Conference Advisory Board
Meet the Advisory Board of the Africa-Australia Conference 2012:
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| Frank Aneke, Principal of OctoberFirst Consulting- click for bio | Di Fleming, President and CEO of Africa Australia Business Council (Victoria)- click for bio | Jeff Hart, former Australian Ambassador to Nigeria- click for bio | Greg Hull, Senior Trade Commissioner to Sub Saharan Africa, Austrade- click for bio |
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| Mr Duncan Harris, Special Advisor, Commonwealth Business Council and Africa Australia Business Council - click for bio | HE Mr Stephen K Tarus, Kenya High Commissioner to Australia- click for bio | HE Mr Paul Yaw Essel, High Commissioner of the Republic of Ghana to Australia – click for bio | Her Excellency Ms Koleka Mqulwana, High Commissioner for the Republic of South Africa in Australia – click for bio |
Frank Aneke
Born in Nigeria and now an Australian resident Frank has worked for more than 14 years in marketing communications and journalism. He is experienced in advertising, public relations, broadcasting and business development.
He has recorded accomplishments as an entrepreneur having set up and successfully managed a number of firms including Anekx Productions, Lagos, Nigeria; and Fieldwork Resources Pty Ltd, owners of Fieldwork Limousines, Sydney. In 2007, Frank founded OctoberFirst Consulting, Sydney. OctoberFirst Consulting assists entrepreneurs, innovators and business leaders to meet the right business partners in English-speaking African countries.
Di Fleming
Di is the president and CEO of the Africa Australia Business Council (Vic) and director of Accelerated Knowledge Technologies Pty Ltd (AKT), a company focussing on strategic planning, creating innovative cultures, research, and the potential impact of 21st global drivers on education and business. Currently Di is a Member of the Victorian Government’s Growth Areas Authority Board and with a focus on education and design thinking.
Di was the founding director of RMIT University’s Centre of Excellence in Digital Design 2003 – 2007, (which was part of the Victorian government’s innovation strategy) with an associate professorship in digital design and an associate professorship in education at The University of Melbourne.
Jeff Hart
Jeff Hart was Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria from 2007 to 2010 and was also accredited to Cameroon, Benin, The Gambia, Gabon Chad, and the Republic of Congo, while also having responsibility for Niger, Sao Tome and Principe, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic.
In a foreign service career spanning more than thirty five years Jeff served in seven other overseas posts including as a senior UN official and occupied a number of senior posts in DFAT, including Director for Services Trade and Negotiations, Director of the Treaties Secretariat and Director of the DFAT Office in Perth.
Greg Hull
Greg Hull is Austrade’s Senior Trade Commissioner responsible for Sub-Saharan Africa, with offices in Johannesburg, Accra, Nairobi and Port Louis and comprising 49 markets. Greg joined Austrade in 1988 as Corporate Risk Manager and since then has taken a number of senior roles and appointments in Australia and internationally.
During his work in Latin America, and subsequently in PNG, SW Pacific, Middle East and now Africa, Greg has developed a very sound practical expertise of how to help Australian companies win project business under multilateral and bilateral donor grants or loans.
Duncan Harris
Mr Harris has held the post of Special Advisor to both the Africa Australia Business Council and the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) since 2010. The CBC requested that Mr Harris had responsibility to oversee and implement a marketing programme for the Commonwealth Business Forum held in Perth in October 2011.
An entrepreneur who founded Residential Property Trust and Travelworld as well as being the CEO of IMPAC and LSI, he is also currently the Managing Director of Mossgiel Pty Ltd, which provides corporate advisory services to companies in the Public and Private Sector as well as the Not For Profit Sector.
HE Mr Stephen K Tarus
Mr Tarus is currently the Kenya High Commissioner to Australia and has held the post since 2009. Before taking the role he held a number of public affairs roles in Kenya, including Assistant Minister for Defence, Office of the President 2005-2008, Assistant Minister for Local Government, Ministry of Local Government 2003 – 2007, and Assistant Minister for Provincial Administration and National Security, Office of the President, 2003 – 2004. From 2003 to 2008 he was the Member of Parliament for Emgwen constituency.
Mr Tarus was the Executive Director of Bellway Ltd from 2008 to 2009. From 1989 to 2002 he worked in the education sector, holding senior administration roles at Moi University and Jomo Kenyatta University, before embarking on his parliamentary career.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Economics and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Human Resources Management.
HE Mr Paul Yaw Essel
HE Mr Paul Yaw Essel attended the University of Ghana, Legon to study English, French and Political Science. In 1972 he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree and went on to teach English, French and Government at Ghanata Secondary School, Dodowa until 1974 when he won Government sponsorship to pursue a French teaching course in Montpellier, France.
On his return to Ghana in 1975, he taught French in his Alma Mater (Mfantsipim Secondary School) until 1976 when he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he has remained since.
H.E. Mr. Paul Yaw Essel, in his diplomatic career has served in Brussels (Belgium), Conakry (Guinea), New York (United Nations) and Cotonou (Benin). He was serving as Charge d’Affaires a.i. in the latter Mission when he was appointed as Ghana’s High Commissioner to Australia. He presented his Letters of Accreditation to the Governor-General, H.E. Ms Quentin Bryce, AC, at Government House on 26th November, 2009.
Her Excellency Ms Koleka Mqulwana is the High Commissioner for the Republic of South Africa in Australia.
Ms Mqulwana holds both a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Higher Diploma in Education from the University of Western Cape. She also has a Certificate in International Governance, Management Skills, Basic Financial Skills, Procurement Policy, Risk Management and Governance, courses which she completed in Australia and New Zealand.
Ms Mqulwana speaks three languages: IsiXhosa, English and Zulu.
Prior to taking up her present position, Ms Mqulwana was a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament where she held the following positions: Member of the Standing Committee on Finance (1999-2002), Member of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (1999-2004), Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (2001-2004), Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Social Development (2004-2008), MEC for Public Works and Transport (2008-2009), and Spokesperson on Public Works and Transport (2009-2010).
Ms Mqulwana was accredited to Australia as High Commissioner for the Republic of South Africa on17 February 2011.