MEDIA RELEASE

NEW PRESIDENT FOR AUSTRALIA PACIFIC ISLANDS BUSINESS COUNCIL

At the 7^th Annual General Meeting of the Australia Pacific Islands Business Council in Brisbane on Thursday 20 November Mr Sylvain Pons, Managing Director of Nestle Pacific Islands, was elected President of the Council.

Originally from French Polynesia, Mr Pons has been working for the past 11 years in Nestle Pacific Islands in various roles such as General Manager, Nestle French Polynesia and then General Manager, Nestle New Caledonia. He has been a member of the Executive Committee since early 2008.

“I am deeply honoured to be elected as President of the APIBC and to have the opportunity to add further to the strong involvement Nestle has had through my predecessors with the APIBC since its inception in 2000”, Mr Pons said.

The Council has in the past four years had a strong focus on further development of the Australia New Caledonia business and economic relationship, and Mr Pons said this would continue in 2009 with the holding of the 5^th Australia New Caledonia Business Forum in Brisbane in June, and with the arrangement of another business mission to New Caledonia in October 2009.

Mr Pons said that the Council would inaugurate an Australia Solomon Islands Business Forum in 2009 to promote improved investment and business linkages between Australia and Solomon Islands, and would also initiate an Australia-Vanuatu business event.

In addition, Mr Pons said the Council would look to reinvigorate its relationship with Samoa and Tonga, and would look to the possibility of sending a business mission to Guam in 2009 to take advantage of business opportunities there.

The Australia Pacific Islands Business Council was formed in 2000, and works alongside the bilateral business Councils the Australia Papua New Guinea Business Council and the Australia Fiji Business Council to promote improved business linkages between Australian and the various jurisdictions covered by the Councils, and their economic development.

24 NOVEMBER 2008

NOTE FOR EDITORS:  Enquiries can be directed in the first instance to Frank Yourn, Executive Director of the Australia Pacific Islands Business Council Tel + 61 (0)402 608 195.