Taking New Zealand’s digital story to the Asia-Pacific region
By Mitchell Pham, chair of the Digital Council for Aotearoa New Zealand.
For me, networking is as natural and as integral to who I am as breathing. It makes sense to me both personally and professionally — and it always has.
Genuine human-to-human connections enrich your knowledge and skills, your understanding of culture and place and your ability to do business, influence others and get things done.
More importantly, they extend your friend and whānau circle beyond your own front door step. That really appeals to me as someone motivated by relationships and achieving goals through collaboration.
Joining the Asia Society’s Global Council
As such, I feel honoured to be the second New Zealander ever inducted into the Asia Society’s Global Council.
I am privileged to be in great company, standing alongside former New Zealand Ambassador to the United States, MP and Minister of Trade, Tim Grosser, who served on the Council for a decade from 2005.
This latest appointment builds on a longstanding legacy of doing business and building networks in Asia.
My business, Augen Software Group, has been active in Vietnam since 2004. I have been busy building networks across business, industry and government in-market and across the region ever since.
I have clocked up 13 years with the Asia Society to date, joining the Asia 21 Young Leaders programme in 2007 (the year after it was established), followed by induction to the Asia 21 Fellowship in 2008.
So, when the Asia Society invited me to join the Global Council during New Zealand’s COVID-19 lockdown, I jumped at the opportunity.
Importance of the Asia Society’s Global Council
Who are the Asia Society? I think of them as one of the most important global networking organisations around today, with a strong presence and deep engagement in the Asia and Pacific region.
Set up in 1979, and headquartered in New York City, the Global Council is made up of 153 leaders in more than 27 countries and regions.
They are described as: “a distinguished group of senior leaders from business, the arts, academia, civil society, and other sectors who serve in advisory roles to assist the Asia Society’s board of trustees and senior staff.”
To many in New Zealand, they are simply a larger counterpart to our own highly-valued Asia New Zealand Foundation.
To me, personally, they are all that and more.
The Asian century
Right now, we are living in the Asian century.
The Asia-Pacific region is relevant to everyone around the globe. It is the new centre of focus in terms of geopolitical dynamics, economic opportunities, social change and environmental impact.
New Zealand should be part of this focus.
It makes sense. We have a unique story to tell. We have information and knowledge worth sharing — particularly as the world recovers from COVID-19 and looks to successful countries and leaders for direction.
To do this well, however, we have to engage. We should not just focus on the home front. It does us no good to be so entrenched in our tall poppy culture that we are silent on matters we know plenty about and that impact the rest of the world.
That is where I would like to make a difference.
I would like to take the insights gained from nearly two decades of being part of New Zealand’s presence in Asia, as well as the knowledge I am gaining as chair of the Digital Council for Aotearoa New Zealand, and share our Kiwi learnings with the Asia Society and the Global Council.
Taking New Zealand’s story to the rest of the world
I would like to share New Zealand’s experience of digital transformation and, in turn, learn from other countries — particularly as Asia steps up its efforts and begins to lead the world on many digital fronts.
I would like to make the New Zealand experience more visible and accessible through the Asia Society’s regional networks, programmes, working groups, events, discussions and the Global Council’s engagements.
I would like to build an enduring New Zealand presence on the Global Council. Two members over several decades is not good enough. We need to invest more time on the ground, building relationships and being much more tuned-in to the diverse people and cultures of Asia and the issues they face.
New Zealand’s ongoing relevance in the Asia Pacific region will be determined by our willingness to be both present and engaged, not just present.
That is why my recent appointment to the Asia Society’s Global Council means a lot to me and, I hope, will come to mean a lot to other Kiwis over time.
Four key opportunities
In terms of my appointment to the Asia Society Global Council, I see four key opportunities for New Zealand and the Digital Council.
- Ensuring the Digital Council is part of — or can lead — regional conversations on topical digital issues such as digital inclusion and the ethical and responsible use of digital and data-driven technologies.
- Facilitating the Digital Council’s access to the knowledge, experience and resources within the Asia Pacific region.
- Where possible, securing opportunities for the Digital Council to collaborate with counterparts in the Asia Pacific region and learn from and apply the results of such collaboration.
- Growing New Zealand’s involvement in the Asia Society’s Global Council over time, building on my work to date increasing the number of Kiwis in the Asia 21 Young Leaders programme and chairing the New Zealand Asia 21 Young Leaders chapter. (I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate fellow Digital Council member Nikora Ngaropo on joining the Asia 21 Young Leaders programme in 2019 and acknowledge his contribution to the New Zealand chapter since then).
Yes, these opportunities are significant, and yes, they will take time and effort to realise. But, to me, that is what networking is all about.
About the author: Mitchell Pham is chair of the Digital Council of Aotearoa New Zealand and director of Augen Software Group and Kiwi Connection Tech Hub. He chairs both the New Zealand Technology Industry Association (NZTech) and the New Zealand Financial Innovation and Technology Association (FinTechNZ).
