2018 SPEAKERS
London Business School China Business Forum has been known to attract high-profile thought leaders from business, academia and politics to address changing dynamics in the UK and China
This year we are bringing you top voices from...
(Stay tuned for more speaker information!)
SPEAKERS
Opening Speech by Minister Qin ZHU
Qin ZHU
Minister and Deputy Head of Mission of the Chinese Embassy in the UK
Minister Qin Zhu began his diplomatic career in 1993. He served several positions in China and abroad, including Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in the United States; Minister Counsellor of and Deputy Head of Mission of the Chinese Embassy in the South Africa; Deputy Director-General of the Department of European Affairs of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He Became Minister and Deputy Head of Mission of the Chinese Embassy in the UK in September 2016.
Keynote Speakers
Ning TANG
Founder and CEO of CreditEase (China)
Mr. Tang is the Founder and CEO of CreditEase, a global fintech leader specializing in inclusive finance and wealth management. In 2006, Mr. Tang founded CreditEase in Beijing. After over 12 years of development, CreditEase has become one of China’s leading fintech companies. In December 2015, CreditEase listed its online consumer finance and wealth management subsidiary, Yirendai, on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:YRD), the first fintech company IPO from China in the global capital markets. Mr. Tang serves as Chairman of Beijing Internet Finance Association.
Walter JI
President of Consumer Business at Huawei Technologies (Western Europe)
Mr. Ji is President of Consumer Business of Western Europe at Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. He led the company to achieve the commercialisation of Android-based smartphones in the Spanish market and the creation of the Network Operation Center providing service to Jazztel and ONO. Mr. Ji has been with the firm for over 16 years, during which he played a cruicial role in expanding Huawei businesses overseas.
Dr. Angelika SODIAN
Managing Director of NIO (UK)
Dr. Sodian joined NIO in May 2015 and relocated to Munich in August the same year to build up the global design headquarter. She took up her current role in the UK in October 2016. Dr. Sodian has a PhD in International Management and has worked in the automotive industry all her life. She has spent seven years in China, where she ran her own boutique consulting firm, advising European automotive companies on how to do business in China.
Session 1 - The New China: the Rising Power
Prof. Richard PORTES (Moderator)
Professor of Economics at London Business School (UK)
Prof. Portes is the Founder and Honorary President of the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), inaugural holder of the Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa Chair at the European University Institute, and Co-Founder and Co-Chair (1984-2016) of the Board of Economic Policy.
Xin CHEN
General Manager at Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (UK)
Ms. Xin has over 27 years of experience in the financial industry. She engages in the workflow management of FX reserves, the application and management of commercial bank’s overseas institutions, and the preparation and the operation of overseas asset management firm.
Suwei JIANG
Head of China Business and Senior China Advisor at PwC (UK)
Ms. Jiang is an audit and transaction partner by background, and is now dealing with all aspects of China inbound businesses across sectors in the UK. She is an experienced practitioner in delivering M&A transactions, IPO projects and assurance engagements both in the UK and in China. Suwei joined PwC London in 1998 and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2001.
Dr. Jie YU
Head of China Foresight at London School of Economics (UK)
Dr. Yu is the Head of China Foresight at LSE IDEAS and teaches at LSE. Her research focuses on the decision-making process of Chinese foreign policy as well as China's economic diplomacy. She writes and speaks regularly on China’s foreign affairs at major media outlets, such as the BBC, the Financial Times, the Independent, the South China Morning Post and the Washington Post.
Meixin WANG (Moderator)
Co-Founder of RMB Interest Group (UK)
Ms. Wang is the Co-Founder of RMB Interest Group, a London-based think tank providing a platform for the sharing of insight and development of RMB internationalisation. Prior to RMB Interest Group, Meixin was a senior trader at Glencore UK Ltd. Whlile at Metallgesellschaft UK Ltd, she was instrumental in introducing futures trading to China in early 1990s.
Min DAI
Vice President of Emerging Market Fixed Income Strategist at Morgan Stanley (UK)
Mr. Dai is an emerging markets fixed income strategist, leading Morgan Stanley’s research effort on EM local markets. Min Dai joined Morgan Stanley in 2014. Previously, he worked for JP Morgan, where he used to cover Global FX and rates markets and Asia markets.
Lisa MCNULTY
Vice Chairman at Deloitte (UK)
Ms. Mcnulty is the Vice Chairman and a senior partner at the Real Estate Group in London. She has wide experience with structured property investment and finance transactions in Europe. Lisa leads Deloitte’s Family Office Real Estate Group which advises on all aspects of real estate investment by families. Her clients include a number of global family offices (increasingly Asian investors) and UHNWs who invest in real estate in the UK and in continental Europe.
Xinlei SUN
Deputy CEO at China Construction Bank (UK)
Ms. Sun has been working in China Construction Bank ("CCB") London since May 2013. She oversees Corporate Banking, Financial Institutions and Wealth Management business. Prior to that, Ms. Sun was the Head of International Banking in CCB Shanghai.
Geoffrey YU
Head of Investment Office at UBS Wealth Management (UK)
Mr. Yu is an Executive Director and CIO/Head of UK Investment Office at UBS Wealth Management. He manages a London-based team which specialises in UK-themed research content and asset allocation recommendations to the UBS Wealth Management Global Chief Investment Office. He also serves as an investment strategist for European UHNW clients to provide cross-asset UHNW investment and trading ideas.
Session 2 - Sinovation: the Golden Era and New Generation
Yeming WANG
Business General Manager at Alibaba Cloud (EMEA)
Mr. Wang joined Alibaba Cloud in August 2016 and has been leading the teams in Europe and Middle East. He has nearly two decades of experience in the Internet and IT industries. Prior to joining Alibaba, He took various senior management positions at Huawei, including President of Hutchison Global Key Account, CEO of Huawei France, Deputy General Manager of Huawei Italy.
Yang LI
Commercial Director at Mobike (UK)
Mr. Li is Mobike’s UK Commercial Director, the world’s first smart dockless bikeshare company. Mr. Yang Li is leading Mobike’s international expansion through launching new cities, establishing strategic partnerships and managing corporate development activities. Yang is an avid traveller having visited 137 countries and is passionate about bringing technology and entrepreneurship to the disadvantaged, both in the developing and developed world.
Shubao SUN
General Manager at Haier (Europe)
Mr. Sun is an experienced marketing and sales leader, who has proved his strong business and general management orientation by developing Haier in Europe. Mr Sun started his career in Haier from 1999. Since 2010, he took the position of General Manager of Haier Europe and responsible for Haier's market development and operation management in Europe."
Roger ATKINS
Founder of Electric Vehicles Outlook Ltd (UK)
From electric guitars to electric cars Mr. Roger Atkins has been on a colourful journey! His 'Electric Vehicles Outlook' consultancy has been busy with publicly sharing an EV narrative on the LinkedIn platform where he has over 200k followers. A trio of start-ups behind him: online car retailing at Virgincars: amphibious vehicles with Gibbs: and electric trucks at Modec, he now acts as Brand Ambassador for SAIC Europe, Rimac Automobili, and JCC Bowers, as well as helping start-up Pariss Electric in France, and Gao Feng Advisory in China.
Session 3 - Technology & Entrepreneurship: the Power Shift
John ZAI (Moderator)
CEO & Founder of Cocoon Networks (UK)
Mr. Zai co-founded Cocoon Networks. He actively participates in cross-border technology transfer between China and the European continent. He has extensive experience in supporting start-up companies who want to enter/expand between China and the UK.
Russ SHAW
Founder of Global Tech Advocates & Tech London Advocates (UK)
Mr. Shaw is a passionate angel and venture investor and helds leadership position in a number of high growth businesses including Dialog, Unwire, Ariadne Capital’s ACE Fund, Amazing Media Group, and Tech City Advisory Group. Previously, Russ served as Chairman of the Marketing Group of Great Britain and was Vice President & General Manager at Skype.
John SPINDLER
CEO of Capital Enterprise; Founder & Partner of London Co-Investment Fund (UK)
Mr. Spindler is the CEO of Capital Enterprise, the founder and partner on the London Co-Investment Fund, the founder and partner of AI Seed and as such a leading member of the London's world class start-up cluster. John is also an Associate of University College London and a mentor and advisor for Tech Stars London.
Jenny TOOTH
UK Business Angels Association CEO (UK)
Ms. Tooth has over 20 years’ experience of supporting SMEs access to investment both inside and outside the UK. As an angel investor, Jenny’s role at UKBAA is to facilitate the angel community across the UK, link investors with good deal flow and assist entrepreneurs to attract investors.
Luna SUN (Moderator)
Founder of E-Global (UK)
As the Founder of Entrepreneurs Global (E-Global), a leading service provider for UK-China cross- border entrepreneurs, Luna has several years of working experience in finance and real-estate industry. After her MBA in the UK, Luna started the entrepreneurial adventure and serves as a frequent guest speaker at conferences and forums of the top universities. With diversified quality services, E- Global is reputable and highly recognised in the Chinese Entrepreneurs community in the UK.
Willian BAI
Founder & CEO of Bigfoodie.co.uk (UK)
Will started Bigfoodie in late 2012 after 3 years service at UK tech startup Just-eat PLC. (FTSE 250). Bigfoodie is food delivery platform that allows customers to order takeaway online. In 2016 Bigfoodie launched a new section “local chefs” which allows food lovers to sell home cooked dishes direct from their own kitchen. The new project starts from South-west London and is expected to cover 80% of London area in 6 months.
Holly WANG
Founder and CEO of Miss Patina (UK)
Holly Wang is the Founder of UK-based fashion brand Miss Patina and was named the Rising Star of Chinese Business Leader by PWC. She is an award-winning designer and entrepreneur whose entrepreneurial story has been featured in BBC online, Chinese weekly magazine, Minted Edition magazine and British Council’s ‘Great Experience’ documentary. British Council also exhibited her work in UK GREAT Graduate Show in Beijing and Shanghai.
Session 4 - Fashion & Luxury: When East Meets West
Lena LEE (Moderator)
Visiting Lecturer at London College of Fashion, Fashion Business School, University of the Arts London (UK)
Ms. Lee’s researches include Strategic Fashion Marketing, Digital Customer Journey, New Market Entry, China Social Media Landscape, WeChat, etc. She was an experienced adviser in UK, Mainland China, and Hong Kong. She owns MBA degree with distinction in Project Consultancy, and qualifications in Digital Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. She also undertook studies in Merchandising and Buying at London College of Fashion, and A Study of the Fashion Industry at SDA Bocconi, Italy.
Michael WARD
Managing Director of Harrods Holdings Limited (UK)
Since joining Harrods in 2005, Mr. Ward has embarked on a programme of significant business development, enabling Harrods to become the unrivalled and extremely successful retail model it is today. Before joining Harrods, Michael has been on the Board of Walpole since 2012, and was appointed Chairman in 2016. He also worked at Ernst & Young, Bassett Food PLC, Lloyds Chemist PLC, and H.P. Bulmer Holdings PLC.
Tom MEGGLE
President of Luxury Club at French Chamber of Commerce (UK); Co-Founder of the London Luxury Think Tank (UK)
Mr. Meggle was former Managing Director Louis Vuitton UK and South Africa. Before his 7 years in the UKTom was heading Louis Vuitton's German subsidiary for 3 years and prior to that has worked for 7 years as General Manager for Cartier overlooking their Northern Europe region.
Lindsay LIU (Moderator)
Director of Content at Big Worldwide film & TV (UK)
Ms. Liu has worked in the media industry for more than ten years. Previously she worked as awarded Radio Presenter and journalist in China National Radio station and the News Anchor for Phoenix TV station. She also produced documentaries and TV shows such as ISupermodel, which has been the top one fashion TV show in China with 2 billion click rates.
Simon BURSTEIN
Founder of The Place London (UK)
Mr. Burstein started his retail career at and served as former CEO of Browns, specialty retailer which discovered talents including Romeo Gigli, Missoni, John Galliano and Alexander McQueen and brought designers such as Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren and Jil Sander to London. He also worked as Vice President at Sonia Rykiel in Paris. In 2015, Mr. Burstein established The Place London, offering of selected designers brands, with quality, craftsmanship and technology the linking theme.
Sarah NOBLE
Founder of ER Eventures (UK)
Ms. Noble has a long history of marketing in China, including the launch of Parfums Christian Dior in the 1980s, the negotiation of Procter & Gamble manufacturing venture in Tianjin and the launch of key brands in 1990s, continuing with private consultancy in a range of sectors. From 2006 to recently she has been instrumental in the sports marketing of China’s Olympic star, Alex Hua Tian. She now runs a bespoke travel business and advises the boutique sports communications agency, YangMac.
Yingmei QUAN
Director at Welsh & Jefferies (UK)
Ms. Quan won the 2011 Golden Shears award as the first Asian winner of the world’s highest reward of Bespoke. She was appointed as the Director of Welsh & Jefferies in 2013, becoming the only Chinese Director on Savile Row in its over two-hundred-year history. Established in 1917, Welsh & Jefferies represents the highest standard of tailoring and outfitting available in the Savile Row Bespoke Association.
Meng ZHANG
Founder and CEO of Meng (UK)
Mrs. Zhang is Founder and CEO of London-based luxury fashion and lifestyle brand Meng, which is stocked in some of the most prestigious global retailers including Harrods, Net-A-Porter, Selfridges and Neiman Marcus. Before founding Meng, she had worked as Country Director for Zara in China and headed the Buying and Marketing teams for Chanel and Lane Crawford. Meng has studied at LBS, London College of Fashion and Royal College of Art. She travels extensively and is based between London and Shanghai.
Session 5 - Young Leaders: Talents with World Visions
Prof. Guy S. LIU
Head of Peking University HSBC Business School (UK)
Before joining Peking University HSBC Business School (UK) as the Head, Prof. Liu was a professor in Brunel University, a visiting professor at Leiden University, an honoured professor at the School of Management of Fudan University, and an adjunct professor of Sichuan University. In addition to lecturing at Oxford and Leiden Universities, Prof. Liu also advises Chinese enterprise reforms for both the British and Chinese governments. He is also a regular commentator on China’s economic and business affairs for the BBC.
Gary MILLER (Moderator)
Head of Asia Desk at Mishcon de Reya LLP (UK)
Mr. Miller is Head of the Asia Desk at Mishcon de Reya. He has been advising clients on international asset protection and preservation issues for over 40 years. Throughout his time in Asia, he advised Chinese-speaking HNWs in relation to protecting and preserving their assets.
Ruth LAU
Managing Director of Great China Partners Ltd; Partner of Asiability Consulting; Partner of Trinity Technology Investment (UK)
Ms. Lau has earned her reputation through a varied 16+ year career history spanning industries including law, education, charity, banking and consulting. Ruth has a vision and passion to bridge China with the rest of the world and co-founded the Eastern Blossoms network in 2013. Ruth was recognised in the Financial Times top 5 EMpower Ethnic Minority Leaders list in 2017.
Monica LIN
Managing Partner of Hywin Wealth LLP (UK)
Ms. Lin is an experienced investment management professional and a versatile business leader with a strong background in investment appraisals, merger & acquisitions and business strategy. She has significant private equity experience and has held senior positions at KPMG, Deloitte and Zion Capital where she led deal origination and execution in EMEA.
Qun YANG
Executive Director of Wo+Men's Leadership Centre at Cambridge Judge Business School (UK)
Ms. Yang is Co-Founder of Biorbyt, a biotech company in Cambridge and is a partner in an investment advisory firm in London. She is also the Cambridge city head of the ICAEW society and a frequent contributor to the UK Treasury and Bank of England consultation projects. Qun is passionate about promoting women and minority career development in the business world.
Lin YUE
Executive Director of Goldman Sachs Asset Management (UK)
Ms. Yue is responsible for managing key relationships across the UK institutional investor base at Goldman Sachs. She was the winner of the "Excellence in Banking" award at the Chinese Business Leaders Awards 2016 and has also been recognized in Brummell’s 2017 list of the most inspirational women in the City of London. She is an advocate for enhancing diversity and inclusion and is a founding member and chair of the 48 Group Club Young Icebreakers.