New opportunities for Australian & New Zealand Businesses in the Middle East and the UAE

Brett O’Riley is the CEO of the EMA, New Zealand’s largest business support organisation and part of the BusinessNZ Network which includes ExportNZ, the export arm of the BusinessNZ network with an extensive knowledge and networks in New Zealand to drive performance improvement in the export sector by better connecting small and medium sized companies with each other for support and advice. Export NZ provides effective advocacy and lobbying on behalf of exporters along with practical support programmes and networking events to help companies expand their business horizons and grow internationally. Brett has spent the last 10 years dedicated to the goal of growing the New Zealand innovation and business support eco-system, as founding chief executive of technology industry association NZICT, founding deputy chief executive of the Ministry of Science + Innovation, and most recently as chief executive of Auckland Tourism, Events & Economic Development.

Cynthia Dearin leads business leaders to create game-changing international strategies. From the time she was small, Cynthia had a deep interest in other cultures and countries, and in making a difference for people. She joined Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade in 2001 and became a diplomat, representing Australia in the Middle East. Cynthia traded the foreign service for management consultancy. From 2006 to 2010, she worked with British and United States’ governments in Iraq, to restart the economy and get businesses and government working again after 30 years of isolation and a decade of war. Cynthia returned to Australia and became the first female CEO of the Australia-Arab Chamber of Commerce & Industry in 2010, working to create international opportunities for Australian business.

Mr. Edwin Lammers, Vice President Commercial and Business Development at Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi.
Coming from the Port and Industrial Zone in Sohar, Mr. Lammers joins Abu Dhabi Ports with over 20 years of experience in Logistics, Commercial and Operational Management, Maritime Logistics, Port and Free Zone Development across the GCC and Europe.

In 2016 he served as Corporate Development Manager at Florencis Group, a holding company for a group of logistics companies. In this role he was responsible for business strategy, developing reporting schemes and increasing customer service experience. In early 2016 he was also the Managing Director and Board Member at Progeco Holland, a company specialised in the running of containers and storage facilities throughout Europe, including Rotterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg, Bordeaux and Marseilles.

From 2015-2016 he was Director of Breakbulk at the Port of Rotterdam. In this role he was responsible for the development of the breakbulk segment, improving the handling infrastructure, attracting new cargo flows, re-routing cargo flows from competing ports, facilitating the growth of heavy lift/project cargo handling in Rotterdam.

From 2009-2015 he was the Executive Commercial Manager at Sohar Industrial Port Company, a deep-sea port and adjacent free zone in the Middle East. There he was responsible for the development of a port (both on the land as well on the marine side) and free zone in Sohar, Oman. Prior to this he was General Manager at Waalhaven Terminal BV, a terminal in the port of Rotterdam. In this role he was commercially and operationally responsible for the cost-efficient handling, storage and repair of containers for the customer base of international shipping lines.

Khalid Ahmed Mohammed Al Marzooqi is a seasoned business development professional with more than ten years of experience.
Since 2018, Mr AlMarzooqi has been the Director of Commercial Activities at Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD), where he oversees KIZAD’s real estate division, Polymers Park, the business development section and the international business section. His remit includes creating and developing sales channels, strengthening the presence of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the zone, managing mega industrial projects and enhancing relations with government agencies.

From 2013-2018, Mr AlMarzooqi was a senior sales manager at the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), responsible for the Asia Pacific region, where he managed six overseas JAFZA offices. During his time with JAFZA, Mr AlMarzooqi attracted a raft of companies to the free zone, including several Global Fortune 500 companies. While at JAFZA, Mr AlMarzooqi also held the position of acting head of the business development department at DP World, where he managed KPIs, the budget and was the regional manager for Europe and America.

Mr AlMarzooqi holds a Master of International Business from Wollongong University in Dubai and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the American University of Sharjah.

Kim is a specialist Trade Facilitation, Business Consulting, and Executive Search organisation with offices throughout the Middle East, India, Europe, Asia and Australia. The company has been offering Trade facilitation services to ANZ / APAC manufacturing and export businesses for their UAE office since 2005. Specialist industry sectors include Company Establishment, Product Representation, Supply Chain Transformation, Optimisation, M&A and Executive Search services across the Supply Chain, E-commerce, Petro-Chemical, Mining & Resources, Life Science, Cold Chain, FMCG and Industrial.

Maher is an International Business Advisor focused on brand development and market-entry strategy. Born and raised in Perth, Western Australia and having lived in the Middle East for seven years, he is experienced in dealing with people of different cultures and backgrounds. His passion lies in developing effective marketing strategies that generate results for companies entering new international markets.

H.E. Dr. Tariq Bin Hendi is the Director General of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO). He leads the organisation’s efforts to grow and diversify Abu Dhabi’s economy through private sector investment. He also oversees strategic initiatives that support the emirate’s economic growth and reputation on the world stage.

Prior to joining ADIO, His Excellency held leadership roles at various institutions including Emirates NBD, Mubadala and Citibank. He also sits on a number of boards including AXA GCIC and EPG (Emirates Post Group)

His Excellency holds a PhD in Economics from the Imperial College London, and graduate degrees from Columbia University and London Business School.