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Martine Letts FAIIA HonLLB
CEO of AsialinkMartine Letts FAIIA HonLLD is an experienced executive with a strong background in government, nonprofit, and international policy sectors. She has expertise in public policy development and promotion, both in Australia and internationally. Martine has held key positions such as CEO of the Committee for Melbourne, CEO of the Australia China Business Council, and Deputy Director of the Lowy Institute for International Policy. She has also served as Secretary-General of the Australian Red Cross and as a senior Australian diplomat. Martine is currently the CEO of Asialink Group and is a member of various boards and committees. She is fluent in French, German, and Spanish and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of International Affairs.
Ambassador Anil Wadhwa
Ambassador Anil Wadhwa was a member of the India Foreign Service from 1979-2017 and has served as the Indian Ambassador to Italy, Thailand, Oman and Poland. As Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs of India he oversaw relations with South East Asia, Gulf and West Asia, Pacific and Australasia. He has served as the Indian Ambassador and permanent Representative to FAO, IFAD, WFP UNESCAP and worked with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague heading the Government Relations and Political Affairs and Media and Public Affairs Branches. He has served as India’s chief delegate to the East Asia Summit, Asean- India, ASEM, ACD, the Arab league, Mekong Ganga Cooperation, and ARF meetings. He has led a CII task force for writing the Australia Economic Strategy report for the Indian government. Ambassador Wadhwa is currently a Distinguished fellow with the Vivekananda International Foundation, New Delhi and serves as an Independent Director and Advisor on the Boards of some corporate firms and organisations in India and abroad.
Dr. Chulanee Attanayake
Dr. Chulanee Attanayake is a Researcher with expertise in China and South Asia, Politics, Geopolitics and Security in the Indo-Pacific, and Sri Lanka’s Foreign Relations. Her current research focuses on maritime security and sovereignty of small states. She was a Research Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, and still holds affiliation as a Non-Resident Fellow at the institute. Her expertise and insights have been disseminated through her publications, including the comprehensive analysis "China in Sri Lanka" (2013) and the edited volume "Maritime Sri Lanka: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives" (2021). She also frequently appears as an expert commentator on international news channels such as CNN, BBC, Channel News Asia, and Bloomberg. She is currently pursuing a PhD by Publication at Swinburne University of Technology on underwater security and its implications for small states.
Prof. Nicholas Farrelly
University of TasmaniaProfessor Nicholas Farrelly is a Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Tasmania, where he was previously Head of Social Sciences. Earlier in his career he held academic positions at the Australian National University, including as Associate Dean in the College of Asia and the Pacific. A graduate of the ANU and the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, Nicholas is on the board of the Australia-ASEAN Council and is also a Director of Australia’s National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters. He is a co-author of “Comprehensive Strategic Partners: ASEAN and Australia after the first 50 years” published in 2024.
Grant Wyeth
Grant Wyeth is the editor at Asia-Pacific Development, Diplomacy and Defence Dialogue (AP4D) – a platform that seeks to encourage a more integrated approach to Australia’s foreign policy. Alongside this, he is also a columnist for the Asia-Pacific affairs publication, The Diplomat. His analysis has also been published in a range of other publications including Foreign Policy, World Politics Review, and The Interpreter. Previously he wrote the weekly newsletter for Australian Foreign Affairs magazine, and has been an academic researcher at the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne. Grant holds a Bachelor of Arts from La Trobe University, and a Master of International Relations from the University of Melbourne.