Three more speakers confirmed for this month’s big TOPEX (Top Executive) conference.

With the theme ‘Responsible Businesses in a Green Economy’, TOPEX is organised by the Fiji Commerce & Employers Federation.

The conference would provide the opportunity to network with other executives and listen to powerful professionals both local and international.

The conference will be held at Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort and Spa from June 23 to 24.

Feedback:  selita.bolanavanua@fijisun.com.fj

JOHN CHELLIAH                                                                                                   

 He will represent his University in a panel discussion. 

John Chelliah is currently Professor in Management at the College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism, Fiji National University in Fiji (FNU).

He is also currently the Acting Dean of the College of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry at FNU.

Additionally, Professor Chellia is an active researcher in the discipline of management.

He has a wealth of work experience in the areas of human resource management, management consulting, finance and tax consulting.

He has worked in Asia, Europe, USA, New Zealand and Australia. John has served in senior managerial positions such as Human Resources and Employment Relations Manager for large organisations in Australia and New Zealand in the past.

LEAUPEPE TA’ALA RALPH ELIKA                                     

TOPIC: BUILDING PACIFIC TALENT 

Leaupepe is of Samoan descent and graduated from the University of Auckland with degrees in Law and Arts.

He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce and has been selected to be part of various leadership summits such as the inaugural Emerging Leaders Dialogue Asia (ELDA) 2016 which was held in Malaysia and India.

He is passionate about Pacific advancement and while working for the University of Auckland School of Business he founded the Commerce Association Pacific & Maori (CAPM). CAPM is an organisation designed to facilitate the professional development of Maori and Pacific business students to transition them effectively into the corporate and private sectors.

He chairs and sits on various boards that engage directly with the community as well as private sector organisations including the Auckland City Council Pacific Peoples Panel and the Tuputoa Trust.

Mr Elika is currently in senior management with the Pacific Cooperation Foundation an organisation mandated by the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to design and implement economic development programmes in the Pacific region. He is heavily involved with his church and is happily married with four young children.

PROFESSOR RICHARD K. COLL.
He will represent his University in a panel discussion. 

Professor Richard Coll went to the University of Canterbury where he completed a BSc in Chemistry.

His first academic appointment was as a Chemistry Lecturer at USP where he worked from 1990-1995.  Upon completion of his contract at USP, Mr Coll returned to New Zealand where he took up an appointment at the University of Waikato.

He led the development of an innovative degree where students studying for a science major spend considerable amounts of time working in industry related to their majors.

Mr Coll rose rapidly through the ranks at Waikato, and as well as being promoted to full Professor, he was appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for teaching and learning.

He served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Fiji in 2014, before taking up the post of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Learning Teaching & Student Services) at USP in January 2015.