Australia-China Council Appointments

Today I announce five new appointments to the Australia-China Council board, Ms Margaret Jack, Ms Carolyn Kay, Mr Dan Ryan, Professor Michael Wesley and Mr Harold Weldon. The new members will join existing board members the Hon Warwick Smith AM, Chair, and Ms Anne-Marie Schwirtlich AM.

The Australia-China Council plays a key role in promoting mutual understanding and encouraging closer links between our two countries across diverse fields such as arts and culture, education and economic diplomacy. All five incoming board members bring a wealth of expertise which will help steer the activities of the Australia-China Council over the next three years.

Ms Margaret Jack speaks fluent Mandarin and Cantonese, and currently serves on the Destination NSW board. She is President of the Adecco Group China Advisory Board, and was a senior partner at PriceWaterhouse China in Hong Kong.

Ms Carolyn Kay is a board member of the $100 billion Future Fund. She also holds roles at Brambles, Scentre Group, John Swire & Sons, Allens Linklaters, Chief Executive Women, and the Sir John Monash Foundation.

Mr Dan Ryan is Managing Director of Serica Legal & Advisory. A law and Asian studies graduate of ANU, who has also studied law at Chinese universities, he has contributed to The Wall Street Journal, The Australian, The South China Morning Post and The Australian Financial Review.

Professor Michael Wesley is Dean of the Australian National University's College of Asia and the Pacific. He has served as Executive Director of the Lowy Institute for International Policy, Director of the Griffith Asia Institute and Visiting Professor at the University of Hong Kong.

Mr Harold Weldon is a writer, publisher, filmmaker and China advisor and in 2010-11 worked with the Australian Embassy in Beijing during the Year of Australian Culture in China.

I thank outgoing board members Professor Stephanie Fahey, Professor Sandra Harding, Mr David Olsson, Ms Vicki Thomson and Mr Frank Tudor for their service to the Australia-China Council and efforts to strengthen the Australia-China relationship during their terms.