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Robert Grieves
Chairman of The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong; Founder, Chairman & CEO at Hamilton Advisors LimitedRobert T. Grieves is Founder and Chairman of Hamilton Advisors Limited, a strategic communications firm established in Hong Kong in 2009. Following a career in journalism for The Times (London) and The Economist, both in Beijing, and Time magazine and Forbes, in New York, Robert served in top-tier regional and global communications roles. His communications career includes senior positions at Burson-Marsteller, Head of Marketing and Communications for Merrill Lynch Asia Pacific, Global Head of Communications for The Bank of New York and President, Hong Kong, for Edelman.
Robert is Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and a former Chairman (2015-2017) of the Council of Public Relations Firms of Hong Kong. He has lectured at Tsinghua University in Beijing, at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., and in Nanjing as a speaker at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council conference on Chinese brands.
Robert graduated from Hamilton College magna cum laude with a B.A. in British literature and East Asian history, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received his M.S. in journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and a concurrent certificate from Columbia’s East Asian Institute.
Kurt Tong
Consul General at American Consulate General Hong Kong and MacauKurt W. Tong assumed his duties as Consul General representing the United States to Hong Kong and Macau on August 27, 2016. As Chief of Mission, Mr. Tong leads a large interagency team that cooperates with the governments of Hong Kong and Macau in a variety of areas. Those areas include expansion of trade and bilateral investment; combatting transnational crime; protection of the environment; and educational and cultural exchanges. The Consulate General also supports U.S. resident citizens and visitors to Hong Kong and provides visa services to facilitate tourist and business travel to the United States.
Prior to his service in Hong Kong, Consul General Tong was the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs at the Department of State, the most senior career diplomat handling economic affairs for the State Department. Before that, Mr. Tong served as the Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Japan. Earlier, he was the U.S. Ambassador for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), managing all aspects of U.S. participation in APEC, while concurrently serving as Economic Coordinator for the Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
Mr. Tong has been a diplomat for the State Department since 1990, including service as Director for Asian Affairs at the National Security Council from 2006 to 2008 and as Economic Minister-Counselor in Seoul from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he served as Counselor for Environment, Science and Health at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, Deputy Treasury Attaché in Tokyo, and economic officer in Manila. Consul General Tong was a Visiting Scholar at the Tokyo University Faculty of Economics from 1995 to 1996. Before joining the Foreign Service, he was an Associate with the Boston Consulting Group in Tokyo.
Consul General Tong holds a B.A. from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, and studied economics at the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. He has also studied at the Beijing Institute of Education, Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies in Taipei, Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies in Tokyo, and International Christian University in Tokyo.
Consul General Tong speaks and reads Mandarin Chinese and Japanese. He was born in Ohio and raised in Massachusetts, and enjoys tennis, soccer and other sports. He is married to Dr. Mika Marumoto. They have three grown children.
Pascale Fung
Professor, ECE, CSE; Director, Center for AI Research (CAiRE) of Hong Kong University of Science & TechnologyDr. Pascale Fung is the Director of the multidisciplinary Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAiRE) at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She is a Professor of Electronic & Computer Engineering, and Computer Science & Engineering. She is an elected Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and an elected Fellow of the International Speech Communication Association. She is an early pioneer of using statistical modeling and machine learning for natural language processing, an important area in AI. She co-founded the Human Language Technology Center (HLTC). She is an affiliated faculty with the Robotics Institute and the Big Data Institute at HKUST. She is the founding chair of the Women Faculty Association at HKUST. She is an expert on the Global Future Council, a think tank for the World Economic Forum. She represents HKUST on Partnership on AI to Benefit People and Society and is on the Advisory Board of Building Agile Governance for AI & Robotics (BGI4AI). She has been invited as an AI expert to different government initiatives in China, Japan, the UAE, India, the European Union and the United Nations. She received the 2017 Outstanding Woman Professional award from the Chief Executive of Hong Kong.
Prof. Fung has also co-founded a number of multinational companies focused on speech and natural language processing, recommendation systems and empathetic human-machine interactions for internet users and corporate customers. She currently is a scientific advisor or Chief Scientist to a number of AI companies in Hong Kong and China.
Dr. Fung obtained her PhD in Computer Science from Columbia University and speaks seven Asian and European languages.
Edward Tse
Founder and CEO of Gao Feng Advisory CompanyDr. Edward Tse is founder and CEO, Gao Feng Advisory Company, formerly Chairman of Greater China for Booz & Company and Managing Partner, China for The Boston Consulting Group. With over 20 years of experience in management consulting and senior line management, he is widely known as “China’s leading global business strategist.” Dr. Tse has extensive experience in the definition and implementation of strategy, organizations and corporate transformation. He has assisted hundreds of corporations – both headquartered in China and outside of China – and public sector organizations on all critical strategy and business issues related to China and China’s role in the world. His experience covers a broad range of industries and was/is on the board of three major Chinese state-owned enterprises. He has also consulted to the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank as well as the Chinese government on policies, state-owned enterprise reform and competitiveness. Dr. Tse has published over 200 articles and four books including the award-winning The China Strategy (2010) and China’s Disruptors (2015) . He received an SB and SM in Civil Engineering from MIT and a PhD and an MBA from University of California, Berkeley.
Janet De Silva
President & Chief Executive at Toronto Region Board of TradeJan De Silva is an experienced international business executive with a track record of excelling in on-the-ground leadership roles.
As President & CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade, Jan is spearheading efforts to make Toronto one of the most competitive and sought-after business regions in the world.
Prior to joining the Board, Jan spent 14 years in leadership roles in Asia. She served as CEO of Sun Life Financial’s Hong Kong subsidiary and Mainland China joint venture. She co-founded and was CEO of Retail China Limited, which was acquired in 2010. She later served as Dean of Ivey Asia, leading the Hong Kong campus and Asia operations of Ivey Business School of Western University.
Highly respected for her business advocacy and government engagement efforts, Jan has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, a Woman of our Time by Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post and made the Canadian Board Diversity Council’s inaugural Diversity 50 list. She currently sits on the boards of Intact Financial Corporation, Blue Umbrella Limited and the Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance.
Tim Stratford
Chairman at The American Chamber of Commerce in China; Managing Partner at Covington & Burling LLP (Beijing)Tim Stratford is managing partner in Covington & Burling LLP’s Beijing office and a member of the International Trade, Corporate and Public Policy Practice Groups. Mr. Stratford’s practice is focused on advising international clients doing business in China and assisting Chinese companies seeking to expand their businesses globally. As a former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, Mr. Stratford is the most senior former U.S. trade official working as a member of the U.S. business community in China. Except for the five years he spent in Washington, D.C. in government service (2005-2010), Mr. Stratford has lived and worked continuously in the greater China region since 1982.
While at USTR, Mr. Stratford was responsible for developing and implementing U.S. trade policy toward mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and Mongolia. He worked closely with other senior U.S. and Chinese officials from numerous government departments and agencies to address problems encountered by companies engaged in bilateral trade and investment and co-chaired a number of important bilateral working groups and dialogues established under the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade and the U.S.-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue.
Prior to serving at USTR, Mr. Stratford was General Counsel for General Motors’ China operations, where he was a member of GM’s senior management team in China and oversaw the company’s legal and trade policy work. Mr. Stratford also served previously as Minister-Counselor for Commercial Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and as Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Brigham Young University, and is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese.
James McGregor
Chairman, Greater China at APCO WorldwideJames McGregor is chairman of APCO Worldwide’s greater China region and author of two highly regarded books: No Ancient Wisdom, No Followers: The Challenges of Chinese Authoritarian Capitalism, and One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China. He also wrote the noted APCO monograph China’s Drive for Indigenous Innovation—A Web of Industrial Policies. He was a veteran reporter for The Wall Street Journal, and also Chief Executive of Dow Jones & Company in China. Prior to joining APCO, he was founder and CEO of a China-focused consulting and research firm for hedge funds. McGregor is a professional speaker, regular television and radio commentator and a contributor of essays and opinion articles for a variety of publications. He has lived in China for nearly three decades. McGregor is a former Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China and has long served as a leader of AmCham’s US government relations activities. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the International Council of Asia Society and a board member of the US-China Education Trust. He splits his time between Shanghai and Beijing.
Gary Liu
Chief Executive Officer at South China Morning PostGary Liu is CEO of the South China Morning Post, a leading news media company that has reported on China and Asia for more than a century with global impact. Founded in 1903, the SCMP is headquartered in Hong Kong, where it is the city’s newspaper of record. Along with its flagship news products, the SCMP is also Asia’s leading magazine publisher with a portfolio of premium lifestyle and fashion titles including Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Esquire, and Harper’s BAZAAR, and is home to cpjobs.com, a big data-powered recruitment platform.
Prior to joining the SCMP in January 2017, Gary was CEO of Digg, spearheading the New York startup’s transformation from aggregator to a data-driven news platform. Previously, Gary was Head of Spotify Labs, where he led emerging technologies and business strategies for Spotify’s global markets, after joining as Global Director of Ad Product Strategy. Gary has also worked at AOL and Google.
Born in the United States, Gary grew up in Taiwan and New Zealand, before returning to the American Northeast where he lived and worked for 20 years. He currently lives in Hong Kong with his wife Katrina, a pediatric dentist. Gary is an Economics graduate from Harvard University.
Lennard Yong
Group Chief Executive Officer at Tricor GroupLennard Yong joined Tricor Group in January 2018 as the Group CEO and Managing Director. In this role, he is responsible for the Group’s strategy and commercial operations of Tricor that spans across 20 markets with more than 2,000 employees mainly in Asia Pacific, London and the offshore centres.
Prior to Tricor, his international experience spanned across financial services in Insurance, Asset Management and Banking having worked and lived in Australia, Asia and Europe for global financial services companies – ING Group, MetLife and FTLife. He has held CEO roles in these financial services companies and in his corporate experience managed: turnaround situations, setting up a joint-venture, mergers and acquisition, and divestment of a USD 2bn company.
Lennard is an active contributor to the Hong Kong financial services industry. He was an advisor between 2014 – 2018 to the HK government’s Insurance Advisory Committee, the former Chairman of the HK Federation of Insurers – Life Insurance Council and a current member of the Board of Governors of the American Chamber of Commerce (HK).
His professional accreditations include memberships at the Institute of Chartered Accountants (Australia) and Fellow CPA (Australia). He attended a Harvard Business School corporate program in 2015, IMD (Lausanne) corporate program in 2007. He has a Master of Commerce and a Bachelor of Business degree from two universities in Australia.
Ralph Jansen
Chief Operations Officer at Clover Group International LtdRalph Jansen is Chief Operations Officer of the Clover Group International Ltd. and a member of the companies executive Team. He joined the Group in September 2017 as Chief Strategy Officer, bringing more than 25 years of Intimate Apparel leadership, Retail expertise and Board-Member experience to his role with the company.
Ralph Jansen manages corporate direction and strategy at the Clover Group, facilitating company activity in Operations, Customer development, Innovation and new Business ventures.
A global executive, from Germany, who has been working and living in Hong Kong and holding multiple executive positions since 1999.
Triumph International Ltd. as its Executive Director across Asia and the Americas – 2008
Lbrands Inc., Senior VP International, global retail expansion Victoria’s Secret & La Senza – 2012
MAS Holdings Ltd., CEO ( Business Unit) & Member of the companies Board of Directors – 2017
before he joined Clover in his current role.
Steven Xavier Chan
Senior Director, Head of Government Relations, Asia Pacific at PayPalSteven Xavier Chan is the senior director and regional head of government relations, Asia-Pacific, for PayPal Inc. Based in Singapore, he leads government advocacy, strategy and outreach efforts in the region.
Steven has more than 20 years of combined government and industry experience in international trade and public policy. Prior to joining PayPal in August 2018, he was the managing director and regional head of regulatory, industry and government affairs for State Street’s businesses in Asia Pacific. Steven also served as Director of Government Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility for the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai. He previously held various positions in the US government as a Foreign Service Officer with the Department of State with overseas and domestic assignments in Mexico, China and Washington D.C., and as Deputy Director for China and Mongolia Affairs with the Department of Commerce. He also worked at Booz Allen Hamilton and Deloitte Consulting supporting change management and enterprise transformation projects for large organizations.
Steven currently serves a board member of the National Center for APEC and the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. Steven earned a Master of Arts in international economics and China studies from the School of Advanced International Studies at The Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts in international affairs and economics from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. He is a native of Hawaii.
Barrett Bingley
Director, Media Sales (North Asia) and Asia Initiatives of The Economist GroupBarrett Bingley is the Director, Media Sales (North Asia) and Asia Initiatives and has been with The Economist Group for 7 years. In his practice he has developed the Sustainable Trade Index for the Hinrich Foundation, the Illicit Trade Index for TRACIT and conducted major trade research projects for HSBC, National Australia Bank and Commonwealth Bank.
In addition to his work at the Group, he has been the Chair of the AmCham Hong Kong Trade and Investment Committee for 6 years, serving on the Committee for a total of 8 years thus far. He was also a Board Director of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong for 4 years. Barrett has recently joined the Society of Publishers Asia (SOPA) as a Board Director.
Prior to coming to Hong Kong, Barrett was the Senior Policy Advisor to the Canadian Foreign Minister and before that the Policy Advisor to the Trade Minister with a focus on Asia.
Barrett is a Commonwealth Scholar and holds Master’s Degree in International Relations from the Victoria University of Wellington. Barrett was a Visiting Fellow at the Indonesian Centre for Strategic and International Studies, publishing on trade, piracy and terrorism in the South China Sea.
Douglas Ramage
Managing Director of BowerGroupAsia, IndonesiaDouglas Ramage has 30 years’ experience in Indonesia and he is a leading expert on Indonesia’s investment climate, politics, and business affairs.
Fluent in Indonesian, Doug is the Jakarta-based Managing Director of BowerGroupAsia Indonesia, a business and investment advisory firm headquartered in Washington, DC. Ramage provides advice and guidance on political-economic risk and regulatory challenges to multinational companies investing in Indonesia. He is a well-known analyst, writer, public speaker and media commentator on Indonesian affairs. Ramage is Governor of the American Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia, and previously served in senior Indonesia positions for the Australian Government, the World Bank, and the Asia Foundation.
His academic career included stints at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies Singapore, CSIS Jakarta, the East-West Center, and University of Hawaii. His publications include Indonesia as a Normal Country, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, 2008; “A Reformed Indonesia?” Australian Financial Review, October 2007; and Politics in Indonesia: Democracy, Islam and the Ideology of Tolerance (Routledge, London, 1995 and 1997).
Ramage holds a PhD from the University of South Carolina and also studied at the Institute for Teacher Training (IKIP) in Malang, Indonesia, the Australian National University (ANU), and the University of Maryland.
Pavida Pananond
Professor, Department of International Business, Logistics and Transport at Thammasat University, ThailandProf. Pavida Pananond is a full-time Faculty Member of Department of International Business, Logistics and Transport, at the prestigious Thammasat University in Thailand. Pavida received her Ph.D. in Economics (International Business) from the University of Reading (UK), MBA from McGill University (Canada), and BA in Accounting from Chulalongkorn University (Thailand).
She studies the internationalisation of firms, global value chain, and economic upgrading, with reference to emerging markets. Her research has appeared as book chapters and articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Multinational Business Review, Journal of International Management, and Asia Pacific Journal of Management. Her commentaries have also been published, and cited in local and international media, including The Economist, Financial Times, and the BBC.
Pavida serves on a number of editorial boards of academic journals and is Honorary Adviser to Asia New Zealand Foundation, New Zealand’s leading non-government authority on Asia. In addition to MBA and executive teaching, she regularly provides briefings to diplomatic missions, chambers of commerce, and multinational companies, among others. Her recent awards and grants include Thammasat University’s Researcher with Highest Number of International Publications (2015), Fulbright Thai Visiting Scholar (2015), Thammasat Business School’s Best Teacher award (2008), and research grants from the Thailand Research Fund, and the Asia Foundation.
Her professional affiliations include Associate Member of the John Dunning Centre for International Business at the University of Reading, and of Emerging Market Internationalization Research Group, University of Sydney Business School. Pavida also serves as independent director and audit committee member of Precious Shipping Public Company Limited (PSL), Thailand’s largest listed company in dry cargo shipping. Pavida speaks Thai, English and French, is an avid runner and swimmer, who has completed several half-marathons and biathlons.
Rafael Frankel
Director, Public Policy, Southeast Asia of FacebookRafael Frankel is a leading expert in Asia-Pacific government affairs, public policy, political-economics, business and investment. He is currently director of public policy for Southeast Asia at Facebook. A former foreign correspondent and consultant based in Bangkok, Tel Aviv and Washington, Rafael has two decades of experience spanning 50 countries.
Siobhan Das
Executive Director of The American Malaysian Chamber of CommerceSiobhan Das is the Executive Director of the American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM). Assuming the position in January 2016, Siobhan has overseen the revitalization of the Chamber, making it one of the most active and effective AmChams in the region. She reached this achievement by strengthening the Chamber's presence from within, driving stronger engagement with its members and developing a powerful voice for its various business communities. By leading targeted, well designed, and sustained engagement with the membership and key stakeholders, including U.S. and Malaysian government officials, Siobhan has positioned the Chamber so that it can support and effect policy changes that benefit not only AMCHAM Members, but other companies-at-large, contributing to a more open and fair business climate in Malaysia while supporting Malaysia’s competitive position.
Siobhan returned to Malaysia after almost 12 years in China, five of which she served as Director of Committees (Industry) at the largest American Chamber of Commerce in the Asia Pacific - AmCham Shanghai. There she directed and shaped the role of 26 Committees filled with senior corporate executives, driving peer-to-peer learning, and best practice sharing allowing the Chamber to truly understand the business environment and leading the Chamber to advocate successfully on behalf of the U.S. business communities they represent, addressing issues impacting day-to-day business. Prior to moving into the nonprofit sector, Siobhan spent more than 20 years in the film and television industry across Asia and the U.S., including owning her own production & corporate communications company in Kuala Lumpur.
She holds two degrees from Boston University and, more recently, she was a Sloan Fellow at the London Business School where she earned her Masters in Leadership and Strategy.
Diana David
Vice Chairman of The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong; Founder & Chief Executive Officer at Sarana LabsDiana Wu David is a board director, strategist and innovator with a focus on helping companies and executives to be more entrepreneurial, resilient and effective in the face of constant change. From Henry Kissinger to Financial Times, from robotics education in China to the board of the World Bank, she helps strong leaders shepherd change and impact. Her latest book is: Future Proof: Reinventing Work in an Age of Acceleration (www.dianawudavid.com/future-proof)
Lee Hawley
Chief Human Resources Officer at GLPLee Hawley is Chief Human Resources Officer of GLP. Lee is responsible for global human resources and driving the Group’s strategies related to talent management, compensation and corporate culture.
Prior to joining GLP, Lee was Managing Partner of HRT Edge Limited, a boutique advisory specializing in building people and organization capability for business growth.
Previously, Lee was Chief Human Resources Officer for Doosan Group, a Fortune Global 500 company focused on infrastructure support. He has also held senior international leadership roles at PepsiCo and Cerberus Capital Management.
He graduated with a PhD in Industrial & Organizational Psychology from New York University and Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University.
Linda Brown
Chief Executive Officer at Laureate International UniversitiesLinda was appointed President of Torrens University Australia and CEO, Laureate Australia and New Zealand in 2014. Linda is a member of Laureate International Universities’ global OPCOM Board, with operational responsibility for 78000 employees, over 70 universities in 29 countries, and a member of the IP board, where she is driving the Internationalisation Strategy.
Linda has 25 years of management experience in the education sector in Australia and the United Kingdom. Her background is diverse, incorporating leadership experience in government, the private sector, social enterprise and education.
Linda is an acknowledged educational leader in the Asia Pacific region. She has represented Australia for six years at APEC Women Leaders’ Conference in Asia Pacific and was identified by Management Today as one of "25 Australian women to watch”.
Her global business and educational experience includes Corporate CEO, Futures Stockbroker; Managing Director, Dartington, UK; and Director of Stoke-on-Trent FE College. Linda was also part of the UK Government's rapid response team for the Further Education Funding Council, utilised to turn around failing colleges, and was part of the UK 'think tank' on education as a global business.
Leonie Valentine
Managing Director, Sales & Operations of Google Hong KongLeonie Valentine is Managing Director, Sales & Operations of Google Hong Kong. She has over 20 years of experience in marketing and sales, and has served as Director of Customer Experience for Asia Pacific at Google for the past two years.
Prior to joining Google, Leonie was Executive Vice President, Customer Service & Operations at CSL Limited. Earlier, she held the position of Chief of Staff for Telstra International Group, and was a member of the Executive Leadership Team charged with managing Telstra Corp’s business growth and assets outside of Australia and New Zealand.
Leonie holds an Executive Certificate in Business Administration from the Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship of Swinburne University, a Master’s Degree in Communication Management from the University of Technology, Sydney, and a Bachelor of Science from Melbourne University.
Alan Beebe
President at The American Chamber of Commerce in ChinaAlan Beebe was appointed President of the American Chamber of Commerce in China in March 2016. He has more than twenty years of industry and management consulting experience in Asia, including the past fourteen years in mainland China.
Prior to joining AmCham China in Beijing, Alan held various senior executive positions with EY, IBM, and management consulting firms AT Kearney and PRTM. He also led a Beijing based start-up for five years, the China Greentech Initiative, which merged in 2014 with the Paulson Institute, founded by Hank Paulson.
Alan has advised a wide range of corporations and global investors on investing and operating in China, including global private equity firms, U.S. high technology companies and major Chinese enterprises such as China Telecom and China Mobile.
He holds a Master’s degree from Yale University in International Relations and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Computer Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the U.S. He is a Board of Advisor of the Yale Club of Beijing and in that capacity promotes academic and cultural exchanges between the U.S. and China. He is a fluent speaker of mandarin Chinese, and reads and writes Chinese.
Alan was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. He is married with two children.
April Palmerlee
Chief Executive Officer at American Chamber of Commerce in AustraliaApril Palmerlee is Chief Executive Officer of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia. She joined AmCham in 2017 after a distinguished career in government, education, and the corporate sector. American-born, Palmerlee has lived in Sydney since 2003 and is a dual citizen. She received a BS from Georgetown University and a Master’s from Columbia University. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Immediately after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, she was appointed to the senior executive service of the US Department of State where she served as Senior Coordinator for International Women’s Issues (now called Ambassador-at-Large, equivalent to Assistant Secretary). Before that, she was a senior executive at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. She has also worked for couturier Oscar de la Renta, financial publisher The Bank Credit Analyst, and not-for-profit The Spanish Institute. She is currently on the selection committee for the Fulbright scholarship in NSW and the Georgetown University Australian and New Zealand Studies Board.
John Rockhold
Executive Director of The American Chamber of Commerce in VietnamMr. Rockhold spent 8 years in the US Navy leaving with a Degree in Engineering and Applied Science. He served 2 tours during Vietnam’s second Indochina war from 1971 to 1973. He later served in Thailand, Loa, Iran, and Central America as part of US Naval Advisory Group. In late 70’s to mid 80’s Mr. Rockhold worked with the US Government under direct contract in Africa, Asia and Central America.
In 1992 Mr. Rockhold return to Vietnam as Project Director for the return of Vietnamese refugees and establishing vocational training centers to integrate these Vietnamese back into society. In 1995 he was Managing Director in establishing Vietnams first 100% foreign own Environmental Consulting firm, the company worked with a number of Utilities/ SOE’s in the design, construction and operation of social infrastructure throughout Vietnam using grant funding. In 2000 Mr. Rockhold founded Pacific Rim Investment and Management Inc. (PRIM) out of LA, California to work with private international companies on Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in greater Saigon region and Me Kong Delta. He has worked with over 70 such investors from USA, Europe, and Asia from investment applications to operations of their industries. In 2011 PRIM join with 100% Vietnamese own firm ABBO working on FDI’s in the areas of shipping, animal feed, fertilizers, resorts, food industries and renewable energy investments. In 2012 he started investments in Wind and Solar power projects as part of Vietnam renewable energy policy. PRIM also provides capacity building to Government of Vietnam in international procurement and contracting preparing for trade agreements and private bank funded projects.
Mr. Rockhold today holds board positions at PRIM and ABBO, which today is handling an investment profile of over $650 million (2016) in Vietnam. He Chairs the Power and Energy Working Group in the Vietnam Business Forum (Ministry of Planning and Investment, IFC, World Bank and 17 International Chambers of Commerce and Business Associations).
Mr. Rockhold is married to a Vietnamese national and the have 2 kids, the family are farmers in Hau Gaing province of the Me Kong Delta where they produce rice, coconut oil, and assorted fruit.
Michael Yip
Chief Innovation Officer at Modern Terminals LimitedMichael Yip is the Chief Innovation Officer at Modern Terminals Limited, a leader in the container terminal industry in Hong Kong and Mainland China.
Michael is responsible for inducing innovation across the company, managing the process of innovation, and bringing together technology, information, and process transformation initiatives. In addition to leading the digital transformation, he is also part of the Company Strategy Board, responsible for formulating and driving corporate business plans and strategies.
Michael has over 25 years of experience in IT management & consulting, and prior to joining MTL, he was based in Shanghai as the Director of IT in China for Anheuser-Busch InBev.
Michael holds an MBA jointly from The Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University (USA) and Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, as well as a BSc in Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania (USA).
Stephanie Ko
Senior Country Manager at AvaStephanie Ko is the Senior Country Manager of Ava, leading the expansion of Ava into the Greater China region. Prior to joining Ava, Stephanie was the Chief Strategy Officer of a Chinese fintech company with over 4 million users. Stephanie started her career as a corporate lawyer at a Magic Circle law firm, specializing in listed company transactions, and also has experience as a private equity and hedge funds legal advisor.
Stephanie is a regular speaker at events and conferences that promote female empowerment. In her spare time, she is an active private investor, and supports a number of local charity organizations; she was previously the Vice-Chairwoman of the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children.
Stephanie holds a master’s degree from Harvard University and a undergraduate degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
William Foreman
President at The American Chamber of Commerce in TaipeiWilliam Foreman spent the first half of his career in journalism, serving as a bureau chief for The Associated Press in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Guangzhou. In 2010, he was awarded the Knight-Wallace Fellowship at the University of Michigan, where he spent an academic year studying Korean and taking MBA courses in leadership and crisis management. When the fellowship ended, the university hired Foreman to develop and execute the institution’s first international communications strategy. After six years, he left the university to be the director of public relations at Heifer International, an NGO doing economic development projects in 26 countries throughout Africa, Latin America and South Asia. Foreman returned to Taiwan in 2018 to serve as the president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei, which has 1,000 members from more than 500 companies. Foreman earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas, where he majored in English and philosophy.
Stéphane de Montlivault
President, Asia Pacific at Otis Elevator CompanyStephane de Montlivault is President, Asia Pacific with responsibility for all Otis businesses in Asia Pacific, excluding China. Prior to his current appointment, Stephane served as President, Northeast Asia, in addition to his role as President, Nippon Otis Elevator Company.
He started his career at Otis North America in 1984 where he held several positions in sales, procurement strategy, and finance. In 1989, he was relocated from New York to Singapore where he was responsible for financial planning and analysis for the Pacific Asia Operations. From 1995, he took on successive country and regional leadership roles and was based in Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong. Stephane moved to Japan in 2009 where he first served as Managing Director. In 2004, he was named President, Nippon Otis.
Stephane holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from ESDE in Paris, and a Master of Business Administration in marketing and management from the University of Hartford in the United States.
Joe Sousa
President, Asia Pacific at Rockwell AutomationJoe Sousa is President, Asia Pacific at Rockwell Automation. He is responsible for executing our Growth & Performance strategy, growing market share and leading our Global Sales, Marketing and business operations in the Asia Pacific region.
Joe joined Rockwell Automation in 1988 as a sales engineer and has held numerous roles of increasing responsibility in our Global Sales and Marketing organization. Prior to his current role, Joe was president, Latin America where he was responsible for growing market share and leading our business operations in Latin America. He has also served as regional vice president, Western Region; district manager for the Northeast District and New England branch manager.
In his time with Rockwell Automation, Joe excels at building high-performance teams, developing leaders and driving sales execution.
Joe holds both a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from the University of Rhode Island in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. He is located in Hong Kong at our Asia Pacific Headquarters.
Jon Penrice
President, Asia Pacific at Dow Chemical Pacific LtdJon Penrice leads Dow’s business in Asia Pacific with responsibility for the company’s businesses, spanning consumer, packaging and infrastructure markets. He joined Dow in Switzerland in 2007 and held various roles including the global general manager for Electrical & Telecommunications business, the global business director for Formulated Systems business, and prior to the current role, as vice president for Polyurethane business for Europe, Middle East, Africa and India. Prior to joining Dow, Jon was with DuPont as the global executive vice president for the fibers and apparel business, which became Koch Industries’ Invista, and had held a variety of other leadership roles in consumer focused businesses. Jon graduated from the University of Cambridge, UK, with a degree in Natural Sciences, and is based in Hong Kong.
Ben Simpfendorfer
Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Silk Road Associates- On the Cutting Edge: Embarking on the Path of Smart Manufacturing
- Debating China's Belt and Road Initiative
Ben Simpfendorfer is Founder and CEO of Silk Road Associates, a data-driven strategic advisory based in Hong Kong. Ben has worked in Asia and the Middle East for the past 20 years. He advises a range of Fortune 500 multinationals on their commercial strategies in Asia, providing global boards and regional strategy teams with data-based solutions into fast-moving markets and their value-chains. His extensive specialist networks add further insights into today’s key operating challenges.
Before establishing Silk Road Associates in 2010, Ben spent over a decade tracking China’s business landscape as Chief China economist for RBS and senior China economist for JPMorgan based in Hong Kong. He started his career in Beirut during the early 1990s where he worked as a management consultant, later joining Dun & Bradstreet based in London as the firm’s Senior Analyst for the Middle East & North Africa.
Ben speaks Mandarin and Arabic. He is author of The Rise of the New East (Palgrave: 2014), examining commercial opportunities and complexities in the Asia market, and The New Silk Road (Palgrave: 2009), exploring China’s commercial ties with the Middle East. The book is translated into six languages including simplified and traditional Chinese. He appears regularly on CNBC, Bloomberg, and CNN, and his editorials have been published by the FT and WSJ.
Richard James
Vice President, Corporate Affairs (East Asia & Australia) at Philip Morris International
Jackson Cox
Immediate Past Chair at APCACJackson Cox is Founder and CEO of Woodmont International, a private firm that was established in 2005 to provide public affairs and government relations consulting services to companies and investors in Mongolia and throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Mr. Cox was elected Chairman of Asia Pacific Council of American Chambers of Commerce in March 2015. APCAC was established in 1968 and is the association of 30 American Chambers of Commerce in the Asia Pacific region. APCAC’s collective membership represents over 15,000 companies, 50,000 overseas American workers, and annual trade and investment of over US$500 billion. Mr. Cox is also the Founder and Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Mongolia – the official affiliate office of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Mongolia.
Prior to founding Woodmont International, Mr. Cox worked in the international political sector where he managed projects in Mongolia and Cambodia for the International Republican Institute.
Mr. Cox is from Johnson City, Tennessee and a graduate of Belmont University in Nashville. He served as the East Tennessee campaign chairman for Bill Frist’s successful campaign for United States Senate in 1994 and as the Political Director of Frist’s re-election in 2000. Mr. Cox served as advisor to Senator Frist in the U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C. between the two campaigns.
Jon E. Huenemann
Vice President, External Affairs (U.S. & International) at Philip Morris InternationalMr. Huenemann joined this U.S. Fortune 100 Company in September 2010 and reports directly into top management. As a member of the company’s External Affairs Executive Leadership Team, he is responsible for external affairs strategic direction around the world while also overseeing the Washington, D.C., office and U.S. affairs and the company’s external stakeholder relationships.
He brings over 35 years of experience to his role. Prior to his current position he:
- Coordinated an international practice group at a prestigious Washington, D.C., law firm;
- Was Senior Vice President at a large global public affairs consultancy;
- Served in the Executive Office of the President as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative and led economic diplomacy efforts on many topics;
- Served as a Presidential Management Fellow in the International Affairs Bureau at the Department of the Treasury;
- Was an international economic policy advisor to a senior Senator on the Finance Committee;
- Was a co-coordinator of a multilateral development project affiliated with the UN Development Program; and
- Was a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.
He serves on boards of research institutions and business organizations and has taught/lectured in universities.
John Fleming
Senior Commercial Officer at U.S. Embassy RangoonJohn Fleming is the Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Rangoon. He previously served as the Principal Commercial Officer with the U.S. Consulates in Chennai, where he covered South India and Sri Lanka, and in Osaka, where he covered Western Japan. Prior to those assignments, he served as a Commercial Officer with the U.S. Export Assistance Center in Atlanta, Georgia and the U.S. Embassies in Tokyo and Moscow.
John joined the Foreign Service in 2000. He previously worked for USAID as a Financial Management Officer and for the State Department as a Program Analyst. Prior to his U.S. Government service, John spent five years managing international aid programs for NGOs in the Russian Far East (Vladivostok, Russia) and Southeast Asia (Phnom Penh, Cambodia).
John has a B.S. from the University of Maryland, an M.B.A. from Katholieke Universiteit in Belgium and an M.A. in International Relations from Boston University. He speaks French, Russian and Japanese.
Kevin Murphy
Managing Director of Andaman Capital PartnersKevin M. Murphy is the Managing Director of Andaman Capital Partners, which provides investment advisory services to local and foreign investors in addition to directly investing in Myanmar companies and projects. Mr Murphy has been based in Myanmar since 2002. He has also served as a director at the Pacific Group Ltd, an independent investment manager headquartered in Hong Kong, where since 1999 he has led various private investments in early stage and special situation deals including the takeover and profitable liquidation of the Dublin-listed Myanmar Fund Limited. Andaman Capital is actively involved in the renewable energy (hydropower and solar) and LPG sectors as an advisor to several current projects. Andaman has also been active in the telecoms sector, advising on a potential tower company acquisition and the successful start-up of a nation-wide VSAT network. In a previous career as a journalist and media executive, Mr Murphy held senior positions at the International Herald Tribune, the South China Morning Post and The Bulletin (Australia) and was a regular contributor to the Economist. He graduated in 1983 with a BA from Georgetown University, where he was a Baker Scholar.
William D. Greenlee Jr.
Partner, Managing Director of DFDL MyanmarWilliam’s practice focuses on M&A, corporate and project finance and securities. He is involved in negotiating, structuring, documenting and managing large transactions, private equity and opportunity-fund companies and other international companies throughout Asia. With a focus on Southeast Asia, William’s clients include a range of industries including energy, mining, infrastructure, oil and gas, banking, telecommunications and tourism. He holds a B.A. degree from the University of Oregon in Asian Studies with a minor in East Asian Literature and Juris Doctor from the University of San Francisco, California. William is a member of the State Bar of California, State Bar of Nevada, State Bar of California International Law Section and the Inter-Pacific Bar Association. He is based in our Yangon office and is a member of DFDL’s china Desk. He speaks English, Mandarin, Thai and basic Indonesian.
Zara Dang
Executive Director of The American Chamber of Commerce in MyanmarZara joins the Chamber from commercial law firm Baker McKenzie where she led the business development, marketing and communications efforts for the firm's Myanmar operations. Over the past three years, Zara has been tracking economic and policy developments affecting the Myanmar business environment and engaging with foreign investors as they seek to navigate, set-up and expand operations. Zara brings an extensive background in events and project management, having spent five years with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC and two years in Shanghai organizing corporate events and conferences for multinational clients. She focuses on growing the AMCHAM membership and identifying and implementing value-add benefits and services for the Chamber. Zara is based full time in Yangon.
Chris Clague (Against)
Managing Editor, Asia & Global Editorial Lead, Trade & Globalisation at The Economist Intelligence UnitChris Clague is a Managing Editor for The Economist Intelligence Unit's thought leadership division in Asia. He is an expert in international trade and trade policy and has also advised clients throughout the Asian region on the strategic implications of megatrends and political risk. He was a consultant in The EIU’s Tokyo office and was the project leader and editor for the EIU/Nikkei BP publication The World to 2050 (available in Japanese only).
Prior to joining The EIU, he was a senior consultant and Director of China Operations for a boutique consulting firm that worked with governments and MNCs on issues related to international trade, investment, and commodities.
Chris holds an MSc in Asian Politics from the London School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and a certificate in International Trade Law and Economics from the World Trade Institute’s summer academy. He provides regular commentary on trade and the Japanese economy to international media.
Peter Burnett (For)
Regional Head, Corporate Finance, Greater China & North Asia at Standard Chartered Bank Hong KongPeter joined Standard Chartered Bank in 2013 and is responsible for Corporate Finance business in Greater China and North Asia. This encompasses Loan Syndications, Leveraged and Structured Solutions, Shipping and Aircraft Finance, M&A and Project & Export Finance. Prior to Standard Chartered, Peter was with UBS for 24 years in various roles including Head of Asian Equity Capital Markets, Head of Asian Investment Banking, Chief Executive of UBS Middle East and most recently Chairman of Global Capital Markets, Asia. Peter has a long association with Asia and having first worked in the region in 1994 and settling in Hong Kong in 1996.
He is the Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce and is the Chairman of the “One Belt, One Road” Committee for the Hong Kong Association of Banks. He is also member of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council Belt & Road Committee’s International Market Working Group and the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre Belt & Road Advisory Committee. He is a graduate of Oxford University and a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales
Simon Milner
Vice President, Public Policy, Asia Pacific at FacebookSimon Milner was appointed Facebook’s Vice President, Public Policy for APAC in March 2018 and is based in Singapore. He was previously the company’s policy director for UK, Middle East and Africa based in London. He joined Facebook in January 2012 to be Director of Policy for UK and Ireland, taking on the broader region in early 2015. Previously he was BT's Director for Group Industry Policy having joined the company as Head of External Relations for the Equality of Access Office in 2005. Before BT he worked for the BBC (1997-2005) including holding the position of Secretary (2000-2004), responsible for the Corporation's governance and accountability. He has a PhD in Industrial Relations from the London School of Economics.
Tara Joseph
President at The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong KongTara Joseph is the President of AmCham Hong Kong. In her 22 years as journalist, she has reported on hundreds of the world’s most important and high profile news stories including Russia’s financial crisis, Myanmar’s emergence from virtual isolation, China's rise on the world stage and the Beijing Olympics to name a few. Earlier in her career, Tara was the editor and main presenter of Reuters Financial Television based in London, and covered emerging markets and G7 economic issues. She has twice served as President of the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Hong Kong, one of the world’s largest press clubs.
Jack Lange (Introducer)
Ex Officio Governor at The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong KongJack Lange is a partner in the Corporate Department of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (https://www.paulweiss.com/). He has been based in the firm’s Hong Kong office since 1994.
Jack’s practice is concentrated principally on mergers and acquisitions. He is highly experienced in the representation of private equity funds and other financial investors in connection with their activities in Asia, including investment activities and portfolio company financing and acquisition activities. Jack has represented major private equity funds, as well as leading strategic investors in the technology, communications and media fields, in connection with complex and highly structured investments and fund raisings in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Korea, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Japan.
Jack is admitted to legal practice in Hong Kong, New York, the District of Columbia. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Princeton University. Prior to joining Paul, Weiss in 1988, Jack served in the Office of the Legal Advisor of the U.S. Department of State and as Deputy General Counsel of the Multinational Force and Observers, the international organization that provides the peacekeeping force under the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty.
Jack served as President of The American Club Hong Kong in 2012.
Joseph R. Donovan Jr.
United States Ambassador to the Republic of IndonesiaJoseph R. Donovan Jr., a career member of the Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, was sworn in as United States Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia on November 4, 2016. He presented his credentials to the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, in January 2017.
Ambassador Donovan served most recently as Managing Director of the Washington Office of the American Institute in Taiwan. Previously, Mr. Donovan served as Foreign Policy Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon from 2012 to 2014, Associate Professor at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. from 2011 to 2012, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the Department of State from 2009 to 2011.
He was the U.S. Consul General in Hong Kong from 2008 to 2009, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Japan from 2005 to 2008, and Director of the Department of State’s Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs from 2003 to 2005. Prior to that, Mr. Donovan was Political Section Chief at the Taipei Office of the American Institute in Taiwan from 2000 to 2003 and Political/Military Unit Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Japan from 1997 to 2000. Earlier assignments in the Foreign Service include posts in Taiwan, China, South Korea and Qatar.
Before joining the Foreign Service, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Seoul, South Korea. Mr. Donovan received a B.S.F.S. from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and an M.A. from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.
Deborah Elms
Executive Director of Asian Trade CentreDeborah Elms is Executive Director of the Asian Trade Centre in Singapore. She is also a senior fellow in the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s (MTI) Trade Academy. Deborah’s present research involves the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) negotiations and global value chains.
Previously Deborah was head of the Temasek Foundation Centre for Trade & Negotiations (TFCTN) and senior fellow of international political economy at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). She has also provided consulting on a range of trade issues to governments including the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Taiwan, and Singapore. Deborah publishes the Talking Trade Blog .
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Senior Advisor at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLPFormer U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) served for almost three decades as a member of Congress representing the 27th congressional district of Florida. Rep. Ros-Lehtinen was the Chairwoman emeritus of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa. Prior to becoming the Foreign Affairs Committee’s Chairwoman, Rep. Ros-Lehtinen served as Chair of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia; International Operations and Human Rights; International Economic Policy and Trade; and Africa, and as Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. Rep. Ros-Lehtinen also served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and was a member of the CIA Subcommittee and the NSA and Cybersecurity Subcommittee. She authored the Export Administration Act of 1997, and introduced the Iran Freedom Support Act and the Security through Termination of Proliferation Act (STOP) of 2008.
Michaela Browning
Consul General at Australian Consulate General in hong Kong, ChinaMs. Browning is an experienced diplomat with extensive international policy, program management and operational experience. She has worked for the Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade for 23 years including previous postings to Singapore and Thailand. She has been a Senior Adviser to Defence and Foreign Ministers on Asia and security. She was a trade negotiator on the Doha Round (WTO) and on AUSFTA, SAFTA. Before her appointment in Hong Kong, Ms Browning was Head of Investment at Austrade, the Australian Government’s trade and investment promotion agency. She led Australia’s investment teams in Australia and across an extensive overseas network. Immediately before that, she was General Manager Established Markets and Special Adviser to the CEO on Strategy and China. In this role, she had overall responsibility for the Austrade presence in, and trade and investment promotion for, North America, Western Europe, North Asia, Turkey, Israel, New Zealand, and the Pacific. Prior to that she was Assistant Director General at AUSAID in charge of the Afghanistan and Pakistan development programs, developing and implementing strategy and programs and working closely with the ISAF and major donors in Afghanistan.
Nicholas Hill
Minister Counselor for Economic and Science Affairs at U.S. Embassy & Consulates in JapanA member of the Senior Foreign Service, Nicholas M. Hill is Minister Counselor for Economic and Science Affairs. Prior to his assignment in Tokyo, he served for 18 months as Deputy Chief of Mission and 18 months as Charge d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 2012-2015.
Mr. Hill served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia between 2008-2011. Prior to that he served as the Chief of Trade Policy at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. During his 30 year career as a Foreign Service Officer, Mr. Hill has worked overseas at U.S. missions in Belgrade, Budapest, Montreal, Sapporo, and Zagreb, as well as at the United Nations in New York and at the State Department in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Hill holds a B.A. in History and Economics from Bowdoin College, a Masters in International Relations from George Washington University, and a Masters in Security Studies from the National War College in Washington, D.C.
Richard R. Vuylsteke
President at East-West CenterPresident of the East-West Center since January 1, 2017. Former positions include president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong; president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei; editor-in-chief of the Taiwan Review; area studies coordinator at the Chinese Language and Area Studies (CLASS) Foreign Service Institute school in Taipei; research fellow in East Asian Legal Studies at Harvard Law School; as well as a Fulbright scholar at the University of Rajasthan, India. MA and PhD from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, specializing in Western and Chinese political philosophy. Areas of expertise include: strategic and operational leadership of multicultural organizations, AsiaPacific business and trade, Asian and Western history and philosophy.
Edgard D. Kagan
Consul General at U.S. Consulate General in MumbaiEdgard D. Kagan assumed the post of U.S. Consul General in Mumbai on August 1, 2017. As Consul General, he is responsible for representing American interests and promoting U.S.-India relations in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh.
Edgard Kagan served as Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 2014-2017. He previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Deputy Director of the U.S. Mission to the UN’s Washington Office. A Foreign Service officer since 1991, he served at U.S. Embassies in Australia, China, Israel, Hungary and Cote d’Ivoire. He also served as Director of Korean Affairs and had tours of duty in the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs as well as on the Policy Planning Staff.
A 1989 graduate cum laude of Yale University, Edgard worked for the New York City Bureau of Bridges prior to joining the State Department. He speaks French and Mandarin Chinese as well as some Hungarian and Spanish.
Born and raised in the Chicago area, Edgard Kagan is married to Cynthia Gire and has three children.
Greg Torode
Special Correspondent at Thomson ReutersHong Kong-based Reuters Special Correspondent Greg Torode has reported extensively on political and security developments across Asia for much of the last 25 years.
The way the region has responded to the strategic challenge of a rising China has been a feature of his reporting over the last decade, including detailed coverage of tensions in the disputed South China Sea.
Greg joined Thomson Reuters in 2013 after more than 20 years reporting for the South China Morning Post, work that included postings in Hanoi, Bangkok and Washington DC as well as frequent reporting missions across East Asia.
Greg was born and educated in New Zealand, where he started his journalism career on the Dominion newspaper in Wellington before travelling to Hong Kong in 1991.
Jacky Foo
Board Member, Chief Representative at TAL GroupMr Jacky Foo (傅光燊) is the Chairman (Alt) of the Singapore Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. He is also a Board Member and Chief Representative of TAL Group in Hong Kong. Prior to joining the private sector in 2017, Mr Foo was with the Singapore Diplomatic Service for 33 years after completing his undergraduate degree in Economics from Cambridge University.
Mr Foo served as the Singapore Ambassador to the Philippines from 1999 to 2003, Ambassador to Germany from 2009 to 2012 and Consul-General to Hong Kong from 2012 to 2016. His first posting was in Beijing from 1988 to 1991, where he was part of the team which negotiated the establishment of diplomatic relations between Singapore and China. As Director-General of ASEAN in Singapore, Mr Foo spent some years working on ASEAN integration which led to the signing of the ASEAN Charter. During his diplomatic career, he has also headed the Directorates in charge of East Asia, International Economics & WTO and the Singapore Cooperation Programme, as well as Administration and Management during which he introduced management accounting systems and helped build the new headquarters of the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has worked on APEC and many Free Trade Agreements and was also Chief Negotiator of the SingaporeJordan FTA.
Mr Foo loves outdoor activities and enjoys playing tennis and table tennis. He golfs occasionally. In Hong Kong, he is happy to have completed the HK Marathon, the 100-km Maclehose Oxfam Trailwalker, and the Cross-Victoria Harbour swim. Mr Foo was in Cambridge on a Singapore Government Scholarship. He subsequently obtained a Master of Arts from Harvard University from 1993 to 1995 on a Fulbright Scholarship. Singapore has awarded him the Public Administration Gold Medal.
Desmond Lau
Director, China Business Development of TricorAs the Director of China Business Development at Tricor, Desmond Lau has played a pivotal role in building Tricor’s businesses across Mainland China since 2002. He was also one of Tricor’s founding members joining the firm in 2000.
As an expert on corporate formation, administration, compliance and dissolution in Mainland China and Hong Kong, Desmond is an Associate of both The Hong Kong Institute of Chartered Secretaries and The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, with extensive experience in business advisory as well as corporate secretarial practice. Prior to joining Tricor, he was a Manager of Company Secretarial Services at Ernst & Young and Tengis in Hong Kong.
Peter Tung
Head of Personal Tax at TricorPeter Tung is an experienced tax expert in global mobility, tax advisory, expatriate tax, expatriate management and personal tax planning. His extensive experience ranges from Hong Kong salaries tax, US income tax to PRC individual income tax issues.
As Head of Personal Tax at Tricor, Peter brings to his role a wealth of experience of working with clients to develop tax-efficient solutions and handle taxation issues on compliance and advisory projects, assisting clients to liaise with various government departments with respect to individual employment and tax issues.
He joined Tricor from KPMG, where he was a Senior Tax Manager responsible for leading a range of engagements across the financial industry, consumer markets and telecommunication sectors for over a decade.
Peter speaks Mandarin, Cantonese and English.
David Ryan Sequeira
Economic and Commercial Officer at U.S. Embassy in Phnom PenhDavid Ryan Sequeira serves as the Embassy’s lead Economic and Commercial Officer and is responsible for helping promote trade and investment between the United States and Cambodia. He joined the Embassy in July 2017 and is a career member of the Foreign Service.
Prior to his work in Cambodia, Mr. Sequeira served as Trade and Investment Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad Pakistan. From 2013 to 2015, he served in Washington, DC as Burma Desk Officer, where he helped develop economic policy toward Burma, including the easing of sanctions. In addition to the above positions, Mr. Sequeira has served as a Political-Military officer in Manila, Philippines (2011-2013) and Vice Consul in Hermosillo, Mexico (2008-2010). He is conversant in Spanish, Tagalog, and Khmer.
Before joining the State Department, Mr. Sequeira spent a decade working in the Financial Services industry, most recently with Capital One Bank of McLean, VA. Mr. Sequeira received his BA in Economics from Middlebury College and holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. He is also a holder of the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.
Joe Narus
Economic & Commercial Officer at U.S. Embassy VientianeJoe Narus is the Economic and Commercial Officer and the Director of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement at the U.S. Embassy in Laos. Previously he served in Hanoi, Vietnam where he covered labor, trade, and agriculture. He has also served in Shenyang, China. In 2015 Joe was awarded the joint Department of State-Department of Labor “Excellence in Labor Diplomacy” award for his work on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and in 2018 was one of the recipients of the joint Department of State-Department of Commerce “Benjamin Joy Award” for excellence in commercial diplomacy.
Before joining the Department of State he was a research fellow at the National Bureau of Asian Research where he worked on energy issues in the Asia-Pacific. Joe has a B.S. in General Sciences from Linfield College and a M.A. in Geography from Portland State University.
Lauren Higgins
Economic Officer at U.S. Embassy Phnom PenhLauren currently serves as an economic officer at the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh, working on trade and commercial issues, with a focus on intellectual property, health, and women in business. She was previously posted to Addis Ababa and Shanghai. Prior to that, Lauren worked in government relations at International Business-Government Counsellors, Inc., and as an international trade policy analyst at two Washington, D.C. law firms. Lauren holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania and M.A. in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and grew up near Chicago.
Anthony Scriffignano
Senior Vice President, Chief Data Scientist at Dun & BradstreetAnthony Scriffignano in an internationally recognized data scientist with experience spanning over 35 years, in multiple industries and enterprise domains. Dr. Scriffignano has extensive background in linguistics and advanced algorithms, leveraging that background as primary inventor on multiple patents worldwide. He provides thought leadership globally.
Recently, he briefed the US National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee and contributed to reports to the President on Big Data Analytics, Emerging Technologies Strategic Vision, and Internet and Communications Resilience. Additionally, Scriffignano provided expert advice on private sector data officers to a group of state Chief Data Officers and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He also served as a forum panelist and keynote speaker at the World Internet Conference in China hosted by President Xi Jinping, as well as at the China Development Forum and Big Data Expo in Guiyang. His white paper A Strategy For Inclusive Development In A Big Data Context was delivered to the State Council of the People’s Republic of China. Scriffignano was recently recognized as the U.S. Chief Data Officer of the Year 2018 by the CDO Club, the world's largest community of C-suite digital and data leaders.
He was recently published or quoted in various publications including China Daily, The People’s Daily, Xinhua, China Times, JieMian.com, Taiwan News, Bangkok Post, Mint (India), CIO.com, PCWeek, Forbes Insights, Huffington Post, Business Insider, InformationWeek, and others.
Scriffignano regularly presents at business, government and academic venues globally regarding emerging trends in data and information stewardship, the “Big Data” explosion, artificial intelligence, multilingual challenges in business identity and malfeasance in commercial settings.
Daniel Warelis
Head of Government and Regulatory Affairs, Asia Pacific at RefinitivDan is Head of Government and Regulatory Affairs, Asia-Pacific for Refinitiv (formerly Thomson Reuters Financial and Risk business), working with the business to identify policy issues that may impact Refinitiv and its customers. This includes legislative and regulatory changes related to data privacy, anti-money laundering, Fintech and the G20 financial standards.
Previously, he was with the Standards Council of Canada, working with regional organisations and countries throughout Asia, Latin America and Africa to mitigate market access issues facing Canadian companies. A native of Toronto, Canada, Dan started his career working on technical barriers to trade issues related to free trade agreements being negotiated by Global Affairs Canada. He holds a Master’s Degree in Public and International Affairs from the University of Ottawa.
Laurence Van der Loo
Director, Technology and Operations of Asia Securities Industry & Financial Markets AssociationLaurence is Director, Technology and Operations at ASIFMA, the Asia Securities Industry & Financial Markets Association.
Based in Hong Kong, Laurence is responsible for coordinating ASIFMA’s Operations and Technology efforts including regulatory implementation, cost efficiencies, KYC/AML, fintech/regtech and cyber and cloud. ASIFMA’s work in this area includes regulatory advocacy, driving harmonization and work on industry best practices in these areas. In addition, she oversees several of ASIFMA's regional committees in China and India. These committees help develop and shape ASIFMA's regulatory engagement s to drive capital markets development in both countries. Laurence also supports the CEO team with ASIFMA’s corporate governance and board processes.
Laurence has over 10 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining ASIFMA in 2016, she was responsible for European business development at Vistra Hong Kong, assisting foreign companies and funds to set up in Asia. Before that, she managed a portfolio of Natural Resources Companies at ING Corporate Banking in Brussels, working on numerous ECM, DCM, securitisation and syndicated loan deals for her clients.
Laurence holds a Master Degree in Business Economics from the University of Ghent, and a Master Degree in International Business from EAE Business School. She is member of the Exco of the Belgium-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce (BLCC) in Hong Kong as well as Women in Finance Asia. She is fluent in English, Dutch and French.
Sherisse Pham
Tech and Business Reporter at CNNSherisse Pham is a tech and business reporter for CNN Business and CNN International in Hong Kong.
Prior to that, she was based in Washington, D.C., where she was a general assignment weekend correspondent and digital producer. Pham also worked as a correspondent in London with CNN International, covering the Syrian refugee crisis and other regional stories in Europe. She was part of a CNN team that received the Edward R. Murrow award for social media coverage of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. She first joined CNN in 2013, starting as a digital producer on "The Lead with Jake Tapper."
Pham got her start in journalism in Beijing, China, reporting on everything from the 2008 Summer Olympics to the city's new-found status as an insatiable consumer of luxury goods.
She also worked in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. After nearly five years in Beijing, she made her way to the United States.
Before making the jump to television news, she was a print reporter; her work has appeared in The New York Times, South China Morning Post, People Magazine, and more.
Pham holds degrees from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
Dane Chamorro
Senior Partner at Control RisksDane Chamorro is a Senior Partner in Control Risks Asia Pacific business and has more than 25 years’ experience in the region. A former US diplomat, Dane was previously Director of Global Risk Analysis for the Asia Pacific region and Managing Director of the company’s North Asia business, encompassing Greater China, Korea and Mongolia.
Specialising in business intelligence, Dane regularly advises strategic investors and private equity firms on political and partner risks, corporate governance and high-profile business disputes.
Geoff Siebengartner
Managing Director, Regulatory and Government Affairs of FedEx Express Asia PacificGeoff Siebengartner is Managing Director of Regulatory and Government Affairs, FedEx Express Asia Pacific, based in Hong Kong. In this role, Geoff manages FedEx Express and TNT’s relationships with government, key policymakers, and other influencers in the Asia Pacific region to lead, develop and implement strategies and tactics on regulatory matters in order to protect the Company’s interests and promote business growth.
Geoff chairs the Transportation and Logistics Committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. He is a board member of the Conference of Asia-Pacific Express Carriers, the regional association for the express delivery industry.
Prior to joining FedEx Express in July 2017, Geoff was a U.S. diplomat for 14 years, working to advance the economic and trade interests of U.S. companies in foreign markets. He has more than a decade of experience working in the Asia Pacific region, with assignments in Beijing, Taipei, Shanghai, and Manila. Prior to his government service, Geoff worked in e-commerce and investment banking. He speaks German and Mandarin.
Geoff holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Emory University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He is married to a U.S. diplomat and they have three children.
Hardy Diec
Managing Director of FedEx Express IndochinaHardy Diec is the Managing Director of FedEx Express Indochina, the world’s largest express transportation company. Hardy has been in his current role since April 2017, and is responsible for overseeing the strategic development for FedEx operations in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Hardy has over 20 years of experience in the logistics industry across Asia, holding leadership roles in Vietnam, Brunei and Hong Kong with TNT Express. Prior to his current role, Hardy was the Managing Director of TNT Express in Hong Kong. Hardy graduated from Carleton University in Canada where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Economics. Hardy is an executive member of Eurocham & DutchAm Vietnam and CAPEC Vietnam.
Catherine Simmons
Head of Government Affairs, Asia Pacific at CitigroupCatherine joined Citi in September 2013 as head of Government Affairs for Asia Pacific. Catherine works closely with senior management, business heads, and Citi Country Officers on policy and regulatory issues impacting the firm by engaging with policymakers and industry groups. Catherine also coordinates and manages the Citi Government Affairs representatives in the region.
Prior to joining Citi, Catherine worked at State Street Bank and Trust as Head of Regulatory, Industry and Government Affairs, Asia Pacific. Before that Catherine was a diplomat at the Australian Embassy Beijing, a research fellow in the Faculty of Law and Politics at Keio University Japan and a policy advisor in the Australian Departments of Prime Minister and Cabinet and Foreign Affairs and Trade on political, strategic and trade issues.
Catherine has played an active role in various industry associations, including the U.S. National Centre for APEC (Board Member), US-ASEAN Business Council (Financial Services Committee and Chairman Council), Asian Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (Public Policy Committee Member and former Alternate Board Member), the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong (former Financial Services Committee Head and former Board Member), Asia Pacific Council of American Chambers (Member of Chairman’s Circle) and the Asia Business Trade Association (Member). Catherine has also been active in the APEC Business Advisory Council, Advisory Group on APEC Financial System Capacity Building and the APEC Asia Pacific Financial Forum and the World Economic Forum Digital ASEAN Initiative.
Catherine speaks English, Mandarin and Japanese.
Marie Kissel
Chairman at APCACMarie leads government affairs activities in Asia for Abbott, a global healthcare leader in diagnostics, medical devices, nutrition and branded generic pharmaceuticals. Prior to Abbott she was VP, Government Affairs and Public Policy, Asia Pacific, for Baxter International, based in Shanghai (2006 to 2013). She is Vice President, American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) and is active with the National Center for APEC (NCAPEC). She served on the Board of Governors of the American Chamber of Commerce Shanghai (AmCham Shanghai) from 2011 to 2013. Marie has also held various government affairs and trade policy roles in the automotive industry, primarily with DaimlerChrysler, in Washington, DC, and Singapore. She started her career at the US Department of Commerce.
Marie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government/International Affairs and Japanese Language from University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA, and Master of Business Administration from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona, USA. She is a native of Princeton, Indiana, USA.
Francisco A. Aristeguieta
Chief Executive Officer, Asia Pacific at Citigroup AsiaFrancisco Aristeguieta is the CEO of Citigroup Asia responsible for all businesses in the region's 16 markets. In addition to Asia, he is also responsible for the Consumer operations in the U.K., Russia, Poland and the U.A.E. Mr. Aristeguieta oversees 60 thousand people across the region and almost 30 percent of Citigroup’s earnings. He has been a member of Citigroup’s Global Management committee since 2012 and reports to Michael Corbat Citigroup CEO. Before assuming this role in June 2015, he served as CEO of Latin America, leading a three-year repositioning effort in the region's 23 countries where Citi is present.
Mr. Aristeguieta holds an M.B.A. from Brunel University in England, where he attended on a British Council scholarship. He also has a graduate degree in banking and finance and an undergraduate degree in business administration with a major in management, both from the Universidad Metropolitana in Caracas, Venezuela.
Anna Cheung
Chief Executive at Jardine PacificAnna Cheung is Chief Executive of Jardine Pacific Limited; through its subsidiaries, provides engineering and construction, aviation and restaurants and Information Technology services.
Ms Cheung has over 20 years of experiences in the Private Equity and finance industries. Prior to her appointment at Jardine Pacific Limited, she was Senior Advisor to Fountainvest Partners. Prior to that, she was Partner at 3i for approximately 12 years and was one of the founding partners of its China business focused in growth capital investments with a sector focus on consumer and healthcare.
Prior to 3i, Anna worked for Intel Capital and JH Whitney focusing on telecommunications and IT investments in North Asia. Before that, she worked in investment banking with Salomon Brothers, New York and Bankers Trust, Hong Kong in the areas of corporate finance, capital markets and M&A.
She was Senior Advisor to Lionrock Capital as well as Executive Director of Hong Kong Venture Capital Association (HKVCA).
Anna has a BA in Computer Science from University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Hans Vriens
Managing Partner at VRIENS & PARTNERS Pte LtdHans is Managing Partner of Vriens & Partners, the leading firm around Southeast Asia specializing in government affairs, public policy and political risk analysis. Headquartered in Singapore, the firm has more than 70 staff and 30 senior counsellors across offices in Singapore, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Hanoi, Manila, Yangon and Phnom Penh.
Hans has lived and worked in Asia since 1990. He is a regular commentator on regional issues.
Before establishing Vriens & Partners, Hans was Vice Chairman, Asia at APCO Worldwide in Southeast Asia. He earlier established and served as MD of the Indonesia practice for six years. Prior to this, he worked as a political economist at the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy in Hong Kong, practiced law at Clifford Chance and was the Asia correspondent for a leading Dutch financial and economic daily. In 1995, he was elected President of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club Hong Kong.
Hans was a Board Member of the Europe ASEAN Business Alliance (EABA) and Chairman of the Foundation Dutch Education at UWC in Singapore. Earlier, he served on the Board of Eurocham, and was the founding chairman of DutchCham in Singapore.
Hans graduated from law school in civil and public law at Groningen University. After law school, Hans studied at the Bologna Center of the Paul Nitze School of the Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University.
Jennifer Hughes
Asia Finance Editor at Thomson ReutersJennifer is Reuters’ Asia Finance Editor, leading a team of reporters covering capital markets, deal making and financial services across the region. She took up the role in November 2017 after an 18-year career at the Financial Times which included stints in London, New York and Hong Kong reporting and commenting on topics ranging from capital raising and financial regulation to M&A and banking. Jennifer has a BA in History from the University of Exeter and won a Knight-Bagehot fellowship to study at Columbia University, where she earned an MSc in Journalism studying alongside the MBA class.
Gareth Nicholson
Senior News Editor at South China Morning PostGareth is a senior news editor at the South China Morning Post, helping to drive technology coverage with a specific focus on China and Southeast Asia. Before this he was a managing editor for the Economist Intelligence Unit’s thought leadership division in Asia, running editorial and research projects across finance, technology and healthcare with an emphasis on how new technologies such as AI, robotics and virtual reality are disrupting business models. He also spent several years as a senior investment writer and communications professional with Fidelity and BlackRock Asset Management.
Gareth has lived and worked in Hong Kong for 15 years, moving to the city in 2003 to help cover the SARS crisis with Reuters before later joining Bloomberg, working as a finance editor in Hong Kong and Tokyo. He as a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Manchester and a Master’s degree in Philosophy from the University of London.
Zen Soo
Correspondent at South China Morning PostZen Soo joined the South China Morning Post in 2015. As a correspondent she covers China technology, in particular e-commerce, including online-to-offline and mobile payments. She also writes about Southeast Asian tech companies.
Charles Freeman
Senior Vice President for Asia at U.S. Chamber of CommerceCharles Freeman, senior vice president for Asia at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, has been helping companies navigate complex markets in the Asia-Pacific for 25 years. His career included senior stints in government, business, law, and academia, giving him a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities in the world’s most dynamic region.
During his government career, Freeman was assistant U.S. trade representative for China affairs, serving as principal U.S. trade negotiator with China. He also was legislative counsel in the U.S. Senate, where he concentrated on East Asian economic and trade issues.
After leaving government, Freeman consulted on Chinese and other Asia-focused business and policy matters for some of the world’s leading companies during market entry, expansion, and crises phases alike. He also served as PepsiCo’s vice president for global public policy and government affairs for Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
In addition, Freeman was chair of China studies at Washington, D.C.-based think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Earlier, he was based in Hong Kong with The Asia Foundation and the International Herald Tribune and worked as a securities lawyer and venture capitalist investing in emerging markets in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and China.
He is on the board of directors of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and Harding Loevner Funds, an internationally focused mutual fund. He is also senior nonresident fellow with the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and a senior adviser to CSIS.
Freeman earned his doctor of law degree from Boston University’s School of Law and his bachelor’s degree in Asian studies and economics from Tufts University. He did postgraduate work at Fudan University in Shanghai and studied Mandarin Chinese at the Taipei Language Institute.
Mark Green
Executive Vice President, Global Supply Chain at PVH SupplyMark Green is currently Executive Vice President of PVH Supply. Based in Hong Kong he is responsible for the offshore global sourcing and operations of the PVH Group which owns such iconic brands as Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Van Heusen, Arrow and Izod.
Before joining PVH, Mark spent 4 years in China with Walmart as Vice President of Sourcing and Operations with responsibility for apparel, footwear, jewelry and accessories. He managed 12 global offices with production in over 25 countries worldwide.
Prior to that Mark was at Limited Brands where he worked in senior sourcing positions with Victoria’s Secret Stores and Catalogue, Express, The Limited and other specialty retail brands, such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Lane Bryant, Diesel, New York & Co. He was based in Hong Kong and Sri Lanka and Israel.
Mark was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1961 and spent his first 17 years in the Far East. He went back to the UK and graduated from the Manchester University with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in History, Politics and Philosophy.
Mark’s first 14 years were with a family company in the UK, Toye & Co Plc. Founded in 1685 Toye was a manufacturer of Regalia, Insignia and military accoutrements. Following a brief spell in the hosiery and lingerie business, Mark then joined Limited Brands.
Mark is presently a member of American Chamber HK Board of Governors.
Mark is an avid sportsman and plays tennis, hockey, badminton and golf. He is a member of two livery companies in the UK – The Worshipful Company of Broderers and the Worshipful Company of Gold & Silver Wyre Drawers.
Karen Reddington
President, Asia Pacific Division at FedEx ExpressKaren Reddington is President of Asia Pacific Division of FedEx Express, the world’s largest express transportation company.
In this role, which Ms. Reddington took up in January 2015, she heads up Asia Pacific from its headquarters in Hong Kong. Ms. Reddington is responsible for leading the FedEx Express business across the region, including overall planning and implementation of corporate strategies and operations across more than 30 countries and territories with about 29,000 employees.
Ms. Reddington’s career with FedEx Express began in 1997 as an Operations Research Advisor in Hong Kong. In 2002, she was appointed Managing Director, Network Planning. In 2007, she assumed the role of Managing Director of Planning and Engineering.
Most recently, Ms. Reddington was Regional Vice President, South Pacific. She served in that role between 2011 and 2014.
Ms. Reddington is currently serving as the Board Chair of JA Asia Pacific as well as being on the Board of Governors of JA Worldwide. In addition, she serves as the Secretary of the International Women’s Forum and also sits on the Board of Governors of the America Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.
Keith Richburg
Director of the Journalism and Media Studies Centre and Professor of Practice at The University of Hong KongKeith Richburg is a journalist and former China correspondent who spent more than thirty years overseas for The Washington Post, serving as bureau chief in Paris, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Nairobi, and Manila. He covered the invasion in Iraq, the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the US military intervention in Somalia, the genocide in Rwanda, and the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China. He was also The Post’s Foreign Editor from 2005-2007 and helped cover the 2008 U.S. presidential election.
After retiring from the Post in 2013, he became a fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University and a lecturer of international reporting at Princeton University. Keith’s coverage has won numerous awards, including two George Polk Awards, and was twice a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his reports from Somalia. His 1997 book, Out Of America: A Black Man Confronts Africa, chronicles his travels across Africa. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has a master’s degree from the London School of Economics.
Nicole Denholder
Founder of Next Chapter VenturesNicole Denholder is the founder of Next Chapter Ventures.
Next Chapter is a community for female entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses in Asia to improve their access to funding. It offer’s a reward-based crowdfunding platform, curated Funding Directory, Funding Readiness programmes and Coaching to female entrepreneurs who are looking to fund and scale their businesses.
Nicole was previously a Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in London and Hong Kong in PwC’s US IPO and Advisory practices working on large-scale projects across Europe and Asia.
Nicole is also on the Australian Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Network’s Executive Committee and on the Board of the Women Entrepreneurs Network in Hong Kong.
Nicole completed a Bachelor of International Business at Queensland University of Technology, and was the recipient of a Commonwealth Scholarship to study at IKIP University, Indonesia.
Since starting Next Chapter, Nicole is a regular speaker on Crowdfunding and Funding for Female Entrepreneurs at events such as FinnovAsia, HKU's Future City Summit, StartupNext, HKTDC Conferences and the Australian Chamber of Commerce.
Nicole is passionate about female entrepreneurship and becoming a catalyst to change how women access funding.
You can learn more about Nicole and Next Chapter at www.nextchapterfunding.com
Michael Yates
Vice President, Hong Kong & Taiwan at Procter & GambleMichael is the Vice President for Procter and Gamble’s businesses in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Prior to that he led the Market Strategy and Planning group for P&G Greater China based out of Guangzhou. Michael has been with P&G for 23 years, having spent 7 years in Asia, 4 years in Africa and the balance in Eastern Europe and the UK.
Michael is originally from Manchester, UK and graduated from Newcastle University in Political Science. He lives in Hong Kong and is married with 2 daughters.
Hillary Yip
Founder & CEO of MinorMynasHillary Yip is the founder and CEO of MinorMynas, which aims to build a global community for kids to learn while having fun on the safest online platform. She began her entrepreneurship journey at the age of 10 in 2016.
The MinorMynas beta iOS app was launched in May 2017. As of Jan 2019, the app has over 50,000 downloads across over 50 countries.
Hillary has shared her ideas as a keynote speaker and panelist on many occasions, most recently at the Yidan Prize Summit and Jumpstarter 2019. In 2017, Hillary delivered a TEDx speech talking about her journey in education, specifically her homeschooling experience and how her experience in running a startup changed her perspective. Apart from being a sought-after speaker in events and conferences, Hillary is also actively connected with many parties to inspire young people.
Hillary and MinorMynas have been widely featured by many media outlets including the BBC, Yitiao (一条) and South China Morning Post to name a few. In October 2018, an article of her was featured by the digital newsletter of the Malala Fund. Her story of being a visionary young entrepreneur has been circulated globally.
Catherine Simmons
Head of Government Affairs, Asia Pacific at CitigroupCatherine joined Citi in September 2013 as head of Government Affairs for Asia Pacific. Catherine works closely with senior management, business heads, and Citi Country Officers on policy and regulatory issues impacting the firm by engaging with policymakers and industry groups. Catherine also coordinates and manages the Citi Government Affairs representatives in the region.
Prior to joining Citi, Catherine worked at State Street Bank and Trust as Head of Regulatory, Industry and Government Affairs, Asia Pacific. Before that Catherine was a diplomat at the Australian Embassy Beijing, a research fellow in the Faculty of Law and Politics at Keio University Japan and a policy advisor in the Australian Departments of Prime Minister and Cabinet and Foreign Affairs and Trade on political, strategic and trade issues.
Catherine has played an active role in various industry associations, including the U.S. National Centre for APEC (Board Member), US-ASEAN Business Council (Financial Services Committee and Chairman Council), Asian Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (Public Policy Committee Member and former Alternate Board Member), the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong (former Financial Services Committee Head and former Board Member), Asia Pacific Council of American Chambers (Member of Chairman’s Circle) and the Asia Business Trade Association (Member). Catherine has also been active in the APEC Business Advisory Council, Advisory Group on APEC Financial System Capacity Building and the APEC Asia Pacific Financial Forum and the World Economic Forum Digital ASEAN Initiative.
Catherine speaks English, Mandarin and Japanese.
Laura Younger
Executive Director of American Chamber of Commerce in JapanLaura Younger is Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ), the most influential foreign business organization in Japan since 1948.
Dedicated to further developing commerce between the U.S. and Japan, promoting the business interests of its members and improving the international business environment in Japan, the ACCJ is a primary hub for advocacy, thought leadership and business networking to approximately 3,400 members.
Ms. Younger was appointed Executive Director in 2015, bringing together more than 10 years of service at the Chamber and prior experience as head of HR at a Japanese company. Additionally, Ms. Younger also serves as a member of the Advisory Board to Catalyst Japan, a member of the McGill University Desautels MBA Japan Advisory Board, and President Emeritus of the Association for Women in Finance.
Ms. Younger holds an MBA from McGill University and is a graduate of the University of Toronto.