Dr. Iain Corness
Following an unexpected last minute hitch, resulting in a
change of venue, the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT) was very
pleased to accept the kind offer of MD Craig Ryan’s Holiday Inn as the site
for the networking evening, which was held around the pool last Friday.
Gareth
Hughes, MD of RSM Thailand.
The main sponsors were RSM Advisory (Thailand) Limited
represented by the MD of RSM Thailand Gareth Hughes, and Graham Macdonald’s
MBMG Group (present in addition to his other role as chairman of the BCCT).
In an exclusive interview with PMTV, Gareth Hughes
mentioned that RSM International has more than 730 offices across 72
countries, and they pride themselves on being a ‘one stop shop’ being able
to offer advice to mid-sized companies in such diverse fields as accounting
and taxation, audits, legal, corporate and recruitment, wealth management
and insurance. With so much happening on the Eastern Seaboard, this was the
catalyst for RSM to increase their presence down here. Mention was also made
of the opening of the new RSM branch office on the Eastern Seaboard located
at 63/14-15, M. 10, South Pattaya Road.
During the networking, Cees Cuijpers from the Movers and
Shakers group, in conjunction with Graham Macdonald of the BCCT, officially
presented a cheque of over 200,000 baht to Tracey Cosgrove who received it
on behalf of the Melissa Cosgrove Foundation. This represented the proceeds
from last year’s Movers and Shakers function with which the BCCT and
AustCham had been involved.
This networking evening had the highest percentage of
lovely ladies ever assembled under one roof, and it appeared that the
majority were accountants from RSM in Bangkok. That is certainly one way to
assure yourself of getting accountancy queries!
Most of the usual faces were present including Chris
Thatcher (Sutlet Group), BCCT Executive Director Greg Watkins, Simon
Matthews (Manpower), Joe the dogman Cox, Mark Bowling (Colliers), Neil
Maniquiz and Sergey (Bangkok Hospital Pattaya), Maurice Bromley (President
of the South African Chamber of Commerce), Uli Kaiser (EMAG) and George
Strampp (wearing loafers rather than sandals for a change), but there were
also many new faces including the Russian entrepreneur Alexander Kudinov
(currently into coffee), Shane van Vlerken (Bangkok Video productions, but
now in Pattaya), David Bell (Crestcom Trainers) and the lovely Thitima
Kongsomrith from the Amari Orchid Resort next door.
It was an excellent networking evening, and
congratulations to the Holiday Inn for rising to the occasion, and at such
short notice. Well done! Notice of the next BCCT networking will be made in
the Pattaya Mail.
Cees
Cuijpers (Town at Country Property), Craig J. Ryan, General Manager Holiday
lnn Pattaya, Alan S. Verstein (Siam Gazette).
Kerry
Matisin (Allied Pickfords), Brendan Richards, Alex Mavro,
Peter Malhotra (MD Pattaya Mail Media Group).
Okko
Sprey (Plus Consultant Co. Ltd), Araya Somjit and Fred de Brouwer
(Triskelion Trading Company).
Roger
Wilson (GKN Ariveline), George Strampp (Automotive Manufacturing Solutions),
Chatchai Wiriyatammakul (TRW Automotive), Michael North (North Engineers &
Design Associates).
Praveen
Jaduvanshi (President Wendt Grinding Technologies),
Geoffroy Bousselin (MD Inergy Automotive Svstems), Damien Kerneis
(Geodis Wilson Thai Ltd).
Anders
Breindahl (MD Asiawise), John Clarke (CEO Forbears Freedom Wealth
Management), Larry Jackson II (Arun Chaiseri Consulting Engineers).
Pardorn
Suchiva (RSM Advisory Thailand Ltd), Mike Watkin, Joe Barken-Bennett, Dave
Buckley (Real Estate Magazine), Mark Bowling (Colliers International).
John
Clarke (CEO Forbears Freedom Wealth Management),
Paul Salisbury (TPME Group), Darrell Cutis (Bangkok Pools).
Chris
Thatcher (Vice Chairman BCCT), Annda, Gerg Watkins
(Executuve Director BCCT), Louis J. Van den Bergh (CEO 4A Properties).
Armin
Walter (EFTEV Thailand) and Anders Breindahl (MD Asiawise).
Kuntima
Chai Udom (Arise Asia), Tony Malhotra (Pattaya Mail),
Thanyamai Totharong (MD Arise Asia).
Tracy
Cosgrove happily receives a donation to the Melisa Cosgrove Foundation
raised in a joint effort by the lighthouse Club Pattaya, BCCT and AustCham.