Meet our Leaders
As AIB Oceania’s main governing body, our leadership team is responsible for member outreach, facilitating professional development opportunities and engagement with diverse stakeholders, and organizing our annual Chapter Conference.
Below, you’ll find background details on each of our team members, our roles and responsibilities, and contact information to help you connect with us online.
Maureen Benson-Rea
President & Chair
President & Chair
Maureen Benson-Rea
Elected President of AIB Oceania Chapter in November 2020, Dr Maureen Benson-Rea is an Associate Professor in the Department of Management and International Business at the University of Auckland Business School, where she is currently also Associate Dean Postgraduate Research. With a BA (Hons) in European Studies, an MBA and a PhD in Marketing and International Business, Maureen held academic positions in the UK as well as several international policy roles with a major UK business organisation, the Confederation of British industry. There she advised companies, developed policy and represented the views of British business, with focus on the EU, in Whitehall, Westminster, and Brussels.
Maureen was the founding co-director of the University of Auckland’s Europe Institute and represents the Institute on the New Zealand Europe Business Council. A company director and board chair, Maureen specialises in international business and strategy, with a particular focus on the European region. She has supervised over 100 postgraduate students and her research has appeared in International Business Review, Management International Review, European Management Journal, Industrial Marketing Management, Marketing Theory, Public Administration, Journal of Business Research, and Multinational Business Review among others.
Sara McGaughey
Immediate-Past President & Chair, 2022 Research Symposium & PDW
Immediate-Past President and Chair
The Immediate-Past Chapter Chair assists the current Chapter Chair in the execution of their duties, at their request.
Sara Lisa McGaughey
Sara McGaughey is Professor at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia, and holds a Ph.D. awarded by the University of Queensland, and an MBA(International Business) and B.A.(Japanese) from Monash University, Australia. Sara’s research in international business is at the intersection of strategy, organisation and entrepreneurship, and appears in journals such as Academy of Management Review, Journal of International Business Studies, Business History, Journal of Management Studies, Journal of International Management, Journal of World Business and Management International Review, and in research monographs on corporate entrepreneurship and small firm internationalisation.
A passionate educator and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK (SFHEA), Sara is committed to research-led engaged pedagogies that help equip students and practitioners with the skills to question, critique and generate new knowledge such that they may not only respond and adapt, but also anticipate and shape the world in which they live and work. Sara served as President and Chair of the Academy of International Business–Oceania Chapter (2018-2020), and serves on the editorial boards of Journal of World Business and Management International Review.
Omid Aliasghar
VP, Business Engagement
VP, Business Engagement
The Vice President, Business Engagement is responsible for regular liaison with existing stakeholders and building new collaborations.
Omid Aliasghar
Dr Omid Aliasghar is a lecturer at Auckland University of Technology. His research focuses on how firms generate and exploit novel ideas in order to gain and sustain their competitive positions in international markets. Specifically, his research is about (a) how and where firms, especially SMEs, search for knowledge to develop their capabilities and innovation-related activities; (b) How can firms develop their competitive positions in international markets? (c) What happens to novel ideas once they come into the firm? (d) What determines the success or failure of the firm in technology commercialization?
His research has been published in journals such as Industrial Marketing Management Journal (ABDC A*) and Journal of Small Business Management (ABDC A).
Omid is one of the youngest members of the “Building New Zealand’s Innovation Capacity” research team, part of the National Science Challenge (Science for Technological Innovation). This project has been funded for $72m for five years. He has been also appointed to the editorial review board of the Review of International Business and Strategy journal.
Virginia Cathro
VP, Secretary – Treasurer
VP, Secretary - Treasurer
The Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer helps to record and communicate chapter business, as well as overseeing the group’s financial activities.
Virginia Cathro
Virginia Cathro is currently a researcher and educator in the Department of Management at the University of Otago and the International Business Director Undergraduate. She describes herself as a teacher, coach, facilitator, researcher and project enthusiast. Her research work has appeared in several peer reviewed scientific publications.
She has published in academic journals in the areas of intercultural negotiation, developing global virtual team competences, mediation and conflict resolution, critical reflection and experiential learning, the future of work using Delphi method and scenario planning, graduate competencies and selection practices, e-mentoring and expatriate performance management. Her current research focus examines global virtual team performance, internationalisation and foreign direct investment and indigenous research practices encompassing the business challenges faced and embraced by New Zealand Maori
Anna Earl
VP, Membership & Outreach
VP, Membership & Outreach
Anna Earl
Dr Anna Earl has earned her PhD from The University of Auckland Business School, in International Business and is now a Lecturer in Management at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Her main research interests include: the relationship between government and multinational enterprises in Russia and other emerging economies, internationalization processes of multinational enterprises from emerging economies and application of institutional theory to various disciplines. She is also interested in methodological issues related to conducting research in emerging economies, as well as under adverse conditions. Her recent research interest is in societies in smart cities. She serves on editorial boards for Journal of International Management and Review of International Business and Strategy.
Jane Kerr
Executive Board Member
vp
Jane Kerr
Jane Kerr (PhD Candidate) is an Associate Lecturer in International Business at the University of Sydney Business School, Australia. She has been researching and teaching in the area of International Business and International Management for over a decade with her expertise in China, business in Asia, diversity management focusing on generations within the workplace, organisational career management and cross cultural differences within business. She previously was the Research Manager for the University of Melbourne’s Asialink Business and Unit Leader for Management at Monash University’s Monash College. Her experience is a unique collection consisting of partnering with industry, government and NGOs including AusTrade, PwC, Allianz and the Diversity Council of Australia. Jane has presented her work at leading global conferences such as the Academy of Management and European Academy of Management while receiving peer recognition as an Australian China Youth Dialogue Delegate (2015) and a Young Australians In International Affairs – China Fellow (2016).
Lili Mi
Executive Board Member
Executive Board Member
The Executive Board – or leadership team – of AIB Oceania is a collegial endeavour and responsible for setting the overall direction of our regional chapter of AIB and developing specific policies and actions to achieve that vision.
Lili
Dr. Lili Mi is a lecturer in the Department of Business Strategy and Innovation and a member of Griffith Asia Institute. Lili holds a Ph.D. in Strategic Management and International Business and a Master of Management (Distinction First Class) from the School of Management, Massey University, New Zealand.
Her vision is to help businesses adapt to changes and sustain competitiveness in the increasingly disconnected and disruptive world. She achieves this vision by looking at digital transformation, business model innovation and making strategic changes within organisations.
Her main research topics include strategy, innovation, and the impact of the external environment on firms’ competitiveness in emerging and advanced markets. Skilled in data analytics, research design and quantitative research methods, her research is rigorously designed and data-driven. Lili uses statistical analyses such as fuzzy-set QCA, and structural equation modelling to analyse panel data, survey data or qualitative data. She published her work in top-tier journals and presented her research at leading international conferences. She currently leads three research projects investigating strategic responses to Covid-19 for international firms located in Australia, US and China. These projects are on the topics of digital transformation, innovation, and the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in business strategies.
Lili is an award-winning educator who teaches undergraduate and postgraduate level courses on Making Strategic Changes and Global Business Strategy. She has received several national and international awards/fellowship including:
Fellow of Higher Education Academy, UK (2020)
Open University Australia Teaching Commendations (2020)
Open University Australia Teaching Commendations (2021)
Griffith Business School Teaching Excellence Recognition Scheme (2022)
Griffith University Group Citation Award for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2022)
Paul Khong
VP, Communications
VP Communications
The Vice President Communications is responsible for the development, integration, and implementation of the Chapter’s communication strategy and contributes to its organizational strategic planning process. Further, the VP Communications is responsible for the Chapter’s varied and integrated communications products and services including the website, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Paul Khong
Paul has experience in corporate governance, strategic direction & corporate planning. His core strengths are investor relations, capital raising, and opening new markets in China, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia. He had headed a boutique investment company in San Francisco and later relocated to New York as a boutique investment firm’s Vice President of Marketing. After more than 20 years in the corporate investment sector, Paul decided to share his international experience with others through teaching in higher education. Paul is an Associate Dean and Program Coordinator (International Business) at the Australian Institute of Business Intelligence (AIBI) in Sydney. Paul oversees the ongoing development of the IB discipline and contributes to the wider strategic direction of the Institute. Paul has significant academic experience and has an inspiring, energetic, inclusive, and highly effective management style. He has experience in curriculum development, academic quality assurance, TEQSA compliance, and blended learning. Paul is a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney. His current research focuses on the impact of digital technology adoption and the internationalization of multinational enterprises in emerging markets.
Maria Ilieva
Executive Board Member
Executive Board Member
Maria Ilieva
Maria V. ILIEVA is a Lecturer in International Business at LUBS, The University of Leeds. She jointed the International Business department on 1st September.
Maria worked as a Specially appointed lecturer at Osaka City (now Metropolitan) University, Japan and as a part time Lecturer at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Japan until the end of August 2022.
She holds several external engagement roles. Maria is a Communications officer at AIB Sustainability SIG, where she is responsible for the website and the LinkedIn page. She gathered 300 followers for a month thanks to her network in academia. She is going to be one of the four organisers of the first Sustainability SIG’s conference in March 2023.
She was nominated and chosen as an Executive Board ordinary member of the AIB Oceania Chapter, where she serves as a liaison for the other AIB Chapters and SIGs as a recognition for how active she already is in these domains.
Maria is a Social media editor at Critical Perspectives on International Business (CPoIB) journal where she is responsible for the LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter pages. She is also a Guest editor of a Special issue at AD-Minister journal. Maria was nominated for an external examiner at Manchester Metropolitan University for 2022/23.
Maria presented her research at international conferences, PDWs, Doctoral consortiums, and Early career development workshops at AIB, AIB Oceania Chapter, AIB LAC Chapter, AJBS, ICGS, EGOS, SASE, IFSAM, AAOS, JABA among others. She has been a reviewer at the same international conferences, and at CPoIB, Management decision, and AD-Minister journals.
Maria won a Best reviewer award at AIB 2020 conference. She is a track chair at AIB Oceania 2022 “Ethical Leadership, Corporate Social Responsibility and Humanitarian Perspectives” track and served as a session chair at AIB 2019, AIB LAC 2021, ICGS 2020 conferences.
She presented her course for teaching sustainability at a webinar in April 2021 organized jointly by GSU CIBER and AIB Teaching & Education SIG, and a panel at AIB 2021 organized by AIB Teaching & Education SIG and AIB Sustainability SIG. She was a guest lecturer at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP), Peru in August 2022 with the same course and accepted an invitation for a guest lecture at The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica, which is going to be held in October 2022. This teaching course is also published as a book chapter at a Handbook Shaping a sustainable future: Innovative teaching practices for educating responsible leaders, Nomos (forthcoming). She was a panelist at AIB 2022 and a webinar speaker at the International Meeting of Management 2020.
Maria holds a PhD in Business Administration from Osaka City University, Japan and received the 8th Okamura Award 2021 for Female researcher from the same university. Her research and teaching interests are in sustainability and CSR in the interconnection between international business and corporate governance. Before joining academia Maria Ilieva worked as a trainer in an insurance company and was a project manager for sales animation and e-learning projects for nearly 700 bank employees in 150 offices in Bulgaria.