Joana Button is a multi-award-winning strategist, problem-solver, and the visionary Founder and CEO of Simple Scalable Solutions (SSS), a digital transformation and technology agency. With over 20 years of experience, Joana has driven growth and transformation across the travel, tourism, digital, tech, and SME sectors. She has a proven track record of scaling companies 10x in five years, starting with her first travel tech startup in Sydney, Australia.

Witnessing the implosion of this once successful venture post her departure inspired Joana to help organizations achieve sustainable long-term growth and success through SSS. However, after many years of implementing off-the-shelf products, she saw that many businesses still struggled with juggling multiple tools and systems that didn’t communicate with one another, and the lack of visibility due to the per-person, per-license model.

To address these common pain points and help SMEs break past the glass ceiling without breaking the bank, alongside her Co-Founder and CTO, Joana developed Scalifi, an all-in-one customizable platform integrating online with offline activities and front-end with back-end solutions. Their mission is to simplify the way businesses work by executing their ideas and turning them into reality, transforming them into a data-driven, sustainable, effective, and happy workplace.

Passionate about giving back, Joana mentors the next generation of young professionals and entrepreneurs and actively supports the Australian and Thai communities through her CSR and ISR work as Vice President of the Australian Thai Chamber of Commerce. She relocated to Bangkok, Thailand from Sydney, Australia, with her husband and two daughters in 2019.

We are going to be launching our product and platform, Scalifi in August. Damian and I will be joining AustCham as members under our BOI company as of August.

Jon as many of you know, was working within hotel operations as General Manager of several properties in Thailand, but stepped back from his role in late December to embark on a new path. Jon’s new role takes in his 20+ years’ experience in the hospitality industry and the last 8 in Thailand and he is now employed in an advisory capacity, working for Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) as Senior Vice President – Hotel Asset Management, Thailand and Vietnam. 

Jon’s new role works in conjunction with Owners, Investors, and Hotel Operators to identify opportunities, manage overall performance, maximize returns on investment, improve cash flow and optimizing hotel assets across Thailand and Vietnam in key destinations and new emerging markets. This new role will add a deeper knowledge set to our Hospitality and Tourism sub-committee, and he will also support the Future Leaders sub-committee to ensure the next generation of leaders are introduced to the chamber to support the continual growth of our Chamber.

With over 19 years’ experience, Matthew works closely with Boards and c suite professionals primarily helping them execute on strategy. He has done this across three continents, the United Kingdom, Australia and for the last four and a half years here in Thailand.

The connection to AustCham came as a result of Matthew living and working for BDO Australia in Perth, Western Australia for ten years prior to his arrival in Thailand giving Matthew an extensive business network in Australia and a passion for cross border business opportunities between the two countries . AustCham has played a significant part of Matthew’s life since arrival in Thailand due to the many great events and initiatives run by the chamber.

Its now time to give something back to the Australian and Thai business communities by representing AustCham on the board.

Key areas of focus will be to help AustCham under its new leadership challenge and refine its existing strategy, help with best practise principles of corporate governance and manage risk to enable the chamber to grow and increase its impact on the community.

Qualifications & Affiliations

•Master of Mathematics “MMATH” –University of Sheffield

•Chartered Accountant Australia “CA Aus”

•Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant “FCCA”

•Registered Company Auditor Australia “RCA Aus”

•Graduate of Thai Institute of Directors “IOD” Certification program

Saj Iqbal is Country Manager for Linfox Thailand and manages all of Linfox’s logistics business in the Kingdom.

Saj first arrived in Thailand with Mars in 2000 and has 30 years of logistics experience. Saj joined Linfox in 2006 and was responsible for large implementations and growth projects in China, India, Indonesia and Thailand. In 2013, Saj became Country Manager for Linfox Malaysia and in 2016, Saj took on a dual role and added Country Manager for Linfox Indonesia to his responsibility. At the beginning of 2018, Saj was appointed as Regional Account Director for Linfox with specific responsibility for the Unilever Business in Asia Pacific. Saj’s commercial expertise supported continuous improvement savings and incorporated innovation platforms with significant benefit to the customer in Thailand and across Asia. He was appointed Thailand Country Manager in 2019.

Linfox has been operating its logistics business in Thailand and Southeast Asia for over 20 years and serves customers in the FMCG, retail and industrial markets. As Platinum sponsor and through its previous board and committee members, Linfox has been a strong supporter of the chamber and is keen to work side by side to improve the chamber’s relations and service offerings to its members.

Khun Chaiwat is a partner in Tilleke & Gibbins’ corporate and commercial group and head of the firm’s property practice. A seasoned attorney with over 15 years of post-qualification experience, he advises domestic and multinational companies on a wide range of legal matters related to doing business and real estate matters in Thailand. He graduated with an LL.B. from Thammasat University in 2002, and an LL.M. (with honor) in International Business Law from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, in 2006; and is a member of the Lawyers Council of Thailand and the Thai Bar Association. His professional experience and understanding of local laws will be of great benefit to the Board and to AustCham as a whole, and will use knowledge to keep members aware of the latest business and legal developments.

Khun Chokdee is an experienced business executive with proven records in incubating, developing, and managing multi-business units, in large organisations. He considers himself very fortunate having work in many disciplines namely accounting, operations, project development, business development, and most recently human resources, across various industries from banking, hotel, chain restaurant, consultancy, media, asset management, and real estate. ​

Currently, he is the proud Chief People Officer at Asset World Corp Public Company Limited, a holding company under TCC Group. The company has two main businesses consisting of Hospitality business managed by world-renowned hotel brands such as Marriott, The Luxury Collection, Okura, Banyan Tree, Hilton, Melia, Le Meridien, and Sheraton and Retail, Wholesale, and Commercial properties whose projects include ASIATIQUE the Riverfront, Gateway Malls, AEC Trade Center, Empire Tower and Athenee Tower.​

Having been given many opportunities in his career, he is at the stage where he can contribute back to the business community and particularly to the younger generation. AustCham has been his preferred Chamber of Commerce during the past years. He has professionally benefitted and enjoyed networking at Sundowners. Thus, it would be a true pleasure to return his service to AustCham members as a Director on the Board.​

My commitment to the Australian Chamber in the Eastern Seaboard has been marked by dedication to supporting of events, charities, and businesses associated with the Chamber. As a proud member, I have actively participated in and contributed to numerous initiatives, fostering a sense of community and collaboration. Through the Chamber’s events, I’ve had the privilege of engaging with like-minded professionals, entrepreneurs, and community leaders, creating valuable networks and partnerships. Looking ahead, I am excited about the continued journey of making meaningful contributions to the Chamber and the Eastern Seaboard community.

I am passionate about contributing to the success and growth of AustCham as a potential Director for the Eastern Seaboard. With a deep understanding of the regional business landscape and relationship and strong connections within the Australian business community, I believe that I will be able to bring valuable insights and strategic thinking to the Chamber incorporating the key foundations of the Eastern Seaboard.
My background in Hospitality and Tourism equips me with the knowledge and experience needed to navigate the challenges and opportunities specific to the region. I am dedicated to promoting collaboration and innovation within the business community, aiming to enhance AustCham of meaningful connections and valuable partnerships.
As an AustCham Director, I envision leveraging my skills in leadership, communication and partnerships to contribute to the Chamber’s initiatives and directions. Whether it’s promoting and advocating for business-friendly policies, or fostering networking opportunities I am confident that my passion for the region, coupled with my professional expertise, will continue to enhance the Chamber’s ability to serve its members. I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with fellow Directors and stakeholders to drive AustCham’s mission forward and ensure its continued success as a leading force in promoting Australian business interests on the Eastern Seaboard.

Being a dedicated AustCham member since 2020 and leading AustCham’s Digital Marketing Subcommittee in early 2023, I’ve driven key digital initiatives, notably a strategic MOU with Thailand’s Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa) and the organization of three major events, including a training focused on the latest in AI technology.

As the CEO and Founder of Marketing Bear since 2013, I have elevated our agency to a leading position in Bangkok’s digital marketing field, delivering substantial results for SMEs and enterprises like Michelin and PCS in Southeast Asia and Australia.

My educational foundation in International Management with Engineering and my commitment to fostering the next generation of marketers through my roles as a Senior Mentor and Guest Lecturer at the University of Newcastle, Australia, underlines my expertise and enthusiasm for sharing knowledge.

Aiming to further AustCham’s digital transformation, I aspire to join the Board of Directors to introduce more digitally focused events and initiatives and ensure that informative and training-based events provide tangible value to our members’ businesses.

I look forward to empowering the AustCham community with the latest in marketing and operational technologies, ensuring our collective advancement in the digital landscape!

Yvonne Foo is the Country Head of ANZ Thailand, bringing more than 20 years of banking experience with leading international banks across ASEAN and New Zealand. Prior to her current role, she was Acting Country Head of ANZ Malaysia and Head of Business Management overseeing strategic priorities across six markets.

Yvonne is a strong advocate of the Australia-ASEAN relations and leverages her international banking experience and past role as a chamber board member to drive strategic initiatives and promote connectivity between the two. As a board member of AustCham Thailand, she aims to strengthen the Australia-ASEAN ties even further and promote mutual opportunities.

Passionate about giving back, Yvonne has led CSR initiatives in fundraising and financial literacy programs for the under privileged communities in Singapore. As the lead of the AustCham CSR sub-committee, she hopes to rally members to make a positive impact in the community in line with the chamber’s charity and social missions. Over the years, AustCham has actively contributed to several worthy local charitable causes and with the unwavering support of our members and charity partners, the sub-committee remains dedicated to driving sustainable and meaningful change in the community.

If you are interested in supporting the CSR activities, please email [email protected]

Originally from Scotland, I have been in Asia since 2002, Thailand since 2006.
Fenix XCell was created in 2008 as a hobby, which has now turned into a great business. We recently pivoted into offering our services out with the Golf Industry as well. We have a wide range of fabrics to fit any budget as well as a talented design team to work with the client along the way.
I am also involved in Golf Asian, SE Asia’s strongest Golf tour operator as well as EDS Global Group (Thailand). A specialist disinfection company. Websites are below.

www.fenixxcell.com
www.golfasian.com
www.edsglobalgroup.com

Amelia is the Trade and Investment Commissioner based in Bangkok (previously Singapore), responsible for growing Australia’s trade, investment and education relationship. In addition, she has a regional Southeast Asia role to drive outcomes for agribusiness and food exporters. 

Within Austrade Amelia has worked on promoting Australian capability to global markets, attracting investment into sectors including resources, energy and technology and has been Austrade’s representative in the office of the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. 

Amelia has more than 10 years’ international business experience in public and private sector roles, including as an investment analyst in Chicago and in the communications and stakeholder engagement team for a large foreign headquartered mining company based in Brisbane. 

Amelia holds a Masters of Business Administration and is on the James Cook University Singapore Advisory Board.