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REAR ADMIRAL RICHARD COBBOLD served in the Royal Navy for 33 years, specializing as a seaman officer and then as a helicopter observer. Later in his career he commanded the frigates HMS MOHAWK and HMS BRAZEN, and was Captain of the 2nd Frigate Squadron in HMS BRILLIANT. He was a member of the Royal College of Defense Studies in 1984, and his appointments in the Ministry of Defense included Director of Defense Concepts in 1987. Promoted Rear Admiral in 1991, he served as Assistant Chief of Defense Staff (ACDS) Operational Requirements for Sea Systems until 1994, and additionally as ACDS (Joint Systems) from 1992. He retired from the Royal Navy in March 1994. Rear Admiral Cobbold took up his appointment as Director of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in September 1994.

He is a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and Governor of the London Nautical School. He served as a Specialist Adviser to the House of Commons Defence Committee from 1997 to 2007 and in the same capacity to the Foreign Affairs Committee in 2002, and as Senior Policy Advisor on International Security Affairs to the Ocean Security Initiative, a Washington-based NGO. He has written numerous articles for Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI). He is recognized as an international expert on security and defense issues with an emphasis on Homeland Security and has contributed widely to the written and electronic media in these areas.

MR. MICHAEL JOHNSON is CEO of Kokoda Capital Group, a privately owned firm with premium clients in the Asia-Pacific region. Kokoda focuses on the commodities and wider energy sector but is also active in financial services, retail, F&B and property. The firm also has holdings in several media, entertainment and sporting related entities. Mr. Johnson is also a Director of Rugby Channel Online in a partnership with Fiji TV broadcasting rugby on Google’s global online platform. He is also a Director of Myanmar Global Capital Partners (MGCP) and the CEO of Royal Vitamins International Limited, a company manufacturing vitamins in a unique liquid format that has the potential to completely transform the global vitamins industry.
He is the President of the Australia-Asia Business Council and is also a former Member of the Australian Parliament rising to become Federal Parliamentary Whip in 2007. Born in Hong Kong to a Chinese mother and Australian father, Michael is passionate about deepening and widening the Australia-Asia relationship and was the first Member of the Australian Parliament to have a part Chinese heritage and one of the youngest when elected in 2001 at the age of only 31.
He was educated at the University of Queensland, the University of Cambridge, where he obtained an MPhil, and the University of Birmingham, where he obtained a master's degree in international studies. He was the Australian Chevening Scholar in 1994, the Charles Hawker Memorial Scholar in 1996 and was a 2004 graduate of the Kennedy School of Government’s Executive Leaders’ Program at Harvard. Michael has spoken at conferences and events all over Asia. Mr. Johnson sits on the Global Council of the Asia Society and is a Member of the World Chinese Economic Forum Advisory Board. He is a regular political commentator on Australia’s Sky News network.

Dr. Makarim Wibisono is a lecturer at the National Defense Institute, Paramadina University, Atma Jaya Catholic University, the University of Al Azhar, Indonesia and Gadjah Mada University. Dr. Wibisono holds a Master’s degree in International Political Economy and a PhD in Political Science from Ohio State University, USA. He also has an M.A. in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University, USA. and Doctorandus in International Relations from the Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia.

Dr. Wibisono has also served as Chairman of the Governing Board of the Indonesian Council on World Affairs, Senior Advisor on International Cooperation to the Minister of Health of Indonesia, Advisor to the National Commission of Human Rights, and as Senior Advisor on International Affairs to the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Indonesia. As a Diplomat, Dr. Wibisono was Ambassador of Indonesia to the United Nations and to some Central American countries. He was also Director-General for Foreign Affairs Economic Relations (2000-2002), and Director for Multilateral Economic Cooperation of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1993-1994). As Director General for Asia Pacific and Africa (2002-2004), he negotiated and helped finalize the Bali Concord II which effectively created the ASEAN Community. He led the Indonesian Delegation to the Senior Officials Meetings of ASEAN, ASEAN+3, ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and APEC.

Dr. Wibisono is a lecturer at the National Defense Institute, Paramadina University, Atma Jaya Catholic University, the University of Al Azhar, Indonesia and Gadjah Mada University.

Dr. Wibisono holds a Master’s degree in International Political Economy and a PhD in Political Science from Ohio State University, USA. He also has an M.A. in International. Relations from Johns Hopkins University, USA. and Doctorandus in International Relations from the Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia.

YB TAN SRI RAFIDAH AZIZ is currently the Chairperson of Air AsiaX Board Of Directors and the former Minister of International Trade and Industry Malaysia (MITI) having served more than 21 years. She was also the Chair of the Asia Logistics Council (2009-2011), a member of GCEL. She obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Economics from the University of Malaya and holds Honorary Doctorates of Letters from several local and foreign universities. She embarked on her career as tutor whilst pursuing her Degree and Masters in Economics between 1966 – 1970. She was appointed as Assistant Lecturer upon her graduation in 1966, and worked as a Lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Administration in the University of Malaya until 1976.

She was appointed to the Senate in 1974, and successfully ran for a Parliamentary seat in 1978, serving as a Member of Parliament up to the present. In 1976 she was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Public Enterprises, and in 1977 she was made the Deputy Minister of Finance. In 1980, she was promoted to the post of Public enterprises and served in that portfolio until 1987, when she was appointed the Minister of International Trade and Industry. She was one of the longest serving ministers in the Malaysian Government, holding a cabinet post for more than 27 years. At the political level she is currently the leader of the Women’s Wing of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), a post which she has held for 25 years. She has also been serving in the Party’s Supreme Council for the last 33 years.

MR. XU NINGNING is an expert on ASEAN business and has been heavily engaged in the development of economic and trade cooperation between China and ASEAN over the last 20 years. Hence, he holds many important positions in a number of organizations. He is currently the Co-Chairman of China-ASEAN Business Association, the Executive Secretary-General of the China-ASEAN Business Council Chinese Secretariat, Executive President of China-ASEAN Business Council, Vice Chairman of East Asia Business Council China Committee, Chairman of GMS Business Council, Executive Director of Asian Pacific Center of China Fund for International Studies, Guest Professor at China Foreign Affairs University and University of International Business & Economics, and the consultant of China-ASEAN Expo.

In January 2013 Mr. Ningning was recognized as a Goodwill Envoy for China-ASEAN Business Cooperation by the commercial councilors of ten ASEAN countries in China. He also received the China-ASEAN Cooperation Outstanding Contribution Award in 2011 for his countless contributions to improving China-ASEAN cooperation.

Mr. Ningning has published 18 books on economics, such as News Business Opportunities in ASEAN-Faith and Action, Diary of China-ASEAN “Zero Tariff”, Business Opportunities – Dialogue with ASEAN, Reports on Business Opportunities of Southeast Asia, Entrepreneurs, etc.

Mr. Ningning graduated from Nanjing University in 1981 with a major in economics. In 1992, he attended the Singapore Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) as a visiting scholar. He has since been invited to give nearly 200 reports on Southeast Asian business in Beijing, Tianjin, Chongqing, Guangzhou, and others.

H.E. AMBASSADOR MASAHIKO HORIE is a Special Assistant and Ambassador for Global Environment Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan and Regional Councilor of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Mr. Horie is an expert in environmental matters such as climate change, biological diversity, tropical timber, etc. He was also the Ambassador of Japan to the State of Qatar and the Ambassador of Japan to Malaysia (2007-2011) as well as Director General for International Affairs in Defense Agency. His overseas posts include Councilor of Embassy of Japan in Denmark, Minister of Embassy of Japan in Kenya, and Minister of Embassy of Japan in France.
He chaired the 48th International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC) in 2012 and also launched the Energy Efficiency Improvement Facilitation Hub in Tokyo. He is Professor at Meiji University lecturing on Japanese Diplomacy. He also teaches at Kyoto University and Tsukuba University on Global Environmental Issues. He is also Professor at Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Mr. Horie received his Bachelor of Economics (1969) and Bachelor of Law (1973) from Osaka University, Japan and his Master of Economics (1971) from Tulane University, U.S.A.

Y. B hg. Tan Sri Mamat has vast experience and an extensive track record. He was the Assistant Director of MITI and then became the Deputy Trade Commissioner and Director of Trade of the Malaysian Trade Office of New York, USA and Taipei, Taiwan, respectively.
Y. B hg. Tan Sri Mamat then became the Economic Counselor / Trade Commissioner & Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission (ESCAP), Malaysian Trade Office, Bangkok, Thailand. In 1996, he was the Special Assistant to the Minister of International Trade and Industry, YB Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz. In 1998, he was also the Director of Export Promotion Bureau Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE).
Y. B hg. Tan Sri Mamat graduated with B.Ec.(HONS) from University Malaya in 1975. He then pursued the Advance Management Programme (AMP 167) from Harvard Business School Boston, USA.