Land of Opportunity

Ash Conway: "Aussie tech startups most certainly live in the lucky country"

2016-07-01T22:17:00.003-07:00

by Ash Conway, an Australian and CEO & Founder of Bugwolf.

Ash Conway

Leading up to an election, people’s opinions are ripe and I’ve been noticing of late too much negative messaging towards the Australian Government, selling the government short on the support they have provided startups. Much of this has been coming from various groups who have been forthcoming in claiming the parties are not doing enough and the policies put forward fall well short on other countries.

I’m writing this post from experience of being in the trenches, bootstrapping a startup Bugwolf for the past few years and doing so from Australia.

I can say from experience that without the Australian Government and Enterprise support, Bugwolf would not be where we are today. In fact, programs such as the R&D program and Export Grants have come at times of our business where the funding was critical for our existence and growth.

Government support has put Australian startups on the map and not only regionally but also globally.

Politicians and entrepreneurs around the world have taken notice and are taking a real look at our country as being a home for their companies. Just look at the long list of companies and tech leaders from the US which are now gracing our cities. Recently, these include Jack Dorsey of Twitter and Square and Stewart Butterfield of Slack. Many others have now set up offices in Australia.

When you take a step back a few years, a startup would typically not get a meeting with a digital leader in a large enterprise due to the difficulty of doing business with smaller suppliers. Today, since Prime Minister Turnbull became leader, startups have had an overwhelming amount of support from business and the government. Big companies want to take your calls, while large enterprises are throwing their weight behind local startups, and are striving to be more like startups themselves.

We recently spent a few days in Canberra meeting with many of the large government departments. In fact, the door was opened by a leader in the technology government space after attending an event we pitched at. From spending only a few days in Canberra I got the real sense that an innovation and startup shift was happening. There was an intense interest and focus on supporting and working with startups.

To support this view you should spend a few minutes listening to John Chambers who was the CEO of one of the world's most innovative technology companies Cisco. His message is clear that all cities will be and must be digital to survive. I also attended a talk by Brett King on disruption and innovation and he was quoted saying if your CEO is not tech today your company will be wiped out in 10 years. The same goes for our country's leader in my view.

The way you vote come July is probably one of the biggest votes you will make. Our country is in a race on a global scale in the digital revolution and the impact of voting is high as 4 years in power is an eternity in tech. Your vote will impact Australia's life blood and the country's risk takers. It's these people which will create jobs of the future and give Australian’s opportunities which are more rewarding and meet the way you want to work.

In the past 10 years I would definitely agree most parties have been identical and in recent years have followed near similar policies. I've also never been that political, but this time I know what's coming and have experienced what it’s like to risk everything, and how tough it can be to build a technology company from nothing in Australia. The support the government programs provided has been instrumental in our company’s survival.

I totally disagree that the Australian Government has not done enough, and believe Aussie tech startups live in the lucky country. In fact even without the latest announcements regarding funding and innovation support we are already in a great place. I can only imagine what the future holds for the entrepreneurs in Australia.

The government and enterprise support has meant we have not needed to migrate to the US or take funding.

Bugwolf will continue to remain headquartered in Australia under the leadership of Malcolm Turnbull and Australian Liberal Party, and not without the support of many Australia’s leading enterprises. We are so lucky to have someone leading our country that has been involved in startups, who has taken a startup from zero to hero, and to have attracted companies like NAB and Australia Post willing to support local innovation and startups.

More Reading:
Australian Leadership: The Other Interviews
Exemplars of Australian Leadership
Australian Leadership Strengths
Why an Australian Leadership Project?

What do you think?

Please share your favourite Australian Leadership stories

through this Australian Leadership Nomination Link

Our Partners

The Founder and Editor of this Australian Leadership Pro ject is Victor Perton, an Australian leadership adviser and advocate. This article is published under a Creative Commons Licence and may be republished with attribution.

Council for Australia-Latin America Relations (COALAR) 2015-16 Grants Program

2015-03-10T13:07:00.003-07:00

By Victor Perton

Australia's Council for Australia-Latin America Relations was established by the Australian Government in 2001 to enhance Australia’s economic, political and social relations with Latin America.

The Council has a Grants Program and we are inviting applications for the 2015-16 program. Expressions of interest need to be lodged by 9 April.

Projects need to be relevant to one or more of the following objectives:

to enhance and strengthen links between Australia and Latin America, in the priority areas of business, education, sustainability, tourism and cultural promotion (including sport)
to influence corporate Australia to initiate closer engagement with Latin America; and
to increase awareness and understanding of Australia in Latin America, and of Latin America in Australia.

The Council invites funding applications annually from individuals and organisations for projects that demonstrate the potential for the development of long-term links and cooperation between individuals and institutions in Australia and their counterparts in Latin America. COALAR grants are intended to provide seed funds for innovative proposals relevant to the goals and mission of the Council stated in the 2014–17 Strategic Plan.

The Council supports innovative projects that have clear outcomes and seek to ensure the benefits of such activities are spread as widely as possible across the following priority areas:

Business
Education
Sustainability
Tourism
Cultural Promotion (including sport)

Relevant documents and links will be found on the Council's Grants Page.

Victor Perton is Principal of Victor Perton Global Partners and a Board Member of COALAR - The Council on Australia Latin American Relations.

Other Interesting Blog Posts

The Australian G20 Presidency 2014: A Success for Australians and the World

Victor Perton on Panel "Australia, Latin America and the Future of the Americas"

Brazil and Victoria: Rio Grande do Sul and Porto Alegre opportunities

Brazil and Victoria: Rio de Janeiro Opportunities

Federation of Industries of Rio de Janeiro and Australian Urban Systems: Urban Sustainable Forum

Australian Urban Systems "Sustainable Cities" Forum in Curitiba, Brazil

Brazil's Opportunities for Victorian businesses: World Cup and The Rio Olympics

World Cup 2014: just what is going on in Brazil?

Victoria's Education Message in Brazil

More Success in Latin America for Pacific Hydro

Splendid Melbourne Latin American Dialogue

Victoria's New Latin American Vision Statement

Brazil and Victoria: Doing Business

Latin American Opportunities

Sao Paolo Traffic

Brazil's Sao Paolo is the world's third most expensive shopping city

Last Thank You before I leave the Post of Commissioner to the Americas

Deep in the Heart of Texas: G'Day USA in Houston

Australia's Gold Coast to host Commonwealth Games in 2018

Mark Anderson on the Australian Chinese Relationship

2015-02-23T15:40:00.004-08:00

An interesting article in the the American Magazine Fortune caught my eye. It was a summary of Mark Anderson's 2015 predictions. Mark is the CEO of the Strategic News Service.

I have known Mark for several years and I have spoken at his excellent FiReGlobal West Coast Conference in Seattle. Mark has been a frequent visitor to Melbourne as part of the American Australian Leadership Dialogue and as an advisor to the Board of one of Australia's largest corporations.

In the Fortune Article, Mark is quoted as saying, "Australia’s not doing great. China owns a large chunk of Australia’s businesses. When Australia had the money to spare, it didn’t invest in its own industries and universities. Now, Australia is a natural resource based economy with a sliding dollar at a time when natural resource prices are plunging. Its biggest customer is China, and China is interested in owning Australian businesses."

Mark's views are always worth thinking about...

Australian Made "Lego Movie" wins the Best Animated Film Award at the The British Academy of Film and Television Arts

2015-02-09T15:34:00.004-08:00

by Victor Perton

The Lego Movie, made by Australian animation and visual effects company Animal Logic, has won the Best Animated Film Award at the The British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

My children loved the film as they love their Lego!

The film’s director Phil Lord joked while accepting the award: “You are our favourite academy by far, and this is clearly the most fun I’ve had in an opera house by far also. This is the end of the road for our awards – so this is what we really think, we’re very grateful and we’re very proud so thank you guys very much.”

The animated film beat Big Hero 6 and The Boxtrolls to win the award at the ceremony at the Royal Opera House in London.

On the Baftas red carpet, Phil Lord said that he and writer Christopher Miller were in the middle of writing a Lego Movie sequel "in their hotel rooms".

The Lego Movie has been nominated in the Best Original Song category at the Oscars later this month for “Everything is Awesome”.

Victor Perton is Principal of Victor Perton Global Partners and a Board Member of COALAR - The Council on Australia Latin American Relations.

Communiqué of the Meeting of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in Washington DC, 10-11 October 2013

2013-10-11T17:57:00.003-07:00

Since our Leaders met in September, the recovery in the global economy has continued, with the early signs of improvement in major advanced economies but slower growth in many emerging markets, which still remain important drivers of global growth. The current outlook presents challenges, including unacceptably high unemployment in many countries, and downside risks remain. The U.S. needs to take urgent action to address short-term fiscal uncertainties. We recognize that strengthened and sustained growth will be accompanied by an eventual transition toward the normalization of monetary policy and that volatility of capital flows continues to be an important challenge. Sound macroeconomic policies, structural reforms and strong prudential frameworks will help address an increase in volatility. We will ensure that future changes to monetary policy settings will continue to be carefully calibrated and clearly communicated. We will cooperate to make policies implemented for supporting domestic growth also support global growth and financial stability and to manage their spillovers on other countries.
We will intensify our collective and national efforts to create a robust environment for job-rich and inclusive growth, and to address the downside risks to the global economy. We are fully committed to implement the St Petersburg Action Plan that sets forth our reforms for achieving strong, sustainable and balanced growth and will further develop comprehensive growth strategies for presentation to the Brisbane Summit to achieve this objective. In this regard, ensuring fiscal sustainability remains a key priority and we reaffirm our commitment to implement our medium-term fiscal strategies flexibly to take into account near-term economic conditions, while putting government debt on a sustainable path.
We re-affirm the importance of long-term financing for investment to boost growth, create jobs and facilitate development and are moving forward with the work plan endorsed in St Petersburg, including further work on private sector investment flows. We will identify measures to facilitate domestic capital market development and improve the intermediation of global savings for investments and work on approaches to implement the G20/OECD High-Level Principles of Long-Term Investment Financing by Institutional Investors. We take note of the work underway in the World Bank Group and Regional Development Banks to mobilize and catalyze additional financing for infrastructure investment, particularly in emerging market and developing countries.
We re-emphasize the urgent need to immediately ratify the 2010 IMF Quota and Governance Reform....
We welcome the ongoing work by International Organizations to support the improvement of debt management practices in light of recent experiences....
We will closely monitor the implementation of the ambitious tax agenda agreed by our Leaders in St Petersburg and look forward to regular reporting from the Global Forum and the OECD, in particular as regards creating a new standard of automatic exchange of information and implementing the BEPS Action Plan. In addition, we reiterate the need for the Global Forum to complete the allocation of comprehensive country ratings regarding the effective implementation of information exchange upon request and ensure that the implementation of the standards are monitored on a continuous basis. We also reiterate our commitment to FATF’s work.
We will pursue our work to build a safe and reliable financial system by implementing the financial reforms endorsed in our Leaders’ Declaration, which are aimed at building upon the significant progress already achieved, including in creating more resilient financial institutions, ending too-big-to-fail, increasing transparency and market integrity, filling regulatory gaps, addressing the potential systemic risks from shadow banking and closing information gaps.
We welcome the recent replenishment of the African Development Fund and reiterate our commitment to achieving a successful International Development Association (IDA) 17 replenishment.
We are grateful to International Organizations and other relevant bodies for providing the reports and notes....
We thank Russia for its leadership at the conclusion of its presidency, and look forward to Australia’s leadership next year as we work together to achieve the goals laid out in St Petersburg.

MELBOURNE SEMINAR: POTENTIAL PITFALLS TO AVOID IN THE NEW AUSTRALIAN 457 VISA LANDSCAPE

2013-09-04T00:51:00.003-07:00

Our friend Noah Klug from Nevett Ford Lawyers has asked me to let you know that his firm will be conducting a free seminar entitled ‘Potential Pitfalls to Avoid in the New 457 Visa Landscape.’

Date: Thursday 12 September 2013

Time: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Place: 525 Collins Street (Rialto Building, South Tower)

The topics will include:

457 Sponsorship issues and the new ‘genuineness’ requirement
Financial implications of training expenditure;
New requirement for business to justify number of sponsorship places;
Labour Market Testing
Employment law crossover issues with migration law

Register your interest in attending by Thursday 5 September to Shalini Kodikara on skodikara@nevettford.com.au or +61 3 9615 4332.

Melbourne Opportunity: Support the Children’s Tumour Foundation Dining with Daisies Gala Dinner

2013-09-03T22:34:00.001-07:00

Over 200 corporate guests will join the Children’s Tumour Foundation at the Hilton on the Park on Friday 25 October 2013 for the Foundation’s first ever Melbourne fundraiser– the Dining with Daisies Gala Dinner - to raise funds for research and to establish a vital support service for kids in Victoria with neurofibromatosis (NF).

NF is a genetic condition affecting 1 in 3,000 births causing tumours to grow on nerves inside and outside the body. It can lead to blindness, deafness, bone deformities and potentially life threatening internal tumours that impact on vital organs. There is no cure.

For more information, or to book or sponsor the event, visit www.ctf.org.au/get-involved/events/dining-with-daisies-gala-dinner/

Related Resources

What is Neurofibromatosis?

Australian Wine Success in the Americas: De Bortoli Wines

2013-08-27T19:42:00.001-07:00

by Victor Perton, Board Member, COALAR - Council on Australia Latin American Relations; President, ANZMEX - Australia New Zealand Mexico Chamber of Commerce; and Principal, Victor Perton Global Partners.

During my time as Commissioner to the Americas, I was always impressed by the way De Bortoli Wines went about their work and built an excellent export market. I remember being chuffed on internal US flights when the wine of choice was Australia's De Bortoli. There were some whingers who found the US market hard: I found Americans love Australian wine and persistence, quality and price is the key to winning a market in the largest wine consuming country in the world.

Victor De Bortoli and Craig Orchard, Executive Vice-President Sales & Operations USA agreed to answer some of my questions on the secrets of their success in the USA. I included some cheeky Mexico and Latin American questions wearing my ANZMEX and COALAR hats.

VP: Victor, tell us about De Bortoli Wines in the Americas. How big is your market there and what De Bortoli Wines do Americans favour?

Victor De Bortoli

Victor De Bortoli: Over the years we have approached the market in different ways but for most of the last 10 years we have chosen to be our own importer with an office in Hoboken, New Jersey. De Bortoli made a big impact into the USA market a couple of years ago in particular with the introduction of the Emeri range and the demand for its sparkling Pink Moscato. This enabled us to acquire the backing of the major distribution houses and although getting the support of them as a "small supplier" has been very difficult it has opened a lot of opportunities in the chain world that we are focusing on penetrating now. Like many other suppliers, our sweet wines have taken a huge leap but as this market also becomes saturated we need to be innovative in finding new opportunities. Our DB Family Selection range, which last year the Chardonnay and Shiraz were voted in Wine Spectators top 100 best value wines also continues to impress at a sub $10 price point. A release of our Riorret range has also been quite positive with the US market taking a liking to out premium Pinot. It is also why the office in Hoboken has been tagged the Pinot Parlour.

VP: Are American wine tastes different to Australian tastes?

Craig Orchard

Craig Orchard: Overall I think the taste palates are fairly similar, it is just having the consumer really understand what they really like. Five years ago sweet wines had very little popularity as they thought they liked dry but as we do more and more tastings and trade shows throughout the two different cultures, it is the sweeter wines that quite a few people are ultimately drawn too.

VP: Many Australian winemakers complain they can't get a foothold in the USA. What is the secret of your success?

Victor De Bortoli: The 3 tier system can make access to the market quite challenging but with anything if you are persistent enough and have a good quality product than you can give yourself every chance of success. As a family business we were happy to take a long view and are quite happy to progress with time.

VP: I understand you have some experience in the Mexican market. Any plans to expand in Mexico and the rest of Latin America? Do you see any opportunities in Latin America in terms of retail sales or production partnerships?

Craig Orchard: We have sold to Mexico in the past and we will always keep our eye out for opportunities. We do see any opportunity in time and when we find the right partner we can explore those markets again.

VP: Should Australian governments be doing more to support Australian wine-sales in the Americas? If yes, what?

Victor De Bortoli: You always think that State and Federal Government do more. It's an expensive market to operate in so it all helps. With Wine Australia's funding under pressure due to an increase in bulk sales it would be nice if they could allocate further funds to help the industry in general.

VP: You travel to the USA and Canada quite a bit, what are your favourite places? Have you spent much time in Mexico? If yes, what are your favourite places there?

Victor De Bortoli: I have not personally spent time in Mexico but have travelled to the USA and Canada over the years. I love Hoboken in New Jersey and quite often stay at the 'W Hoboken' hotel. You get the best views of Manhattan and it's only a quick subway ride or quick ferry trip to get across the Hudson River into Manhattan. In Hoboken Leo's and '10th and Willow' Restaurants are favourites amongst others.

----------------------------------------

Nice Video from De Bortoli's YouTube Channel.

Victor Perton, is Principal of Victor Perton Global Partners. a Board Member of COALAR - The Council on Australia Latin American Relations; and, President, ANZMEX - Australia New Zealand Mexico Chamber of Commerce.

Related Blog Posts

Brazilian Opportunity Beckons in Melbourne and Victoria! Some of Brazil’s top Science and Engineering students are seeking internships...

2013-08-26T19:18:00.002-07:00

As you know, I'm upbeat about Brazil and it's opportunities for Australian business. I'm also upbeat about the opportunities for Brazilians and their business in Australia.

Here’s your opportunity to have one of Brazil’s top students intern in your business bringing bright new perspectives: Monash University and Professional Pathways Australia are looking to place some of Brazil’s top Science and Engineering students as a part of the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program (BSMP), a scholarship program granted by the Brazilian Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology.

A bonus to you and your business will be a personal link and a real insight into the opportunities offered by Brazil, the world’s fast growing 6th biggest economy hosting the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.

These students are highly educated, motivated and are the global engineering and science sectors' up-and-coming stars.

The internships are unpaid from 4 to 12 weeks with insurance covered so there is no financial cost to the host company. Monash will ensure that the English language skills will be top-notch.

To find out more, I urge you to click on this link and ring Annette Wittmann (PPA) on 03 8616 9774 to find out more.

https://ppa.edu.au/about-ppa/become-a-host-company/brazil-scientific-mobility-program/

When I do a google search I find some of the best corporations in the world are excited by these interns! Try it!

Brazil Related Blogs by Victor Perton:

Victor Perton on Panel "Australia, Latin America and the Future of the Americas"

Brazil and Victoria: Rio Grande do Sul & Porto Alegre opportunities

Brazil and Victoria: Rio de Janeiro Opportunities

Federation of Industries of Rio de Janeiro and Australian Urban Systems: Urban Sustainable Forum

Australian Urban Systems "Sustainable Cities" Forum in Curitiba, Brazil

Brazil's Opportunities for Victorian businesses: World Cup and The Rio Olympics

World Cup 2014: just what is going on in Brazil?

Victoria's Education Message in Brazil

More Success in Latin America for Pacific Hydro

Splendid Melbourne Latin American Dialogue

Victoria's New Latin American Vision Statement

Brazil and Victoria: Doing Business

Latin American Opportunities

Sao Paolo Traffic

Brazil's Sao Paolo is the world's third most expensive shopping city

Last Thank You before I leave the Post of Commissioner to the Americas

Deep in the Heart of Texas: G'Day USA in Houston

Australia's Gold Coast to host Commonwealth Games in 2018

Main Points: WTO World Trade Report 2013

2013-07-26T17:43:00.000-07:00

"World trade has grown on average nearly twice as fast as world production.

This reflects the increasing prominence of international supply chains"

"One of the most significant drivers of change is technology.

Not only have revolutions in transport and communications transformed our world

but new developments, such as 3D printing,

and the continuing spread of information technology will continue to do so. "

Main points from the World Trade Organisations 2013 Report - http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/publications_e/wtr13_e.htm

Trends in international trade

Dramatic decreases in transport and communication costs have been the driving forces behind today’s global trading system. Geopolitics has also played a decisive role in advancing and reinforcing these structural trends.
In the last 30 years, trade in merchandise and commercial services have increased by about 7 per cent per year on average, reaching a peak of $18 trillion and $4 trillion respectively in 2011.
Between 1980 and 2011, developing economies raised their share in world exports from 34 per cent to 47 per cent and their share in world imports from 29 per cent to 42 per cent.
For a number of decades, world trade has grown on average nearly twice as fast as world production. This reflects the increasing prominence of international supply chains and hence the importance of measuring trade in value-added terms.
Simulations show that in a dynamic economic and open trade environment, developing countries are likely to outpace developed countries in terms of both export and GDP growth by a factor of two to three in future decades. By contrast, their GDP would grow by less than half this rate in a pessimistic economic and protectionist scenario, and export growth would be lower than in developed countries.

Fundamental economic factors affecting international trade

Demographic change affects trade through its impact on countries’ comparative advantage and on import demand. An ageing population, migration, educational improvements and women’s participation in the labour force will all play a role in years to come, as will the continuing emergence of a global middle class.
Investment in physical infrastructure can facilitate the integration of new players into international supply chains. The accumulation of capital and the build-up of knowledge and technology associated with investment, particularly foreign direct investment, can also enable countries to move up the value chain by altering their comparative advantage.
New players have emerged among the countries driving technological progress. Countries representing 20 per cent of the world’s total population accounted for about 70 per cent of research and development (R&D) expenditure in 1999, but only about 40 per cent in 2010. Technology spill-overs are largely regional and stronger among countries connected by production networks. In addition to the traditionally R&D intensive manufacturing sectors, knowledge-intensive business services are emerging as key drivers of knowledge accumulation.
The shale gas revolution portends dramatic shifts in the future pattern of energy production and trade as North America becomes energy sufficient.
Increasing water scarcity in the future in large swathes of the developing world may mean that the long-term decline in the share of food and agricultural products in international trade might be arrested or even reversed.
Ample opportunities exist for policy actions, at the national and multilateral level, to reduce transportation costs and offset the effect of higher fuel costs in the future – improving the quantity and quality of transportation infrastructure, successfully concluding the Doha Round negotiations on trade facilitation, introducing more competition on transport routes, and supporting innovation.
Improvements in institutional quality, notably in relation to contract enforcement, can reduce the costs of trade. Institutions are also a source of comparative advantage, and trade and institutions strongly influence each other.

Trade openness and the broader socio-economic context

Successful integration into global markets requires the constant need for individuals and societies to cope with changes in the competitive environment. These adjustments can put labour markets under strain and can shape attitudes towards trade openness. Job losses in the short-run can exert pressure on governments to use barriers to trade. In the end, it is open economies with a well-trained workforce and a business-friendly environment as well as an effective social protection system that tend to be better placed to adjust successfully.
Societies’ transition to a sustainable development path requires careful management of the multi-faceted relationship between trade and the environment in order to maximize the environmental benefits that open trade can bring. Competitiveness concerns may result in governments incorporating trade-restrictive non-tariff measures into environmental policies as a means of compensating affected firms and sectors. Such green incentive packages may undermine their environmental effectiveness and exacerbate their potentially adverse trade effects.
The expansion of trade needs to be supported by a stable financial and monetary system – delivering a sufficient volume of trade finance at an affordable cost, particularly for developing countries, and macroeconomic policies that promote exchange rate stability.

Prospects for multilateral trade co-operation

Some of the main trends which will affect world trade in the coming decades are the emergence of international value chains, the rise of new forms of regionalism, the growth of trade in services, the greater incidence of non-tariff measures, higher and more volatile commodity prices, the rise of emerging economies, and evolving perceptions about the link between trade, jobs and the environment.
These trends will raise a number of challenges for the WTO. Trade opening, especially in the context of non-tariff measures beyond WTO disciplines, is taking place outside of the WTO. A greater focus on regulatory convergence will therefore be required. Interdependence between trade in goods and trade in services is increasing. Frictions in natural resource markets expose some regulatory gaps. The emergence of new players affects global trade governance in ways that need to be better understood. Coherence between WTO rules and non-trade regulations in other multilateral fora needs to be maintained.

Charles Kovess on the opportunities offered by industrial hemp.

2013-07-11T13:47:00.001-07:00

Charles Kovess

by Victor Perton

My good friend, Charles Kovess, was interviewed by the ABC's Trevor Chappell on the opportunities offered by industrial hemp. It's worth listening to.

The 30 minute interview is at http://www.abc.net.au/overnights/stories/s3800975.htm?site=melbourne

Related Blog

What are the Opportunities for Australians with Passion? by Charles Kovess

Virgin Australia Flies to Mexico!

2013-07-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

By Victor Perton

Back in April, we published an interesting article by Rick Purvis on Air-freight between Australia and Mexico and last month, through the song of James Taylor, I asked the question of you readers, "time to go to Mexico?"

Now I am pleased to see the Australian interest in Mexico reflected by Alliance partners Virgin Australia and Delta Air Lines expanding their codeshare network to Mexico to enable Australians to travel to six Mexican cities on a single ticket. The destinations covered under the new deal are Mexico City, Cancun, Guadalajara, San Jose Del Cabo, Puerto Vallarta and Cozumel. Of great convenience to Australians, Delta operates to all six cities from Los Angeles which is our usual gateway to the USA.

Virgin Australia chief commercial officer Judith Crompton said codesharing to Mexico will meet demand to the growing tourist destination. “Mexico is very popular with Australian leisure travellers and I am delighted we can now offer these cities on codeshare flights from Australia,” she said.

Covering the story in a nice personal reminiscence, Crikey's Ben Sandilands writes, "It’s almost 39 years since an Australian flag carrier, Qantas, flew the Fiesta route to Acapulco and Mexico City via Tahiti and onward to London the very long way, but its current offers of code shares to Mexico are about to be joined by Virgin Australia offering more opportunities in conjunction with its US alliance partner, Delta. Mexico is, from personal experience, an awesome and often quite moving travel experience. The writer was on the second last Qantas flight back to Australia from Acapulco to Papeete in October 1974. It was a first class ticket purchased by the ABC at the end of a tour of duty in the US and UK with the many trips that had involved to cover stories in Europe. In the middle of the night in a much smaller Acapulco than today a car took me to the airport for a flight in a two thirds empty Boeing 707-338 that landed just on dawn in Papeete."

Victor Perton is the President of ANZMEX and the principal of Victor Perton Global Partners. He may be contacted by email or via linkedin.

Related Blog Posts

Mexico All Over Australia: An Interview with Kylie Hargreaves, Acting Deputy Director General - Industry, Innovation & Investment, NSW Trade & Investment

2013-06-16T16:32:00.001-07:00

by Victor Perton

Over the last 5 years, I have worked and collaborated with the very talented Kylie Hargreaves, Acting Deputy Director General, Industry, Innovation & Investment NSW Trade & Investment. I admire her energy, passion and her strategic thinking. Her guest blog on Land of Opportunity, 'G'Day USA Australia week Celebrates 10 Years,' was a great hit with readers earlier this year.

However, it is only in recent months since I was elected President of ANXMEX, that I became aware of Kylie's interest in Mexico starting with her childhood. Like my children, she loved Puerto Vallarta. Like me, she loves Teotihuacan. We recently collaborated on a NSW Government supported Mexican event at the Latin American Down Under Conference. Kylie graciously agreed to a short interview on her Mexican connections.

An Interview with Kylie Hargreaves, Acting Deputy Director General, Industry, Innovation & Investment, NSW Trade & Investment

VP: Kylie, What career and personal engagements did you have with Mexico?

Kylie's Childhood in Mexico

KH: My first encounter with Mexico was as a child. My father was an Australian Trade Commissioner before me and we were posted there when I was quite young.

I was fortunate to be able to re-engage with Mexico in a professional level when I too became a Trade Commissioner. One of my first postings was to Madrid, Spain and the linkages with Mexico and other parts of Latin America provided a soft re-introduction before I took up a posting in Los Angeles for the period 2002 - 2007.

The US is still Latin America's largest trading partner and so it is only natural that there was then and still is now a massive connectivity between the two neighbours; California and Mexico.

In fact, for a bit of trivia, the US Commerce Department notes that "Mexico continues to be California’s number one export market. California exports to Mexico totaled $26.3 billion in 2012. Mexico purchases 16 percent of all California exports. California’s exports to Mexico are driven by computers and electronic products, which account for 31 percent of all California exports to Mexico. Although exports to Mexico decreased in 2009, a full rebound was made by 2010 and continued increasing throughout 2012. "

Under the NAFTA I understand that two-way trade between CA and Mexico has tripled.

A wonderful example of the close economic ties was actually given last year by the US Ambassador to Mexico when he said " 75% of Mexican manufacturing factories (maquiladoras) are located along the border and import more than 80% of their imports from the United States. Forty cents of every dollar of Mexican exports is imported from the United States"

Kylie Hargreaves today

And in terms of the links with Australia, LA was a gateway to Mexico for many of the hundreds of exporters and investors we worked with in my time there, as well as a key supply chain partner in some instances for their North American operations.

In fact, it's the 3rd-market engagements that make Mexico particularly interesting on many levels for Australia. Its clearly a large and growing market, already familiar with our capabilities in areas like mining, education and professional services. So Mexico is already of interest in a bilateral sense in many sectors.

Yet if we think about California and Mexico as a combined opportunity - the options become much more interesting.

And if we look at China's growing interest in Mexico and the Latin American market more broadly, a really new dynamic is introduced. China is a key priority partner for Australia - we should be interested in what interests them. The US is in the same basket for Australia. Both are interested in Latin America - but for different reasons.

Australia's challenge is to work out if/where these emerging dynamics can create new opportunities for Australian businesses.

VP: Kylie, what are your favourite places in Mexico and why?

KH: Wonderful mix of memories from the different stages of my life:

Cuernavaca – lively, colourful markets, ice cream from a street vendor, fascinating artefacts, always something happening in the busy Plaza de Armas – balloons, toy sellers, kids selling iguanas (perched on their heads), Diego Rivera murals in Cortes’ summer palace.
Teotihuacan – Pyramids of Sun and Moon – the sheer visuals/size of the Pyramids left quite an impression!
And of course, Puerto Vallarta where I got to see leatherback turtles laying their eggs in the dead of night - unbelievably moving.

VP: Kylie, what is your favourite Mexican food and drinks? Do you cook Mexican?

KH: Umm - I can't / won't cook myself, so by default that probably means I love anything and everything someone else cooks! But if I went for something, my Mum tells me I ate like it was going out of fashion, it would probably be enchiladas suizas and Mayan hot chocolate! (Too boring? I'm also a fan of a great Margarita of course)

Related Blogs by Kylie Hargreaves.

'G'Day USA Australia week Celebrates 10 Years.' by Kylie Hargreaves.

Other Mexico-Related Blog Posts

Related Blog-Posts

Ageing: Challenges and Opportunities

2013-06-08T13:50:00.000-07:00

by Victor Perton

Two of my friends, San-Francisco based Richard Caro and Sydney-based Peter Fritz, have been talking about the practical implications of ageing and the personal, community and business opportunities. This intriguing work by my friends has been reinforced by my understanding of the work of my sister Regina Perton on the Board of the Council on the Ageing and my mother Lilia's passion for the role of yoga in positive ageing.

Richard Caro

Richard Caro published a blog post this week entitled "Aging “gray tsunami”: challenge or opportunity?" Richard poses the question "Aging: Is the glass half empty or half full?"

Richard summarises the challenge: "Large and growing population of elderly people. Fewer young people to take care of them. Less and less spare money in the wealthy world economies to pay for aging services. Predictions of shortages of doctors, nurses, and caregivers."

Richard also summarises the opportunity: "Affluent baby boomers want it all, and have lots of assets. With powerful computers in everyone’s pockets (smart phones and tablets), low cost, pervasive networking and communication, and rapid advances in fields like robotics, there should be huge opportunities for technology to do what people cannot or will not do anymore, and transform the lives of these young-at-heart boomers."

Peter Fritz

Peter Fritz's Global Access Partners recently co-hosted "A Future without 'Age' conference on productive ageing at NSW Parliament House in May.

"The social implications and economic opportunities created by Australia's ageing population were the key themes and many of the speakers reflected on the changing nature of employment and how Australia could harness the value of older generations. There are over 2 million older people who would be willing and able to work, and the loss to the Australian economy from not using their skills and experience amounts to $10.8 billion a year. Moreover, increasing the workforce participation rate of older people by 7 percent would result in a $25 billion increase in Australia’s GDP (AIM, 2013)."

At the conference, several major themes emerged from an interactive workshop during which delegates brainstormed the issues, blockages and success factors associated with the employment of mature workers in Australia. These included:

Building intergenerational understanding
Flexible work options for employee and employer
Removing legal, Super, and financial constraints
Ageism and attitudes in recruitment and HR practices
Accommodating health and physical ability changes
Access to appropriate ongoing education and training
Make it easier to match older workers to opportunities
Leverage technology to facilitate changes in career pathways
Changing society attitudes and perceptions
Making the business case and demonstrating value to employers
Changing public policy especially retirement age

Stephen Duckett

Changing attitudes and expectations of older workers.

My friend, the respected health industry leader and administrator, Stephen Duckett, also believes there are great opportunities commenting that "there are significant employment opportunities in both areas of caring/support/attendant roles that can provide opportunities at the entry/re-entry into the workforce level. Similarly business opportunities organising that. Part of what we have to do is be more accepting of older people and people with disabilities in the workforce."

Lots of food for thought.

By sheer coincidence, this morning, another friend John Hagel shared an Aldous Huxley quote on Google+, "The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age."

John Hagel

What do you see as the opportunities?

Victor Perton is the principal of Victor Perton Global Partners and the President of ANZMEX . He may be contacted by email or via linkedin.

The Mexican Community in Australia: One of the most qualified migrant communities in Australia

2013-06-07T20:59:00.001-07:00

Victor Del Rio and Sophia Perton at the Mexican Festival 2012

by Victor Del Rio, Owner of Red River Strategic Communications

As of December 2012, there was estimated to be 3,576 Mexican-born citizens and residents in Australia.

The Mexican community is the tenth largest of the Latino communities living in Australia. There are slightly more women (51%) than men (49%).

The Mexican community is youthful and highly qualified: 73% of Mexican are 39 years of age or younger. This compares well to the national average for the same age group of 54%.

Mexicans are one of the most qualified migrant communities in Australia with 18% of community members holding a postgraduate qualification in relation to 3% nationwide (six times higher than the national average).

It is also the best qualified Latino community followed by the Venezuelans with 13%.

Source: Carr, B.; Minns, J. (Eds) and Et al (2013). Latin America and Australia Challenges and Opportunities in a Developing Relationship. Chapter: Latinos in Australia, Del Rio, V. ANU/COALAR Draft Version

Related Blog-Posts

Mexico's Mining Delegation at Latin American Down Under Conference by Beatriz Lopez Gargallo Ambassador of Mexico

2013-06-06T04:22:00.001-07:00

by Beatriz Lopez Gargallo, Ambassador of Mexico

Victor Perton, Beatriz Lopez Gargallo & Raul Cruz Rios

It was great to attend the Latin American Down Under Conference (LADU) last week in Sydney. This was the second attendance of a large Mexican delegation (6). On this occasion, it was headed by Dr. Mario Cantu, General Mining Coordinator, and included Alejandro Salas, representative from Promexico in Singapore.

The Mexican Delegation was warmly received at the ANZMEX business opportunities reception on May 28 organized by the Presidents of ANZMEX Melbourne, Victor Perton, and his counterpart Adrienne Bonwick from Mexico City.

The Honourable Chris Hartcher MP, NSW Minister of Mining and Energy, welcomed the Mexican Delegation to NSW.

The Australian Ambassador to Mexico Tim George and myself, expressed the importance of the relationship between Mexico and Australia and the need to continue working to strengthen it, specially in the Mining Sector, in which Mexico has 500 years of experience and Australia is highly specialized country in the development of equipment and services.

Chris Hartcher

I want to thank ANZMEX for their very friendly reception and to the Government of NSW, Austrade and Promexico for their sponsorship!

The excellent presentations by the Mexican delegation provided a general view of its mining sector, which is the fourth biggest source of foreign income to our economy with approximately US$11,986 million and has the fourth biggest government exploration budget after Canada, Australia and the US.

Of particular interest was the presentation from Tony Rovira from Azure Minerals, who spoke about his experience on 3 projects in Mexico. He highly recommended the audience to take a look at Mexico as an important and productive mining destination, "the best kept secret".

Tony Rovira

The interviews that our delegation held with different representatives of mining companies and services from different states highlighted the value of bringing countries and miners together in a platform for networking and sharing information.

Beatriz Lopez Gargallo

Ambassador of Mexico

Previous Blog-Post by Beatriz Lopez Gargallo, Ambassador of Mexico

The Future of the Mexico-Australia Bilateral Relationship by Mexico's Ambassador to Australia, Beatriz Lopez Gargallo;

Other Related Blog-Posts

Air-freight between Australia and Mexico by Rick Purvis

2013-06-04T03:07:00.000-07:00

by Rick Purvis

The strength of Australia and Mexico’s relationship is evident in their collaboration within APEC, G20, and the WTO. These partnerships have led to a growth in trade with Australian exports to Mexico totalling AUD$1,877 million and imports from Mexico totaling AUD$1,027 million. Mexico is Australia's largest trading partner in Latin America.

Small forwarders are contributing to this success in pharmaceuticals, perishables, food and wine.

“Companies are restocking their shelves, inventory is down and demand is up”, says Brandon Fried, Executive Director of the Air Forwarders Association.

The airline carriers Qantas and Mexicana signed a code-share agreement in July 2006 to expand access into the Americas by widening the network. In April 2010 the Bilateral Air Services Agreement was signed to establish regular air services between the respective territories. The formation of the agreements are facilitated by United Cargo, Toll Air Express (Virgin Australia), Air France-KLM Cargo, Delta, Qantas and couriers DHL, Fedex and UPS.

Helga Smeja from Prokinetics, says “The decisions to send goods via air concern volume, urgency, and costs”. Therefore, it is important for small to medium-sized businesses with limited knowledge to “understand the basis of shipping terms, pricing, and documentation”, Austrade. A buyer or seller must become familiar with INCOTERMS 2010 to be aware of the cost responsibilities and their role within the process.

One advantage of utilising an international logistics company such as DHL is the established communication channels whereby lowering the risks associated with costs and time. If a customer wishes to send goods by DAP or DDP (Incoterms 2010) they must first obtain approval from their Mexican office counterparts prior to shipment. A consignee must confirm they’re aware of the shipment so the relevant permits and authorities will enable the goods to be imported.

The volume of goods sent from Australia to Los Angeles and then by local carrier to Mexico will be determined in large by cost. Consideration must be given to the allocated capacity of local carriers, which are likely to be ‘narrow-body’ aircraft. For high volume goods a cargo airline will operate multiple times during the day from LA to Mexico City or Guadalajara, a service often utilised by airline carriers.

Major challenges facing air-freight accessibility between Australia and Mexico are the “increases in high fuel and security costs, which require creative solutions to harmonise requirements between the respective nations” Helga Smeja. Additionally, a lack of direct flights in conjunction with LA airport as the main hub into Mexico results in delays. Daniel Garcia from International Customs and Logistics also believes “Mexico’s red tape is causing imports/exports to be expensive, slow, and cumbersome”.

Mexico’s inclusion into the Trans-Pacific Partnership on June 2012 is another avenue to make significant commitments towards trade liberalization. The food and wine industry between 2008 and 2011 was worth AUD$3billion, DFAT. As brands look to sell in Mexico for the first time and to increase their chances of success we must utilise our trade agreements to mitigate against air-freight barriers.

Related Blogs

ANZMEX Boardroom Briefing on Melbourne - 3 June 2013

2013-06-03T00:36:00.001-07:00

Victor Perton's rough notes from the chair...ANZMEX Boardroom Briefing on Melbourne - 3 June 2013

I was delighted to host this meeting in Melbourne with three visitors to Australia: Radek Divis, Trade Commissioner to Mexico; Alejandro Salas, Mexican Trade Commissioner to Australia, New Zealand and ASEAN; and, Adrienne Bonwick, President of ANZMEX in Mexico. Thanks to the Victorian Government for hosting this event.

Opportunities for Australians in Mexico includes: Mining and METS; Education and training services; water technologies; energy including renewables; infrastructure; ICT; health; agricultural technologies; and, food & beverage.

Mexico is a young country - average age is 26. 112 million people.

Mexico main exports are manufactures.

As Alejandro said, "This is Mexico's moment. Mexico is in the right place at the right time."

Inflation is stable. Foreign reserves are consistently on the way up.

Mexico is a free trade company with 44 free trade agreements. It is a technologically sophisticated country: advanced in aerospace, medical devices, electric furnishings like televisions and automotive industries.

Radek Divis, Alejandro Sales and COALAR's Rob Grant ponder the energy opportunities...

Related Blogs

Austrade's Latin America Water Forum in Melbourne

2013-06-02T19:44:00.001-07:00

by Victor Perton

Stuart Rees Addresses the Briefing

I was delighted to attend this Austrade event in Melbourne hosted by the Victorian Government. The event was very ably addressed by Austrade's Stuart Rees, Trade Commissioner Radek Divis and Trade Commissioner Daniel Havas. SKM's Rowan Barling spoke about SKM's experience which started in Chime in 2001 focused on the mining sector now also working in power and energy.

Great to see key water industry players like the Water Suppliers Advocate, Bob Herbert, and DropbyDrop's Ruxandra Lazarescu along with government leaders like former Ambassador to Argentina, John Richardson who is now DFAT State Director in Victoria. Also good to have the Chilean Consul General present with his enthusiasm, passion and wisdom.

Population of Latin America is approaching 600 million people. There is an increasing demand for high quality water services particularly in urban regions. It is highly urbanised with several magazine-cities.

Australia has led well with mining companies and mining services. There are strong opportunities around water. Austrade's water activities in Latin America is focused on the three markets of Mexico, Peru and Chile. Water week is scheduled for Mexico in March 2014.

The region is rich in water resources. Governance is an issue. Water is not costed efficiently.

Radek Divis

Mexico is one of the key emerging markets. As I have written, Mexico has the potential to be one of the 6 biggest economies by 2050. 11 million Mexicans have no access to piped water and 14.8 million have no access to sanitation services.

Mexico is under water stress. Over-extraction is an issue. Urbanisation and industrialisation is creating further demand. Industrial use of water is around 10%.

Agricultural water use is inefficient. Most rural producers have low productivity. There is potential demand for more efficient use of water.

Key potential customers are federal, state and local governments with an appetite for PPPs. CONAGUA is the leading institution. There is a well-developed policy framework with fragmented implementation - in some ways similar to the Australian situation several decades ago.

Potential opportunities include: CONAGUA major projects, PPPs, farm irrigation technologies...

Daniel Havas

Peru

Peru has set up a new National Water Authority. The previously centralised system has now been devolved to basin authorities. The industry players include government, water utilities, agriculture, mining companies, international development agencies....

There are many challenges for Peru: global warming; insufficient water infrastructure; over-exploitation of aquifers, water quality....

Opportunities include public tenders, consultancy to public institutions, consultancy in water management....

Chile

Chile has challenging geographical conditions. Chile has been in a drought for about 4 years. Antofagasta has built a desalinate plant to provide 100% of water demand.

The utilities have been privatised. The peak body is the DGA which comes under the Ministry of Public Works. Major customers including the mining sector and utilities.

Irrigated agriculture is very important to the Chilean economy. There is a strong interest in Australian reforms. There is a lot of interest in desalination but a continuing debate on financing.

An interesting perspective is brought to bear by the CSIRO Chile International Centre of Excellence in Mining and Minerals Processing.

Reality Check

Australian salary rates remain high our offering can be comparatively expensive if you are transferring expatriates. Procurement briefs are not always of the highest quality but that can be said of this country too. Constant effort is needed to retain the right level of connection. There is a gap between interest and pathways to procurement.

The Mexican Moment by Adrienne Bonwick

2013-05-30T16:01:00.002-07:00

by Adrienne Bonwick

At a Sydney breakfast hosted by ALABC this week there was much talk of "shining stars", "rising tigers", "arcs of opportunity" in the context of opportunities in Latin America. Whilst not denying the great and varied potential across the region, the presentation made by Austrade's Trade Commissioner in Mexico, Radek Divis, was to my mind by far the most compelling.

Radek Divis

Apart from the title, which was a poetically resonant "Mexican Moment", the hard facts Radek presented about Mexico's stable growth rates, demographics, open trading relationships, institutional reform agenda make it hard not to agree that now is Mexico's Moment.

I've been busy attending various events in Sydney this week and have experienced many "moments" of relevance to the Mexico-Australia bilateral business relationship.

The ANZMEX business opportunities reception on May 28 provided a moment to share perspectives on the bilateral opportunities across all industries. We were honoured to have as our guests the Hon. Christopher Hartcher MP, NSW Minister for Resources and Energy, Special Minister for State as well as Mexican Ambassador Beatriz Lopez Gallardo and Australian Ambassador to Mexico, Tim George.

Chris Hartcher

The fact that the event was jointly sponsored by ANZMEX, Austrade, ProMexico and the NSW Government and well attended by business and government representatives speaks to the interest in developing relationships further.

The Latin American DownUnder conference brought together a wealth of expertise from across the Latin American and Australian mining sector. Mexico certainly had its fair share of moments during the conference. Members of the Mexican mining delegation, led most ably by Dr Mario Cantú, General Director of Mining, gave a strong and compelling argument in Mexico s favour. Tony Rovira, General Director of Azure Minerals, shared his examples of successful Australian mining projects in Mexico - reinforcing the message of the delegation.

ProMexico sponsored LADU and the active involvement of Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific, Alejandro Salas and International Event Coordinator, Sergio Riveroll in the ProMexico booth provided delegates a moment in space and time to receive a typically warm and professional Mexico welcome.

Prior to a fabulous dinner at the opera house hosted by Federal Mining Minister Gary Gray, the Sydney Dance Company treated us to a special performance. The moment of awed silence that followed their dance allowed us to reflect on the human factor which is so critical in this industry - be it skills development, safety, community engagement or social licence. (Watch this space the SDC will be in Mexico for the Cervantino festival and we hope to arrange something special to mark their visit).

I confronted (nicely I might add) a number of Australian mining companies with the question "So, why aren't you in Mexico?" A common answer on Day 1 was "Ummm, we've not really considered Mexico.” By the end of Day 2, perhaps as result of these various "moments", the answer I started to receive was, "Perhaps it's time to take a good look at Mexico. Where do we begin?"

It seems to me that it is indeed Mexico's Moment.

Adrienne Bonwick is President of the México arm of ANZMEX, the Australia, New Zealand & México Business Council. She is based in Mexico City.

Adrienne spoke at a breakfast in Melbourne 4 June

Related Blogs

Mining Opportunities: Latin American Down Under Conference in Sydney

2013-05-27T15:50:00.005-07:00

by Victor Perton

Waiting at Melbourne airport for the fog to clear in Sydney so I can make my way to the Latin American Down Under Conference in Sydney (LADU). Thanks to Qantas's Hedi at the service desk for helping me get a new seat after my flight was cancelled! This evening I will-co-host a Mexico Opportunities reception to welcome the Mexican LADU delegation with ANXMEX, Austrade, Promexico and the NSW Government. The Mexican delegation will headed by Mario Cantú Suárez, Mining Coordinator of the Mexican Secretariat of Economy.

As President of The Australia, New Zealand, Mexico Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (ANZMEX), I have focused on the shared opportunities between Australia and Mexico. Last week, I posted a blog-post which showed that on the Global Resource Governance Index: Australia ranks number 4 and Mexico number 6. In the mining sector there is lots of room for collaboration and this week's Latin American Down Under Conference promises to be a great event!

Some of the readers of my blogs have told me they will be signing up for the Austrade and Austmine Australian Mining Mission to Mexico in October 2013. The mission will go to Zacatecas, Chihuahua and Acapulco and attend the 30th International Mining Congress of Mexico (Expomineria), the major mining event in Mexico.

Visit the Mission Website or download the Mission Brochure.

Mexico is one of the world’s top 10 mining economies, considered to have the 6th largest mineral deposits, including 23 World Class deposits and six others classified as Super World Class. In 2013 investment in Mexico's mining sector will be close to A$8 billion. 2012 investment was a record US$7.65 billion. Mining employs about 334,000 workers directly, with 2million indirect jobs.

Victor Perton is the President of ANZMEX and the principal of Victor Perton Global Partners. He may be contacted by email or via linkedin.

Related Blogs

Global Resource Governance: Australia ranks number 4 and Mexico number 6;

NYT's Thomas Friedman tells us "How Mexico Got Back in the Game!"

Mexico Calling: KPMG's global chairman Michael Andrew is looking to Mexico and the other MINT countries;

President Obama visits President Pena Nieto in Mexico: "Time to Banish Mutual Stereotypes"

Mexico: A Land of Opportunity;

Mexico’s agricultural sector offers ample opportunities;

Mexican or Chinese? Interesting banquet choices for Australian and New Zealand Business and Government....

The Future of the Mexico-Australia Bilateral Relationship by Mexico's Ambassador to Australia, Beatriz Lopez Gargallo;

Promexico's Take on Australia-New Zealand-Mexico Business;

An Interview with Roxana Bravo: The First of our new series recording the perspectives of Mexican-Australians;

ANZMEX Website

ANZMEX Facebook Page

ANZMEX Linkedin Company Page

ANZMEX Members Only Linkedin Group

Mexican Telco Reform;

A Mexican-Australian Storytellers Alliance: Anecdote and Astrolab;

My New Role: President of The Australia, New Zealand, Mexico Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (ANZMEX)

Some Thoughts on Mexico's Duality: Donald Smallwood;

Monterrey in Nuevo León, Mexico and Melbourne in Victoria, Australia;

Australia and Mexico have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to formalise political consultations between the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade;

The airport economist Tim Harcourt is in Mexico and writing some very interesting material on the positives and negatives of the Mexican economy;

Mexican everywhere in Melbourne: After-Work Si Señor Pop-Up's Mexican drinks and laneway food & art at Melbourne's Somerset Laneway;

Mex-tli, Mexican Goddesses: An Interview with the Artists by Victor Perton;

Mexican Food in Melbourne: A Food Lover's Paradise;

A Kiwi Passion for Mexican Food: Opportunities for 'Mexican' in New Zealand by Wendy London;

Mexico/Australia Employment Opportunity: Visa Office Manager in the Australian Embassy in Mexico City

2013-05-20T12:30:00.001-07:00

By Victor Perton

As President of The Australia, New Zealand, Mexico Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (ANZMEX), I have focused on the shared opportunities between Australia and Mexico. Yesterday, I posted a blog-post which showed that on the Global Resource Governance Index: Australia ranks number 4 and Mexico number 6 and I highlighted the collaboration at Latin American Down Under Conference in Sydney which will be exemplified by the Australian Mining Mission to Mexico in October 2013.

Today, I post an opportunity for an individual to be an important part of the growth of the person-to-person relationship between Australia and Mexico.

The Australian Embassy's Visa and Immigration Section requires a fully bilingual (spoken and written) (English and Spanish) candidate to fill the position of Office Manager under a 12 month contract. The occupant of this position is responsible for providing a wide range of services to the Embassy in relation to Visa Processing and Management.

The monthly salary will be $30,414.38 pesos per month plus benefits according to the Locally-Engaged Staff Conditions of Service of the Embassy. The successful candidate will be required to work from Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and be available for occasional overtime as required. Commencement date for the successful applicant will be by Monday 17 June 2013. Applications must be received by 14.00 p.m. Wednesday 29 May, 2013

Application: If you believe you meet the requirements below, you are invited to submit a written application in English that clearly demonstrates your suitability and experience for this position based on the selection criteria. Foreign citizens wishing to apply will need to demonstrate that they have an appropriate Mexican work visa or work permit arrangements. Please include the details of 3 references that can be contacted by telephone. Applications can be hand delivered to the Embassy’s Reception in business hours in a sealed envelope addressed to Immigration section – HR or sent via email to recruitment.mexico @dfat.gov.au with the subject Immigration Section - HR.

The published Selection Criteria are:

Demonstrated ability to work independently to manage own workload and meet deadlines, and assist others to meet their own workload priorities. This includes excellent organisational skills and a high level ability to manage competing priorities.
Ability in financial or budget management.
Proven high level ability in managing people and working effectively as a member of a team to contribute to the achievement of organisational goals and objectives.
Proven ability to provide excellent client service including the ability to liaise effectively with clients and high level stakeholders to achieve the resolution of complex and sensitive issues.
Proven ability in preparing statistical and financial reports with accuracy and within set deadlines. This includes managing large volumes of statistical information and presenting this information in a logical manner.

Victor Perton is the President of ANZMEX and the principal of Victor Perton Global Partners. He may be contacted by email or via linkedin. ANZMEX is a wonderful Chamber of Commerce which provides a great canvas to make your mark in business in Mexico and Australia. Victor is a former Commissioner to the Americas and is available to facilitate 2-way trade and investment between Mexico, Australia & New Zealand.

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Australian Mining Mission to Mexico October 2013

2013-05-20T06:02:00.001-07:00

As President of The Australia, New Zealand, Mexico Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (ANZMEX), I have focused on the shared opportunities between Australia and Mexico. This morning I posted a blog-post which showed that on the Global Resource Governance Index: Australia ranks number 4 and Mexico number 6. In the mining sector there is lots of room for collaboration and next week's Latin American Down Under Conference in Sydney promises to be a great event!

This evening I am pleased to share another opportunity as Austrade and Austmine have launched their recruitment brochure for the Australian Mining Mission to Mexico in October 2013. The mission will go to Zacatecas, Chihuahua and Acapulco and attend the 30th International Mining Congress of Mexico (Expomineria), the major mining event in Mexico.

Austrade and Austmine note that:

Mexico is one of the world’s top 10 mining economies, considered to have the 6th largest mineral deposits, including 23 World Class deposits and six others classified as Super World Class. Mexico’s mining sector is currently one of the world’s most dynamic:

The industry, amongst the leading producers of 19 different key minerals, boasts 320 companies with mining projects and accounts for 1,217 active exploration projects

Mexican mining generates revenue in excess of US$22.5 billion

Annual growth of 2% is estimated for the industry from 2013 to the end of 2014.

Strong government support for foreign investment and unmatched highly attractive fiscal regime for mining make Mexico an attractive business destination:

Investment in the sector was US$25 billion over the period 2007-12

Mexico ranked as the 5th country with the lowest risks for mining and 5th best environment to do mining business, according to Behre Dolbear’s international report 2012.

The boom in Mexico’s mining sector means there is significant potential for increasing Australian exports sales of mining equipment, technology and services.

Visit the Mission Website or download the Mission Brochure.

Victor Perton is the President of ANZMEX and the principal of Victor Perton Global Partners. He may be contacted by email or via linkedin. Victor is a former Commissioner to the Americas and is available to facilitate 2-way trade and investment between Mexico, Australia & New Zealand.

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Global Resource Governance: Australia ranks number 4 and Mexico number 6

2013-05-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

by Victor Perton

Over the past 3 months since I was elected President of The Australia, New Zealand, Mexico Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (ANZMEX), I have focused on the shared opportunities between Australia and Mexico. On my personal blog, I have shared recent Melbourne-Mexican experiences including Australia, Latin America and the Future of the Americas, RMIT University's 1st Ibero-American Network Event, the Mexican Goddesses photographic exhibition, the ingenious lane-way Si Señor Pop-Up art and Flight of the Butterflies.

In the mining sector there is lots of room for collaboration. Indeed next week, I will be attending the Latin American Down Under Conference in Sydney which promises to be a great event!

In preparation for that, I am pleased to note that this month, the Revenue Watch Institute has produced the Resource Governance Index 2013, a collection of research, rankings and analysis that measures the quality of governance in the oil, gas and mining sector of 58 countries.

I am pleased to tell you that Australia ranked number 4 and Mexico number 6 in the rankings!

While Revenue Watch has some concerns about every country, Australia and Mexico rank highly on good governance in the resources sector.

The Brookings Institution hosted the launch of the report and the video of the launch is in the video below.

Victor Perton is the President of ANZMEX and the principal of Victor Perton Global Partners. He may be contacted by email or via linkedin. Victor is a former Commissioner to the Americas and facilitated Australian exports and investment in Mexico.

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Rockefeller Foundation 100 Resilient Cities Centennial Challenge: Three-year $100 million prize pool.

2013-05-14T18:15:00.001-07:00

by Victor Perton

Got this today from the Rockefeller Foundation which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

"The Rockefeller Foundation is inviting cities from around the world to apply for the 100 Resilient Cities Centennial Challenge. In August, cities can be nominated through a formal application process. Winning cities will be announced in three rounds over the next three years, with the final round of winners named in 2015."

As a follower of Martin Seligman's work in positive psychology and resilience, I think this is a great idea!

Each winning city will receive:

Membership in the 100 Resilient Cities Network which will provide support to member cities and share new knowledge and resilience best practices.
Support to hire a Chief Resilience Officer to oversee the development of a resilience strategy for the city and be part of a learning network of other CROs.
Support to create a resilience plan, along with tools and resources for implementation.

If any Australian cities want my support in applying for this competition, feel free to ask. For more information click through to the 100 Resilient Cities Centennial Challenge.

Where is the Rockefeller Foundation coming from? It is summarised in this commentary and the video below, "We live in a world of increasing dynamism and volatility, where technology and greater interconnectedness have accelerated change and altered the way people live. Resilience is the capacity of individuals, communities and systems to survive, adapt, and grow in the face of stress and shocks, and even transform when conditions require it. Building resilience is about making people, communities and systems better prepared to withstand catastrophic events – both natural and manmade – and able to bounce back more quickly and emerge stronger from these shocks and stresses. Humans are not born with resilience – we learn it, adapt it, and improve upon it. The same is true for organizations, systems and societies. There are some core characteristics that all resilient systems share and demonstrate, both in good times and in times of stress:

Spare capacity, which ensures that there is a back-up or alternative available when a vital component of a system fails.
Flexibility, the ability to change, evolve, and adapt in the face of disaster.
Limited or “safe” failure, which prevents failures from rippling across systems.
Rapid rebound, the capacity to re-establish function and avoid long-term disruptions.
Constant learning, with robust feedback loops that sense and allow new solutions as conditions change."

Victor Perton is the President of ANZMEX and the principal of Victor Perton Global Partners. He may be contacted by email or via linkedin. Victor is a former Commissioner to the Americas and facilitated Australian exports and investment in the Americas.