Navigating Political and Regulatory Risk in Southeast Asia: Insights for Australian Business

On behalf of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, we invite you to express your interest in attending the event “Navigating Political and Regulatory Risk in Southeast Asia: Insights for Australian Business”.

Join Louise Adams, Australia's Business Champion for Vietnam and CEO of Aurecon, and Craig Fitzgerald, Group CEO of Aspen Medical, for a discussion to equip Australian businesses with the capability to better understand and manage political and regulatory risks in Southeast Asia.

Southeast Asia offers significant opportunities for informed and well-prepared Australian businesses. Expanding into the region requires navigating policy shifts, evolving government priorities and differing regulatory requirements across markets. With the right insights and strategies, organisations can anticipate change, manage risk and operate with confidence. 

This discussion will share practical approaches to operating across Southeast Asia, including risk identification, stakeholder engagement, local partnerships, compliances practices and how businesses can leverage Australian Government support to strengthen their market entry and risk management.

Additional speakers to be announced.

Guest Speakers​​​​​​​ ​​

• ​​​Louise Adams, Australia’s Business Champion for Vietnam; CEO, Aurecon
• Craig Fitzgerald, Group CEO, Aspen Medical
• Ian Mortimer, Director, Bilateral Free Trade Agreements and Strategy, Free Trade Agreement and Stakeholder Engagement Division, DFAT
• Catherine Mudford, Acting CEO, Asialink Business

Event Details​​​​​​​ 

Date: Wednesday 18 March 2026
Time: Arrival and morning tea from 10.30am – 11.00am. Event at 11.00am – 12.30pm.
Location: Melbourne TBC

To express your interest in attending, please register using the link above or click here.

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

Louise Adams, Australia’s Business Champion for Vietnam and CEO, Aurecon

Louise Adams is the Chief Executive Officer of Aurecon, leading 7,500 people across 31 locations in Australia, New Zealand and Asia.

Louise is also a member of the National Advisory and Fiduciary Boards of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, Consult Australia’s Champions of Change Group, an elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology & Engineering (ATSE), and a member of Chief Executive Women (CEW).

In March 2024, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appointed Louise as Australia’s Business Champion to Vietnam, expanding the role she has held since 2021 to further trade and investment opportunities between Vietnam and Australia. Louise is also part of the Australian Government’s Advisory Board of the ASEAN-Australia Centre, and an Advisory Board Member of the Australia Vietnam Policy Institute (AVPI). 

Craig Fitzgerald, Group CEO, Aspen Medical 

Craig is an accomplished senior executive with broad experience across project and financial management. He combines strategic insight with strong commercial acumen and has successfully led negotiations and delivery of major contracts across national and international markets. 

Prior to joining Aspen Medical in August 2005, Craig served twenty years in the Australian Army. During his time at Aspen Medical, he has held several leadership roles, advancing through the organisation to Group Chief Executive Officer in 2025.Over the past two decades, Craig has been fortunate to live and work internationally overseeing the delivery of Aspen Medical's health solutions across the globe.

Driven by a strong commitment to social impact, Craig has served on several not-for-profit boards and mentors numerous social enterprises in Australia and internationally. He is currently Chief Executive Officer of the Aspen Medical Foundation, a role he has proudly held for 16 years.

Craig is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Master of Management from the University of Canberra.

Ian Mortimer, Director, Bilateral Free Trade Agreements and Strategy, Free Trade Agreement and Stakeholder Engagement Division, DFAT

Mr Mortimer is a career senior public servant with over 33 years in the Australian Government including with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Department of Environment and Heritage and the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority. He served as Australia's Counsellor Agriculture to India, from 2009 to 2012, and for Southern America from 2019 to 2023.

Mr Mortimer has held numerous senior positions in Canberra covering bilateral desks including the Americas, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East and North Africa, agri-foods trade and bilateral and regional free trade agreements, national biosecurity policy and emergency response.

Prior to joining the Australian Government, Mr Mortimer worked at the Australian National University in the School of Biochemistry.

Mr Mortimer holds tertiary qualifications in Applied Science, Biology and Radiochemistry.

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 of 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.