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Chairman's Statement

Country Directors

Chairman, Asia Trade Forum

Hugh Kelly, Associated Marketing Ltd.

Hugh Kelly is CEO of Associated Marketing Ltd., a Dublin-based export services company established in 1970. The company has offices in South Africa, UAE, Malaysia and Australia and works with manufacturers of finished products in the life sciences (incl. medical devices), healthcare-driven and hygiene-related fields. The company partners with its clients to identify and manage the right sales channels and partners to deliver accelerated and maintained export growth. By also underwriting debtor risk and charging part fixed, part results-based fees for its services, the company de-risks and reduces the costs of entering and managing distant, high growth markets.

Hugh holds a degree in Civil Engineering (BAI) and Mathematics (MA) from Trinity College Dublin, an MBA (1995) from the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business. He lived and worked in Canada, France and the UK before returning to Ireland in 1993 to join Associated Marketing Ltd.. He has served as a Council Member of the Irish Exporters Association and of the IEA’s Asia Trade Forum since 2010.

Director for China,
Asia Trade Forum

Niall O'Reilly has 24 years China business experience with executive management involvement in six Asia-region start-ups for global organisations including Dell, Gateway, Marrakech and AEP Networks. Niall was also instrumental in planning the roll-outs of Dell and Gateway Computer's 'direct' market models in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and Korea. Niall is a well known international commentator on Chinese business and governmental affairs and is known for initiating and organizing high-profile international events including the visits by Fortune 500™ CEOs to Asia plus the visits by mayors of leading Chinese cities to Ireland.

In 2007, Niall founded Accurate Group, a strategic Ireland-China business services advisory and consulting practice dedicated to building new opportunities for Irish businesses in China.

Niall has a B.A. degree in economics and politics from University College Dublin. Niall subsequently was awarded two scholarships by the Chinese Government and studied Chinese and foreign trade at the Beijing Language and Culture University from1988 to 1990.

Director for India,
Asia Trade Forum

David Carthy is a Partner in the Corporate Department and leads the Firm’s Foreign Direct Investment and Asia Practice Group.

In addition to his core US and Asian focus and client base, David is a former Chairman of the Ireland India Business Association and current India and FDI current director of the Asia Trade Forum.

David is ranked as a leading lawyer by international legal directories such as Legal 500 and PLC Which lawyer.

He specialises in advising international companies on all legal and tax aspects of investing in, setting up in and structuring through Ireland. He also works with Irish and international companies on joint ventures and other business arrangements and regularly assists his clients with business and advisory contacts in Asia, Ireland and elsewhere.

Director for Republic of Korea,
Asia Trade Forum

Tom Coyner is an experienced industry veteran with over 20 25 years executive experience in Asia. Tom has an MBA in International Business from the University of Southern California and has held senior Country Manager / Marketing Development roles for both US and Japanese corporations.

Tom has un-paralleled experience in establishing market entry strategies for the Asia region. Ranging from $100M market entry strategies for US MNCs to enter the Japanese software market to growing successful distributor channels throughout Asia - Tom's unique perspectives on selling and marketing in Asia have helped many US organisations to successfully enter these markets. He has written a major mix & match Ireland/Korea research paper for the Irish Embassy in Seoul.

In 2004, Tom set up Soft Landing Korea - a highly focused market entry consultancy company who's mantra is "We make sales happen". Soft Landing Korea focus on supporting organisations to grow sales in Asian markets, including Hhelp qualify the market, localize sales collateral into Japanese and Korean languages, introducing the first qualified sales prospects as well as representing the client in various chambers of commerce and similar activities. During 2010, Tom completed writing of the definitive guide to doing business in Korea: "Doing Business in Korea: An Expanded Guide". Tom is regularly requested to speak at banking / industry / trade delegation seminars and writes for the Korean times Korean JoongAng Daily as well as Newsweek Korea. He currently is focusing on Korea market development for Odgers Berndtson, the world’s 6th largest executive retainer search consulting company.

Director for Japan,
Asia Trade Forum

Hugh O'Loughlin has a background in Telecommunications and has over 30 years experience in international trade, specifically with the Japanese market. Hugh facilitates business ventures between Ireland - Japan and Europe - Japan in the fields of Technology Transfer, IT, Renewable Energy and Inward Investment.

He is also a co-founder of Titan Energy Associates and works extensively with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), supporting their strategy in Europe. Hugh also helped MHI to develop their North American market for wind turbines, culminating in the sale of their sites to Airtricity for US$300M.

Hugh facilitated the development of a joint venture between MHI Solar and Kingspan Renewables Ltd. to market and distribute leading edge solar technology throughout Europe and the Middle East.

Director for Malaysia,
Asia Trade Forum

Ron Anderson sits on the board of four companies in Malaysia involved in oil & gas engineering, residential development and construction, trading and consulting.

Ron is Chair of the Malaysian Irish Business Network and Past President and committee member of St. Patrick's Society. He is also a Director at the EU Malaysia Chamber of Commerce (EUMCCI) .

Ron has travelled extensively running businesses throughout South East Asia. He has resided in Malaysia for a total of 16 years and has worked with various government bodies in Malaysia such as MIDA, Biotech Corp and MDEC.

Director for ASEAN

Trevor O’Regan works for engineering and project management firm PM Group and is primarily focused on winning and delivering new projects for the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) (including the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank) in Asia. Since 2009, Trevor has managed a portfolio of new business in Asia supporting the preparation of large-scale investment loans projects – both sovereign and commercial loans - in a wide range of disciplines. Trevor has over 20 years’ experience in the successful delivery of projects in more than 40 countries in Southern Africa, Eastern Europe, the Former Soviet Union and Asia and also spent 5 years in Vienna. Since PM Group’s first project with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 2009, they have become the leading Irish provider of services to the ADB.

Trevor has been travelling to ASEAN since 2009 and has visited 9 out of the 10 ASEAN member states in SE Asia to date including Myanmar most recently. He is regular speaker on his experience of doing business in the 600m market that is ASEAN.

Trevor has a B.Comm from UCC (NUI), a Masters of Business Studies (MBS) from the University of Limerick and has completed the Business Leaders Programme at Warwick Business School. He is also a fellow of the Irish Institute of Training and Development (FIITD).