David is the Managing Director and founder of Spinifex International Business Services and throughout his career has acquired a rich base of skills and experience working across a diverse range of industries throughout Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia.

Now semi-retired, David continues to specialise in organisational change management, developing and implementing operational / sales strategies, and mentoring SME business owners. He still enjoys the ‘hands on’ approach and has designed and implemented a wide variety of successful business strategies in many challenging environments.

Having lived and worked in Vietnam, David is passionate about growing two-way trade relationships between West Australian and Vietnamese SME’s. Over the last eighteen years David has travelled extensively around Vietnam visiting a wide range of SME businesses, business organisations and local governments.

David is also an accomplished Singer/ Songwriter and has received Australian and International recognition for his songs about WA’s Pilbara Region and Vietnam. He is also a published author.

David is currently Vice Chairman of the WA Asia Business Council

Duc Le is an accomplished Perth based IT professional and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience across diverse industries, including technology, construction, water utilities, and government services. As the Managing Director and Founder of Teqar IT Consulting, Duc has delivered cutting-edge IT solutions, specialising in software development, business strategy, and IT procurement.

Duc’s distinguished career encompasses senior technical and leadership roles, showcasing his expertise in delivery management, project governance, enterprise software solutions, and business process optimisation.

A passionate advocate for innovation and entrepreneurship, Duc is dedicated to fostering trade and collaboration between Australia and Vietnam. His leadership as Vice President of the WAVBC reflects his commitment to empowering businesses and building stronger ties between Western Australia and Vietnam.

Mark has been the General Manager at Metrowest Constructions Pty Ltd for over ten years and has more than thirty years of experience working in the Construction Industry managing the design, construction, and operation of numerous buildings in Australia and the Middle East.

Having lived and worked in Dubai, Mark has access to a global network that supplies key materials and services to not only the Construction Industry but many other industries.

In recent years, Mark has focussed on identifying key suppliers of Construction products in Vietnam and continues to work closely with Vietnamese manufacturers so as to ensure their products meet Australian quality standards and are cost competitive. 

Suzanne is a governance professional and Director, leading the Board Advisory Service of the Executive Search Firm, Lester Blades in Western Australia.

Suzanne’s career includes diplomatic postings to Vienna, Austria, and Mexico City. Returning to Perth, she spent time in the corporate head office at Wesfarmers become making a career change and moved to Vietnam in the early 2000s.  She was appointed as the inaugural Director of Marketing at RMIT University’s campus in Ho Chi Minh City, which was the first fully foreign owned University in Vietnam established in 2001.  Suzanne was part of the inaugural management team which established campuses in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.  Today the University has more than 8000 students and is a highly regarded international education institution in the region.  During her time in Vietnam, she was a member of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Chaired the Charitable Fundraising Committee.

Returning to Perth in 2007, Suzanne was appointed the WA State Manager of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). She established AICD’s international division during that time, travelling extensively in Southeast Asia and establishing AICD’s presence in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Suzanne is the independent Chair of Stanley College, a private dual sector education provider and sits on the Board of the WA Cancer Council, WA Ballet, and the WA Cricket Foundation.

Thanh is originally from the North of Vietnam, moving to Vung Tau in Ba Ria Vung Tau province as a child.

In Vung Tau, Thanh studied Accounting & Computing and worked for eight years in the Vietnam Tourism and Hospitality sector. Then, together with her husband Terry, they successfully started a company that provided Oil Gas supply services to the South East Asia Oil & Gas market for almost fifteen years via their networks in Vung Tau – Vietnam and Singapore.

They moved to Perth in 2013, and Thanh decided to enter the Beauty Care industry and gained a Diploma of Beauty Therapy (with honours) at TAFE and then set up her own business as a ‘Beauty Therapist’. Thanh is now a successful independent distributor of proactive health care and skin products.

Thanh is an active member of the local Vietnamese community in Perth, and she enjoys helping to connect WA and Vietnam small businesses whilst she also enjoys learning more about the WA economy.

Finally, Thanh is a very good golf player and won the Vietnam National Women’s Championship in 2012.

Kim Phung Nguyen has over twenty-five years of corporate experience in listed and private organisations across the technologies, production, construction, professional services, and education sectors. Throughout her career, Kim Phung remains passionate about supporting middle and small businesses that can create a valuable impact in the social community.

Kim Phung holds a Master of Business Administration, is a Fellow Certified Practising Accountant (FCPA), and Tax Agent. With an entrepreneurial spirit, Kim Phung ’s knowledge and understanding of business and people are exemplary. She is a trusted advisor and mentor to professionals.

Most noted for her advocacy for the underprivileged, Kim Phung supports six remote orphanages and a group of doctors who provide free medical services in some of the most remote highland areas of Vietnam. Kim Phung and her networks are a very good example of just what can be accomplished when compassionate minds merge and take action.

Born in Hanoi, Hai Linh Le now resides in Perth and is a researcher in sustainable finance and financial economics, with a strong focus on ESG and firm valuation in developing ASEAN markets, with practical lessons applied to Vietnam. Hai Linh Le’s work has been presented at international conferences including CIEMB, ICAFE, and ICAEW, published in the Regional Sustainable Development Magazine, and recognized with a Consolation Prize for Scientific Research from the National Economics University.

Peter has forty years of international experience in providing Instrumentation, Commissioning and Marine Engineering services. He has worked across a diverse number of industries that includes Heavy Industrial Construction, Mining, Marine & Offshore and Oil & Gas.

He has managed and operated calibration facilities in three countries, and established the first NATA accredited test facility in Indonesia during the early 90’s and established a calibration facility in Vietnam in 2003 accredited to VISLAS, ILAC (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation) and APLAC (Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation)

Peter has been a global traveller throughout his career having lived and worked in Houston Texas, The Hague, Dubai, Singapore, Vietnam, Iran, Angola, China, New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea and Australia.

Following several business trips to Vietnam in 2002 with other Australian business owners in response to requests to provide Australian and Internationally recognised skills and competency training a joint venture was established to provide Hazardous Area training to Vietnamese based Oil and Gas operators.

In 2004, he established Aust-Indo Vietnam (AIV) in Vung Tau, Southern Vietnam who started out providing a variety of key calibration services to the local onshore and offshore industry. The business soon grew and moved to a purpose-built facility including a two story office and dedicated laboratories for Electrical, Temperature and Pressure calibration on a 3000m² site at the Dong Xuyen Industrial Zone in Vung Tau.

AIV continue to provide ongoing services to heavy industry, manufacturers and an ever-expanding list of import and export companies that require compliance support services, calibration, testing and verification of their products.

Henry has a unique portfolio of experiences, ranging from journalism to the aerospace sector. His journalistic ventures include delivering news and current affairs on radio and industry focussed publications for the start-up and property sectors. In parallel, he has and continues to pursue growth in the aerospace sector, having previously worked on both the advocacy and policy aspects of aviation, previously leading the Perth branch of the peak aerospace industry body.

With roots from the Mekong Delta, Henry frequently travels back to Vietnam, and in recent times, his entrepreneurial activities have brought his heritage into greater focus.

Chris Nguyen is a fintech and digital finance professional with extensive experience across Vietnam’s banking, securities, and technology sectors. Uniquely positioned across both the fintech startup ecosystem and the digital transformation of established financial institutions, Chris brings deep expertise in commercial strategy, product innovation, and technology-driven enablement – with a growing focus on AI adoption. Currently joining Kafi Securities’ newly formed Transformation Office, he applies this dual perspective to drive meaningful change across Vietnam’s financial landscape.

Most recently, Chris served as Head of Commercial & Business Analysis at Timo Digital Bank – Vietnam’s first digital bank – leading commercial strategy and partnerships across deposits, credit, payments, wealth management, and insurance. He drove Timo’s growth ahead of its acquisition by Kredivo Group, then led the organisational and product integration post-deal – including building a partnership-driven user acquisition engine to accelerate growth under new ownership.

Prior to Timo, Chris was Head of Product Consulting & Product Analysis at GEEK Up, a leading Vietnamese technology consultancy, delivering digital innovation and fintech strategy for Vietnam’s top financial institutions – SSI Securities, Eastspring Investments, Shinhan Finance, and TPBank.

Chris has deep ties to Australia, having studied at Macquarie University (Bachelor of Applied Finance) and Australian Catholic University (Master of Information Technology), before serving as Research and Academic Staff at the University of Technology Sydney – engaged in innovation projects with the Government of New South Wales, EY, and Deloitte.

Based in Ho Chi Minh City, Chris is keen to serve as a strategic resource for Western Australian businesses – offering expertise across fintech, digital finance, and technology strategy, whether exploring Vietnam’s market or driving digital transformation within their own organisations.

Ms Lien is a Senior Legal Advisor with the Vietnam Prosperity Joint Stock Commercial Bank (VP Bank) in Hanoi and has held similar senior roles for Japanese, American and Australian institutions based in Vietnam.

Having studied in Brisbane, Ms Lien is well versed with Australian business culture and has a very good understanding of Foreign Investment legal services. Fluent in English, Ms Lien has in recent years been an active member of several Hanoi based International business networking groups that includes Vietnam Private Entrepreneurs Association, Hanoi Young Business Association and Business Network International.

Ms Lien is very familiar with Western Australia and became the WAVBC Hanoi Ambassador in May 2022 and has since provided much valuable assistance and guidance to members who have been looking to conduct business in Vietnam.

Viet is a qualified lawyer who after a few years of practising law moved to the Customs Bureau of Ho Chi Minh City where he gained experience of customs clearance procedures.

Over the last sixteen years Viet has held a number of senior positions within the Customs General Department of Vietnam and often provides consultancy services to foreign companies who are not familiar with Vietnams customs procedures.

Viet is also a member of Vietnams Academy of Journalism and Communication and is passionate about promoting Vietnam to foreign companies who wish to learn more about Vietnamese business culture.

Binh has a business transformation consulting business to help SMEs world-wide deploy new technologies to enhance their competitive advantages such as website, Customer Relationship Management system and an array of technical application specilised for SMEs.

He is also a social entrepreneur. He is a co-founder of Survival Skills Vietnam – a social enterprise with the mission to reduce preventable deaths and injuries in Vietnam via first aid training to international standards. Since 2014, the social enterprise has helped more than 90.000 Vietnamese people access first aid education who then save thounsands lives every year.

In 2014, he founded SiGen to commercialize the invention of anti-mosquito manholes in urban stormwater drainage systems. The solution has been gaining more and more support from local authorities, academia, and local people thanks to its effectiveness in preventing odors, fast drainage, and eliminating mosquitoes’ growth and development environment. SiGen started to successfully deploy the solution in many localities across the Vietnam since 2019.