In 1981, the Australian Government and the (then) Australian Confederation of Trade and Industry, were keen to find a way to ensure that the business skills and experience of newly-retired Australian executives were not wasted. Inspired by the success of a model created in the USA, a similar scheme was soon developed here. Small and medium-sized businesses in our closest developing countries became our clients and retired Australian executives agreed to visit these countries and provide practical business advice and guidance. This cost-effective form of skills transfer became known as the Australian Executive Service Overseas Program (AESOP).

Before long it was clear that, particularly in the Pacific, there was also a great need for trade skills. Soon newly-retired tradespeople were also donating their time and years of experience in many different trades. AESOP subsequently changed its name to Australian Expert Service Overseas Program.

Later the name of the company became simply AESOP Business Volunteers. In May 2003 the name changed again to Australian Business Volunteers, or ABV, to reflect our focus on assisting the growth of the private sector.