the critical role of data in driving business decisions and safeguarding information.

Daniel Weeks is currently the Senior Manager, Community and External Relations for Kingsgate Consolidated Limited – the largest Australian company operating in Thailand. Before his current appointment with Kingsgate, Daniel had over 15 years’ experience working in various finance, policy and management roles for state and territory governments.

He is fluent in Thai, having studied Thai to the advanced level at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. Daniel has also worked as an on-call Thai interpreter with a diverse range of clients including the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and Department of Justice. Daniel has been the Treasurer of the Thai Group for 4EB Community Radio Station in Brisbane since 2019.

Daniel has a Bachelor of International Relations from Griffith University and Graduate Diploma in Economics from the University of Queensland.

Doug Blunt originally became a member of the Australia Thailand Business Council in the 1980s because of a long connection with Thailand reaching back to 1971. He joined the Executive Committee and became Treasurer in 2002, Joint President/Treasurer in 2013 and President in 2017. After serving as President for 8 years, Doug remains on the Board as a Director.

He is a former career banker having held management positions with several banks and finance companies over more than 40 years in Australia including Singapore and two PNG postings. His many senior international banking positions included Deputy Manager International Business Development with Commonwealth Bank, Head of Correspondent Banking and Credit in Australia for Chase Manhattan Bank, and Head of Trade Asia and RBC Trade Asia Hong Kong for Royal Bank of Canada. Many of these roles involved much interaction with various banks and companies in Thailand.

He later became a consultant and head of marketing in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan for corporate receivables with Siemens Financial Services, Munich. Douglas is now a Director of Centrelease Australia specialising in lease finance and trade advisory.

Simon’s career began as an administrative assistant at Baker & McKenzie in Thailand before being drawn to technology and business leadership roles. His journey includes serving as CIO of Hooker Corporation, Head of Global Product Management for REA Group (realestate.com.au), and Project Manager for Web Development at the University of Queensland.

In 2011, he co-founded Juwai.com, a pioneering platform that connected Chinese property buyers with global real estate opportunities. Under his leadership, Juwai grew to 3 million monthly visitors, 8,000+ paying customers in 128 countries, and over $4 billion in transactions, reaching a $80 million valuation before his successful exit in 2018.

After multiple successful funding rounds, Simon and his fellow Founder Andrew Taylor, led the businesses through international expansion, and have been an influential voice in global entrepreneurship, real estate, and cross-border commerce. His expertise has been featured in Bloomberg, CNN, CNBC Asia, ABC, and the Australian Financial Review.

Simon has lived and worked in Thailand for more than 10 years, including one full year as an exchange student in a then remote rural village in central Thailand. He has an enduring passion for Thailand and its people over almost 40 years and looks to expand the bilateral trade between our two nations.

Ms.Thinkohkaew was appointed as the Director of the Thailand Board of Investment’s Sydney Office and Thailand’s Investment Consul, Royal Thai Consulate-General, Sydney, Australia and Royal Thai Embassy, Wellington, New Zealand in October 2024.

In these roles, Ms. Usanee has responsibility for bilateral investment promotion between Australia and Thailand and New Zealand and Thailand.

Immediately prior to her appointment, Ms. Thinkohkaew was a Senior Investment Promotion Officer (Senior Professional Level) for the Investment Strategy and Policy Division at the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI). She was in charge of leading the Investment Strategy and Policy Team, responsible for developing investment promotional strategies, policies, and criteria, as well as investment development plans in compliance with national strategies. Her role also involved generating national competitive enhancement plans for targeted industries.

She has worked at the BOI since 2013 and completed her Master of Industrial Engineering at Chulalongkorn University in 2003.