SA Chapter
The South Australian Chapter of AACCI was established in 1982, with initial membership based primarily on an active group of agricultural commodity and equipment exporters.
Until 2009, the SA chapter was managed by staff of Business SA (the South Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry). The Chapter now manages its own affairs, with a part time Executive Officer—Mr Chris Heysen—managing functions and general administration and coordinating export-document stamping services.
In 2011 the chapter will continue to focus on attracting new members and on conducting events to give members opportunities to network and hear from prominent speakers with insight on Middle East and North African Markets.
Chris Heysen -- Executive Officer, South Australia
Chris has spent all his working life in international trade and development. After nearly 14 years in Papua New Guinea during the 1960's and 70's, he was recruited by the South Australia government in 1978 to promote the export of dryland farming technology to the Middle East. This lead to the foundation in 1980 of SAGRIC International—where Chris held senior management positions for some 14 years. Involved in both marketing and project management, he worked throughout the Middle East and North Africa with long or short term assignments in countries across the region, including Jordan, Kenya, Algeria, Cyprus, Turkey, Libya, Iran and Kuwait.
After a brief spell as Senior Economist in the South Australian Department of Primary Industries, he returned to international work as a freelance consultant in 1997 until being recruited by Austrade to go to Cairo in 1998. During the 1990's he served five years as the President of the South Australian Chapter of the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and was the inaugural Chairman for a company that produced and marketed "freekeh", a traditional Middle Eastern food product made from unripened wheat.
From late 1998, Chris served for four years as Austrade's Senior Trade Commissioner in Cairo, with responsibility for Lebanon, Syria and, later, Libya, in addition to Egypt. He introduced many Australian companies to what were then relatively new markets for all except the rural industries. In 2002 he was recruited by the Government of Western Australia to open their new Regional Trade & Investment Office for the Middle East, located in Dubai. After fours year during which more than 160 WA companies were introduced to new markets in the region he returned to Australia in late 2006 and now consults to industry, mainly the rural sector, on trade and management issues. He is also the Executive Officer for the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Chris was born in Adelaide, South Australia. He is married with one son. In addition to English, he speaks neo-Melanesian, and has a basic knowledge of Arabic and French.
