AmCham's 'How Business Really Works' Podcast

The CEO of the United States Studies Centre Dr Bates Gill speaks with Duff Watkins about the strategic reasons behind Free Trade Agreements (FTA). This is very topical with the imminent completion of the one of the largest FTA's the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Dr Bates Gill commenced as CEO of the US Studies Centre in October 2012 after a five year appointment as the Director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. He previously led major research program at public policy think tanks in Washington, DC (Brookings Institution and Center for Strategic and International Studies) and in Monterey, California (Monterey Institute of International Studies).

Among his professional affiliations, Dr Gill serves on the boards of the Rajaratnam School of International Studies (Singapore) and the China-Merck AIDS Partnership, and is a member of the Asia Society Policy Advisory Board (New York) and the Board of Advisors for the Shanghai Institute of International Studies. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (New York) and the International Institute of Strategic Studies (London), and is an Associate Fellow with the Americas Program of Chatham House (London).

He received his PhD in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia and was inducted to the The Johns Hopkins University Society of Scholars in 2007. In addition to his experience in the USA, has lived and worked for lengthy periods in France, Switzerland, Sweden and China.

In this podcast Dr Duff Watkins once again speaks with US Consul General Hugo Llorens this time about the progress of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).

The TPP is due to be finalised very soon. Some analysts are even predicting a conclusion as early as May 2015.

The United States Consul General shares some insights about the negotiations and other benefits about free trade agreements.

Hugo Llorens arrived in Sydney October 3, 2013 to become Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate General with responsibility for the region encompassing New South Wales, Queensland and Norfolk Island.

Previously, he served as the Assistant Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan from May 2012 to June 2013. In that position, he served as the Chief Operating Officer of the largest Embassy in the world with a combined staff of 3,000 U.S. local and Third Country employees representing 19 U.S. government agencies.

Alan Haselden was a former Managing Director Asia/Pacific of Garlock Sealing Technologies (part of US multinational public company EnPro Industries), and has an unparalleled understanding of manufacturing.

In a conversation with Duff Watkins, Alan shares his observations about the future of manufacturing in Australia.

Our Host Dr Duff Watkins speaks candidly to Andrew Wiltshire Senior Director of Corporate Affairs Medtronic Australasia about the role that innovation plays in our health system.

"Hospitals do a brilliant job of saving people's lives, but things happen in hospitals as well; infections happen, it's that kind of environment. So anything we can do to prevent people from getting to hospitals, if they need some kind of treatment and provide that treatment outside hospital settings, and they get out of hospitals try to prevent them going back into hospitals…those are where the real advances in health are going to be"

Andrew is the Senior Director of Corporate Affairs Medtronic Australasia, a member of the Medtronic Australia/New Zealand Executive Leadership Team and company director Medtronic Australasia Pty Ltd, and Medtronic New Zealand Ltd, with experience over 20 years in all aspects of the Medical Technology and Pharmaceutical Industries. Andrew is also a member of the Medical Technology Association of Australia Board of Directors.

Eddie Grobler Divisional President of MasterCard Australasia and AmCham Governor, joins Host Duff Watkins to explore what the 'Future of Money' will be in our society.

" I think we are heading to a cashless society – obviously I think that is going to be a twenty or thirty year journey and where I think we are heading in the short term – five to ten years – is possibly a less cash society. " Mr Grobler explains to Duff in this edition of the AmCham Podcast. Join us to learn what insights this leader in the industry has to share.

Eddie Grobler is division president, Australasia for MasterCard. Based in Sydney, Australia, he is responsible for the development of the MasterCard value proposition in the Australasia markets. He was appointed to his current position in September 2008.

Don Peppers is recognised as one of the world's leading authorities on customer-focused business strategies. During a recent presentation to AmCham in Sydney, Duff Watkins had the opportunity to catch up with Don and discuss how Management use scientific methods to make better decision.

Don Peppers is an acclaimed author and a founding partner of Peppers & Rogers Group, the world's premier customer-centric management consulting firm. The Times of London has listed Don among their "Top 50 Business Brains," Accenture has included him in its global list of the "Top 100 Business Intellectuals," and the U.K.'s Chartered Institute for Marketing put him on its list of the "50 most influential thinkers in marketing and business today." In 2013, Don Peppers and Martha Rogers were inducted into the Direct Marketing Association Hall of Fame.

Peppers continues to support many of the worlds' leading global brands, working with executives to develop a customer-centric strategy and culture within their organisations.

Duff Watkins interviews the enigmatic Rodney Marks about the use of Comedy at work. Does comedy increase productivity and help clarify an organisation's position or are we just goofing around?

Rodney is a corporate entertainer specializing in business events, conferences and meetings. He has performed throughout Australia, and has had over 30 international tours, to England, Mauritius, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Fiji, Vanuatu and the United States. Rodney has been a comic hoaxer, comedy MC, and a stand-up comedian for a generation.

In 2012 Rodney performed in the Solomon Islands for the Australian Army, the Australian Federal Police and personnel from the defence services of New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and the Solomon Islands.

He has been visiting professor-at-large at UNSW (2007), and artist-in-residence at the Macquarie Dictionary (2002-03), UNE (2001-02), the AGSM (2000-01), Harvard (1995) and Shalom College (1980). He has degrees from UNE, UNSW and Harvard

Rodney has been president of NSAA: the National Speakers Association of Australia (2007-08), and he holds their highest international accreditation, CSP: Certified Speaking Professional. He is the recipient of the NSAA Keynote Speaker of the Year award (2011), and of NSAA's highest honour, The Nevin Award (2013), for lifetime achievement.

Kevin Bates joins host Duff Watkins in discussing Risk in today's business environment and if if it is possible to protect your organisation against it.

Kevin joined Lend Lease in 2004 and was appointed to his current role of Group Head of Risk and Insurance in March 2014.

Prior to his current appointment, Kevin was the Head of Risk and Compliance for the Retail and Communities Business with Lend Lease in Australia, followed by the Head of Risk and Compliance for the Asia Region of Lend Lease – a role which Kevin held from 2010 to 2014.

Kevin joined Lend Lease after 6+ years practising as a Corporate Finance Lawyer with a top tier international law firm in London acting on a variety of high profile international market leading transactions.

Kevin holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours), a Diploma of Legal Practise and a Master in Law and Arbitration, and retains a licence to practise in three jurisdictions

In this latest podcast Dr Duff Watkins has a conversation with Mike Schoettler, Managing Director of Sales Sense and Fellow Governor of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia about changing face of sales.

Mike commenced his career with a MBA in International Management but he says he never learned faster than when his sales manager put him on straight commission. This taught him the power of focus and the importance of mastering the basic skills of sales and negotiation – what he now calls Sales Sense!

Mike has demonstrated his "Sales Sense" approach to producing results working in major corporations in both the USA and Australia. After five years as National Sales Manager for Hunter Douglas, he started speaking professionally in 1991. In the years since, Mike has worked with Associations, Corporations, and Franchise Organizations of all sizes around the world.

AmCham CEO Niels Marquardt speak to host Duff Watkins about the role of AmCham in today's business environment and its benefit to the Australian and US business community.

Niels Marquardt started as CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia (AmCham) on October 15, 2013. He is a former American diplomat with decades of experience promoting international trade and investment.

His final diplomatic assignment was as U.S. Consul General in Sydney, 2010-2013. During a 34-year State Department career, Niels also served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Madagascar and the Union of the Comoros (2007 - 2010), to the Republic of Cameroon (2004 – 2007), and to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea (2004 – 2006). In three of those countries, Niels helped found and launch new AmCham chapters.