David John Whitehead

Director of Auscham Vietnam and Chairman of the Marvin Group

David first came to Vietnam in 2003 to interview, select and offer students places and scholarships at Australian Universities. In 2004 he moved to live and work in Vietnam, and located in Hanoi.

He has taught English throughout Vietnam at schools and English centres and conducted corporate training and ESP for a variety of enterprises including The Asian Institute of Technology in Vietnam, RMIT University in Hanoi, the General Department of Vietnam Customs and the Vietnam Customs School, Bach Mai Hospital and others.

He was inaugural Deputy Principal and English Master at Newton Grammar School, My Dinh, Ha Noi. He continues to tutor selected Vietnamese students.

He has well developed knowledge and understanding of international logistics and international trade and consequently is a consultant and trainer with the Vietnam Customs School and co-author of the Text book for Customs Officers.

In the corporate world, since 2004, he has been Chairman of the Mavin Group, a large fully integrated farm to table agrifood business headquartered in Hanoi, with feedmills, farms, veterinary medicine and food manufacturing plants throughout Vietnam. Mavin employs 2,500 people throughout the country.

He is a Director of Auscham Vietnam, and Head of the VBF Agribusiness Working Group.

David has experience and expertise in many fields from education to business, management, logistics, agribusiness, marketing, media and tourism.

In Australia, David worked in the Federal Government sector as a Ministerial adviser in Transport and Defence and as a Comcare State Manager until 1994. In the education sector from 1994 to 2004 he was employed as Principal Adviser to the RMIT University Vice-Chancellor, and later as Business Manager at Monash University, then General Manager Corporate Marketing at Box Hill Institute of Technology.

He was Vice-President of Auscham Vietnam for 3 years and is an active member in the international ex pat business community through his involvement with the Vietnam Business Forum and its committees.