Australia Vietnam Policy Institute
Conference 2025

Alyna Pham is a trusted cross-border strategist and the founder of AusViet Bridge, where she advises businesses on market entry, partnership strategy, supply chain development, talent acquisition, and sustainable growth across Australia and Vietnam. Known for her ability to turn complexity into clarity, she supports government bodies, entrepreneurs, educators, and industry leaders in building long-term, culturally intelligent partnerships. Her professional background spans business banking, the not-for-profit and education sectors, and leadership coaching – giving her a uniquely people-centred lens on systems change and commercial growth.

Alyna is a diaspora board member of Southeast Asia Intelligence (RMIT Asia Society), Partnerships Manager at Global Viet Women, and an alumna of the 2024 Australia–Vietnam Leadership Dialogue. She also leads Ignite Her Spark, a grassroots initiative empowering culturally diverse women and youth through coaching and school-based leadership programs. As a second-generation Vietnamese-Australian, Alyna brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her work – positioning her as a trusted and values-led voice in advancing Australia–Vietnam relations across sectors.

Andrew Goledzinowski has had a successful diplomatic career with postings across five continents, including as a senior Ambassador, Ministerial Advisor and United Nations official. He is respected amongst his peers as a strategic communicator and effective problem solver. He has won a number of awards for strengthening bilateral relation between Vietnam and Australia.   His writings and speeches have contributed to a better understanding of Vietnam’s unique place in an increasingly complex world.

Louise Adams is Aurecon’s Chief Executive Officer, leading over 7,000 people across 11 locations across Asia Pacific.

Louise is also a member of the National Advisory and Fiduciary Boards of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, Champions of Change Coalition’s STEM and Health Group, an elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology & Engineering (ATSE) and a member of Chief Executive Women (CEW).

In March 2024, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appointed Louise as Australia’s Business Champion to Vietnam, expanding the role she has held since 2021 to further trade and investment opportunities between Vietnam and Australia. Louise is also part of the Australian Government’s Advisory Board of the ASEAN-Australia Centre, and an Advisory Board Member of the Australia Vietnam Policy Institute (AVPI).

Layton Pike is Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor, International and Engagement at RMIT. Layton is responsible for RMIT’s international strategy and agenda, including global development and partnerships and oversight of RMIT’s international operations including RMIT Vietnam and RMIT Europe (RMIT’s research hub in Barcelona, Spain). Layton was central to the founding of the Australia Vietnam Policy Institute in 2022.

A former diplomat, Layton served as Deputy Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy Vietnam from 2014 to 2017. He was also Chief of Staff to the Attorney-General from 2008 until 2011.

James Scullin joined Asia Society Australia in June 2021 as a program manager with 12 years experience developing programs for non profits in Australia and Asia in the areas of Asia literacy, China’s political economy, Asia business engagement, foreign policy and climate change.

James leads Asia Society Australia’s programs team and its strategic relationship with the Victorian Government and RMIT University. He is responsible for the organisation’s major programs Asia Summit, Melbourne Asia Game Changers and international visitor program.

Previously, James was National Project Manager for the Australia China Business Council. In this role, James led high-level China policy briefings, China-Australia Free Trade Agreement training, market entry delegations to China and an Australia-China business podcast.

Catherine is a senior business leader with 20+ years’ experience in international business, gained across developed and emerging markets. She has lived in Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore and worked extensively across the Asia region from these bases. Her career to date has included roles on the client side and in consultancy, in the private sector, government and in the education sector. She joined Asialink Business in 2021 leading the development of a series of initiatives to equip Australian businesses with the skills to succeed in fast-changing Asia. This included launching the Asialink Business Academy in 2023 and the publication this year of “Asialink Leaders: 30 Years of Asia success” showcasing stories of business success in Asia and the capabilities that enable that.

Catherine is passionate about helping leaders and organisations build the awareness and insight to help them be successful as they work across borders.

Shiraz is the Head of the Asialink Business Academy at Asialink Business and has over 20 years of industry and consulting experience assisting clients with their business transformations and growth strategies. He personally embodies Australian-Asian culture and understands cultural and commercial challenges and successful strategies. Shiraz has been training and consulting to both Australian and Asian executives and has spent extensive time in Asia working for multinational and local firms including Standard Chartered Bank, ABN AMRO Bank, Franklin Templeton Investments and Dell.

Shiraz has worked in the consulting industry in Australia for over six years, including as a Manager in KPMG’s Enterprise business, supporting local organisations in developing their growth strategies. Shiraz also with Victorian Government in project-based roles with the Departments of Sustainability and Environment and Primary Industries.

At Asialink Business, Shiraz designs and delivers capability development programs to help organisations develop their cultural intelligence (CQ), to understand, and sustain operations inculturally diverse markets. He also provides practical market and industry focused support to assist Australian businesses enter Asian markets.
Shiraz’s work has included development and delivery of Digital Economy and Green Economy in Vietnam programs. Shiraz has also led a range of programs for significant corporate clients customised for distinct audiences including board members, executives, and senior management staff. These programs covered a range of topic areas, including business culture and practicalities, market entry into Asian markets including Vietnam.

Minh Cao is a passionate advocate for women’s empowerment and youth leadership, with a global career spanning trade, investment, and finance. Born and raised in Vietnam, Minh holds a degree from the University of Foreign Trade in Ho Chi Minh City and a Master of Applied Finance from Monash University. She began her career in the finance sector, working for over five years before transitioning into international trade and investment.

Since joining Austrade in 2013, Minh has helped Australian businesses grow globally across sectors including healthcare, energy, digital tech, and agribusiness. She’s contributed to flagship government programs such as the Landing Pads, International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM), SouthEastAsia Business Exchange and played a key role in forging partnerships between Australian and Vietnamese businesses. Currently, she is a Senior Advisor in Austrade’s Trade Strategy and Operations division, where she leads training on Trade best practice and service excellence. Outside her role at Austrade, Minh is also the President and Co-founder of Global Viet Women, a non-for-profit global network dedicated to empowering Vietnamese women professionally, fostering leadership opportunities, and strengthening cultural and community ties across the globe.

As a Vietnamese Australian, Minh is passionate about communications and creating successful commercial partnerships, especially the development of bilateral trading relationship & educational and innovation links between Australia and Southeast Asian region.

Dr Truc Le is a Lecturer in the Department of Tourism and Marketing at Griffith University and Lead of The Visitor Economy Data Analytics and Indicators Cluster at Griffith Institute for Tourism (GIFT). She graduated with a PhD at Griffith University. Prior to joining full-time at Griffith University, she worked at EarthCheck Australia – a tourism accreditation and consulting company, as a research consultant specialising in risk and resilience, and sustainable tourism.

Truc researches cultural and heritage experiences, including issues related to authenticity, sustainability, resilience, and augmented and virtual reality. She possesses a strong understanding of advanced data analytics tools, including machine learning and AI, and has experience working with government-provided tourism data from sources such as Tourism Research Australia (TRA) and Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). She also delivers consultancy and government-funded projects in Vietnam, Southeast Asia markets and their tourism trade with Australia. She has published in top-tier international tourism and hospitality academic journals. She has been actively leading and contributing to sourcing external research funding Australia-wide and internationally, securing up to $9.75 million in funding to date.

Mr. Nghiem Xuan Hoa is a Vietnamese diplomat with over 20 years of service in international relations, public policy, and foreign affairs leadership.

Since beginning his diplomatic career with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam in 2000, Mr. Hoa has held critical positions in several key departments. His international assignments include postings in Australia and with the APEC Secretariat in Singapore. In 2021, he was appointed Deputy Director General of the Personnel Department.

Mr. Hoa holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Vietnam and a Master of Public Policy from the National University of Singapore.

Assistant Secretary, Vietnam and Mekong Strategy Branch, Office of Southeast Asia, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)

Caroline Linke is a senior career officer in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, with a focus on Southeast Asia. Her current role has responsibility for Australia’s bilateral relationships with Vietnam and Cambodia, and for leading on strategic policy and support for the resilience and sustainability of the Mekong subregion. She has previously worked on the East Asia Summit and Australia’s bilateral relationships with Thailand and Laos.

Since joining DFAT in 2000, Caroline has worked on a wide range of issues across the department including as an adviser in the Office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs in 2008, as Deputy Chief Negotiator in the Peace Monitoring Group in Bougainville and served in the Australian High Commission to Canada. Prior to DFAT she worked for the federal Department of Transport and Regional Development.

Mr. Dai has over 11 years of experience in the sugarcane and agricultural sector, focusing on sustainable development through science, technology, and digital transformation. At AgriS, he has led the establishment of an integrated agricultural ecosystem encompassing end-to-end digitalization, precision farming, and mechanization, while promoting technology transfer from Australia to Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

He has managed major strategic projects including the Oracle Cloud Core System across four countries, the GIS-based Transportation Management System, and the Coral Project developing integrated farming operations in Australia. Mr. Dai holds extensive leadership experience across management, finance, and technology transformation within AgriS.

Dr Binh Tran is the Head of Consulting at FPT Australasia. With two decades of experience working with entrepreneurs and startups, he leverages his strong academic background and deep understanding of business strategy and technology to deliver innovative solutions. His expertise and insights in fostering cross-cultural business relationships empowers him to play a pivotal role in guiding companies through the complexities of digital transformation in today’s rapidly evolving landscape.

As the Director, Energy Transition Network at The University of Queensland, Professor Adrian Panow provides strategic leadership for energy transition research activities and corporate energy initiatives across the University to align research direction and internal capabilities with external priorities. Adrian has international private and public sector expertise in business and technology development, joint ventures, commercialisation, policy implementation and program leadership.

Previous roles have included:

• Director Major Projects, Melbourne Energy Institute, University of Melbourne
• Board Member, Wannon Water Corporation
• Director, Deakin Energy, Deakin University

• Chief Technology Officer, Flexible Drive

• State Government of Victoria, Australia

• • Director Earth Resources Development

• • Director Energy Investment and Programs
• Bonlac Foods Limited, International Business Development Manager – Bioscience

Adrian has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Biochemistry/Applied Chemistry) degree, a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration, a Doctorate in industrial biotechnology and is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Marc Slater is the founder and CEO of EdTech company eReflect, makers of Typesy (typing and STEM), Wordela (vocabulary and spelling), and Spreeder (reading). eReflect’s products are used by over 1600 schools and 1 million users around the world.

Marc earned a First Class Honours degree in Information Technology (Software Engineering) from Queensland University of Technology in 2004, during which time he received multiple academic scholarships.

Prior to founding eReflect, Marc gained industry experience in R&D and product development at top Brisbane universities and companies. Marc’s background as a programmer and entrepreneur has driven eReflect’s focus on innovative, user-friendly educational tools. Based in Brisbane, Australia, he continues to lead the company’s global expansion.

Janelle Casey is a global trade and investment leader with over 30 years of experience driving business collaboration between Australia and Asia, with a strong focus on Vietnam. She has held senior roles at the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), including Trade Commissioner postings in Vietnam, Singapore, and Hong Kong, as well as Director of Agribusiness & Food and State Director for Queensland.

Janelle has played a pivotal role in helping Australian businesses expand internationally — facilitating partnerships, attracting investment, and strengthening bilateral trade ties across sectors such as digital technology, health and biotech, infrastructure, and resources. Her deep understanding of business ecosystems and policy environments across the region enables her to bridge opportunities between Australia and Vietnam’s fast-evolving markets.

Passionate about building enduring commercial and institutional connections, Janelle continues to champion initiatives that foster innovation, sustainability, and mutual growth in the Australia–Vietnam business relationship.

Louise Tran is a changemaker in the food and sustainability sector, leading OzHarvest Ventures to design bold, innovative, circular business models that drive positive impact on the food system. As a member of OzHarvest’s leadership team, she has spent more than 15 years shaping social enterprises and building purpose-driven business models. In 2022, she co-founded VietHarvest based on the OzHarvest model, which has already delivered 200,000 meals to people across Vietnam, saving thousands of kilos of food from ending up in landfill. As Founding Chair of the Multicultural Leadership Initiative, she champions culturally diverse leadership and representation across the climate movement. A strategist, storyteller, and culture-builder, Louise believes business at its best blends profit and purpose to create lasting change for people and the planet.

Michelle Matthews joined Trade and Investment Queensland in January 2020, was appointed Director, Global Investment Attraction in May 2022, and has been Global Investment Commissioner since 21 March 2025.

Prior to this, she spent two years in Biofutures Queensland, Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning where she managed a pipeline of industrial biotech opportunities aligned to the Queensland Biofutures 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan.

Michelle has formal business qualifications and over 15 years public sector investment attraction experience, having joined Queensland Government’s Invest Queensland in 2008.

Previously Michelle worked for 11 years promoting Queensland for international conferences in her senior roles at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre and Brisbane Marketing, working with academics across various sectors.