Colin Heseltine

Senior Advisor of Asialink

Colin Heseltine had a forty-year career with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (1969-2008), which included many postings in the Asian region and senior policy advisory positions in Australia.

He served as Australian ambassador to the Republic of Korea from 2001-2005, deputy head of mission in the Australian Embassy in Beijing from 1982-85 and 1988-1992, and director of Australia’s representative office in Taiwan, the Australian Commerce and Industry Office from 1992-1997. He also had diplomatic appointments in Chile (1970-1973) and Spain (1975-78).

From 1998-2001 he was First Assistant Secretary, North Asia Division, Department of Foreign Affairs in Canberra. In 2006 he was appointed by the Australian Government to head the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat in Singapore during Australia’s host APEC year in 2007.

Since leaving the Australian Government in July 2008, he has provided consultancy services to business and other organizations, and was a board director of Sino Gas and Energy Holdings, an ASX-listed company developing gas assets in Shanxi province China from 2011-2018.