Keynote Speaker

Charles 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.

Political Involvement
Mr. Loeffler has advised candidates in local, state and federal campaigns, and served in many capacities, from his early political years through the current presidential election, including acting as the:
• national chairman for Gov. Jon Huntsman’s presidential campaign
• national finance chairman for John McCain
• co-chairman, President’s Dinner
• South Texas co-chairman, Bush-Cheney
• national co-chairman, Republican National Committee’s Team 100
• national finance co-chairman, George W. Bush for President
• Texas regional finance chairman, George W. Bush for Governor
• national finance chairman, Phil Gramm for President
• national deputy finance chairman, Dole for President
• Texas finance co-chairman, George W. Bush for Governor
• Texas delegate to the Republican National Conventions
• national advisor to the Bush-Quayle Campaign
• Texas co-chairman, George H.W. Bush for President.

Practice & Background
Former U.S. Congressman Tom Loeffler has extensive experience with the federal government, including Congress, the executive branch and federal agencies. He also has broad experience in all levels of state and local government. Mr. Loeffler has represented clients and their interests in business strategy development and implementation, financial services, domestic and international taxation, health care, energy and utilities, national defense, advanced technology, recreation and entertainment, telecommunications, construction, environment, transportation, and trade and other international issues.
Public Service
Mr. Loeffler has a distinguished record of public service, including four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives (1979-1987) representing the 21st Congressional District of Texas. As such, he has served:
• in Republican leadership as deputy whip in his second term and as chief deputy during his third and fourth terms
• as a member of the Appropriations Committee (subcommittees on Interior and Military Construction), the Energy and Commerce Committee (subcommittees on Telecommunications and Energy and Power) and the Budget Committee
• as White House special assistant for legislative affairs to President Gerald R. Ford and legislative counsel to the late Sen. John Tower
• when called upon by President Ronald Reagan to serve as principal coordinator for Central America in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, in which capacity, his assistance in resolving sensitive foreign policy issues led to the development of the Wright-Reagan Plan for Central America
• Loeffler has a long-standing commitment to higher education and is a former member of the University of Texas System’s Board of Regents (1989-2001), and served in numerous capacities, including vice chairman and chairman of the board. Appointed by Gov. William P. Clements, he was reappointed to a second term by Gov. George W. Bush. In addition, he serves on The Chancellor’s Council of the University of Texas System, The University of Texas at Austin Development Board and The University of Texas Law School Foundation.

Awards & Accolades
• repeatedly named a Texas Super Lawyer, a distinction conferred upon only
5 percent of Texas attorneys
• named a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin (2003)
• named a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Texas School of Law (2002).

Professor Manson Fok is the Founding Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the Macau University of Science and Technology. Trained as a surgeon in Hong Kong and Edinburgh, he is committed to philanthropy and supporting public medical education. He is the President Emeritus of the Sino Phil Asia International Peace Foundation.

Mr. Neil Bush is an international businessman who is active in service. He serves as chairman of the Points of Light board of directors, the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation. He also serves on the advisory boards of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M, the Houston Salvation Army and the Asia Society Texas Center. Mr. Bush is a graduate from Tulane University and holds an M.B.A from Tulane’s Freeman School of Business.

Brian David Schweitzer (born September 4, 1955) is an American politician who served as the 23rd Governor of Montana from January 5, 2005, to January 7, 2013. Schweitzer served for a time as chair of the Western Governors Association as well as the Democratic Governors Association. He also served as President of the Council of State Governments.

Schweitzer was born in Havre, Montana, the fourth of six children of Kathleen Helen (née McKernan) and Adam Schweitzer. His paternal grandparents were ethnic Germans from Kuchurhan in the Odessa Oblast (then in Russia, now in Ukraine); his maternal grandparents were Irish. He is a first cousin, once removed, of entertainer Lawrence Welk (Schweitzer's paternal grandmother was Welk's aunt).

Following his high school years at Holy Cross Abbey, Canon City, Colorado in 1973, Schweitzer earned his bachelor of science degree in international agronomy from Colorado State University in 1978 and a master of science in soil science from Montana State University, Bozeman in 1980.

Upon finishing school, Schweitzer worked as an irrigation developer on projects in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. He spent several years working in Libya and Saudi Arabia, and speaks Arabic. He returned to Montana in 1986 to launch a ranching and irrigation business in Whitefish.

Bill Clinton appointed Schweitzer to the United States Department of Agriculture as a member of the Montana USDA Farm Service Agency Committee, where he worked for seven years. While working for the USDA, he was appointed to the Montana Rural Development Board (1996) and the National Drought Task Force.

Institute of Overseas Investment and Economic Cooperation, Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation of of Foreign Investment Institute, Ministry of Commerce PRC

Ph.D. in Economics, has been engaged in policy research in the field of foreign trade and economics since 2008. He has published more than 10 research results on renowned journals in the field of foreign trade and economics. In recent years, he has led and participated in many major studies of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

Called “one of the world’s reigning strategy gurus” by the Academy of International Business, Michael Enright is a world leading expert on competitiveness, national and regional economic development, and international business strategy. He is Professor at the University of Hong Kong, Director of Competitiveness Programs at the Hong Kong Institute for Economics and Business Strategy, and Co-Founder and Advisory Board Member of The Competitiveness Institute, a global professional body with affiliates in more than 100 nations. He is Director at Enright, Scott & Associates, an economic and strategic consultancy, an Independent Non-Executive Director of Johnson Electric Holdings, and a former faculty member of the Harvard Business School.

Professor Enright has directed major reviews of the competitiveness of more than 20 economies on five continents and has co-authored or co-edited fifteen books, including China Into the Future: Making Sense of the World’s Most Dynamic Economy, The Greater Pearl River Delta, Regional Powerhouse: The Greater Pearl River Delta and the Rise of China, The Hong Kong Advantage, Australia: From Lucky Country to Competitive Country, Studies in Swiss Competitiveness, Venezuela: The Challenge of Competitiveness, and Upgrading New Zealand’s Competitive Advantage. His work on competitiveness and on the economies of Hong Kong and China has been featured in Asian Business, Asia Inc, the Asian Wall Street Journal, Business Times, BusinessWeek, The Economist, the Far Eastern Economic Review, the Financial Times, Fortune, the Harvard Business Review, Newsweek, the South China Morning Post, the Straits Times, Time, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, WorldLink, the Yale Review of Books, and many others. His Developing China: The Remarkable Impact of Foreign Direct Investment, sponsored by the Hinrich Foundation (https://hinrichfoundation.com/trade-research/fdi-in-china/), is a comprehensive and ground-breaking study of foreign investment in China and its impact on China’s economy. Most recently, he has completed a nine-month study of the Greater Bay Area sponsored by the 2022 Foundation (http://www.2022foundation.com/publications.html).

Professor Enright received his A.B. (with honors), his M.B.A. (with distinction), and his Ph.D. (in Business Economics as a Dean’s Doctoral Fellow) all from Harvard University. Before coming to Asia in 1996, Enright spent six years as a Professor in the Competition and Strategy Group at the Harvard Business School, where he helped found the modern school of competitiveness analysis.

Welcome Remarks

Special Advisor, President George H. W. Bush China-U.S. Relations Foundation
Winner of 2017 Oslo Business for Peace Award, Awarded by the Committee of Nobel Laureates in Peace and Economics
Among less than 20 individuals to be awarded the Thomas Jefferson Initiated “Peace Through Commerce Medal” by the U.S. Government since its inception in 1790 and the only person in history to have been awarded both the Oslo Business for Peace Award and the Peace Through Commerce Medal.
Among 228 individuals from around the world to have been nominated and subsequently shortlisted in March 2016 by the Nobel Committee for consideration for the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize.
President, the American Chamber of Commerce in South China
President, Allelon Energy Partners
Visiting Scholar, Jinan University, PRC

In August 2018, Dr. Harley Seyedin was appointed as the Special Advisor to Chairman at President George H. W. Bush China-U.S. Relations Foundation.

On March 28, 2017, Dr. Harley Seyedin and Elon Musk won the 2017 Oslo Business for Peace Award. The selection was made by an independent committee of Nobel Prize winners in Peace and Economics in closed-door meetings. The Committee chose the recipients from a pool of nominees from over 40 countries put forward by the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

Each Year, the Business for Peace Award is presented at the end of a two-day celebration entitled “Business for Peace Summit” in May in Oslo, Norway. The ceremony takes place in Oslo City Hall, the same location as that of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. In addition to a Welcome Reception and Gala Dinner, hosted by HRH Crown Prince Haakon and HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit, the Summit also hosts the Business for Peace Roundtable. Some of the confirmed speakers are Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Adam Grant (Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania), Brett Wigdortz (Teach First), George Serafeim (Harvard), Martin Sandbu (Financial Times) and William MacAskill (Oxford).

Dr. Harley Seyedin was among 228 individuals from around the world to have been nominated and subsequently shortlisted in March 2016 by the Nobel Committee for consideration for the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize. Other individuals considered include Pope Francis, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Columbian President Juan Manuel Santos who was ultimately awarded the prize on October 7, 2016.

Dr. Harley Seyedin is the most recent recipient of the "Peace through Commerce Medal" originally initiated by Thomas Jefferson in 1790 when he was the first Secretary of State of the United States. Harley is among less than 20 individuals to receive this Medal in the 228 years since its inception. This Medal is the highest honor awarded to an individual by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Martin Maciak leads Renminbi (‘RMB’) initiatives in the Americas for Global Banking and formal Capital Financing at HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC), one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organizations.

Based in New York City, he serves as Chairman of the U.S. RMB Steering Committee. In this role, he assists clients with Asian & RMB related business in the Sino-Americas corridors.

Maciak leads the articulation, coordination and execution of HSBC’s China-related business strategy for Banking clients in the Americas.

Maciak has more than 18 years of management experience and has worked in various departments within HSBC. He joined HSBC in 2001 from Morgan Stanley.

Maciak holds a Master’s degree from New York University.

Panel Speaker

David C Buxbaum who was born in New York, has been primarily resident in Asia since 1963, in China since 1972; and in Mongolia from 1990. Mr. Buxbaum has a BA (NYU), JD (University of Michigan), MA (University of Washington) and a PhD (University of Washington), the latter two degrees in Asian law, with a specialty in Chinese law. Mr. Buxbaum was a fellow at Harvard University of 1962-1963. Mr. Buxbaum left academic life where he taught law, including Chinese law in the USA and Singapore, to join the law firm of Anderson, Mori & Rabinowitz as a junior partner in 1968, where he worked primarily on joint ventures for American companies in Japan and on Hong Kong legal matters. In 1970, Mr. Buxbaum formed the Asian offices of the predecessor of the firm, Anderson & Anderson, LLP, and continued to be active in USA legal practice, particularly in corporate finance, securities and commodities fields.

Mr. Buxbaum is fluent in both oral and written Chinese. He was the first American lawyer invited to China to represent American business interests in 1972, after President Nixon’s historic visit. He founded the firm’s first office in Guangzhou (Canton). Subsequently, the predecessor firm opened offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Xiamen, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Chengdu and Mongolia and closely affiliated offices in Bombay, India. Mr. Buxbaum is a well regarded expert on private international and Asian law who, in addition to being an experienced and highly respected practitioner, has also published extensively in the field. He was originally the primary author and reviser of the China Law, Mongolia Law and Macau Law Digests for the Martindale-Hubbell directory until 2007.

In addition to international transactional matters and work in the securities and commodities fields, Mr. Buxbaum, is also professionally active in litigation, particularly regarding international business disputes, intellectual property and commodities and securities matters. He represented the successful respondents before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case ofButz v Economou 438 U.S. 478 (1978) successfully handled a leading IP case in China, namely Microsoft vs Juren (Zhong jing zhi chu zi No.586, 1994), which trial was broadcast nationally in China; and he has been active in litigation and arbitration in China, Japan, Mongolia, USA, and Hong Kong.

Education:
2002 – 2010 University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia – Doctor of Education
1998 – 1999 The College of New Jersey, Spain – Master of Education in International and Overseas Administration and Supervision
1994 – 1995 University of London, England, UK – Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
1988 – 1990 University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia – Graduate Diploma. in Ed. Studies – Reading / English as a Second Language
1983 – 1987 Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia – Bachelor of Education – Liberal Studies
1978 – 1980 Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia – Diploma of Teaching – Commerce.

Professional Experience
2014/06 – present: Director, American International School of Guangzhou, Guangzhou, P. R. China
2011/06 – 2014/07: Director, Riffa Views International School, Riffa, Kingdom of Bahrain
2009/08 – 2011/06: High School Principal, American School of Dubai, United Arab Emirates
1999/08 – 2009/07: Middle School Principal (2001/08 – 2009/07), Assistant High School Principal/IB Diploma Programme Coordinator
(1999/08 – 2001/07), Shanghai American School, P. R. China
1997/08 – 1999/07: ELS Teacher, K-12 ESL/Modern Languages Coord., Exam. Coordinator, International School Monagas, Venezuela
1990/08 – 1997/07: Elementary Classroom Teacher, K-12 ESL Teacher, IB DP CAS Coordinator, Exam. Coordinator, ISStavanger, Norway
1990/01 – 1990/06: K-12 English Language Teacher, American Co-operative School, Monrovia, Liberia
1989/06 – 1989/12: English Language Teacher, Friundervisningen i Oslo (Adult Education), Norway
1988/12 – 1989/06: English Language Teacher, Oslo International Language Center (Adult Education), Norway
1986/01 – 1988/07: English as a Second Language Teacher Trainer, Ministry of Education, Colombo, Sri Lanka
1985/01 – 1985/12: Commerce Teacher (Accounting), St. Thomas More College, Brisbane, Australia
1984/01 – 1984/12: Commerce Teacher, Sunnybank State High School, Brisbane, Australia
1981/01 – 1983/12: Commerce Teacher/Subject Area Coordinator, Goondiwindi State High School, Goondiwindi, Queensland, Australia

Dr. Billy Chan is Director of the Center for Professional Medical Development at Faculty of Medicine at the Macau University of Science and Technology. Dr. Chan has dedicated his life to medical education and peace, and is the Founding Chairman of the Sino Phil Asia International Peace Foundation.

Ricky Cai is the President of Precursor Management, Inc. (PMI).PMI is a financial company based in the United States that provides a full range of investment banking services.Its wholly-owned branches are located in the US, China, and Canada.The fund portfolio currently managed by the company is mainly concentrated in the industries of the mining, real estate, culture,and high-growth new energy, and provides a wide range of investment banking services for numerous corporate clients. PMI’s been managing funds:1. are private equity funds with assets of US$300 million focusing on the financial industry; 2. asset management companies managing real estate investmentof over RMB18 billion; 3. are investment fundswith assets of RMB3 billion focusing on development of the cultural industry. PMI invests in three major sectors in China: agriculture, cultural industry and its supporting real estate construction, and investment for domestic companies before and during listing.In the agricultural sector, PMI has a direct cooperation with the first tier subsidiary of the Association of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives.China National Agricultural Means Of Production Group Corporation, China Cooperation Real Estate Coperation ]and its wholly-owned subsidiaries during overseas listing. PMI also cooperates with Supply and Marketing Cooperatives in Guangdong, Sichuan, Hebe, and Hubei with a cumulative investment of HK$2 billion.In the cultural sector, PMI cooperates with Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Guangdong Cultural Department, Shanghai Education Bureau, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Liaoning Cultural Department and Liaoning Symphony Orchestra, and participates in public charity performances and local cultural construction projects, totaling RMB150 million.In the financial sector, PMI helps state-owned enterprises n the overseas listing, investing HK$3 billion in Supply and Marketing Cooperative,Qilu Securities, China National Salt Industry Group Minsheng E-Commerce, China Union Pay,and the subordinate companies of Hubei Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.Moreover, PMI is an active agent in various charitable activities. Every year, PMI donates a total of RMB5 million to various medical institutions [The University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Public Hospital Brain Stroke Research Center, etc.], and the compulsory rural education for kindergarten teachers[Sun Yat-sen University Kindergartens, Guangzhou Kindergarten, etc.]

James Eric (Jay) Black is the Schumann Endowed Professor and Chair of the Mercer University Department of Journalism and Media Studies. He has earned a Ph.D. in Public Communication (2012) from Georgia State University, an MA in Journalism Management (1998) from the University of Kansas School of Journalism, and a BS in Broadcast Communications (1987) from Mercer University of Atlanta. Jay has also been teaching part time for the past five years during at the International School of Jinan University where he awarded Permanent Visiting Scholar status. He is the author of Walt Kelly and Pogo: The Art of the Political Swamp, has edited or contributed chapters in several academic books, and his work has been published numerous times in several major academic journals. Jay has also contributed greatly to the 2018 and 2019 editions, and is currently working on the 2020 edition of the White Paper on the Business Environment in China for the American Chamber of Commerce in South China. He also contributes to the AmCham South China’s South China Business Journal.

Malcolm is the Co-Founder of Bay-X, a platform founded to foster innovations within the Greater Bay Area. Through the bridging of service partners, office venues, financial institutions and local authorities, Bay-X provides the foundation needed for young entrepreneurs to explore and maximize their potentials within the GBA region.

Malcolm became the CFO of the startup incubator, Studio Twelve, since 2017. And he has been active in the innovation scene of the Greater Bay Area ever since. He is also the founder of Baysight, a Hong Kong based NGO that assists youths from across the world to settle within the GBA.

Prior to joining Studio Twelve, Malcolm had been an equity derivatives trader in Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking and BOCOM International Securities Ltd.. In addition to the trading floor, he had worked in the corporate finance department of ICBC(Asia).

Malcolm holds a bachelor degree in finance from University of Toronto.

Joe is a managing director of both Duff & Phelps and DP International Appraisal Limited, who leads the valuation services for China requirements such as tax filing, financial reporting, state-owned enterprises related transactions, joint ventures, initial public offering, etc. for both multinational and Chinese domestic clients. He is responsible for financial consulting services and business development in relation to multinational corporations’ inbound investments and Chinese enterprises’ foreign listings and acquisitions. Joe has successfully served many multinational companies and Chinese domestic companies with valuation, and consulting services for merger and acquisition, stock listing, due diligence, financial reporting, joint venture and other purposes.

Joe had been a part-time professor at Peking University and the tutor of a master program of Valuation at Zhongnan University of Economics and law. He has been often invited to speak for the Chinese government and governmental/regulatory authorities, chambers of commerce, professional bodies, stock exchanges, and media organizations. Joe is also active in the international and Chinese business communities. Joe had served as the Co-Chair of IPR Committee of American Chamber of Commerce in South China and has been the Governor of American Chamber of Commerce in South China since 2003. In Jan 2012, Joe was awarded a certificate by the U.S. Department of Commerce for his contribution to Sino-U.S. trade.

Education:
Master of Business Administration, Southern Cross University, Australia
Doctor of Business Administration, University of Newcastle, Australia

Professional Affiliations:
The International Association of Registered Financial Planners (IRFP)
Institute of Financial Accountants (FFA)
Institute of Public Accountants (FIPA)
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS)
The International Association of Consultants, Valuators and Analysts (ICVS)

Charles is the Managing Director of Vaian Group (International) Company Limited. Starting as a leather goods manufacturer in Macau almost 70 years ago, Vaian has transformed into a diversified trading firm investing and managing manufacturing operations in leather goods, air filtering and food/beverages.

From 2016, Charles enhanced his equity involvement in MACAU BEER Company Limited and assumed the title of Co-Chairman of the company. MACAU BEER has 23 years of history and is a joint venture of Mr. Choy and KIRIN Holding of Japan with its brewing operation in Zhuhai High Tech Zone.

Charles is also the Special Advisor of MGM China Holding and Director of Sichuan Vincci Group.

Charles is the Chairman Emeritus of AmCham Macau. He is a founding member of the Chamber and has served as Chairman for 2 terms. Charles was appointed Economic Advisor of Sichuan Provincial Government in 2017 and the Executive Director and Deputy Director-General of the Strategy Research Committee of the
Macao Chamber of Commerce.

Charles holds a bachelor’s degree of economics from the University of Chicago.

Mr. Robert Chu is currently the Managing Director, at FedEx China. In this role, he is responsible for FedEx Northern & Southern China Operation business. His role is to plan, organize, direct and control the development and implementation of operational tactics and strategies for operation. His scopes of work also require him to train, select, direct and oversee operation in the regions. Prior to assuming his current duties, Robert was served as Managing Director for Southern China from January 2007 – May 2009.
Robert has been working and living in Guangzhou for over 10 years and have a deep insight & tight into the city. He was actively participated in the planning and launching the FedEx Asia-Pacific Hub in 2009 by relocating the Hub from Subic Bay, Philippine to Guangzhou. As the Managing Director for FedEx China, Robert has been actively participating in meeting and seminars organized by AmCham South China to promote US & China bilateral relationship and support global trading.
Robert has been with FedEx over 20 years and started his carrier at Oakland, California. He has extensive experience in USA and Hong Kong, and is currently based at Guangzhou, China.

Books:

• Editor, Dragon Outback: Ways China’s Rise Benefits Australia (2019 Forthcoming)

• Senior Editor, Hangzhou At A Glance, by China Commercial Press for G20 in Hangzhou, 2016 (Interviewed Jack Ma/ Authored several business chap-ters/Coordinated editorial team)


Asia-Pacific Reporting:

• Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Is-lands, China, Hawai’i, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singa-pore, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam


Education:

• M.A., Asia-Pacific History, University of Hawaii, Manoa, 2002
• B.A., Anthropology and History, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1997

Walter Dias is the Managing Director of Greater China and Korea, Sales for United Airlines. He is responsible for the development and execution of sales and promotion programs, advertising, and public relations for United Airlines in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea. Previously, he was the Managing Director-Greater China and Southeast Asia for Continental Airlines which also covered offshore sales in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. He has been responsible for the Hong Kong market since 1993 and led Continental’s Pacific efforts in launching the airline’s first trans-Pacific flight from Greater China in 2001 from Hong Kong nonstop to New York. Dias opened Continental’s first office in China in Beijing in 2005 and developed Continental’s China sales team, distribution network and promotional programs to support Continental’s first route from Mainland China, the Beijing - New York daily nonstop service, in 2005. He also helped launch the airline’s second daily nonstop service from mainland China with a Shanghai and New York flight in 2009. Dias began his airline career in 1987 with Continental Airline’s finance division at the corporate headquarters in Houston, Texas. He moved to Guam in 1993 as Director of Marketing for Continental Micronesia, Continental’s wholly owned subsidiary in the Pacific. In 1995, he became Staff Vice President of Sales and Marketing responsible for Continental Micronesia’s sales and marketing efforts in Japan, Guam, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Southeast Asia and Micronesia. Prior to joining Continental, Dias worked in the Finance Division of Gearhart Industries and Geosource Inc., and for the accounting firm of Price Waterhouse. Dias currently serves as ex-officio Governor on the Board of Governors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong representing over 800 companies across 40 different nationalities. He also currently serves as Chairman of the American Chamber Charitable Foundation. He previously served as Chairman of AmCham Hong Kong during 2016 and 2017.

Mr. Dias is also a Director of China Aircraft Service Limited in Hong Kong. He was the Chairman for the Visit USA Committee, which promotes tourism to the U.S. in Hong Kong, as well as a member of the American Chamber of Commerce in China. He was an Executive Board Member of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). Previous to his move to Hong Kong in 2009, he was
Executive Biography




Walter Dias
Managing Director
Greater China & Korea , Sales United
an active participant on several marketing committees in the Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB). He previously served four terms as a Director in GVB’s Board of Directors, and was chairman of GVB’s Market Research committee. Also, previously he chaired GVB’s China Asia Marketing committee, and North America, Pacific and Armed Forces marketing committee from 2003 to 2005. He also served on the board of the Guam Visitor Industry Education Council. He received a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Pennsylvania State University and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. He and his wife, Sonya, reside in Hong Kong.

Joseph Dowd is the President of LOGCOR. Established January 2015 and headquartered in Florida, USA LOGCOR has a primary focus on contracting within the Logistics industry – Government and Commercial, Domestic and International.

Joseph also serves as Vice President with the American Chamber of Commerce in Okinawa (AmCham Okinawa / ACCO) as well as Committee Chair representing the Chamber with the Asia Pacific Council of American Chambers of Commerce (APCAC).

Prior to establishing LOGCOR, Joseph served in the US Air Force (USAF). Serving in numerous world-wide locations during a 26-year career, Joseph retired from the USAF in 2011 and began to build the corporate team that evolved into LOGCOR.

Joseph is also part of a diverse network as a licensed Real Estate Agents based in Florida. As a Real Estate Agent, Joseph assists with bridging residential and commercial sales and procurement for both domestic and international clients and partners.

Joseph currently holds several degrees, certificates, and licenses:
Master of Science in International Relations, Troy University;
Bachelor of Science in Psychology, University of Maryland University College;
Associate in Applied Science, Aircraft & Missile Maintenance, United States Air Force;
Professional Manager Certificate, United States Air Force;
Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic Certification, Federal Aviation Administration;

Aaron is the Associate Director leading the Business Development efforts for South China Mainland Tax & Legal Services based in the Guangzhou office. Aaron is also supporting the China CFO, Tax & Legal Services, on financial reporting needs. Before joining Deloitte, Aaron was the Greater China Group Tax Manager for Procter & Gamble. In 10 years with Procter & Gamble, Aaron performed a multitude of roles including Transfer Pricing, Indirect Tax, Tax Controversy, Tax Planning, and M&A. Aaron was the Asia Leader for the divestiture of the Pringles business. Aaron has 20 years of tax experience including 15 years in China.  He provides tax consulting services, including tax planning for group re-organization and corporate restructuring, to international corporations with investments in Hong Kong and China, as well as the Chinese corporation with outbound investments in different countries.
 
Aaron is a licensed CPA in California and has obtained a Masters in Business Taxation from the University of Southern California.
 
Aaron is the Co-Chair of the Membership Committee of AmCham South China and is a frequent speaker at chambers and educational institutions. Aaron is currently serving as Treasurer of the Board of Governors of The American International School of Guangzhou where he was previously the Chairman of the Board.

Lancelot Guo is a VP of Alibaba Group, currently leading the business strategy and marketing for Alibaba Cloud. In this role, Lancelot is responsible for Alibaba Cloud’smarketing strategy, government and public relationships, business operations intelligence and corporate investmentsdriving the evolution ofAlibaba Cloud from an IaaS centric company to a digital economy enabler.

Prior to Alibaba, he was the VP of Strategy for IBM Greater China and VP for Watson Health BU in the Greater China region. He led IBM China’s business transformation programs to bring cloud, AI and blockchain technologies to the China market. Previously Lancelot was a senior partner in the IBM GBS business responsible for telecommunication, media, energy and utility sectors. He has successfully completed a number of major transformational business and technical programs for his clients.

Before IBM, Lancelot worked at Accenture, Portal Software, and Microsoft in the US, Japan, and China.

Lancelot has participated inmany industry forums as a speaker as well aspublishing multiple articles which have driven the thought leadership within the industry. He has also given lectures as part of the EMBA programs at Hong Kong Technology University, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business and Shanghai Jiao Tong University amongst others.

Lancelot graduated from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and holds a Mastersin Computer Networking, a Bachelor of Computer Science, and Bachelor of Industry Management degrees.

Sam Ho is the Managing Director of the International Federation Against Copyright Theft (Greater China) Limited.

Ho established the MPA’s Hong Kong Anti-Piracy Program in February 1997 and was
appointed to be the Managing Director and General Manager of the Hong Kong Office until September 2018. Ho assists the Regional President and Senior Regional Executives to provide logistic and technical supports to the MPA’s Programs in China and Taiwan.

On October 1, 2018, Ho is appointed as the Managing Director of the International Federation Against Copyright Theft (Greater China) Limited. His social services include:
Founder and Hon. President, International Federation Of Creativity And Technology Limited;
Vice Chairman (Supervisory), Movie Producers and Distributors Association Limited of Hong Kong;
Hon. Secretary, Hong Kong Creative Industries Association Limited; and Director, Intellectual Property Right Protection Alliance Limited

Ho holds two MBA degrees from Newport University and is also the Life Member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (USA). He served in the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police as a Chief Inspector for nearly three decades.

Ho is a frequent speaker at IPR seminars and symposiums. He is based in Hong Kong.

Education:
David obtained his M.A, Physics from UC, Berkeley, CA. and his Ph.D, Physics from UCLA /USC, CA.

Experience:
Since 1982, David has served as CEO in Dahon North American, Inc. Prior to his role in Dahon, he served as Board Director in TW Bicycle R/D Lab TW during 1990-1996. In 1982, he was a consultant at TW Science Academy & ITRI. He was also a visiting scientist in Science Academy, Taiwan & China in 1979. During 1966-1972, he served as an ASS’T PROF’ of California State U.

Publications:
David has published a lot. In 1975, he coauthored Laser Handbook. He also has numerous patents, several on high power laser, 300+ on bikes.

Associations:
Dr. David remains active in many associations. He is Governor of AmCham south China, Director of China Bicycle ASS., and Vice Chairman of Guangdong Bicycle ASS.

Honors:
David has received many awards. In 1993, he received Twinventor’s Award, Sliver, and in 2014, he was nominated for Life-Time Service Award by UC Berkeley.

James Kim became Chairman and CEO of AMCHAM Korea on July 1, 2017. Prior to AMCHAM, Mr. Kim served as Chairman, CEO and President of GM Korea. Mr. Kim is a Korean-American who is passionate about promoting the commercial interests between the United States and Korea.
At GM Korea, Mr. Kim was responsible for the total operations with 17,000 employees (sales, manufacturing, distribution and design) in Korea. Mr. Kim also had oversight responsibilities with GM’s joint venture operations in Uzbekistan.
Mr. Kim transitioned to GM Korea in June 2015 from Microsoft Korea, where he had served as Country Manager and CEO starting February 2009. His previous roles include CEO of Yahoo! Korea and Asia Regional Vice President of Overture (a wholly owned subsidiary of Yahoo).
Prior to Yahoo, Mr. Kim worked predominantly in the United States, where he was the Managing Partner at Palisades Advisors, based in New York from 2001 to 2005. Prior to Palisades, he held other positions including CEO at Corcoran.com, CEO of Vivien International and National Marketing Manager at AT&T.
Mr. Kim serves as Independent Director of iClick Interactive (NASDAQ: ICLK) and is also active on organizations that promote the success of the Korean economy. Mr. Kim serves on the boards of the Korea-U.S. Economic Council (KUSEC) and the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone (BJFEZ). In 2017, Mr. Kim became Vice Chairman of the Korean-American Association (KAA). He also serves as a member of the Advisory Commission of the ROK-U.S. Alliance Foundation.
Mr. Kim holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University. As an avid tennis player, he enjoys competitive sports.

Former: Member of the Election Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in 2016

Current:
Standing Committee Member and Chairman of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Committee at the Former: Member of the Election Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in 2016

Current:
Standing Committee Member and Chairman of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Committee,
Honorary President of Hong Kong Young Industrialists Council,
Honorary President of Hong Kong Watch Manufacturers Association,
Honorary President of Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China-Guangdong,
Honorary President of Dongguan City Association of Enterprise with Foreign Investment,
Board Member of China Overseas Friendship Association,
Advisor of Asia Pacific Research Center, Washington DC, USA

Harry has 27 years of professional experience over a broad range of industries in the Asia Pacific region in Private, Multinational, Start-Up and Advisory environments. Harry is well versed in Oriental cultures, speaks Cantonese and communicate well in Mandarin. Harry also has adapted to understanding Far Eastern business practices and customs with a strong focus on China. Industries involved in span Real Estate Development and Management, Education, Energy, Performance Autos – entry to South China Market (Ferrari, Maserati, Porsche, Rolls Royce), Hospitality / Food & Beverages Development, Hotel Development, Education and Independent Advisory. Currently Harry is with Standard Chartered Bank in the capacity of Business Alignment and independently advises companies / private investors on a case by case basis.

Matt has vast experience in the field of journalism. Having been a professional sports reporter in the UK, he moved to Guangzhou in 2003. He is the course leader for the University of Central Lancashire for the programme in International Journalism in partnership with Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, (GDUFS). He hosts ‘Face Time for GRT World channel and ‘My Guangdong’ for Radio Guangdong. Committed to giving back to the community, Matt is also a part of Guangdong International Volunteer Ex-pat Service (GIVES) organization. He is a regular host for BritCham events including British Day. Through his witty and inquisitive nature he is the perfect MC for the Women in Business event.

Royal Service Air Conditioning Corp. is a wholly owned USA based company. Royal Service group has been established in China since 1995, expanding its operation to Shanghai, Xiamen, and Beijing and now Asia Pacific. Royal will continue to promote energy efficient Air Conditioning building design as it continues positive business growth. Tom serves as the group director, in charge of International business and systems operation for China. Royal group includes Royal industries manufacturing, Royal Project group and services Asia Pacific and the USA markets. Tom has served on the Board of Directors since 2002 and as an officer of the board serving as Secretary since 2004.

Royal group promotes American engineering and product throughout Asia Pacific. He has enjoyed working with the American Chamber of Commerce serving not only large businesses but small and medium sized business.

Joe has been a key member of the South China business community and AmCham member since 2007, holding management roles in both multinational and SME companies operating in China. In addition to serving as an AmCham Representative, in 2015, Joe was appointed as Chairman of the AmCham South China's Texas-China Investment Delegation Organizing Committee, tasked with promoting bilateral trade between Texas and China. Joe is also Co-Chair of the Legal and Policy Committee of AmCham South China.

Joe currently Serves as Managing Director of GreenPro Capital Group (NASDAQ: GRNQ) a US listed multinational financial services company headquartered in Hong Kong with offices in Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Bangkok, Singapore, Brisbane, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

With more than 30 years of experience in the finance industry, GreenPro focuses on Corporate Advisory, Venture capital, Trust Asset Protection, Fund asset management and Wealth Management. GreenPro has grown from a small accounting firm over ten years and has become an expert in cross-border listing, tax planning and corporate restructuring to serve its regional clients.

Prior to joining GreenPro, Joe served as Associate Director of a multi-national financial services firm enabling companies to operate their corporate structures, finance vehicles and investment funds globally. In addition to working closely with investment funds and high-net worth individuals, Joe lead the Pearl River delta regions commercial direction, providing solutions and compliance for companies investing in China and Chinese outbound investment.

Joe also has a solid legal background, working with leading PRC law firm, Wang Jing & Co. assisting foreign clients with legal issues in China. Joe developed and managed legal projects in coordination with Chinese lawyers to drive to completion corporate investment transactions including; liquidation, employment, intellectual property protection/enforcement, commercial negotiations and dispute resolution. Joe has acted on behalf of various foreign investments in Guangdong province to create legal entities and to advise on operating in South China.

In 2011, Joe served as Project Manager of an international consortium, including the Hamburg Port Training Institution (HPTI) and a prominent German Transportation firm, with the backing of a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Tim has served as the Club Manager of Plaza Golf Club since September 2011 after serving as their Director of Operations from 1999-2002. Harbour Plaza Golf Club, a 27-Hole Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed championship golf course, is the centerpiece of Hutchison Whampoa’s premier residential community in Dongguan, Laguna Verona.

Tim served as the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce, South China from 2002-2006 during which, AmCham became the fastest growing chamber in the world, a title that it still holds today. Tim has also served on the AmCham Board of Governors since 2010.

Tim is a graduate of the University of Texas at San Antonio with Bachelor of Arts in History and has also been a member of the Professional Golfers Association of America since 1989.

In Jan 2012, as the governor of the board, Tim was awarded a certificate by US Department of Commerce for his contribution to Sino-US trade.

Bruce is former CEO of Bank Privee Edmond de Rothschild- Hong Kong and has 27 years of experience in wealth management and finance with assignments in New York, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Geneva.
He is a graduate of Princeton University and holds an M.B.A. and Masters Degree in Agricultural Economics. He speaks fluent English, French, and Mandarin Chinese

Mr. Tim Wen, with rich experience on multi-industry, including bank, IT, catering, personal service etc., is the member of board of directors of several non-profit organizations in America, with over 20 years' experience on trade and investment between China and America. Mr. Wen has been invited to be the director of China Chamber of International Commerce Guangzhou Branch and the senior consultant of Fuzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce and Bureau of Merchants. Mr. Wen has been devoted to the mutual development of the middle and small-sized enterprises from China and America, and has introduced about 100 American enterprises to invest in China, with a total investment amount of $100,000,000. Mr. Wen won the recognition from the governments and associations in China and America repeatedly, and in 2011 was awarded the Special Award of Merit by the US Department of Commerce for his distinguished contribution.

He is:
One of the Founders of American Products and Services Center
CEO of Allway Group USA and Chief Delegate of Allway Group USA in China
Treasurer of the American Chamber of Commerce in South China
President of American Wine Import Association
Senior Consultant of Fuzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce and Bureau of Merchants
Former Chief Representative of Economy and Trade of Tacoma WA in China

David Wong is the Head of Strategic Research of Invest Hong Kong. He is responsible for, among other things, supporting for research needs for external customers and monitoring investment trends and economic development, such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and articulate them in a business-friendly manner. Prior to joining Invest Hong Kong, he worked at a local think-tank for 11 years on projects related to the economic development on Hong Kong.

David holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Hong Kong and Bachelor of Business Administration from York University, Canada.