MEDIA RELEASE
New chair for Australia India Institute
Mr Patrick Suckling, former Australian High Commissioner to India, experienced diplomat and entrepreneur has been appointed as the new Chair of the Australia India Institute’s Advisory Board. He will take up his role immediately.
“I am delighted to be joining the Australia India Institute as Chair of the Advisory Board in support of the leading role the Institute is playing in advancing essential understanding and connections between these two extraordinary countries,” said Mr Suckling.
Mr Suckling has over two decades’ experience working with India, having been High Commissioner to India from 2013 to 2016 and Australian Ambassador for the Environment in 2016. He currently works for the climate and nature investment firm Pollination, as Managing Director, Head of EMEA & Head of Asia.
“As India rises, it has never been more important for Australia to get its relationship right,” he said. “We have a rich history of association, now becoming an integral and strategic relationship across our two economies, security and defence and people-to-people links. The Institute is playing a critical role in driving this forward in what will be a defining time for how Australia and India navigate a rapidly changing world for mutual benefit.
CEO Lisa Singh said the organisation was fortunate to have a leader of Mr Suckling’s calibre, experience and influence.
“Mr Suckling is highly credentialed and has over a decade of direct engagement in the Australia-India relationship at high-level government and business levels. His appointment is exciting for the future growth of the Institute in helping to deliver its 2022-2026 Strategy. As the Institute continues to grow and evolve, Mr Suckling’s experience and leadership will be crucial to help lift the Institute to new heights”, Ms Singh said.
Along with the new Chair Patrick Suckling, the Institute also welcomes five new members of the Advisory Board: Ms Shinjini Kumar, Founder, Five Salts Pvt Limited, Ms Srimathi Shivashankar, Vice President and Business Head, HCL, Ms Vicki Thomson, Chief Executive & Director, Go8, Mr Rajiv Dube, Independent Director, Tata International Limited, Mr Rufus Pinto, ANZ Country Head, India (awaiting regulatory approval).
They will join current Advisory Board members Ms Suhasini Haidar, Diplomatic Editor, The Hindu, Mr John McCarthy, Senior Adviser, Asialink, University of Melbourne, Ms Sonia Gandhi, Director, Gandhi Creations Pty Ltd and Professor Michael Wesley, Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Melbourne.
Ms Singh thanked the outgoing Advisory Board members for their support and insightful advice after a lengthy term of dedicated service. This includes Mr Greg Lewin, Hon Ted Baillieu, Mr Harish Rao, Ms Susan Hunt, Prof Amitabh Mattoo and Mr Jang Sangha.
“The expertise of the outgoing Advisory Board members has been invaluable, and I thank them for their guidance,” Ms Singh said. “Furthermore, the expertise of the new Advisory Board provides a strong foundation for the Institute’s strategic direction as a think tank, and our ability to deliver a strong suite of research and policy expertise and engagement.”