My CV
- Contact me via email
- joe@joevlahek.com
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Professional Profile
A multi-faceted, objective driven sustainable livelihood and market development expert with 20 years of international business, project management and academic experience across a variety of industry sectors, cultures and continents; with specific expertise and interest in livelihood market systems development in dynamic and challenging environments both rural and urban.
Career Summary
Submitted PhD Candidate
Faculty of Business and Law, School of Business, Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Topic: Artisans sustainable livelihood and the marketing of Myanmar handicrafts.
Consultant, Livelihood International Expert
United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Vienna and Luxembourg Development (Lux-Dev), Yangon.
Bagan Lacquerware Cluster Marketing Strategy Development and Implementation. Nov-Dec 2014 / Jul-Dec 2015
Development of Human Resources in the Hotel and Tourism Sector: Study of the Human Resource Needs of the Souvenir and Handicrafts Sector MSME’s. MYA/001 Strand 4B. Nov 2015-Mar 2016
Pro-poor development project implementation.
Bagan Lacquerware Cluster Marketing Strategy Development and Implementation. Nov-Dec 2014 / Jul-Dec 2015
Development of Human Resources in the Hotel and Tourism Sector: Study of the Human Resource Needs of the Souvenir and Handicrafts Sector MSME’s. MYA/001 Strand 4B. Nov 2015-Mar 2016
Pro-poor development project implementation.
Global Marketing Strategy Advisor
LC System d.o.o., Ptuj, Slovenia, EU.
Advise the Board of Directors on all corporate, global and country business development strategies, implementation and pending issues.
Design, prepare, analyse and update the Corporate Marketing Plan (2011-2015)
UK and Asia Pacific Representative - fully responsible for the preparation and implementation of regional Marketing Plans (2011-2015).
Advise the Board of Directors on all corporate, global and country business development strategies, implementation and pending issues.
Design, prepare, analyse and update the Corporate Marketing Plan (2011-2015)
UK and Asia Pacific Representative - fully responsible for the preparation and implementation of regional Marketing Plans (2011-2015).
Budget / Administration Associate (G6, T/A)
Budget Section/FOCUS, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Geneva, Switzerland.
Administrative responsibilities for Operational Reserves, the Middle East and North African country operations and administrative budgets and preparation of global reports 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Assisted in coordinating the Budget Committee submissions from various Bureaux, including resource allocation process for emergency situations.
Assisted in implementing global roll out of Results Based Management System, 2008-9.
Administrative responsibilities for Operational Reserves, the Middle East and North African country operations and administrative budgets and preparation of global reports 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Assisted in coordinating the Budget Committee submissions from various Bureaux, including resource allocation process for emergency situations.
Assisted in implementing global roll out of Results Based Management System, 2008-9.
Career Summary cont.
Lecturer in Marketing
La Trobe University, Bendigo, Australia.
Lectured & Coordinated subjects in Intro to Marketing, Marketing Communications and established the International Marketing subject for the School of Business & Technology.
Lectured and Coordinated Off-shore Programs at;
Asia Pacific Management Institute, (Singapore/Hong Kong). Junior and middle level managers as students.
Nilai International College (Malaysia) – Undergraduate
Subject teaching responsibilities included; International Marketing, Selling and Sales Management, Marketing Communications, Consumer Behaviour, Introduction to Marketing and Electronic Marketing. All with outstanding student assessments of teaching and programs.
Lectured & Coordinated subjects in Intro to Marketing, Marketing Communications and established the International Marketing subject for the School of Business & Technology.
Lectured and Coordinated Off-shore Programs at;
Asia Pacific Management Institute, (Singapore/Hong Kong). Junior and middle level managers as students.
Nilai International College (Malaysia) – Undergraduate
Subject teaching responsibilities included; International Marketing, Selling and Sales Management, Marketing Communications, Consumer Behaviour, Introduction to Marketing and Electronic Marketing. All with outstanding student assessments of teaching and programs.
Chief Executive Officer (Co-founder)
Sino Culture Exchange Association Inc. (SCEA Inc.) Ballarat, Australia & Changsha, Hunan Province, P.R. China.
Established a cultural NGO with four departments in Education, Health, Arts and Trade in Australia and China.
Hosted medical delegation exchanges between Australia and China.
Established and conducted the Traditional Chinese Medicine Course (one month introduction course) with the Hunan Traditional Chinese Medicine and Materia Medica Institute.
Built and established our own venue to accommodate and teach 35 students in rural Hunan province.
Coordinated over 40 teacher exchanges.
Conducted 6 artist and exhibition exchanges.
Established Chinese Arts and Culture Course (one month program)
Hosted business trade delegations in China and Australia.
Established a cultural NGO with four departments in Education, Health, Arts and Trade in Australia and China.
Hosted medical delegation exchanges between Australia and China.
Established and conducted the Traditional Chinese Medicine Course (one month introduction course) with the Hunan Traditional Chinese Medicine and Materia Medica Institute.
Built and established our own venue to accommodate and teach 35 students in rural Hunan province.
Coordinated over 40 teacher exchanges.
Conducted 6 artist and exhibition exchanges.
Established Chinese Arts and Culture Course (one month program)
Hosted business trade delegations in China and Australia.
Director
(Self Employed), Asia Down Under Pty Ltd & Mao’s Motorcycles Pty Ltd.
Established a small but profitable operations buying, importing and retailing Asian handcrafted goods and motorcycles.
Employed 7 full-time staff in Australia and China.
Established a small but profitable operations buying, importing and retailing Asian handcrafted goods and motorcycles.
Employed 7 full-time staff in Australia and China.
Lecturer in Marketing
University of Ballarat, Australia.
Lectured and coordinated subjects in;
Marketing Research
Consumer Behaviour
Lectured and coordinated subjects in;
Marketing Research
Consumer Behaviour
Instructor of International Trade
Outer Eastern Institute of TAFE, Melbourne, Australia.
Established, lectured and coordinated subjects in;
International Trade: Electronic Data and Documentation
International Trade: Customs, Controls and Functions
Established, lectured and coordinated subjects in;
International Trade: Electronic Data and Documentation
International Trade: Customs, Controls and Functions
Lecturer in Marketing and Trade
South Central University, Hunan Province, P.R. China.
Established subjects at the Foreign Languages & Trade College;
Introduction to Marketing
Basic Economics
Introduction to Marketing
Basic Economics
Marketing Coordinator
Chessel Springs Pty Ltd, Newstead. Brisbane. Australia.
Increased annual sales by 17% through database mining of past clients.
Increased annual sales by 17% through database mining of past clients.
Manager
Itech Promotions, Ballarat. Victoria. Australia.
Increased loyal client base from 7 to 48 small to medium clients and grew the business from 3 to 9 staff.
Increased loyal client base from 7 to 48 small to medium clients and grew the business from 3 to 9 staff.
Education
PhD, Artisan sustainable livelihoods and the marketing of Myanmar handicrafts, Deakin University, Australia. Submitted October 2018.
Master of Business (Research), Regional Tourism Development Case Studies in China. La Trobe University, Australia.
Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing & Management Information Systems - double major), Deakin University, Australia.
Higher School Certificate, Ballarat High School, Australia.
Languages
Native Language: English
Mother Tongue: Croatian
Basic Level: Mandarin (Chinese)
Learning: French
Key Professional Areas of Expertise
Marketing
- Market Systems Development
- Industry Value Chain Analysis
- Lectured and coordinated in every core Marketing subject at University level
- Marketing Strategy Design and Implementation
- Corporate, National, International and Global Market Planning
- Selling and Sales Management Training – coordinate and instruct.
- Marketing Communications and Public Relations
- Marketing Mix Management
- Marketing Information Systems
- Marketing Research - Design, Data Collection and Analysis
- Consumer Behaviour Analysis (Consumer Profiling)
International Trade (Australia – China – Europe)
- Import and Export - Procurement, Law, Documentation and Procedures
- Lecturing in International Trade; Customs, Controls and Functions &Data and Documentation International,
- Academic, practical knowledge and experience spans a wide range of industries, products and services.
Tourism
- Masters by Research: “Regional Tourism Development in China”
- Destination Tourism Marketing & Promotion
- Assisted in development of a small rural tourism destination in China.
- Lectured in Tourism Marketing at La Trobe University, Australia.
- Tourism Human Resource Development
Management and Administration
- Project Development and Management (Asia/ Pacific, Africa, Europe). Ground level entry.
- Systems Design and Implementation
- Systems Design and Policy Formulation, Implementation and ControlImplementation
- Negotiating, Contracting and Liaising with Government (Provincial / State) and stakeholders.
- Global Budgeting
- Financial Control
- Human Resources and Management of Staff.
Key Professional Areas of Expertise (Cont’d)
Computer Literacy
- Bachelor of Commerce major in Management Information Systems (Deakin Uni)
- Advanced Microsoft Office – Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Publisher
- Oracle-based financial management software
- Results Based Management software
- Lectured ‘Electronic Marketing’ at tertiary level.
- EEBooks - Electronic Export Documentation (Australia)
- SPSS - Statistical Package for Social Sciences
- SPSS - StatisNvivo Pro 11- Qualitative Analysis Softwaretical Package for Social Sciences
Presentations
- Special events, EXPO’s, Trade Fairs, Public Speaking.
- Guest lecturing appearances at Hunan University, University of International Business and Economics, Hunan Agriculture University, South Central Technical University, Beijing Inti Management College, North Virginia Community College, Budapest College of Communication and Business and the Budapest International Business School.
Industry Sector Experience
- Education, Culture & Arts, Health, Trade, Travel & Tourism, Metals, Agriculture, Retail and Service and United Nations humanitarian and development agency experience.
Additional Information
- Date of Birth: 18 March 1970
- Married. Two children
- Swiss Carte de Legitimation
- Australian Passport
- Croatian Passport
- Australian & French Drivers Licence