Emma McDonald
Ex-officio, HCMC based
Emma McDonald is Austrade’s Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to Vietnam and Cambodia, located in Ho Chi Minh City. Emma leads Austrade’s work program for trade, investment, education and tourism and is responsible for progressing work on the resources and energy sectors across Southeast Asia.
Prior to this role Emma was the Head of Investment for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and led the agency’s work on Critical Minerals. This followed a short-term posting to London as Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Nordics, where she represented Austrade, the High Commission and Australia in high-level corporate and government settings at one of Australia’s largest, busiest and high-profile foreign offices. There she had direct leadership of and accountability for Australia’s regional trade and investment strategy across the region, overseeing over 20 trade and investment staff in London and Stockholm across the sectors of food and beverages, clean energy, advanced technology (robotics and quantum), defence, space, critical minerals and health.
Emma has worked in investment promotion for over 10 years and was formerly Austrade’s Senior Investment Specialist for Tourism with responsibility for reviving international investment into Australia’s accommodation sector. She has over 25 years of experience with the private sector and with the Victorian and Australian governments in project delivery, program management, public affairs, major project facilitation, indigenous affairs and regulatory reform.
Prior to joining Austrade Emma helped lead a $1 billion carbon emissions reduction project in the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism; managed a $5.4 billion national construction program for remote indigenous housing in the NT, Queensland, South Australia and NSW; led media and public affairs for the Department of Finance and undertook $1 billion in asset sales for the Australian and Victorian Governments.
Emma started her career in the private sector working on commercial property projects as a strategic and economic planner, before joining the public service. She has formal qualifications in planning and design from the University of Melbourne.