Sydney, 26 May 2022. At their Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 26 May 2022, the German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Australien) has announced the appointment of Dr Gabriele Rose as its new Executive Director, effective from 1 July 2022.
Dr Rose succeeds Christoph von Spesshardt, who has been at the helm of AHK Australien since May 2020 and will be returning to Germany after three and a half years in Australia.
Dr Rose is no stranger to AHK Australien, having managed its Health Industry Cluster since the beginning of April 2022. Born in Neumuenster, near Hamburg, and a lawyer by profession, she also brings a wealth of experience in international business leadership. Dr Rose is very familiar with the network of German Chambers of Commerce, having worked at the Association of German Chambers (DIHK) in Berlin and as one of the Managing Directors of the Chamber of Commerce in Hamburg, coordinating public-private activities and stakeholder management. She has lived in Brussels, Istanbul and Moscow before relocating to Sydney at the end of 2021.
From 2018 until today, Dr Rose has provided consulting, project management and legal support for start-ups in digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
In speaking about the appointment, AHK Australien's outgoing Chairman of the Board, Dr Jens Goennemann, said: "We are delighted to have someone of Dr Rose's calibre and experience taking on the role of Executive Director. She is uniquely placed to lead AHK Australien into the future and continue our strong strategic commitment to promoting innovation advancement and bilateral trade and investment between Germany and Australia."
AHK Australien's President, Professor Bronwyn Fox, adds: "We warmly welcome Dr Rose to her new role at AHK Australien. She is an experienced leader at the interface of government, economic policies, and business with a passion for innovation, digitalisation and working with start-ups. Her proven track record in successfully creating, growing, and leveraging networks to enable mutually beneficial cooperation will benefit our members and the wider German-Australian business community."
Outgoing Executive Director Christoph von Spesshardt, who will conclude his term to take up the role of CEO of IHK Stade in Germany, concludes: "It is my absolute pleasure to pass the baton for the leadership of AHK Australien and our wonderful team on to Dr Gabi Rose. She already is an integral, much-revered part of the team, and her incredible track record of spearheading innovation in various industries will be a valuable asset to the AHK. In my future capacity as CEO of IHK Stade, I look forward to exploring how we can foster many exciting projects in Energy, Health, Mining and Resources, and Food and Beverages. Finally, I wish Gabi and my beloved AHK team all the success in the World. As we say in Germany, 'You always meet twice in life', and I look forward to it."
