AusCham Board Members

I am the owner and CEO of a multinational business and 8 year resident of Vietnam. Together with 11 other business leaders, I am running on a ticket with the aim that if we are all successfully elected, we will pivot the chamber to a business focussed, stakeholder return operating model. This includes monthly education and training seminars for member emerging leaders, targeted events to promote and link Australian companies doing business or looking to do business in Vietnam, aligning the chamber trade initiatives with those of the Australian Government representatives in Vietnam, initiating a women in leadership group and an executive mentoring group.  The success of our chamber is also about our community engagement and we plan to implement a chamber CSR to both assist our local community and light a path for member companies who may wish to participate. The sum experience of our team running for election is a turnover of over $1 billion employing more than 7,000 people and we look forward to the opportunity to bring our collective experience together to continue to develop the Auscham experience for all stakeholders. 

Jacquie has been working across the globe for the last 20 years, with career highlights in Jordan, Dubai and the Maldives.  In her 4 years in Vietnam, Jacquie was most recently Director of Hospitality Development for SonKim Land and is now taking those skills to Orlar – an Australian technology-driven sustainable agricultural solution www.orlar.com .  Currently working to address food security issues in South East Asia, Jacquie has a passion for developing young business leaders and sharing best practice – also kicking goals on the field as full forward and Treasurer of Na Fianna Gaelic Football Club HCMC.

Aaron Funnell is Executive Director of Outward Bound Vietnam and has been working across Asia since 2003. Originally from Sydney, he has been based in Malaysia, Hong Kong, and most recently in Vietnam since 2017. In addition to outdoor qualifications, he has an MBA, a Masters of Education, and a Diploma of Training and Assessment.

Aaron also serves as a member of the Association for Experiential Education Accreditation Council USA, which sets standards for outdoor education in North America, and the Global Research Advisory Committee for Outward Bound International. He has convened several educational conferences and produced impact reports for various charities and social enterprises he has been connected with.

Aaron joined Auscham to gain local business intelligence and as a platform for engaging in ongoing professional development, and these are the areas he hopes to dive into further by serving on the Auscham board.

Gabe is the Managing Director for Aurecon’s engineering and advisory business in Vietnam. Overall responsibility for 250+ staff, general operations, business development, project delivery, financial performance and team development.

In his 19 years of delivery experience, Gabe has executed numerous major projects from both leadership and technical roles. Global engagements have taken him from his home in Sydney, Australia to the United States, Middle East, India, Indonesia, Vietnam.

Gabe’s market experience extends across hospitality, mixed use, stadia, commercial, healthcare, defence, airports and residential sectors providing a spectrum of technical understanding which enables adaptation and innovation in the built environment.

Justin Malcolm is a 26-year veteran of the hospitality industry working for award winning properties for Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Marriott International across countries.

Justin is currently the General Manager at Le Méridien Saigon, one of the leading 5-star hotels in HCMC, where he has served for one past 4.5 years. Through Justin’s leadership the hotel has been recognized for Industry Leading awards that includes 2020 Luxury Business Hotel and Luxury Spa Hotels Asia by World Luxury Hotel and Spa Awards. In 2019, Justin was also awarded Hospitality Superstar Award by The Asia Pacific Tourism and Travel Federation.

Justin was also responsible for the rebranding and complete renovation of Sheraton Maldives; and during his time there, the height of the global financial crisis, Starwood awarded him Most Inspiring Leader of the year in Asia in 2009.

Justin was a wealth of committee and board experience which has included Chairman of the Starwood Security Council for 4 countries over a 7-year period; was the founding Chairman of PATA Chiang Rai Chapter; was Chairman of the Industry Intelligence Committee for PATA Thailand and is currently Co-Chair of Marriott International Business Council for Vietnam and Cambodia.

Justin has a strong background in change management (as a certified Six Sigma Black Belt) and business turnaround whist developing high performing teams.

Patrick is Head of Corporate Development at Blackstone Minerals, an ASX-listed mining company. As part of a young and dynamic management team, his role in Vietnam includes business development and external relations for Blackstone, which aims to rapidly develop the Ta Khoa Nickel Mine and a downstream refinery producing battery materials for the emerging electric vehicles market.

Patrick is passionate about developing strategies driving positive outcomes and seeing Australian mining and services companies taking a pre-eminent position in the mining sector in Vietnam. As a new entrant to Vietnam, he appreciates the various challenges faced by corporates trying to establish in country.

Patrick has lived in China, Singapore, the United States and Australia prior to the current role in Vietnam. He can speak English, Chinese, Spanish and is learning Vietnamese.