Meet the candidates for 2020/21 Executive Committee

Elect the Executive Committee for the year ahead. Officer positions are two-year term with two positions of four elected each year (i.e. Chair and one Vice Chair in one year and a Vice Chair and Treasurer in the alternate year). At this year’s AGM we will be electing one Vice Chair, one Treasurer, and six At Large members.

Click here to register for our 2020 Annual General Meeting, taking place ONLINE, on 2 July.

St. John Moore, Chairman (2019-2021)
Company: Brunswick
Position: Partner and Head of Beijing
*ExCo position not up for election this year

Julian MacCormac, Vice-chair (2019-2021)
Company: Rolls Royce
Position: China Country Director
*ExCo position not up for election this year

Below are positions that are up for election this year:

Julian Fisher – Vice-chair (uncontested*)

Company: Venture Education

Position: Senior Partner

Proposer: St. John Moore (Brunswick)
Seconder: Daisy Shen (KPMG)

Over the three years, as both an at-large committee member and vice chair, I have been passionately involved with the Chamber including the Education Forum, the Position Paper, the Young Professionals Development Programme, organising events (including the SME Accelerator), attending and supporting other events and initiatives and working closely with the executive board and secretariat to ensure the long-term growth and success of the Chamber.  If I am re-elected to the Vice Chair role, I will continue to work in these areas but also drive forward three important initiatives:

• Employability and employment are key themes for British universities, member companies and the Chinese government and I look forward to leading the chamber in these areas.
• After six incredibly difficult months, member companies, especially SMEs, need revenue and support. I will do everything I can to support their survival, growth and sustainability.
• Developing annual events, programmes and campaigns will create a chamber with a strong organisational memory and systems that can outlast any individual board member. I look forward to being an integral part of this process during the next two years.

Thank you for your support and I hope to work with you in future.

Russell Brown – Treasurer (*uncontested)

Company: Lehman Brown

Position: Managing Partner

Proposer: St. John Moore (Brunswick)
Seconder: Julian Fisher (Venture Education)

I am Russell Brown, Managing Partner of LehmanBrown International Accountants, who has been  an active member of the Chamber since 2002, and I have been part of the evolution of the Chamber since then, including serving on EXCO for 8 years from 2006 to 2014 in the capacity of Treasurer, Vice Chair and Chair between 2012 and 2014.

It is critical for the Chamber during these current troubled times to have a good team to steer it through the various storms it may face. The financial management of the Chamber is a key part of this, not just in terms of its accounts, but its navigation through the turbulent waters, planning and knowing how to sail through them.

I am a Fellow of ICAEW and CIMA. I have experience in helping many membership organisations in China, and am also very familiar with the Chamber’s operations. Therefore, I believe that I can make a contribution to EXCO, the Chamber, and ultimately to you its members. I am delighted that I have this opportunity to be running for Treasurer and I hope you will support my nomination, and welcome me back to EXCO.

Below are candidates for British Chamber’s SIX At-large positions for 2020/2021:

If you are a Voting Representative of a British Chamber Member Company, please download the Voting Form and return your votes to the British Chamber Managing Director Steven Lynch and Returning Officer Kevin Dennis.

Ninette Dodoo

Company: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Position: Partner and Co-Head of Antitrust, Competition and Trade – China

Proposer: St. John Moore (Brunswick)
Seconder: Clare Pearson (DLA Piper)

I relocated to China in 2009 from Brussels and since then I have had the opportunity to assist multinationals, including several British and Chinese companies, on competition law related matters in China and the Asia-Pacific region. I have also had the privilege of supporting European businesses in the past serving on the Executive Committee of the European Chamber of Commerce in China.

As the United Kingdom transitions into a post-Brexit era, the British Chamber can be expected to play a pivotal role in supporting the interests of British business in China. It would be a privilege to bring my experience to bear at the British Chamber. If elected, I would draw on my 20 years of legal experience advising multinationals to support British business in China.

Jie Li

Company: Jaguar Land Rover

Position: Vice President

Proposer: Nick Holt (Knight Frank)
Seconder: Julian Fisher (Venture Education)

Jie Li graduated with a master degree from the Beijing University of Foreign Studies in 1985 and obtained his Doctor title at the Eberhard-Karls-University of Tuebingen in Germany in 1991. With an academic record of several years as lecturer and assistant professor at some universities in US and Germany, he successfully finished his professorship qualification (Habilitation) at the University of Saarland in Germany in 2000, where he spent almost 5 years as lecturer.

In 1997, Jie Li joined Daimler AG, a world leading automobile company, and went through different positions and stations. In 2003, he was appointed as the Head of External Affairs & Public Policy at Daimler Greater China Ltd. based in Beijing, China. In 2017 he joined Jaguar Land Rover China Ltd. as Executive Vice President responsible for Government Affairs & Alliance Office.

Ross Parsonage

Company: Rouse Consultancy

Position: Head of Research

Proposer: Julian Fisher (Venture Education)
Seconder: Michael Fosh (Reed Smith)

I moved to Beijing from the UK in 1999.  It has been my home ever since. I have been fortunate to build a career, a business, a family and a community of friends in the Chinese capital. Today my family and I find ourselves locked out of China due to COVID-19 (like many other British Nationals). My wife’s Beijing yoga business closed.  And yet, our desire to return to Beijing, and to be of service to the broader community, is as strong as ever.

If elected to the Executive Committee for another year I will seek to provide the same kind of personal and professional support I have gratefully received from the British Chamber and the British business community over the years.

In a professional capacity, consulting for Rouse, a globally recognized intellectual property (IP) consultancy firm, I look forward to working constructively with the Chamber, its members and both the UK and China Governments to create positive change (and understanding) within the legal, IP and business environment.

In a personal capacity, I will seek to bring positivity, professional kindness and mindfulness to all of the Chamber activities, to help British businesses and families tackle ongoing COVID-19 related uncertainty and challenges, and insure that the Chamber continues to support and encourage all of its members (and their families) to make the most of their time in Beijing.

Mark Pinner

Company: Interel China

Position: Managing Director

Proposer: William Spiers (Spearhead)
Seconder: Peter Hogg (Beijing Asian Healthcare)

To me, the Chamber is the ‘go-to’ organisation representing UK businesses in China. It is rapidly – and very effectively – becoming increasingly influential in China.

However, with political conflict increasingly challenging UK-China relations, I want to help the Chamber increase the ‘voice’ of British business in China among UK politicians and government bodies.

I am a professional government affairs consultant with a global consultancy. I have many UK political connections. I formerly worked in Parliament where I worked with many now senior MPs, including former Prime Minister Theresa May. I have entertained over 20 MPs and Peers (Lords) during their visits to China, including several senior Ministers. I count some MPs as personal friends.

I match this with knowing China. I first came to Beijing in 2000 where I have lived for over 17 years, and now speak and read fluent Mandarin. Although I am now based in London, in normal times I travel to China every few weeks for business, and also because my wife and son live there!

I see being in London frequently as an advantage: I could help represent the Chamber in supporting the argument for businesses among key political and government decision-makers.

Tom Rafferty

Company: The Economist Intelligence Unit

Position: Regional Director, Asia

Proposer: Nick Holt (Knight Frank)
Seconder: Hannah Ryder (Development Reimagined)

As we enter an important period for UK-China relations I’m excited about the opportunity to keep contributing to the chamber’s development and its representation of the diverse range of UK businesses operating in China. Sitting on ExCo over the past year I have contributed mainly through working with the chamber’s team on Britcham’s policy and advocacy work, including shaping the business surveys and the recent position paper. I am looking forward to getting the key messages of the position paper out to the Chinese and UK governments.

Britcham should build further on this foundation and ensure its voice is heard during what could be a turbulent period for business; in this sense the chamber will be more crucial than ever before. In the coming year I would like to support the chamber in developing its thinking on a UK-China free-trade agreement and ensuring we articulate a member “wish list”early in the process. My role with The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) means I am well placed to do this; researching and writing on FTAs is part of the day job (someone’s got to do it!).

Hannah Ryder

Company: Development Reimagined

Position: CEO

Proposer: Julian Fisher (Venture Education)
Seconder: Daisy Shen (KPMG)

As the CEO of Development Reimagined, a pioneering international development consultancy in Beijing, I would like to continue to serve on the British Chamber’s Executive and continue contribute to its mission in China in three ways.

First, I plan to continue to bring an understanding of the needs of determined SMEs like mine in China, help the Chamber both reach out and orient itself to be helpful to them, especially in the wake of COVID19 which has been extremely difficult for SMEs. Second, I will continue to support the Chamber in effective advocacy through the position paper and other key outputs. I will do so because of my own government experience – I worked for over 12 years in the UK Civil Service, including the then Department for Trade and Industry (DTI). Last but not least, having positioned my own firm to provide strategic advice on international issues from the Belt and Road Initiative, green growth and China’s foreign aid, and with my skills in public speaking and writing, I will continue to support the Chamber and members to build up work on UK trilateral cooperation partnerships.  I hope my application will be considered favorably, and I look forward to continuing to make a positive contribution to the Chamber’s work!

Daisy Shen

Company: KPMG

Position: Partner, Deal Advisory

Proposer: St. John Moore (Brunswick)
Seconder: Julian Fisher (Venture Education)

It is my privilege to be on the Exco since 2017 as the at-large member. I would like to run for the fourth year and provide my continued support to the Chamber’s development.

Key strength I can bring to the Chamber includes (1) 20 years’ extensive experience with KPMG focusing on mergers and acquisitions, business and trade promotion and investment, etc. (2) passion and close involvement in  China-UK bilateral development and economic cooperation, with on-hand experience and insights in business environment, market entry issues and opportunities (3) diversity and balanced views as a Chinese female leader.

More importantly, it is always enjoyable working with brilliant and inspirational people to make a difference and for a better future of the Chamber.

Eleven Zou

Company: Wood

Position: Marketing and Communications Manager

Proposer: Han Wei (Beijing United Family Hospital)
Seconder: St. John Moore (Brunswick)

As Marketing and Communication Manager at Wood, and I started roughly 15 years ago in oil and gas, joined coming from a degree in marketing. Now, I am still focusing on and engaging energy and built environment markets, and willing to have more reasonability in this fascinating energy industry.

Today, we are facing and experiencing a public health and economic crisis we’ve never seen before. Both UK and China government will make their own choices, and business will make their choice which is based on precise market intelligence and timely update of information. British Chamber of Commerce in China is an inevitable and indispensable platform to introducing business to new opportunity in bilateral trade and helping each other up to date on business and market condition.  In the past 12 months, the committee has also demonstrated the resilience, the determination, the commitment in the face of new challenges and new opportunities. Its can-do spirit really inspired and encouraged me to make my own choice, that’s why I here.

I pledge to help British Chamber and our members with your marketing strategy and PR to delivery your brand values and messages also to seek opportunities to increase awareness about the chamber, increase participation (especially female) at events. The journey with China is going to up and down, we need to have the staying power to really succeed there. Let’s stretch our boundaries together and go beyond.