Team
National Executive
Doug Blunt – President and Treasurer
Douglas 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.
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.
Dale Foody – ATBC Vice President
Jamie Gibson – Vice-President and Secretary
Jamie Gibson is currently the General Manager Corporate and External Relations for Kingsgate Consolidated Limited (an ASX listed gold mining company), which is the largest Australian investor in Thailand. Jamie joined the Board of the Australia Thailand Business Council in 2013, and became Vice-President in 2017.
Jamie is a government and community relations expert given his strong background in resource sector regulatory affairs, public affairs, and investor relations. In his +20 year career, he has worked as a Trade and Investment Advisor across various levels of government, with a special focus on Asia and the Middle East. He has also previously been a Chief Advisor in both industry and resources portfolios (primary industries, metals and coal).
Chris Moor – Board Member, also Chair, WA ATBC Branch
Chris Moor is currently Chairman of the Perth chapter of the Australian Thai Business Council and joined the ATBC board in 2021.
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 in McPhersons Asia Pacific in other business ventures. 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.
Glen Robinson – Board Member
Glen Robinson has spent the last several decades focussing on the establishment and development of cross border alliances, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, particularly in the manufacturing, processing and distribution areas, and targeted to Asian businesses.
These corporate advisory activities are based on more than 20 years’ experience in management consultancy, and he has worked with a wide range of industries from agriculture, government through to manufacturing, distribution and service industries. He initially gained his Asian experience as chief executive officer for the Asian subsidiaries and joint ventures of a major international manufacturing and marketing organisation.
Glen has a special affinity for Thailand where he has successfully undertaken many projects and for many years was an advisor to the Thailand Board of Investment.
Daniel Weeks – Board Member and Chair, ATBC Queensland Branch
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.
Charn Saralertsophon – Board Member (Bangkok-based)
Charn was the Director General of the Federation of Thai Industries and advisor to several ministers and governmental committees and private business associations. He was a founding member of the Thai Russian Association for Technological & Economic Development, and the Association of Thai Software Industry (ATSI). Also served as managing director to several reputable Thai private companies for over 40 years.
Charn leads the firm’s investment facilitation and services division. He advises foreign investors and businesses in Thailand from commercial landscape and business intelligence perspective. With extensive management experiences, business and government networks. Charn supports clients establishing critical linkages, include, supply side networking, customer base networking, infrastructure and supply chain networking, access to financial resources, connectivity with government agencies, and government affairs, providing a full functional connectivity and identifying with potential business partners for joint ventures and acquisition.
Appointments
- Director on the Board of Thai Viet Jet Airline.
Honorary Adviser
Khun Krirk-Krai Jirapaet’s illustrious career both in the government and private sectors spans over almost four decades. He held numerous high-ranking positions in the Thai bureaucracy, culminated in Ministerial positions as Vice-Minister of Tourism and Sports and subsequently Minister of Commerce.
As an Eminent Person, he is currently a member of the Council of State (กรรมการกฤษฎีกา), the Executive arms of the Government responsible for the drafting of legislation. He holds top positions in several companies both listed and unlisted. He also makes his expertise and skills available to think-tank institutes and not-for-profit organisations.
Khun Krirk-Krai received a Bachelor of Political Science (Hons) from Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok and a Master of Economics from the University of Sydney, a Certificate of Economic Development from Japan and a Certificate of Project Appraisal from Oxford University.
He keeps in touch with alumni from his post-graduate studies, especially those from International House, the University of Sydney during his Master of Economics years. He is a keen golfer, gym-goer, and occasional short-story writer. He is married with two adult children.
The ATBC looks forward to working with Khun Krirk-Krai and utilising his exceptional experience and networks.
You can read more about his amazing careers and achievements by viewing his CV here.
