Geoff Upton

Geoff is a founding Director of Trade Focus International, a trade consultancy and a former State Manager for South Australia for the Australian Trade Commission, Austrade, which has undertaken projects on service exports into China, trade promotion, executive training and on regional economic development. He has over twenty years experience in sales and marketing across Asia and the South Pacific. He has established a joint venture in Malaysia and managed a trading company in Hong Kong. Geoff has operational line management experience in vessel and air charter, warehousing and road and rail freight logistics. He has extensive experience in executive export education programs.

Geoff was State Manager SA of Austrade from 1997- February 2003. He joined Austrade in NSW in 1988 and was Australian Trade Commissioner in Bangkok, Thailand, from 1991 - 1994. He was then appointed National Manager, Aviation, for Austrade and Executive Director of an industry group, Airport Industries Australia Inc in Sydney. In this role Geoff promoted Australian capability in technology, products and services associated with airport design, construction and operations in SE Asia, Hong Kong and China prior to becoming State Manager South Australia/NT for Austrade.

Geoff has been heavily involved in executive exporter education in NSW, Queensland and South Australia as a Councilor of the Australian Institute of Export, NSW, as Director and Chairman of the College of International Business Ltd, Sydney, with Austrade and since forming Trade Focus International.

Since 2005, Geoff has been teaching in International Business topics at undergraduate and postgraduate level at the Flinders Business School, Flinders University.

PREVIOUS POSITIONS

Board Member, Council of International Commerce and Trade SA Inc
Executive Committee International Trade Association SA Inc
Executive Committee SA Exporters Association Inc
Executive Committee Australia China Business Council SA Branch
Member of China Cluster Leadership Group
Judge NSW and SA Export Awards
Judge Upper Spencer Gulf and Limestone Coast Regional Export Awards
Vice President Australian Institute of Export NSW Division
Chairman College of International Business Ltd
Director Trading Partners Australia Ltd
Executive Committee Export Development Group, NSW Chamber of Commerce

PUBLICATIONS

• "An Australia-China free trade agreement: Managing an elephant", English, T., Andressen, C. & Upton, G., Taiwanese Journal of Australian Studies, Volume 6, 2005, pp. 3-40.

Contact Details:
Trade Focus International
PO Box 4080, Norwood South, SA 5067
Tel: 0439 863 078
Fax: +61 8 8332 2196
Email: tradefocus@chariot.net.au