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The Committee Members
Mr. Desmond Holmes - Chairman
Desmond began working in Doha in the banking sector in 1999 before joining the Qatar Financial Centre in September 2005 where he is currently employed as Managing Director, Business Development, Banking. The QFC is a financial and business centre established by the Government of Qatar and located in Doha. It has been designed to attract international financial services institutions and major multi-national corporations to encourage participation in the growing market for financial services in Qatar and elsewhere in the region.
Ms Joanne Thomas -
Joint Vice Chair and Communications
Joanne is Managing Director of Talent Partners Qatar, a global executive search firm with a strong presence in the Middle East dating back over 15 years. She relocated to Qatar from the Dubai regional office where she worked for two years providing consulting services to clients throughout the region. Joanne began her association with the region when she joined InterSearch in Melbourne in 1999 where she specialised in international search assignments, particularly focusing on the Middle East region. She also spent 2 years in London in various HR roles during which time she travelled extensively.
jt@intersearch.ae
Mr John Ellis - Sponsorship
MultiServe Cognition Consulting
John is a newcomer to Qatar and is the In-Country
Manager for Qatar for a New Zealand educational
consulting organisation, Multi Service. The
company is involved in the education reform initiatives in Qatar
which are now in their fifth year. The main thrust of the work is consulting with leaders, senior managers, teachers and offices of the varying Supreme Education Council (SEC) to establish leading independent schools in Qatar. The schools are offering new standards based curriculum and alternate methodologies for teaching and learning based on international best practice. Multi Serve Cognition has other posts in the Middle East where it conducts educational consulting. These being Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Dubai as well as other parts of the world.
Mr John Panteli -
Membership
Group General
Manager NPGS
John has established and acquired businesses in a
diverse range of industries over the past 35 years.
Commencing his journey in the successful multi
tiered group of companies he founded in the graphic
arts industry, which included advertising,
marketing, print production and publishing,
photography, graphic art, business units.
After twenty five years an opportunity arose in the
sports marketing industry, were John established
Futera, as a leading branded company producing and
marketing official licensed products for eight
national sporting codes.
This company was recognized as an Australian leader
and a well respected brand in the licensed sporting
memorabilia market in the USA and Europe.
A new direction ensured after the sale of this
business and lead to the wine industry, appointed as
general manager of Mt Aitken Estate boutique winery
and restaurant.
This business required a total revamp of
operational, sales and marketing strategies, new
product development, exporting and lifting the
profile and profit of all elements of the business.
The following four years saw John venture into the
hospitality, restaurant business before joining the
Cleanevent Group in 2004, where he has been involved
in a variety of project and business developments
with the company.
In 2006, he was awarded a position at the Melbourne
Commonwealth Games as Athletes Village Venue
Manager.
John has recently concluded a successful reign as
the Cleanevent Venue Manager at the Athletes Village
project for the Cleaning, Waste Management and
Environment contract for the 2006 Doha Asian Games,
in Qatar.
John a resident of Qatar and is Group General
Manager of the National Projects and General
Services Group, a joint venture association with
Australian company, Cleanevent International Qatar.
LLC.
Mr Robert
Darbyshire
Rob is Senior Project
Engineer, New Doha Port project for Worley Parson in
Qatar.
Mr John Wellington
John Wellington has been
a lawyer for over 30 years. John is a commercial
property, infrastructure and construction
specialist. He has acted for developers, investors
and government bodies in relation to the
development, titling, leasing, management and sale
and purchase of tourist facilities, including
marinas and hotels, mixed use and residential
developments, retail and commercial properties and
education facilities. He is now assisting clients
with similar developments in Qatar.
Karen Cemm - Austrade
Karen Cemm has lived in Qatar for two years, having previously spent two years in Dubai. She works for the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade), the Australian Government Agency that helps Australian companies win overseas business. This is achieved by assisting Qatari companies to identify and source products and services from Australia. Also, by helping Australian companies reduce the time, cost and risk in selecting and entering into the local market. Karen works across all industry sectors including construction, health, finance, education, retail, oil and gas.
karen.cemm@austrade.gov.au
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