The International Business Association of Phuket
Board of Directors

Having started in India, researching the industry and getting a foothold exporting outdoor furniture to the United Kingdom, he then moved to Bangkok in 1999 and joined a large manufacturing company, Maxialto Furniture Industries. Setting up and managing factories in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Ratchaburi, Rayong and the surrounding provinces of Bangkok.

In 2005, with the dominance of the Thai furniture industry waning in the face of serious competition from China and Vietnam, James had to make a decision as to whether continue to expand in China and shut down operations in Thailand, meaning relocating to China, or refocus his furniture manufacturing and marketing skills on the local market.

In agreement with his wife that moving their 2 young children, both born in Thailand, to mainland China would not be in their best interests, they decided to stay and look at opportunities locally.

James now puts his vast manufacturing and marketing skills to good use in the booming property development market in Thailand.

Holding a degree in mass communication from Ramkhanhaeng University in Bangkok Rin's first employment was with the Amari Atrium hotel in Bangkok working with guest realation services as a staff coordinator in foreign languages for VIP guests.

In 2005 Rin relocated to Phuket where she joined the staff of Phuket Directory and soon became their general manager and at the same started her involvement with IBAP.

Rin has served as IBAP's monthly meeting venue coordiator through 4 locations and also for 3 Business Fairs held at Central Festival and Jungceylon. During our business fairs Rin coordinated much of the logistics, entertainment and pretty girl staffing. Additionally Rin was instrumental in developing a program introducing local university students to IBAP,

As vice president Rin is responsible for arranging the programs at our monthly meetings and has opened avenues of communication between IBAP and the governor's office, the Phuket Labor Department, and other government offices.

Having spent many years living and working outside the USA, primarily in the Soviet Union, Denny decided to relocate to Phuket in 1996. With local Internet deveopment still in the near future Denny saw the eventual need for an online directory system and developed Phuket Directory, one of the first Internet enterprises in Phuket.

Denny is a charter member of IBAP and became involved with the board at the first meeting. Working together with a small group of dedicated members Denny has continuously contributed to the development of IBAP. Some of his contributions include structuring our constitution, building our boards of directors, developing and chairing our Business Fairs, initiating our university student program, and developing this IBAP website, our database and email announcements. As a board member Denny has served four years as secretary, eight years as IT chair and is now in his 4th year as our treasurer.

Outside Phuket Directory and IBAP Denny is a US Embassy Warden here in Phuket, member of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce and the charter secretary of the Lions Club of Patong Beach. And for fun he studies mushrooms, having one of the largest libraries on fungi in Thailand, saying that one of the great thing about being here is that instead of having to go out looking for fungus, in Thailand it comes looking for you.

(Note: Jean is serving the second year of the term of Secretary to replace James Firth who is serving as president.)

Jean owns a speciality bakery in Los Angeles CA, USA and is now living full time in Thailand. Jean's background includes growing up in the restaurant business where his family had a popular Italian restaurant frequented by Hollywood actors and actresses as well as prominent politicians.

Jean is married and experienced the birth of his first child in November 2008. If you ask Jean what he does he smiles and says "I'm raising my daughter".

Jean is active in Lions International and will be the president of the Lions Club of Patong beach starting in July 2009.

If you come to the IBAP monthly meetings you'll certainly meet Jean. He runs the check in table, as efficiently as if he were back in his Malibu restaurant. Jean served one year as IBAP trustee and agreed to serve out the remaining year for James Firth who is now our president

Valentine arrived in Phuket June 1989 for a two week holiday & never left. Prior to arriving in Phuket, & up until 2003, Val worked as a consultant engineer, on a monthly rotation basis, involved in exploration & development in the oil & gas industry. Having to work in many countries ranging from Egypt to Mongolia, Phuket was a natural base.

In 1997 Valiant Pools was set up to introduce new technology to the local market & with a view to eventually getting out of the oilfield. Val joined IBAP at their inaugural meeting & sat on one their early committees. Since then he has continued to be an active member and leader, serving on the board for the past six years and currently involved as coordinator of the IBAP exhibition committee. At most of our meetings Val participates as a greeter welcoming and introducing members and guests to each other.

Val has two children, twin girls, who both attend Stree Phuket school.

Nigel Burt relocated to Thailand from the UK in 2003 joining IBAP at that time. In the UK he spent 18 years in the fitted furniture business working for various companies, eventually running his own, supplying national builders. The 12 years prior to moving to Thailand he was involved in corporate entertainment and training throughout the UK and Europe.

Nigel is currently his working for Phuket Andaman Real Estate in Phuket, developing marketing programs and PR. Taking that role into IBAP, he has recently been appointed chairman of the IBAP PR committee, and he is currently working on several projects, including the creation of a newsletter/paper for the association. At many of our monthly meetings Nigel takes a leading role in mixing the audience together using a number of his team building networking techniques.

Nigel and his wife have a three year old daughter Lotte, who is a great help as his secretary.

Adrian's career began working in various five star hotels throughout the UK, followed by three years in tourism in Central and East Africa. After moving back to the UK Adrian had various appointments managing bars and restaurants before moving into consultancy and training for the Maltese Tourism Authority. Following this Adrian started his own management training and consulting company and, although he was based in the UK, his work encompassed projects in UAE, Sweden, Australia, Cyprus and Hong Kong for some of the world's finest hospitality operators.

Adrian has worked as a resort marketing and group operations manager in Phuket for the last four years, and now runs his own hospitality consulting and training company based in Phuket.

This is the second time that Adrian has served as a trustee for IBAP. Several years ago Adrian helped formulate some of the original IBAP mission statements and core objectives and he continues to help IBAP structure our directon, goals and methods.

Gary lived in Hampshire England before moving to London where he met his wife in 1989. Gary worked as a plumbing and heating engineer and in 1994 moved to The Algarve Portugal where he got involved with swimming pools, and not just any swimming pools but ones that use pebbles imported from New Zealand. Gary and his family moved to Phuket in 2006 to start a new pool company dealing with pebbletec and pebblesheen products from New Zealand. In 2006 Natural Rock Pools Co Ltd began providing services throughout Thailand and they are now looking at expanding into Vietnam.

Gary owns the infamous Malibu Bar in Soi Bangla, Soi Eric with his Swedish partner Henrik. Gary's wife and two children have left Phuket for the time being and his 17-yea-old son is half way through a sports diploma and his 14-year-old daughter is in her last year at school.

IBAP Committees