BNZ Chair in Business in Asia
Professor Siah Hwee Ang is the inaugural holder of the BNZ Chair in Business in Asia, which has been established to focus on how New Zealand businesses can succeed in the highly competitive Asian market.
Professor Siah Hwee Ang, inaugural BNZ Chair in Business in Asia
Asian business expert Professor Siah Hwee Ang has been appointed the inaugural holder of the BNZ Chair in Business in Asia.
The position, based at Victoria Business School, has been established to focus on how New Zealand businesses can succeed in the highly competitive Asian market.
Professor Ang will lead executive training, teaching, research and public outreach programmes aimed at helping to forge innovative and effective engagement with Asia by New Zealand businesses.
"Victoria University is the logical location for the Chair, as we will be able to leverage our existing strengths and links to Asia, and our location in the capital city, in close proximity to government agencies and embassies," says Professor Bob Buckle, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Victoria Business School.
"I am delighted we have been able to appoint someone of Professor Ang’s calibre to the position, and that this partnership between industry, government and academia will enable us to share distribute our research insights in a way that will benefit New Zealand businesses."
BNZ head of Asia business, Paul Gestro, says that an academic position focussed on Asia adds an important perspective to existing efforts to enable New Zealand businesses to succeed in the world’s most populous and fastest growing economic region.
"While Asia provides the largest growth opportunity for New Zealand businesses, that opportunity may not be realised as gaining access to the right information can be difficult.
"Access to knowledge on business protocols and market insights provided by the Chair in Business in Asia presents a solution to a significant hurdle preventing New Zealand businesses from optimising the opportunities in rapidly growing Asian markets," says Mr Gestro.
Most recently Professor Ang held the position of Professor of Strategy at the University of Auckland Business School. He previously taught at Cass Business School, City University, London and the National University of Singapore Business School, where he also completed his BBA (Honours) in Finance and PhD.
"Asia is a diverse market and so our knowledge is relatively dispersed," says Professor Ang.
"I am glad to be part of an effort to establish a more holistic understanding of the market and to enhance New Zealand business capabilities in Asia."
The BNZ Chair in Business in Asia is funded, through the Victoria University Foundation, by principal sponsor the Bank of New Zealand, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.