The Canadian Australian Chamber of Commerce (CACC) is a not-for-profit organisation whose focus is to build and strengthen trade and business connections between Australia and Canada. The Chamber is pleased to present the volunteer members of the CACC Western Australia Committee.
To contact please email: [email protected]
Tara Roy is the current Corporate Finance Lead at South32, a globally diversified metals and mining company with operations in Australia, South Africa and South America, as well as development operations in North America. Tara is responsible for executing the group’s corporate finance strategic objectives. This includes providing input to the Group’s financing, liquidity, capital management and risk management activities.
Prior to joining South32, Tara spent several years at KPMG Australia focused on debt and capital advisory services to clients across the mining, energy, infrastructure, healthcare, government and property sectors, amongst others. Prior to KPMG, Tara spent over a decade in the banking sector in both Australia and Canada.
Tara loves to travel with her husband Chris, often back to their birthplaces in Canada to reconnect with family and friends.
Xuguang Huang has been Counsellor – Commercial at the Canadian High Commission in Canberra since August 2022. Prior to his posting in Canberra, Mr. Huang was Counsellor – Agriculture and Food at the Embassy of Canada to Korea (2018-2022). From 2013-2016, Mr. Huang was posted to Manila, the Philippines, as Canada’s Liaison Officer to the Asian Development Bank and Trade Commissioner for the Information and Communication Technologies sector. Mr. Huang had a number of assignments in Global Affairs Canada’s (GAC) headquarters in Ottawa, which include responsibilities related to bilateral relations with Europe and the Korean Peninsular; international education promotion; FDI attraction; and client services. Prior to joining the Government of Canada, Mr. Huang worked in the manufacturing industry for five and a half years.
For more information about the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service, please visit www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca
Tarik is a Senior Project Manager and Western Australia Operations Manager at Hatch with 20 years of experience delivering and starting up metals, energy and infrastructure projects on six continents. Originally from Western Canada, he is based out Perth since 2023 (after a brief stint in 2013). In his various roles, Tarik has led the design, specification, construction, commissioning and operation of industrial O&G facilities (Propylene Oxide, Tertiary Butyl Alcohol, Polyethylene), Generation facilities (diesel, hydroelectric and heavy fuel power plants) and Metallurgical facilities (gold, diamond, copper, zinc, nickel, lead, coal, molybdenum and rare earth concentrators/hydrometallurgy plants). Tarik is passionate about delivering projects that make a positive difference for the communities in which we work.
Kelvin Koay is a seasoned energy sector executive with over two decades of international experience spanning Australia, Canada, and the United States. Previously, as Managing Director and VP Growth of TransAlta’s Australian operations, he oversaw a 500MW+ portfolio of grid connected and off-grid generation assets. His leadership transformed the business into a growth-focused organisation, partnering with resources companies to develop, deliver and operate energy assets. His career also includes senior commercial and business development roles in Canada and the US, where he managed commercial activities for multi-gigawatt portfolios and delivered on key strategic opportunities across the business.
Kelvin is proud to be both a Canadian and Australian citizen and is passionate about promoting increased business relationships between the two countries. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Calgary and is a Certified Director with the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Meryeme is a lawyer from Montreal, Québec, with over three years’ experience across private and public sectors in Montreal and Ottawa. She is dually qualified in common law and civil law and is currently completing admission with the WA Legal Practice Board. Her work covers dispute resolution, employment law and public law, with a focus on developing her employment law and litigation practice in Western Australia.
Having volunteered in professional associations throughout her studies and career in Canada, Meryeme is looking forward to contributing to the CACC and supporting initiatives that connect professionals between Canada and Western Australia. Since arriving in Perth just over a year ago, she has been enjoying the local coffee scene and spending time outdoors, trading the ski slopes for beach walks.
Gehann Perera is a Partner at MinterEllison's Perth office. He manages a general real estate and finance practice with a specific focus on structured real estate transactions.
Gehann's clients are primarily developers and funds that undertake large scale residential, commercial and industrial projects, including urban renewal developments. He also acts for owners in relation to the acquisition, development and operation of retail shopping centres. This extends to all aspects of retail leasing. In addition, he has extensive experience acting for financiers and borrowers in real estate and corporate finance transactions. Gehann enjoys working with clients to find innovative methods of procuring and delivering real estate projects.
Ryan Watts is a Senior Manager, Origination with TransAlta, a Canadian headquartered power generation company with a long standing presence in Western Australia. Based in Perth, Ryan focuses on originating and advancing energy and infrastructure opportunities, working closely with TransAlta’s Canadian executive and investment teams on cross border development, capital allocation and transaction execution.
Ryan brings more than 15 years’ experience across energy, infrastructure and resources, spanning commercial origination, project development, legal and governance roles. Prior to TransAlta, he held senior positions with the Australian Gas Infrastructure Group, including Senior Legal Counsel and Company Secretary, supporting major gas, power and transmission assets.
Ryan has held leadership roles within not for profit organisations and values contributing to initiatives that strengthen collaboration and long term economic outcomes. He holds degrees in Engineering and Law from the University of Western Australia and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Katie Winterbourne is a natural resources and environment partner at Australian law firm, Piper Alderman. In the relatively new Piper Alderman Perth office, Katie is growing the environment and project planning practice. She has over 25 years’ legal experience, previously a partner at a global law firm, a senior lawyer at BHP supporting the nickel business, and founder of a boutique law practice focussed on strategic land and environment issues in WA.
Katie first travelled to Canada in her 20s to ski. She quickly returned and completed her Master of Laws at the University of Calgary, writing a thesis on water exports. Katie also worked with the Alberta Environmental Appeals Board on water allocation issues and a legacy contaminated site, the City of Calgary on a water trading project, and met her husband at a Halloween party. With their two children, they regularly return to western Canada to visit family and friends.
Originally hailing from Manitoba and based in Perth since 2011, Marlene is an accomplished resource industry professional with over 15 years’ experience in both management and technical roles. As Global Sales Director of Geoscience at Cyient, she is an active proponent of leveraging technology in new and innovative ways, and in encouraging digital transformation in the resource sector. In other roles, Marlene has led several large projects for a French mining software provider, overseeing all management, technical, and reporting deliverables for major global organizations in the mining and petroleum industries. As an exploration geologist, Marlene was responsible for technical teams and development of drill programs for geological and geostatistical modelling and has worked in geophysical consulting, providing integrated geophysical solutions to the resource industry. With a wealth of international experience in the resource sector across Asia Pacific, Africa, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East, Marlene is excited about fostering Canadian-Australian relations when these countries have so much in common. In her free time Marlene enjoys exploring the fascinating natural landscapes of both Western Australia and Canada.
The CACC has various roles that we are recruiting for the Western Australia Committee including Secretary and Marketing Liaison. If you are seeking to volunteer and are based in WA please submit your expression of interest to [email protected].
If you’re passionate about strengthening Canadian Australian connections and want to contribute your skills to a dynamic, purpose-driven team, the CACC Western Australia Committee would love to hear from you. We’re currently seeking enthusiastic individuals for a range of volunteer roles that are matched to your experience, interests, and availability.
Join us in shaping meaningful impact across trade, investment, and community collaboration!
If you’re based in Western Australia, please submit your Expression of Interest via our Volunteer Form (link below) or email us directly at: [email protected]
