CTI Conference Speakers

Mr. Wee Theng Tan is CEO of Hughes & Tan. Wee Theng played a key role in Intel's $2.5-billion semiconductor fabrication plant in Dalian, and in their bold initiative of putting a highly sophisticated Test and Assembly factory in Chengdu. Consequently, he rose to the top Intel position in China and now advises several China city mayors. The central government accorded him (and Robert Mandell, Nobel Prize winner), permanent residence status. His latest passion is in Executive Coaching, Organizational Coaching, and helping others to be successful and significant. Wee Theng now spends most of his time between office locations in Beijing, Hong Kong and his homeland, Singapore.

Ms. Helen Zhang is Managing Director of the consulting group, ChinaTime Inc., based in Beijing. She is also author of Thinking Like Chinese. Helen grew up in China, worked in Bain & Company, and was involved in investment banking at Citigroup in Australia, and relocated back to Beijing seven years ago, consults to Chinese businesses going global and Western businesses entering China.

Mr. Lawrence Allen, Leadership Consultant with Heidrick & Struggles, 20-year veteran of building global brands in the Greater China Region, and author of Chocolate Fortunes, a new book chronicling the past quarter-century battle between the global titans of chocolate to introduce chocolate to China. Lawrence's invited speakers include Mr. Michael Wong, Regional VP-Asia Pacific, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. (retired); Mr. David Guo, Chairman, Beijing Heidrick & Struggles International Management Consulting Company; and Ms. Judy Chen, Head of HR & Training, Nestle Greater China Region.

Ms. Roberta Lipson, CEO of Chindex, is an active member of the business community in Beijing for over 20 years. Ms. Lipson sits on the Board of Directors of AMCHAM-China and on the Board of Directors of the U.S.-China Business Council, and Chairs the Board of the United Foundation for Chinese Orphans. Ms. Lipson co-founded Chindex in 1981, the company has expanded from its core business of capital medical equipment sales and marketing to medical consumables, healthcare related consumer products and, most recently, healthcare delivery. Ms. Lipson has been the creative force behind the Beijing United Family Hospital and the United Family Hospitals concept, and has been central to the implementation of the projects. Chindex International (NASDAQ:CHDX)

Mr. Alistair Nicholas is an adviser to leading Multi-National Corporations and State Owned Enterprises on brand development and positioning, corporate reputation and communications strategies, and crisis management in China. Currently a member of the board of the Beijing Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators; past Board Member of Australian Chamber of Commerce in China, and former Vice-President Asia-Pacific Region of the Public Relations Organisation International. Alistair is a frequent commentator in foreign and Chinese media on issues in relation to doing business and crisis management in China.

Mr. Andrew Hupert, President of China Solved, runs a Shanghai consultancy and is a prolific internet publisher of China-based intellectual resources for foreign corporations. His firm is laser focused on actionable solutions to real world problems that arise in China due to China's way of doing business. Andrew's particular talent is on improving the deal-making and negotiating skills of both local and multinational corporations. Andrew is also an Adjunct Professor at NYU in Shanghai and publisher of: ChinaSolved.com, ChineseNegotiation.com, and BestPracticesChina.com.

Mr. Gordon Zhang founded BEC Consulting to help foreign SMEs do business in China. Gordon's decade of experience working in an International Relations Department within the State Council gave him access and understanding to the interplay between policy and practice in trade which would never be accessable to foreign SMEs. During his years in the government office he had seen hundreds of cases where enthusiastic foreign business people found themselves mystified and frustrated. Mr. Zhang now collaborates with a number of foreign partners to coach his clients to set up their China operation.