Executive Briefing with Australia’s Business Champion for Cambodia

On behalf of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, you are invited to express your interest in attending “Executive Briefing with Australia’s Business Champion for Cambodia”. 

Join Tennealle O’Shannessy, Australia’s Business Champion for Cambodia and CEO and Managing Director of IDP Education Ltd, for an exclusive discussion on Cambodia’s evolving commercial landscape and the opportunities it presents for Australian business. 

Cambodia has a diversifying industrial base and strong regional integration driving new opportunities. While challenges such as infrastructure gaps and skills shortages remain, the country’s growth trajectory, expanding middle class, and government focus on reform are creating openings for trade and investment.  

For Australian businesses, promising opportunities are emerging in education and agriculture, as well as in sectors that support Cambodia’s economic development priorities. Australia’s long-standing bilateral relationship and strong people-to-people ties further reinforce the foundation for expanding commercial connections.  

This session will provide practical insights into navigating the Cambodian business environment, including the country’s progress in enhancing transparency and predictability, and highlight pathways for companies considering entry or looking to expand their presence.  

Designed to consult and engage relevant stakeholders, the briefing will bring together business leaders with an interest in Cambodia, to share perspectives and help inform future priorities for Australia–Cambodia trade and investment.  

Additional speakers to be announced soon.

Guest Speakers
Tennealle O'Shannessy, Australia’s Business Champion for Cambodia and CEO and Managing Director, IDP Education Ltd

Catherine Mudford, Acting CEO, Asialink Business

Event Details​​​​​​​ 

Date: Wednesday 6 May 2026
Time: Arrival and lunch from 12.15pm – 12.30pm. Discussion at 12.30pm – 2.00pm.
Location: Melbourne TBC

To express your interest in attending, please complete the form below.

As this is an invitation-only event, we will review submissions and contact eligible organisations with further details. Places are limited and we are prioritising submissions from Australian businesses with an interest in Southeast Asia. Expression of interest does not guarantee attendance.

We look forward to the opportunity to connect with you. For any queries, please contact asialinkbusiness-events@unimelb.edu.au

Tennealle O'Shannessy, Australia’s Business Champion for Cambodia | CEO & Managing Director, IDP Education Ltd

Tennealle O’Shannessy is a growth CEO with twenty-five years’ professional experience including scaling online education and employment platforms and e-commerce businesses.  

Ms O’Shannessy was previously the CEO of Adore Beauty, Australia's number one online beauty retailer, where she led the successful listing of the company on the ASX in 2020. She was recognised as No. 1 in the Top 50 People in E-commerce in 2022. 

Prior to this Ms O’Shannessy spent almost 10 years with SEEK, a global market leader in online employment marketplaces and education services, where she most recently held the role of Managing Director – Americas. She also held a number of global strategy-focused positions at SEEK including the start-up and scaling of Online Education Services, a public-private partnership between SEEK and Swinburne University which was awarded the 2015 BRW Fast 100 winner. Previously Ms O’Shannessy was a consultant with global tier-one management consulting firm Kearney, focusing on strategic and operational CEO-agenda issues. 

Ms O’Shannessy is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Master of Business Administration (Deans List Honours) from the Melbourne Business School as well as a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Business (Management) from Monash University. 

Catherine Mudford, Acting CEO, Asialink Business

Catherine Mudford is Acting CEO at Asialink Business, Australia’s National Centre for Asia Capability.

Catherine is a senior business leader with 20+ years’ experience in international business, gained across developed and emerging markets. She has lived in Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore and worked extensively across the Asia region from these bases. Her career to date has included roles on the client side and in consultancy, in the private sector, government and in the education sector. She joined Asialink Business in 2021 leading the development of a series of initiatives to equip Australian businesses with the skills to succeed in fast-changing Asia. This included launching the Asialink Business Academy in 2023 and the publication this year of “Asialink Leaders: 30 Years of Asia success” showcasing stories of business success in Asia and the capabilities that enable that.

Catherine is passionate about helping leaders and organisations build the awareness and insight to help them be successful as they work across borders.