Chairman's Letter to Members

Dear Members,

It has been an incredibly busy few months within the AustCham Shanghai community, and I would like to start this message with a sincere ‘Thank You’ to our staff, our Board and our volunteers – you have each gone ‘above-and-beyond’ and our entire membership sincerely appreciates the contribution you make to our community.

I would also like to formally welcome our incoming Company Secretary, Maria McDermott to the AustCham Shanghai team. Maria is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, a Chartered Secretary and brings over 20 years of experience and expertise to the Chamber. She is already having a positive impact on Board governance and overall effectiveness, and we are sincerely looking forward to working with Maria.

Embracing Change

Following on from our member’s workshop in August, the Board held its annual strategy planning sessions in October to finalise our key priorities for 2021. Continuing with the themes of Change and Collaboration, we invited three high-profile guests to address the Board, to share their insights and challenge our collective thinking.

Thank you again to Bing Liu (Senior Trade & Investment Commissioner, Austrade), Xiaoguang Huang (CEO China & Head of Greater China, ANZ), and Michelle Garnaut AO (Founder & CEO, M Restaurant Group) who donated their time and experience so generously. Their involvement prompted some robust debate and diverse discussion at subsequent planning sessions. Overall, I am extremely confident that the Board has developed a strong foundation for our 2021 Business Plan, that incorporates the voices and priorities of our membership. Bede and I are looking forward to sharing with you the highlights, before asking for your support to activate and execute the plan successfully!

Steadfast in our Mission

Despite rising tensions in the bilateral relationship over the past few months, the AustCham Shanghai team has continued to support our members and the wider community.

I was incredibly pleased to see the return of the AustCham Shanghai Golf Day in October. Thanks again to Jason Will (Country Manager, Asian Tigers), Greg Courts (Senior Contracts & Procurement Manager, Rio Tinto) and Craig Weightman (Deputy Chairman, AustChamShanghai; CEO, Bright Icon Int’l) for their hard work in pulling together a fantastic day.

We were happy to support members and partners participating at the recent 3rd China International Import Expo (CIIE). AustCham Shanghai staff were able to have direct conversations with almost half of the Australian companies in attendance. We were particularly proud to support the team at Austrade as they delivered an exceptional series of events and activities, amplified by some cutting-edge digital and social media activation. AustCham Shanghai contributed to that that success through our own events, culminating in some open and frank discussions with Australia’s Ambassador to China H.E. Mr Graham Fletcher at the members breakfast, and the webinar with the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment (and incoming Minister for Finance), the Hon Simon Birmingham MP. Despite the difficulties this year, CIIE was a perfect opportunity to acknowledge and discuss the challenges we face, whilst sharing stories of success, ingenuity, and adaptation in these times.

And of course we also saw the e-commerce shopping phenomenon that is 11.11 ‘Single’s Day’ in full force, with some outstanding success stories amongst the membership, including Frank Li (Managing Director at 31jiu & Chair of AustCham Shanghai’s FBA Industry Forum) who reported a 306% growth in Bundaberg sales volume. Bundaberg also placed 1st in the fruit-based drinks category that day.

Stronger Together

A core message from our members’ workshop was the desire for AustCham Shanghai to collaborate more closely with organisations operating in the Australia-China space. I have been extremely encouraged and humbled at the support extended by our friends and colleagues at AustCham Beijing, and am encouraged by the productive discussions held with AustCham Hong Kong, Australia-China Business Council and Advance and I am looking forward to working collaboratively and closely with the broader ‘Team Australia’. A timely reminder that if any of our members are travelling within China or more broadly across Asia – don’t forget to drop the AustCham Shanghai team (or myself directly) a quick request to facilitate some local introductions!

We also bid farewell to an absolute legend within of the AustCham Shanghai family, Mr Nelson Gable. Nelson needs no introduction, having been a pillar of the Australian community in China, and I think his story is a wonderful example of success within the AustCham Shanghai community. Nelson joined AustCham Shanghai in 2011 as our very first intern. In the decade since, he progressed to be one of our most successful relationship managers, before excelling with two member companies. He returned to AustCham Shanghai as a (volunteer) Board Director in 2019, and brought a commitment to culture and community that ensured the Board never lost sight of its core purpose. It’s an amazing story, and a reminder of the life-long community that we are collectively building. Our loss will no doubt be Australia’s gain, and I am sure we will all be better off with his voice added to the Australia-China debate on the other side of the pond.

Expressions of Interest: Non-Executive Director

Nelson’s departure creates a vacancy on the Board of Directors for AustCham Shanghai, and I would encourage interested individuals to read the notice from the Board Nominations Committee, which you can find here.

Serving on the Board has been a unique privilege for me, greatly enriching my own professional and personal life, and I would strongly encourage you to consider volunteering some of your time to support our community and membership.

As 2020 draws to a close, I’m sure it is a year that we will never forget. I look forward to seeing you all and sharing some stories at the Aussie Xmas Lunch. Good luck in life & business in the meantime!

Regards,