IFSA chief executive Richard Gilbert and IFSA deputy chairman Jeremy Duffield presented at a financial services forum attended by senior Chinese financial regulatory officials in the Chinese capital yesterday.
“From the Australian point of view, it was our chance and an important opportunity to raise our profile and raise the issues that we have to work through,” Gilbert told InvestorDaily.
“The Prime Minister has done an outstanding job in raising the profile of the Australian financial services industry throughout his travels.
“As the fourth-largest managed fund industry in the world and with a concerted push to boost financial services exports now underway, our capabilities are being effectively showcased and the ‘open for business’ message is being picked up around the world.
“The meeting was successful and paved the way for our delegation to China later in the year,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert plans to send an IFSA delegation of around 10 delegates post Olympics, in September or October.
“Beijing has had an amazing transformation. When I first came in 1998 the mutual funds industry had 1 million clients. Now there are 100 million, 10 years later and you translate that saving and investment into infrastructure and Beijing has become a modern and new city,” he said.
