Recommendations for BRIC Expert, David Thomas

Thank you again for your well researched and informative presentation at the ATEC Meeting Place conference last week. Your presentation on the BRIC economies and with a twist on the tourism opportunities was well received by our members, and I had much positive comment at the event and over email in the last few days on the quality of your presentation. Gary O'Riordan, Deputy CEO, Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC)

David spoke at the 2011 CSA Annual Conference. He did an excellent job providing an overview of emerging markets and doing business with BRIC countries. The audience loved his presentation and rated him extremely well with many attendees rating his session as the best for the entire event. George Sengulovski, National Conference Producer, Chartered Secretaries Australia Ltd

David is a great presenter and an expert in his field. He has an amazing depth of knowledge and is very easy to work with. He will put a great amount of effort into ensuring that your audience leaves with meaningful key messages that relate to their business. Melanee Mak, Marketing and Events Manager, Russell Investments

David Thomas was the opening keynote speaker at our Danish CFO Agenda conference in Copenhagen, where we gathered 200 CFOs and finance leaders from large Danish companies for a day of inspiration and discussion. David gave the opening speech on BRIC and why this is interesting and why we all need to factor it into our plans. He also ran a break out session on “Doing business in India”, where a smaller group were asking questions and discussing various aspects of doing or planning to do business in India. The delegates were all very positive about the performance and content delivered by David. He is a great speaker and facilitator and very knowledgeable on the topic of BRIC. Dorthe Harding Keilberg, Partner, Deloitte Consulting A/S, Denmark

David is a BRIC expert and excellent speaker. I worked with David as a speaker for the 2011 ASFA conference. He is very engaging and knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with. Geoff Peck, Managing Director, Government & Institutions, Russell Investments

I participated at the Deloitte "CFO Agenda 2011" in Copenhagen where David presented his ideas and angles on the BRIC countries. David's presentation was very interesting and kept the audience engaged and attentive. I was impressed with his knowledge and ability to communicate. I can only recommend others to hear him if the opportunity presents itself. Lars Larsen, Financial Administration Manager, Westrup A/S, Denmark

I just wanted to pass on my sincere thanks for your excellent presentation to our senior bankers and customers on China and India. The feedback from the session has been overwhelmingly positive. The energy and clear insight that you brought to the Masterclass was a real strength. I look forward to continuing to work together on future events.   Rachel Slade, Head of International Products, Westpac Banking Corp.

David was kind enough to speak to EO in Sydney, March 2011.  Some of the comments we received from members include "Awesome presentation .... lots to think about - thanks".  "Brilliant all round.  It's fantastic to have speakers that open our horizons and not espouse theories".  "Fab speaker - very knowledgeable".  The fact that we had more than 45 minutes of Q&A tells how engaged our members were!  We're looking forward to the subsequent follow up. Duncan Knight, Chairman, Sydney Chapter, Entrepreneurs Organisation ("EO")

David is a well-connected professional, with an excellent knowledge of Asian and international business practices. I have worked with him on a number of occasions, particularly regarding inward and outward investment opportunities between Australia and Asia and have found him thorough, engaging and professional. Chris Ryan, Managing Director and CEO, Perpetual Limited

David was the guest speaker at the end of year meeting of my Sydney based EGN groups. The presentation was professional; refelecting David's expertise and experience on China. The audience questions proved the level of interest in the subject and the way it was presented. Peter Hocking, Managing Director, Executives' Global Network Australia

David Thomas was one of our key presenters at the Import Export Show in Darling Harbour in September 2010. We chose David as a presenter for our Masterclass on BRIC for his experience, credibility and passion for those countries. He has first hand experience and knows how to project his knowledge to the audience with enthusiasm and humour. David has a practical approach to his presentation which keeps the audience busy writing notes and wanting to know more. It was one of those workshops where it is difficult to evacuate the room on time as they all want to stay and learn more, even after 1 1/2 hours!  Corinne Campbell, Import Export Show

Thank you David for your fascinating presentation on the BRIC nations at CEO Headquarters. You brought complex global economic issues, cultural facts and business reality to the table. Your presentation was interesting, educative and very useful for my clients. They now see their businesses in the light of the global playing field. Each will make different decisions about their future but all will make their decisions informed by this larger context. I would highly recommend any business leader to seek out this information. Isabelle Phillips, Director, CEO Headquarters

David Thomas recently spoke at one of our conferences and we had some great feedback from our participants. His presentation was described as cutting edge, insightful, highly researched and thought-provoking. So if you are looking for a speaker with ideas about the best way to take a business or any idea global, then David is someone that you definitely need to get to know and work with.  Dale Beaumont, Business Blueprint, Best Selling Author of 16 Books

We had David presenting at our National Conference this year and he really knows his stuff. Feedback from his session was excellent and there's little doubt that he's the master of his topic. We look forward to hearing more from David. Robert Gerrish, Founder & Director, Flying Solo

I am truly grateful for the professional way you conducted yourself, your direction and input into the China Australia Business Congress 2009 throughout the two days. Your depth of knowledge in the China / Australia theatre added enormous value to the delegation as you were able to quickly summarise each session with confidence, clarity and relevance. It is my sincere hope I may call on you again for your guidance and participation to enable us produce another quality event which we can build on from the success of our inaugural China Australia Business Congress in Sydney in May 2009. Your position as Chair for this event enabled the Congress to run smoothly, professionally and seamlessly and I look forward to working with you again very soon.  Peter Evans, Conference Director, Association & Communication Events

The University of Technology Sydney recently had the privilege of David Thomas presenting to its students studying Business and Culture in Asia Pacific (BCAP). To hear from an industry specialist is a significant benefit for students.  With conviction I highly recommend David as a speaker. His knowledge and practical understanding of the dynamics of these two significant markets is outstanding. David's presentation was topical, insightful, thought provoking and certainly created much discussion. His style is relaxed yet focussed; delivered with great enthusiasm and humour. Thank you David for a great evening - it was a pleasure to listen to you.  Liane Taylor, Marketing Operations Lead, IBM Australia Ltd

I can say, without reservation, that without the efforts and energy of Think Global we would not be as far progressed as we are with our overseas strategies. We set out with very clean objectives, all of which have been met and with great success. Thank you David for a fantastic experience and great results. Mark Sheldon, Managing Director, Group GSA

I met David at a presentation he gave to the Executive Global Network. David spoke passionately and inspirationally about the growth of BRIC economies, and outlined some pretty concrete ways for Australian businesses to get involved sustainably. I came away with a new perspective on these oppportunities and a desire to explore them further. Anthony Hunt, Principal, Hunts Group Consulting

David's unique insight into our changing world is a message worth tuning into. An engaging speaker, his well-informed presentation on emerging markets will enlighten and galvanise. I recommend David to those who are looking at global expansion, particularly business development in China as well as in other countries in the region. Manchel Penilla, MLC

Joining the Think Global China tour was the best business decision I’ve made this year. I went on the tour with an objective of quickly immersing myself into Chinese business culture so I could understand the growing focus on this marketplace amongst my Australian clients. The insights from the trip have profoundly changed the way I look at China, and other BRIC economies. The bonus for me from this experience was emerging with a range of immediate business and partnership opportunities in a market I had only intended to explore this year. David Thomas  and his Think Global operation are unique in their expertise and the quality of their offering. They provide a service that I strongly recommend to any executive needing to quickly wrap their mind around and / or penetrate the BRIC marketplace. Fleur Brown, Director, The Launch Group

I met David Thomas when he was the Guest Speaker at a MBA class on Business & Culture in Asia Pacific. I was inspired by his talk and signed up immediately for his eNewsletter. Now that I am living and working in India, I more than ever look forward to receiving David’s newsletters. His commentary on this exciting, emerging market is always spot on and his insights into the possibilities of doing business with, and in India, are extremely relevant & valuable.  Sally Barnes, Vice President, Franchise India

David encourages fellow professionals to seek further education and experiences in environments that are not readily available or accessible. The speakers and material that have been presented by Think Global are first class & I encourage other professionals to take the journey. Adrian Whittingham, Head of Retail, Schroders

David is a deep thinking, well organised person who has a depth and breadth of knowledge in the business services and particularly the financial services sector that would be a wonderful asset for any organisation seeking to expand their business.  Bob Kolevski, Owner, Barnes Dowell James

We contacted David Thomas at Think Global Consulting to help us resolve contractual difficulties we were facing with our Chinese technology partners. We secured David's services in order to provide some expertise and direct coaching to our teams and personally to our CFO and myself. These sessions revolved around some cultural learnings and an adaptation of what we saw as legal issues into 'relationship challenges' with our Chinese partners. We took on board David's advice and, accordingly, adapted our direction and strategy in all of our dealings with China. Within what was an astoundingly short period of time, the strength was restored to the relationship and, today, that relationship has developed into a partnership which represents one of the key cornerstones of Blueprint's business. Without a doubt, David's expertise was the key element in this success. We would not hesitate to recommend David to organisations with objectives which include expansion into Asia.  Mike Adams, Group CEO, Blueprint Management Group

Our organisation, a major financial services firm, recently engaged David Thomas  to present at our national professional development days across the country. The brief was simple, though the task was complex. We wanted our advisers to gain an international perspective, particularly on the BRIC countries and their potential impact on the Australian economy. This was to have a particular focus on China and its impact on our long term recovery. David produced an extremely interesting presentation, which thoroughly engaged his audience. His technical understanding coupled with on the ground experience provided insights that soon had our advisers asking questions and taking note of what he had to say. The feedback across the country has been very positive and we are looking at how we can use David again in the future.  Alan Broom, Professional Development Manager

David Thomas has been a constant support to CIPS over the last two years. His expertise on China & BRIC countries is much appreciated. His recent speech at our Strategic Procurement Forum in Perth [May 09] was relevant, informative, engaging and well received by a demanding audience of senior procurement professionals – many from the resources sector.  Jonathan Dutton, Managing Director, CIPS Australia 

The Australian Institute of Export ran a very successful event for the NSW Export community in Sydney on March 25th, 2009. Our MC for the event, where the theme was a focus on the BRIC countries and their trade potential, was David Thomas. David has a particularly strong interest in this group of countries, and his knowledge and enthusiasm for the opportunities came through loud and clear. David’s presentation was sharp, focused, and built on key facts and figures; and gave all who attended a wonderful insight into those four countries. As MC, David also had the role of “interviewing” two established and well known exporters about their experiences with the BRIC countries. Again David’s knowledge and insightful questioning allowed all present to really benefit from the experiences of these export panelists. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience of working with David for that event, and plan to collaborate on a number of future opportunities. Accordingly we acknowledge David’s skills as a first class facilitator, and commentator, in his areas of expertise, and would recommend him to others seeking that expertise. Peter Mace, General Manager, Australian Institute of Export

David's workshops on 'thinking globally' are simply excellent: great content, great exercises. Exercises that make you think hard about where you should head off shore - to which country and why.
His content about the 'explosion' of the BRIC countries is simple and compelling: it is not business as usual in this minnow of a country nor in any other. The evidence of why is overwhelming. Thanks David for a great workshop! Toby Marshall, Lead Creation

David Thomas is the speaker you need if you want to see how easy it is to move your business into China. Listen, watch and learn from someone who clearly understands the market.  Michelle Bowden, Director, Michelle Bowden Enterprises