I am very pleased to let you know that Richard Basil-Jones has accepted the role as CEO of Australian Business Ltd (trading as the Australia-United Kingdom Chamber of Commerce) with effect from 01 October 2023. This comes as the outgoing CEO Joanne Holland has decided she needs to continue to reside in Australia for the immediate future.

The Board would like to thank Joanne for her time with the Chamber where she has been since July 2021, first in an Executive capacity covering for Catherine Woo during maternity absence, and then as CEO since April 2022. Joanne managed through the many Covid related challenges and showed tremendous strength and vision. Her main great outcome was in ensuring the Chamber remained a very positive influence and force in assisting policies in the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement negotiations. Her need to return to Australia in December 2022 to deal with recent family challenges was very sad and the Board and I see her time in the Chamber very positively and we wish Joanne all our best wishes and thoughts for a wonderful future.

Richard has been Interim Director since April 2023, and stepped in to the beginning of the post Free Trade Agreement world – where he has excelled – and we are very excited for him to agree to become CEO. The opportunities and challenges for the UK based Australia community are enormous and the Chamber looks to continue to be a complementary force for the High Commission, the States, the British Government and all interest areas and groups. The Board and I strongly welcome Richard to the role and look forward to working with him to develop terrific outcomes!

Dick Porter
Chair, on behalf of the Board of Australian Business Ltd (trading as The Australia-United Kingdom Chamber of Commerce)

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Vera Carvalho-Pacey