Australia Vietnam Policy Institute Forum 2026

Kate is a senior officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and most recently served as Assistant Secretary, Multilateral Peace, Security and Candidacies Branch.

She is a seasoned multilateralist, leading delegations and representing Australia in numerous negotiations, including as Australia’s Commonwealth Senior Official.

Before joining DFAT, Kate held senior positions in the Departments of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Health, and Home Affairs.

Kate did a short-term assignment as Deputy Head of Mission (Hanoi) in 2022 and is pleased to return to Vietnam.

She holds a Bachelor of a Bachelor of Arts Asian Studies from the Australian National University. Kate is married with two children.

Mr. Nguyễn Lộc Hà currently serves as a member of the Standing Board of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Deputy Standing Secretary of the Party Committee, and Permanent Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee. He holds a degree in architecture and a bachelor’s degree in political economy. In his current role, he oversees several key portfolios for the city government, including foreign affairs, international integration, citizen protection, and socio-economic planning.

Prior to this, he served as Standing Deputy Secretary of the Bình Dương Provincial Party Committee (January–June 2025), Vice Chairman of the Bình Dương Provincial People’s Committee (2020–2025), and Chairman of the Thủ Dầu Một City People’s Committee (2017–2020). He has received a Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister (2020) as well as multiple commendations from the Chairman of the Bình Dương Provincial People’s Committee.

Peggy has a Bachelor of Arts from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia. In December 2018, she was made an Honorary Doctor of Laws by Swinburne University for her work in the law, in gender equality and in developing women sport leaders. Peggy has specialised in superannuation and financial services law for more than 25 years and is a consultant to Lander and Rogers.

In June 2019, Peggy was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for her services to Australian rules football, financial services law and women in leadership roles.

Peggy is the immediate past president of the Richmond Football Club where she was president from October 2013 until December 2022. Peggy served on the Club’s board from 2005 to 2022 and was president when the Club won the 2017, 2019 and 2020 premierships. She also served on the AFL’s Competition Committee from 2018 until 2022.

In 2014 Peggy was appointed chair of the Victorian Minister for Sport’s year-long Inquiry into ‘Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation’.

She has been a non-executive director of several companies in the superannuation and financial services sectors. She is currently the chair of Vanguard Superannuation.

Peggy is on the board of Women’s Housing Limited and on the investment advisory panel of Home for Homes (an initiative of the Big Issue).

Peggy was named Melburnian of the Year for 2021 and became the Chancellor of RMIT University on 1 January 2022.

In June 2022, she received VicSport’s award for “Outstanding Contribution to Sport”.

In August 2022, Peggy was appointed chair of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Peggy is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is also a member of Chief Executive Women and the Melbourne Forum.

For over 25 years, Scott has been leading both private and public higher education across Australia,  Asia and the UK with a strong commitment to high-quality students experiences, graduate outcomes and research excellence.

He demonstrates a high level of strategic leadership balanced with a strong commitment to sound governance and operational management. He has led Faculties and Schools with innovative approaches to teaching delivery using online and blended pedagogies, a strong focus on experiential learning and authentic assessment with industry.

Previous roles in include Executive Dean at Torrens University, Australia, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Dean and Associate Dean (International) at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia and Vice President (Academic) at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Malaysia. In each of these roles Scott leads with a growth mindset, increasing student enrolments, improving retention and student experiences alongside improved research performance enhancing the
reputation and rankings of each institution. Scott has had several experiences internationally, both as a student and during his career and is an advocate for internationalisation in teaching and research, global partnerships and cooperation, and the transformation of students through international experiences. He has served on the Governing Board of the Swinburne University Sarawak campus and led several transnational educational partnerships across Asia.

Originally with a background in Industrial design and design management, his PhD at the Centre for the Study of Higher Education, University of Melbourne, focused on academic standards and quality in the context of internationalisation and massification of higher education.

Megan is a supply chain and logistics specialist with more than 25 years of experience across Australia and Asia. She has led supply chain strategy, transformation and investment initiatives through senior leadership roles within the 3PL sector and as a specialist consultant. Having lived and worked in Asia for the past 16 years, including six years based in Ho Chi Minh City, Megan has developed deep expertise in the region’s diverse and rapidly evolving supply chain landscape.

Megan is the Founder of Advalogis, a specialist supply chain consultancy. Her clients include leading Vietnamese logistics providers, manufacturers and retailers, as well as Australian organisations across the logistics and supply chain sector, providing her with a unique, on-the-ground perspective on the opportunities, challenges and practical realities of the Australia–Vietnam trade and investment corridor.

Trung Nguyen is Professor (Education and Engagement) of Management at RMIT’s Business School. He holds a PhD in Management from Monash University (Australia) and has completed executive education at Wharton (USA). Trung teaches leadership in the digital age, economics, and the political economy of global business.

Prior to his appointment as Interim Deputy Dean, he led the Management Department, overseeing more than 135 staff and around 5,000 students, for 6 years, overseeing 7 majors and programmes, including Global Business, Human Resource Management, and the MBA. His leadership strengthened the department and supported the Business School’s AACSB accreditation, the first in Vietnam.

His research focuses on international business, management, and leadership in digital and smart transformation. As Co-Lead of RMIT’s APAC Smart & Sustainable Cities Hub, he undertakes collaborative projects and supervises PhD students. He is also an inaugural Research Fellow of the Australia–Vietnam Policy Institute (AVPI). Together with his research collaborators and PhD students, he has published in leading journals such as Education and Information Technologies, Social Responsibility Journal, and Telecommunications Policy. He contributed to regional platforms including the University of Melbourne’s Asialink and ANU’s East Asia Forum. His contributions have been recognised with the RMIT PVC&DVC Award, the College Research Excellence Award, and Merit Certificates from VietNam’s Ministry of Education and Training, Chairman of HCMC People’s Committee.

Beyond academia, he advises local governments on digital strategies and consults for organisations including KPMG and VinaCapital.
He regularly speaks at and chairs major forums, such as the HCMC Economic Forum, and participates in regional conferences hosted by ASEAN and the World Bank. He is a co-founder of the APAC Smart & Sustainable Cities Forum, the Global Business Forum, and CEO Talks.

As a trainer, he has co-led programmes for Vietnam Airlines, the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Viet Nam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment, and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He is committed to attracting and developing talent and building strong, diverse, trust-based teams. Under his leadership, the department had excelled in teaching, engagement, and applied research, advancing RMIT Vietnam’s role in education, research, and industry collaboration.

He was elected Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam–Australia Friendship Association.

Barrett Le is the founder of Bearplus, a digital product agency spanning Vietnam and Australia. For a decade, he’s helped clients across Europe, the US and Asia Pacific ship successful products, by combining Australian brand and legal strength with Vietnamese delivery and ROI. A builder at heart who mentors other founders, with work recognised by top international design awards including Awwwards, FWA and a Webby nomination.

Edwin Law is the current Executive Director of AusCham Vietnam and has been working in the chamber since late 2022 as AusHub Manager, overseeing its establishment and operations, with a keen focus on enhancing two-way export opportunities within the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors.

Edwin has been an integral part of the Vietnamese landscape since 2018, alongside his young family. His immersion in the local culture and business environment has deepened his understanding of the region’s dynamics. Prior to joining AusCham, Edwin served as the Country Manager for an Australian-Vietnamese company. This company specialized in the production, export, and trade of coffee, commercial kitchen equipment, and domestic appliances to Vietnam. Edwin’s hands-on experience in navigating the intricacies of cross-border commerce uniquely positions him to drive growth and collaboration.

Edwin’s professional journey also extends beyond Vietnam. In Australia, he honed his skills through senior roles in Fortune 500 companies, gaining expertise in sales, marketing, and business management. These experiences have shaped his strategic mindset and ability to navigate complex corporate landscapes.

Edwin’s roots trace back to Sydney, Australia where he was born. He holds an Executive MBA from the University of Technology Sydney, a testament to his commitment to continuous learning. Edwin’s passion lies in supporting Australian businesses as they expand into Asia, with a particular emphasis on the vibrant market of Vietnam.

Emma McDonald leads Austrade’s trade and investment program for Vietnam and Cambodia, and is strategic lead for international education, managing a work program in 8 markets across southeast Asia.

Emma and her team provide expertise in trade and investment market diversification across the sectors of agriculture, food and consumer, fintech and cybersecurity, mining, renewable energy, and international education. She provides in-market support to Australian exporters and investors to achieve their international expansion ambitions.

Prior to this role Emma was Austrade’s Head of Investment for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, which included a short-term posting to London as Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Nordics.

Emma was formerly Austrade’s Senior Investment Specialist for Tourism and previously led programs for the Victorian and Australian governments in asset sales, communications and public affairs, remote indigenous housing delivery, energy transition, and regulatory reform.

Emma started her career in the private sector as an urban planner working on commercial property development before joining the public service.  She has formal qualifications in urban planning and design from the University of Melbourne.

Thang is the Chairman and CEO of InnoLab Asia, a premier platform connecting startups, corporations, investors, and institutions across Southeast Asia. A passionate advocate for regional innovation, he possesses a proven track record of propelling Vietnamese startups onto the global stage and driving foreign investment into Vietnam’s dynamic market.

His expertise spans startup mentorship, strategic business expansion, and investment. Thang actively collaborates with diverse stakeholders to foster growth, lending his expertise as a mentor at the National University of Singapore and the German Accelerator Southeast Asia.

Dedicated to empowering the next generation, Thang founded Lead The Change, an educational institution that has provided scholarships and international opportunities to over 300 talented Vietnamese youth. He also serves on the boards of the Swiss-Viet Economic Forum and the Global Advisory Committee for the Daejeon Center for Creative Economy & Innovation.

Thang’s impactful contributions to education and technology earned him the Edutech Leadership Award at the 2017 Global Edutech Congress in Mumbai. He holds an Executive MBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology.

Based in Hanoi, Dominique leads the Australia Vietnam Policy Institute (AVPI), the leading bilateral policy institute focused on building the Australia-Vietnam partnership. She is also the Head of the RMIT Hanoi Industry and Innovation Hub, working closely with government and industry to drive regional activities that deliver collaborative impact across Southeast Asia.

Dominique also chairs the AVPI Industry Reference Group (IRG), a strategic advisory body that supports the AVPI’s advocacy efforts to deepen and expand bilateral investment between Australia and Vietnam.

Dominique previously led the RMIT Asia Strategy and Impact team in Melbourne, where she established the RMIT Asia Hub and the AVPI as flagship initiatives supporting RMIT’s aspiration to be a leading university of impact in the Asia Pacific.

Dominique has over a decade of experience in the higher education sector, having worked at King’s College London and the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) prior to joining RMIT in 2018. She also has experience in social enterprise and community impact, including co-founding the social impact platform Melbourne SOUP.

Dominique holds an MBA and a Graduate Certificate in International Business from RMIT University, as well as a Bachelor of Journalism from QUT. She is an alum of the Asialink Leaders program and the Australia-Vietnam Leadership Dialogue.

Matthew Lourey is an Australian Chartered Accountant with over 30 years professional services experience, more than 20 of those in Vietnam. Across Big 4, second tier and specialist firms, he has been involved across broad spectrum of structuring, fundraising, financial advisory, market entry, transactions and compliance support.

As the Chairman of Alitium, Matthew brings unparalleled expertise in guiding foreign investors through the complexities of Vietnam’s regulatory, financial, and business landscapes. Alitium has 35 staff across 2 offices in Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi), along with offices in Singapore and Malaysia. Before founding Alitium, Matthew successfully established and led a professional services firm in Vietnam for 9 years, which grew to a team of 150 staff and was later integrated into a regional group. This achievement underscores his deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities facing businesses entering the Vietnamese market.

Matthew is renowned for his practical, results-oriented advice, tailored to the specific needs of foreign investors. His expertise spans market entry strategies, corporate structuring, compliance, transactions and business expansion, providing clients with functional solutions that align with Vietnam’s legal and commercial requirements whilst aligning with common-law and international expectations.

Matthew works with a broad range of clients, from multinational corporations to emerging businesses, government agencies and non-profits, all helping them establish, operate, and grow successfully in Vietnam. His strategic insight and practical approach make him a trusted advisor to organisations seeking sustainable success in Vietnam and the regions fast-changing markets.

Vinh Nguyen is a senior executive with more than 25 years of experience in international trade, agribusiness, and supply chain operations. He has held leadership roles with global commodity companies, leading business growth and market expansion across Vietnam and international markets.

Currently CEO of Tuan Loc Commodities, Vinh has overseen the company’s growth into one of Vietnam’s leading coffee exporters, with annual exports exceeding 100,000 MT. Previously, he served as Country General Manager for Vietnam and Indonesia at COFCO International and as General Director – Vietnam at SUCDEN Groupe Sucres & Denrées, where he established and grew the company’s export operations in Vietnam.

Vinh holds an MBA from RMIT University and has extensive experience working across Asia, Europe, and Africa, with a career spanning business leadership, international trading, operations management, and strategic partnerships.

John has been living and working in Vietnam since 1993 and is currently responsible for Trust, Quality and Risk at KPMG.  Since John joined KPMG in 2004 he has overseen the growth of the firm from 2 Partners and less than 200 staff to more than 50 Partners and 1,800 staff and he has held leadership roles in the Audit, Consulting and Deals businesses as well as serving as the Chairman of the firm and a member of the firms ExCo.  Prior to joining KPMG John spent 20 years with another of the “Big 4” accounting firms and worked with that firm in Australia, England, Hungary, Poland and Vietnam.  John has extensive experience in managing and coordinating numerous advisory engagements in Vietnam and Cambodia.  He has experience in leading large teams of people from different cultural and professional backgrounds and a proven record in delivering results in difficult internal and external environments.  Through his experience John has developed a wealth of knowledge and understanding regarding business and business practices in the region and has assisted many businesses (state owned, privately owned, foreign owned) to succeed in the fast-growing economies of Vietnam and Cambodia.

Chau Anh Nguyen (Cece) is a dynamic communications and community-building professional currently driving alumni engagement initiatives at RMIT University Vietnam.

Graduating from Deakin University Melbourne, Cece’s diverse career spans facilitating communications across major infrastructure projects with Metro Trains Melbourne and leading media communication agencies in Vietnam. Driven by a passion for fostering meaningful Australia-Vietnam connections, Cece seeks opportunities to connect cross-culturally and build engagement among communities.