[Michaela Browning, CEO of Asia Pacific, Brunswick Group] So I'm absolutely seized of the opportunity in Southeast Asia and also how important it is for Australia's future.
There's big challenges, but they're also opportunities if you think about the need for decarbonisation across the region, the energy and power needs, which are going to be greater than almost any other region in the world, and the digital transformation which is now being accelerated by AI and what that is doing, including to change the infrastructure needs across the region.
[Mark Burgess, Chair - Investment Committee and Non-Executive Director, Australian Retirement Trust] You've dedicated the time to come up here.
I mean, how did you weigh that up in terms of your personal time to get involved and what sort of message did that send to your team and to other investors?
The fact that someone of your seniority is coming into the region to take a good look?
[Allison Hill, State Chief Investment Officer, QIC] Australia is part of the Southeast Asian region and historically, for a number of reasons, we don't have a lot of exposure to assets in the region and I think that needs to change.
It is a growing region. It's an exciting region.
I think it's something that you can't ignore, but I do think it does take time to get to know the investment opportunities, the risks, the pitfalls, plus all of the upsides that might be there.
You have to travel. You have to get on the ground. You have to spend the time and it is a commitment, but I think it's really important.
Looking forward, I can only see Australian investors having more exposure to this region through time.
[Craig Thorburn, Director - Research and Insights, Future Fund] Come to Southeast Asia. Be here at the ground level and understand the dynamics of the economies and the markets.
[Michaela Browning, CEO of Asia Pacific, Brunswick Group] It's so important to think about local partners, expertise and the sort of support that you can get, including from the government now in thinking afresh about Southeast Asia.