Media Release
31 August 2016
Advance, Australia’s Global Community, welcomes new members to Global Advisory Council.
Advance expands its Global Advisory Council with three high profile Australians. The recent additions are retired Australian Minister for Trade and Investment, The Hon. Andrew Robb AO, esteemed business person and entrepreneur Carol Schwartz AM and chair of CSIRO, David Thodey.
Doug Elix AO, chair of the Advance Global Advisory Council said he was delighted that three such highly talented and respected Australians had agreed to join the Council and contribute their experience, insight and capability to further the outstanding work of Advance.
With international experience spanning politics, telecommunications, science, social enterprise and business industries, the appointment of these three talented Australians to the Advance Global Advisory Council is a highly valued addition to the organisation.
These appointments emphasise the efforts Advance is undertaking to ensure the organisation remains advised by Australia’s most experienced, qualified and globally aware Australians.
The Hon. Andrew Robb AO has served as the Federal Director and Campaign Director of the Liberal Party, has held positions as Chairman of the Government’s Workplace Relations Taskforce, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs and Minister for Trade and Investment. Andrew was paramount in facilitating Free Trade Agreements with Australia China, South Korea and Japan as well as the 12 country Trans Pacific Partnership
(TPP) free trade agreement. Andrew will be bringing this international experience to Advance. In 2003 Andrew was awarded the Office of the Order of Australia for his service to agriculture, politics and the community.
With a dynamic leadership career spanning property, the arts, finance, government and health sectors, Carol Schwartz AM is recognised as an esteemed business person and entrepreneur, focusing on gender equality, women’s leadership, governance, social enterprise, business and finance industries. Carol was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 2006 for her achievements in business and commerce and her contribution to community and the arts; Carol
also received the Centenary Medal in 2001 in recognition of her outstanding service as a leading business executive and board participant. In 2016 Carol became the first women to be inducted into the Australian Property Hall of Fame as well as being made an honorary life member of the Property Council of Australia and will bring her expertise in business and commerce to the Advance Global Advisory Council.
David Thodey is Chair of CSIRO and the Chair of JobsNSW, the NSW independent organisation responsible for the creation of new jobs through to 2020. Previously Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Telstra, David is a pioneer of making international business’ more innovative and agile – a quality that is strongly aligned with the core mission of Advance.
For more information and complete biographies, please visit advance.org.
About Advance
Advance is Australia’s largest interactive Global Community. It is the country’s greatest resource for enhancing the skills and connectivity of high-achieving Australians at home and around the world.
Advance is devoted to creating a platform for the exchange of knowledge, connectivity and ideas to help inspire and empower global Australians. The programs, summits and events Advance facilitates annually aids Australian entrepreneurial companies, creates career opportunities for international Australians and helps established leaders reinvest to the next generation of
Australian talent.
Advance has a global community of over 40,000 individuals across 90 countries, and consistently forges connections with the one million individuals that make up the Australian Diaspora, and the two million alumni of Australian Universities. Advance draws on their unique experiences and networks to increase opportunities for Australians and Australian companies around the
world.
From holding the annual Advance Global Australian Awards, to running a mentor/mentee program with young entrepreneurs, to hosting business summits around the world, to having quarterly drinks to make new connections in a foreign city, Advance does everything in its power to help propel the extraordinary talent of this community - ultimately helping Australia become a
more innovative, agile and creative country.
More: https://advance.org/news-and-media/