Program

Day 1, Monday 19 August 2019

Official welcome

His Excellency John Ma’o Kali, CMG OBE, Papua New Guinea’s High Commissioner to Australia. VIEW VIDEO  /  VIEW VIDEO IN CONVERSATION WITH ANDREW WILKINS

Opening address

The Hon. Wera Mori MP, Minister for Commerce and Industry, Papua New Guinea. VIEW VIDEO

Keynote: Bernard Salt — Worldwide social change and what it means for Papua New Guinea

Bernard is one of Australia’s leading social commentators and business analysts. His keynote address will present the results of an exclusive new study on PNG commissioned by Business Advantage International especially for this conference.

VIEW SLIDES  /  VIEW VIDEO

The 2019 PNG 100 CEO Survey

Andrew Wilkins, Publishing Director, Business, Advantage International. VIEW SLIDES  /  VIEW VIDEO

Economic update on Papua New Guinea

Ilyas Sarsenov, Senior Economist, The World Bank.  VIEW SLIDES  /  VIEW VIDEO

Panel: ‘Raising capital in PNG: key investors and lenders look at the best funding models for business in PNG’

Major investors in PNG’s economy and the Chair of the PNG Government’s investment promotion agency discuss the funding models that work in PNG.

Paul Sayer, CEO, Nambawan Super
David Lawrence, Chairman, Port Moresby Stock Exchange
David Brown, Chief Investment Officer, Nasfund
Clarence Hoot, Managing Director, Investment Promotion Authority of PNG
VIEW VIDEO OF PANEL DISCUSION

Networking lunch or Fiji update lunch (booking essential)

Brett Hooker, Chief Executive, Westpac PNG and former General Manager Westpac Fiji
Daniel Stow, Manager Trade & Investment, Fiji Consulate General & Trade Commission, Australia & New Zealand

Mining and Petroleum

In this conference exclusive, two of Papua New Guinea’s most experienced and respected mining and petroleum executives discuss the sector’s business environment and future prospects in conversation with Business Advantage International’s Andrew Wilkins.

Gerea Aopi, PNG Country Director, Oil Search Ltd
Peter Graham, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Ok Tedi Mining Ltd
VIEW VIDEO

Panel: Papua New Guinea’s fast-growing services sector

PNG has long been seen as an under-serviced economy but improved infrastructure and a growing formal economy is providing opportunities for both new and existing service providers across all sectors.

Zanie Theron, Managing Partner, KPMG PNG.  VIEW SLIDES  /  VIEW VIDEO
Nuni Kulu, General Manager Digital, Bank South Pacific. VIEW VIDEO
Adrian Weeks, Trade Commissioner to PNG, Austrade
VIEW VIDEO OF PANEL DISCUSSION

Investment case study: creating and selling a worldclass security business in Papua New Guinea

Brian Kelly, founder and former CEO, Black Swan International. VIEW VIDEO

Spotlight on Gulf Province

Gulf Province will be the host province for the new Total-led Papua LNG project. This session will outline some of the ambitious plans to develop infrastructure in the province, and the associated investment opportunities.

Christian Reichel, Operations Officer, IFC. VIEW SLIDES  /  VIEW VIDEO
Peter KenGemar, Project Director, Ihu Special Economic Zone. VIEW SLIDES  /  VIEW VIDEO  

The Innovators

Three successful entrepreneurs show how they have innovated their way to business success in PNG.

Vani K Nades, Director Operations, Emstret Holdings Ltd (PNG’s first co-working space and an ISP). VIEW SLIDES  /  VIEW VIDEO
Bridie Ohlsson, Co-founder and CEO, Geora (agritech). VIEW SLIDES  /  VIEW VIDEO
Akae Pa’asia Beach, Director, Beach Accounting and Advisory (services to the SME sector). VIEW VIDEO

Day 2, Tuesday 20 August 2019

Coffee in Honiara: Solomon Islands briefing

Atenasi Ata, CEO, Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry. VIEW VIDEO

A Tale of Two Cities: the Port Moresby and Lae business chambers in conversation with BAI’s Andrew Wilkins

Peter Goodwin, Vice President, Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce & Industry
John Byrne, CEO, Lae Chamber of Commerce
VIEW VIDEO OF PANEL DISCUSSION

Keynote: Mark Pesce — Papua New Guinea in the Cloud

Mark is a leading futurist, author, entrepreneur and innovator. After a memorable keynote speech at our 2017 conference, he returns by popular demand to outline some of the business and investment opportunities that will arise from PNG’s improved connectivity. VIEW SLIDES  /  VIEW VIDEO  /  AUDIO CLIP

PNG’s telecommunications infrastructure: an update on the Coral Seas Cable and Kumul Undersea Cable Network

A discussion on PNG’s new fibreoptic cable networks with BAI’s Andrew Wilkins.
Sundar Ramamurthy, Managing Director of Invoc Pty Ltd and former CEO of Bemobile and DataNets in PNG. VIEW VIDEO

Investment Case study: managing IT risk in Papua New Guinea

Brendan Merry, Manager Pacific Islands, Data#3. VIEW SLIDES  /  VIEW VIDEO

Transport and logistics

Investment in road and bridge construction, and the upgrade of PNG’s airports, is set to double over the next decade, in no small part due to major new funding of up to US$2 billion from the Asian Development Bank. Speakers in this panel will provide details of exactly what is planned and where, and how the private sector can get involved.

Ganiga Ganiga, Senior Infrastructure Officer, Asian Development Bank. VIEW SLIDES / VIEW VIDEO
Alan Milne, Managing Director, Air Niugini. VIEW SLIDES  /  VIEW VIDEO
David Wereh, Secretary, Department of Works. VIEW SLIDES  /  VIEW VIDEO

PNG’s energy future

PNG’s energy sector is taking off, with the U$2 billion PNG Rural Electrification Project announced at the end of 2018. Funded by the United States, Australia, Japan and New Zealand, this project has the goal of providing 70% of PNG’s population with access to electricity by 2030. Locally-produced gas will provide part of the solution for the first time, as PNG’s gas exporters start to provide gas for local power generation under new domestic market obligations. This panel will outline the plans for bringing power to the people, and discuss the business and investment opportunities that will= follow. · Panelists include:

Douglas Midland, Director, Structured Finance & Insurance Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). VIEW SLIDES  /   VIEW VIDEO
Carolyn Blacklock, Acting Managing Director, PNG Power. VIEW SLIDES  /  VIEW VIDEO

Investment case study: being an Independent Power Producer in PNG

Ron Sneath, Hydro Power Manager, PNG Forest Products.  VIEW SLIDES  /  VIEW VIDEO