G'Day UK 2009

With world economies facing tough times across all sectors, Australia is leading the way in proactive solutions with the news that it will be hosting a G’dayUK CEO Forum for Australian and UK business leaders this June with the backing of CPA Australia - one of the world’s largest accounting bodies.

CPA Australia’s General Manager Europe, Paul Taylor, said the organisation is pleased to support the G’dayUK CEO Forum because some 21,000 of its members are in roles such as CFO, CEO and general manager. “CPA Australia has 122,000 members working in 100 different countries. We regard the CPA designation as the global accountancy designation for strategic business leaders like those who will be attending this forum,” he said.

The Forum, organised by Australian Business, will be the anchor business event of a new Australian initiative called G'day UK. G'day UK represents the combined efforts of Australian Federal & State Governments, Qantas and Tourism Australia to deliver a program focused on strengthening the economic, political and thought-leadership ties of the two countries.

"The G'dayUK CEO Forum will bring business leaders together from ‘down under’ and ‘up here’ to share ideas and current trends in business, finance and climate change in the most challenging economic environment for a century” commented Phil Aiken, Chairman of G’dayUK.

The four areas of focus are Financial Services, Resources/FDI, Climate Change and 2012 & Beyond. Delegates will also hear a key note address from Rt Hon Lord Mandelson, the UK Secretary of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, who is expected to focus on how the nations can work together for the greater good.

For more information on CPA Australia, visit www.cpaaustralia.com.au.
For more details on the CEO Forum, please contact Australian Business. www.australianbusiness.co.uk

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May 2009
For more information on the CEO Forum or interview opportunities please contact:
Ann Burton, CUBE Communications
Tel: 020 8401 5506 Email: ann@gday-uk.co.uk

Notes to editors:
About G’dayUK:
Planned for 24 June – 30 June 2009, G’dayUK 2009 is supported by the New South Wales, Queensland, Victorian, South Australian and Western Australian State Governments, Austrade, Qantas and Tourism Australia in conjunction with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Wine Australia, Australian Business and key private sector sponsors. www.gday-uk.co.uk

About CEO Forum:
The panelists across the four forum areas confirmed to date are as follows:

FINANCIAL SERVICES:
• Richard Petty, Chairman of CPA Australia
• Andrew Hunter, Head of Macquarie Bank's European division
• John MacFarlane, Non Executive Director of RBS
• Phil Rivett, Global Leader for Financial Services Assurance, PriceWaterhouseCoopers
• Sol Trujillo, CEO, Telstra

RESOURCES/FDI:
• John White, Chairman of Global Renewables
• Jim Lennon, Executive Director, Macquarie Bank
• TBC, BG Group

CLIMATE CHANGE:
• James Cameron, Vice Chairman, Climate Change Capital
• Phil Cox, CEO, International Power
• William Greene, Senior Advisor, Point Carbon
• Derry Newman, CEO, Solarcentury

2012 & BEYOND - BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER:
• Rick Allert, Chairman, Tourism Australia
• John Burton, Director of Westfield's Stratford Project
• David Higgins, CEO, Olympic Delivery Authority
• Rod Sheard, Senior Principal, Populous

About Australian Business:
• Australia's population is less than half a % of the global total, yet its economy ranks amongst the largest in the world

• Among countries with a population of 20million or more, Australia ranked as the 2nd most competitive economy in the world after the US in 2008. (Source:IMD, World Competitiveness Yearbook 2008)

• Australia’s solid regulatory and governance frameworks underpin a strong banking sector.

• Australian banks also make up 4 of the world's 12 major banks that still retain an AA credit rating. The big four banks are also on the list of the 50 safest banks in 2009 according to Global Finance magazine Feb 25 2009.

• Australia has been ranked as the 3rd fastest place in the world to start a business (Source: The World Bank Doing Business 2009).

• The Australian patent and copyright enforcement regime is ranked second in the Asia-Pacific and above major developed countries such as the UK, Japan, Ireland, Finland and HK (Source: Ibid)

• Australia's cost of living is lower than many other countries including the UK, US, Germany, Japan and Singapore.

• Australia has abundant supplies of resources and is a major producer of minerals & energy. There are roughly 400 mines across Australia, or which almost half are in WA.

• Rural products comprise 11% of Australia's total exports. Australia is the world's largest wool producer - yet only 6.55% of Australia's land is arable.

• Australia is one of the most diverse landmasses on the planet and has about 9% of the worlds plants and animals. It is home to over half a million species of plants and animals, many of which are found nowhere else in the world.