PLN hits the streets of Bangkok (along with the other IAG Global assembly delegates)

It is incumbent on me as Vice-Global Chair of IAG Global to report on the events of the latest IAG

Assembly, this time in Bangkok, Thailand. (To be clear my role as Vice-Chair is not to be confused with ‘’chair of vice’’), a role that would clearly – if at all -lie elsewhere.

This meeting was the first of 2018, and the Asia-Pacific’s turn to play host. The meeting was hosted by our pan-ASEAN friends at DFDL, and what an amazing job they did. Being just up the road from Sydney, PLN was well (some might say ‘’over’’ represented), as the photos with this report attest.

Here is a snapshot of what some of the focus of the business sessions of the assembly:

whilst the continued membership growth was to be commended, there is always ‘room for more’. This is particularly so with the Asia Pacific region, where PLN takes a leading role. Most of our members have been introduced by other members so encouragement to all members to think further on that front remains key to membership growth.

DFDL gave an amazing snapshot of their firm, the extraordinary places they work and of course the key to it all, their incredible people. With such a strong presence across so many developing and emerging economies, it was enlightening to hear of the challenges that investors face. In many ways we, here at PLN, experience most of those same challenges with our clients as we facilitate business interest across the Pacific.

Following on the success of some of the earlier IAG meetings, focus also fell on management issues faced by all IAG member firm leaders. One of the more amazing features of being part of such a diverse group of people at IAG is that (despite that diversity) we share so many of the same issues and problems. It was particularly refreshing to have such a healthy and robust discussion around ‘diversity’ and management issues that flow from it.

The ‘’cross-membership’’ arrangements between IAG And MorisonKSI continue to flourish. We were very pleased to welcome as a delegate Jennifer Leelaviwatana, of Marks Paneth, Morison KSi members in New York. Daden Hunt, former IAG Chairman with continuing responsibility for liaison with Morison KSi, outlined to the Assembly how the relationship between the two groups continues to flourish and develop. We are now beginning practical planning of our third shared meeting, in Dubai in November 2019. This promises to be an amazing event in itself.

Outside of the business sessions, as always at IAG, we were treated to some amazing dining experiences, and one or two interesting bar experiences. Damien Kelly has reported elsewhere on the latter in our heavily digested ‘bar report’ section.

As for the upcoming meetings, these are taking place in –