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Julian Fisher
Co-founder of Venture EducationJulian is the co-founder of Venture Education, Chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in China and Chair of the Chamber's Education Forum.
Julian spent nearly a decade teaching history and history of art in Harrow Beijing (which he joined in its founding year) while also working as an IELTS examiner for the British Council.
In the latter job, speaking to thousands of Chinese students, he understood first hand the challenges that many of them faced in developing confidence, making ideas happen and moving beyond education to lead fulfilling and meaningful careers and lives. Then he met Zhubei and in the first year of Venture they talked. A lot. He leads the consultancy arm of Venture that supports schools, universities and education organisations to thrive in China.
Julian is the Chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in China and Chair of the Chamber’s Education Forum which includes driving initiatives such as Employability Week and the Young Professionals Development Programme. He is also a mentor for Durham University, former president of the China North Entrepreneurs’ Organization and a strategic advisor for the innovative edtech platform Globiliti. He graduated with a joint degree in History of Art from UCL and SOAS and has a masters in Antiques from UCLAN.
Lewis Neal
His Majesty's Trade Commissioner for China and Hong Kong at Department for Business and TradeAs one of 9 Trade Commissioners appointed by the British government to promote the UK in important global markets and the head of the Department for Business and Trade in China, Lewis is in charge of all bilateral trade issues. He works closely with His Majesty’s Ambassador in Beijing to promote UK trade and prosperity.
Lewis has held a range of senior roles within government. He was Director of Strategy in the Cabinet Office’s COVID-19 Taskforce in 2021 to 2022. Here he lead work on the government’s ‘Living with COVID-19 Strategy’ and worked closely with the devolved administrations.
As Director for Economic Diplomacy at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Lewis supported the creation of UK’s post-Brexit trading arrangements and championed the UK’s important role in international regulatory standards.
Lewis was previously National Security Director in the FCO supporting the Foreign Secretary on counter-terrorism, cyber and intelligence policy issues. Lewis has also acted as Staff Counsellor in the FCDO.
Earlier in his career Lewis had a number of roles in HM Treasury focusing on issues such as public spending, infrastructure and corporate and private finance issues. He has also worked as a Private Secretary to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Jayne Needham
Principal at The British School of Beijing, ShunyiJayne Needham is currently the Principal of The British School of Beijing, Shunyi, having joined Nord Anglia Education in China in 2021. Described as a lifelong learner and educator, Needham began her teaching career immediately after completing her mathematics degree. She brings more than three decades of experience in the education sector to her role. She also holds a Master’s degree in Education from Exeter University and the UK National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH). Her experience extends to educational leadership roles in International Schools in four different countries.
Chris Torrens
Managing Director Greater China of APCO WorldwideChris Torrens is a recognized expert on China’s geopolitical and compliance issues. As the Beijing-based managing director of APCO’s Greater China operations, Chris brings unique insights to support both multinational companies operating in China and Chinese companies going global, with a particular focus on political and regulatory risks.
Before joining APCO, Chris worked at Control Risks for 22 years, serving as partner in the Greater China and North Asia region. Before this role, Chris was based in London as the partner responsible for the geopolitical risk practice for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Chris previously worked as a Shanghai-based associate director in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ advisory practice and as the Hong Kong-based head of research at Batey Burn, a UK government relations and public affairs consultancy acquired by APCO in 1999.
Chris is a regular media commentator and has been interviewed by the BBC, CNN, CNBC, CGTN and Bloomberg. His articles have appeared in the Economist, Financial Times and specialist publications and his book, Doing Business in China, was published by The Economist Group in 2010.
Chris has lived in Greater China for more than 20 years. He holds an MBA from the China-Europe International Business School, a BA Honours degree in Modern Chinese Studies from Leeds University and speaks Mandarin.
Chris has served as vice-chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in China since 2022.
Rachel Tsang
Managing Director of British Chamber of Commerce in ChinaRachel Tsang is the Managing Director of the British Chamber of Commerce in China, driving the mission of fostering a strong British business community. With a background in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science and currently pursuing an MBA at Imperial College London, she has a deep understanding of the cultural and business landscape in China. Rachel's experience working in Beijing and her roots in Hong Kong enable her to forge strong connections between British and Chinese businesses.
Maxime Van 't Klooster
Operations and Strategy Director, Greater China of Acclime ChinaMaxime is a Partner at Acclime Group and Director Operation & Strategy at Acclime China. He has lived in China over 10 years after graduating with distinction from a master's degree in Organisational Management from Maastricht University in the Netherlands. Maxime has advised various companies (both SMEs and MNCs) on their operations, market entry strategy and overall feasibility of expanding to China.
Robert Xiao
Director, Beijing of The Economist Intelligence Corporate NetworkRobert Xiao is the Director of the Economist Intelligence Corporate Network (EICN) in Beijing. He is responsible for engaging in high-level dialogues with business and political leaders, providing insights on global macroeconomic trends and policy directions for Fortune 500 decision-makers to support their macro layout and business development in domestic and international markets.
Prior to joining EICN, Mr Xiao held positions as a lecturer, senior lecturer, PhD supervisor, and Deputy Director of the Impact Finance Hub at Monash University and Deakin Business School in Australia. His research mainly focused on the fields of corporate social responsibility, corporate governance, and economic and financial policy analysis related to the Chinese and US markets. He has authored multiple publications in Financial Times Top 50 Journals and been awarded major research grants jointly by the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and Chinese Academy of Social Science.
An educator at heart, Mr Xiao has always maintained a passion for tertiary teaching. He has more than a decade of experience teaching business courses, including Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Finance, and Bachelor of Commerce programmes at leading universities.
Mr Xiao obtained his Ph.D. in Finance from Monash University and graduated with honours (B.Com. Hons) from Monash Business School in 2008 as the highest-achieving student in his cohort. He has won multiple awards from Australian universities, including the Australian Postgraduate Awards granted by the Australian Federal Government.
Hugo Zhang
Senior Vice President at RELX ChinaHugo Zhang, Senior Vice President of RELX China, has extensive experience in publishing, professional information services, big data, and other related fields. He has worked for twelve years in publishing management for the Chinese central government. After joining RELX, he assumed the positions of Managing Director of Elsevier China (the Scientific, Technical, and Medical market segment of RELX) and Co-President of LexisNexis Risk Solutions China (data and analytics market segment of RELX).
In 2010, Hugo founded the International Publishers Coalition in China (IPCC) and served as the Chairman for twelve years. In 2022, he co-founded the CBBC Digital Economy Working Group with the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) and serves as the Chairman. The CBBC Digital Economy Working Group is a cross-industry digital economy alliance with members of prominent MNCs active in sectors such as banking, automotive, healthcare, hospitality, professional information services, etc., aiming to facilitate dialogue and cooperation between China and the UK to foster development and exchanges in the field of data and digital economy.
From 2002 to 2003, Hugo participated in the China-Canada Scholarship Exchange Program (CCSEP) and studied at the University of Ottawa and Simon Fraser University as a visiting scholar. He attended Harvard Business School in 2023. In addition to many articles on open data, data industry development, artificial intelligence, and professional information services, he has authored several books and translations, including National Interests and Cultural Policy, Introduction of Cultural Industries and Policy, and Our Creative Diversity (translation).
RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers in the Scientific, Technical & Medical, Risk, Legal, and Exhibitions sectors with headquarters in London, U.K.