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Yongchen Lu
CEO of Tim Hortons ChinaMr. Lu is the Chief Executive Officer of Tim Hortons China (Tims China), responsible for the company's overall strategy and management in China.
Mr. Lu led the establishment of Tim Hortons China in 2018, a joint venture between Restaurant Brands International Inc. (RBI) and Cartesian Capital Group, helping the company establish its senior management team with local professionals. Later on under his leadership, Tims China opened its first coffee shop in Shanghai in February 2019 and began trading on Nasdaq under the symbol “THCH” on September 2022. In March 2023, Tims China becomes the exclusive operator and developer of the world-famous Popeyes brand in mainland China.
Prior to his tenure at Tims China, Mr. Lu served as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Burger King China from 2012 to 2018, helping Burger King China grow from 56 to more than 1,000 stores in six years. He has extensive experience in finance, operations and management in chain restaurant industry.
From 2008 to 2012, he served as the China representative of the world's leading private equity fund, Cartesian Capital group. Prior to that, he worked for General Electric Company from 1999 to 2005 as a finance trainee, Six sigma black belt master and product manager for the Asia Pacific Region.
Mr. Lu holds an MBA from Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth (one of the Ivy league schools) and a bachelor's degree in international finance from Shanghai Jiaotong University. He now lives in Shanghai.
Norman Gu
President of APAC, General Manager of China at Hormel Foods InternationalHormel Foods is a Fortune 500 company that is publicly traded on the US stock market. Hormel China is an end-to-end operation, including research and development, production, and commercialization. The Chinese consumer readily recognizes well-known brands such as HORMEL®, SPAM®, and SKIPPY®.
In 2003, Norman began his career at Hormel as a Regional Sales Manager in Shanghai. In 2006, he relocated to Beijing as the Sales Director for North China, where he was responsible for the commercial and supply chain. Two years later, he returned to Shanghai to oversee Hormel's national Foodservice business. In 2014, he was appointed VP of Sales and Marketing for China. He was appointed General Manager of China in 2016. Since May 2023, Norman has been promoted to President of APAC, while retaining his China General Manager position.
Norman is enthusiastic about assisting the business community. From 2021 to 2022, he served as Board Governor for AmCham Shanghai. In addition, he served as co-chair of the Food, Agriculture, and Beverage committee in the chamber from 2019 to 2020. Norman has an MBA from the Renmin University of China and has completed the Executive Development Program at CEIBS.
Tina Wang
Managing Director of Proterra AsiaTina Wang is a Managing Director of Proterra Asia, with a focus on food value chain investment.
Mrs. Wang has over 7 years of experience in the food and agribusiness sector and more than 10 years of private equity and M&A investment experience. Prior to Proterra Asia, Mrs. Wang served as a Director for SunEdison, once the largest global renewable energy company listed on the NYSE, where she headed M&A and Project Finance functions in China. Mrs. Wang joined SunEdison from CITIC Capital, an alternative investment management company with over $29b in AUM, where she focused on the consumer goods, agriculture, and logistics industries in China.
Mrs. Wang is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo (Master of Business Administration) and Xiamen University (Bachelor of Science in Accounting). Mrs. Wang holds a CPA Certificate issued by the American Institute of CPAs and speaks English and Chinese.
Derek Deng
Partner at Bain & Company China, Inc.Derek Deng is a partner in Bain & Company's Shanghai office and head of the Consumer Products practice in Greater China. He is also an expert in Bain's Private Equity and Mergers & Acquisitions practices.
Derek has more than 18 years of industry and management consulting experience. He advises clients across a range of industries, including consumer products, private equity, industrial goods & services, and financial services. He holds deep expertise in strategy, organization, mergers & acquisitions, customer strategy & marketing, and performance improvement.
Derek is the co-author of Bain’s annual China Shopper Report and Bain-Tmall 2019 Online Strategic Consumer Groups Report. His insights and byline articles s are extensively quoted by international and domestic mainstream media, including Reuters, Bloomberg Businessweek, Caijing Magazine, China Daily, National Business Daily, etc.
Prior to joining Bain in 2009, Derek was a Vice President of Corporate Banking at HSBC.
He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BA in Business Administration from Peking University.
邓旻先生是贝恩公司全球合伙人，大中华区消费品业务主席，常
驻上海。他同时也是贝恩公司大中华区私募股权和兼并购业务方
面的资深专家。
邓先生在行业和管理咨询领域拥有超过18 年的从业经验，为众多
行业的客户提供全方位的咨询服务，涵盖了消费品、私募股权、
工业品和服务以及金融服务等。他擅长的咨询领域包括战略、组
织、兼并收购、客户战略和营销以及绩效提升，在这些领域富有
深厚的专业知识和实战经验。
邓先生是贝恩公司年度《中国购物者报告》以及贝恩-天猫《2019
年中国快消品线上策略人群报告》、《以人为本，供给掘新：后
疫情时代“三个超级”助力品牌实现数字化增长及高效落地》的
作者之一。他的观点及署名文章经常被国内外主流媒体所引用，
包括：路透社、《商业周刊》、《财经》杂志、《中国日报》及
《每日经济新闻》等。
在2009 年加入贝恩之前，邓先生曾担任汇丰银行企业银行业务副
总裁。
邓先生拥有芝加哥大学布斯商学院的工商管理硕士学位和北京大
学的工商管理学士学位。
Erik Hansen
Director of US Agricultural Trade Office/ US Consulate General ShanghaiErik Hansen arrived in Shanghai in August 2020 and is currently the Director of the Agricultural Trade Office. He most recently served as Senior Director for South Asia Operations in the Office of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), USDA. In this capacity, Mr. Hansen was responsible for the overall management and supervision of eleven FAS offices in eight countries in the region. Prior to this, he served as Agricultural Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica where he oversaw USDA’s efforts to expand market access for U.S. food, beverages, and agricultural products as well as overseeing several food aid/capacity building projects in Central America.
Mr. Hansen also served as the Director of the Agricultural Trade Office at the U.S. Embassy in Russia where he managed three offices (Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Vladivostok) from 2013-2016. Prior to that, he worked as Senior Agricultural Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico from 2009-2013 and Agricultural Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Russia from 2005-2009. He joined FAS in 2000 and was selected into the Foreign Service in 2004.
Mr. Hansen earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness and Applied Economics from THE Ohio State University in 1996 and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany in 2000. He was also a Peace Corps volunteer where he served as an agribusiness consultant in Bulgaria from 1996-1998. Mr. Hansen speaks Spanish and Russian fluently and is working on improving his Mandarin. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, spending time with his family, and cheering for his beloved Ohio State Buckeyes football and basketball teams. Mr. Hansen is originally from Columbus, Ohio but calls Arlington, Virginia home when he isn’t on overseas assignments.
Lilian G. Molina
Head of Food Platform & Transformation at SodexoLilian Molina has been a pioneer in bringing fresh and creative restaurant concepts to the China market, launching, and collaborating on projects that are unique and one-of-a-kind to the Food & Beverage Industry.
With over 17 years’ experience working in corporate, Lilian changed their career direction to become a chef and start-up The 501 Group which focuses on concepts centered around Caribbean, North American, and Afro-Latin cuisines making her a key contributor and player in the food and beverage industry. These concepts do not limit her vast knowledge of international cuisine where she offers a wide variety of incredible options that incorporate the taste and flavors of Asian cuisine into a wonderful fusion of dishes for her clientele.
Chef Lilian brings a fresh and vibrant energy offering menus that are authentic and fun to eat. Her creativity in the kitchen offers traditional, tropical, healthy, and familial dishes made with an amazing blend of multicultural influences. Her concepts are packed with influences and ingredients from kitchens around the world, like those from Mexico, Morocco, China, Japan, Greece, Italy, Thailand, and France just to name a few.
She is currently the Head of Food Platform & Transformation at Sodexo, China, and possesses an Executive MBA from Hult International Business School and an Economics degree from National ChengChi University. She holds certifications from the American Council on Exercise in Fitness Training, Fitness Nutrition, and Weight Management. Originally from the country of Belize, she has lived in China for over 18 years and speaks both Mandarin and Spanish fluently. Lilian is excited to continue bringing her creativity to the Sodexo food platforms and educating her consumers on sustainable and healthy food.
Peter Tian
Managing Director of Chili's / APB Investment (Shanghai) LimitedPeter Tian is the Managing Director of APB Investment. APB Investment owns and operates different Western food & beverage concepts including Subway Sandwich and Chili’s Café and Bar in Shanghai. APB Investment continually uses its local insight and know-how to help established Western brands localize their business models and optimize their development
strategies. Business model localization includes marketing positioning, menu strategy, décor, ambiance optimization, service model optimization, and supply chain localization,
development strategy optimization includes regional market classification and development schedule planning.
As the lead for APB Investment, Peter’s goal is to make APB the best China partner for Western F&B brands. His responsibilities include strategic planning and working with the operation, culinary, supply chain, marketing, people work, design, and development to ensure flawless execution at a functional level.
Prior to establishing APB Investment, Peter worked as a credit analyst for Bay State Savings Bank in Massachusetts, and as an investment banker for The Bank of East Asia in Shanghai. Peter is a former Development Agent of Subway Shanghai, a former Subway China Advertising Fund member, and a former Subway China Purchasing Committee member.
Peter holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Clark University in Massachusetts and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oxford Brookes University in England.
Tom Ryu Taehyeok
Owner & Chef at Jeju Sagye, PADOChef Tom Ryu is currently in charge of Jeju Sagye, PADO, JUPASU, and Genesis restaurant. Jeju Sagye, previously Jeju Izakaya, is one of the top Korean restaurants in Shanghai.
Ever since Tom was young, he grew up surrounded by the F&B scene because his parents owned a restaurant chain and they were in the F&B business. Therefore Tom can’t even exactly remember when he was first interested in it- it was all very natural for him to be exposed to this F&B scene. When Tom turned 20, he opened his first restaurant by taking over a hamburger store. 2016 was an important year for Tom because he co-founded a Design Consulting Company with a friend who was also his mentor. This is when he learned the importance of ‘Close to market’ and ‘consumer needs’.
James Jin
Managing Partner at Ventech ChinaMr. James Jin is Managing Partner at Ventech China, a leading Venture Capital firm investing in internet and consumer areas in China for 16 years. Before joining Ventech China, Mr. Jin was a co-founder of CMHJ Partners China Fund specialized in investing in fast-growing high-tech startups. Prior to that, Mr. Jin was the General Manager of a startup in Silicon Valley in the US.
Mr. Jin is an adjunct lecturer at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He holds MBA from the Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania, and an MS in Computer Science from California State University, East Bay.
Heidi Dugan
Media Personality and Wellness Advocate, Director of Arete GroupHeidi is a TV host, presenter, celebrity, author, entrepreneur, and wellness advocate are just some of the terms used to describe Heidi Dugan. Having lived in China for over 26 years, she became the first foreign TV host to have her own TV show in China, ‘You are the Chef’, which reaches over 6 million viewers daily, is a live host of Oriental Shopping channel, completing up to $2 million in sales in one and a half hours. Heidi has received awards such as Best Foreign TV Host and Most Popular Foreign TV Host, International Leading Woman in Business of the Year, International Alumnus of the Year, and Australia China Alumni Award for the Arts and Creative Industries.
Heidi is the Director of Arete Group. Companies and brands working with Heidi have the strategic advantage to successfully integrate into the community, connect with the consumer and ultimately build their business faster in one of the largest economic markets in the world.
Her influence across Australia and China has been recognized through her media coverage on Channel 9 news, Australian Financial Review, Harper’s Bazaar, and China Daily to name a few. Through her brand RIZE This is Living, She partners with brands, the Chinese Government, and Shanghai Women’s Association to better educate and train women in health, wellness, and career development.
Heidi is the Chair of AustCham Shanghai and a Council member of the University of Southern Queensland, she is also a qualified Chair for advisory boards.
Mark Klingspon
Creator, Managing Director, Co-Partner of The Nest, The Cannery, Rye & Co, JUJUMark operates several high-praise restaurants in the city of Shanghai: The Nest, The Cannery, JUJU, and Rye & Co,
Mark is an experienced leader with proven success in creating, developing, and directing businesses for premium branded consumer goods, to drive profitable growth in a sustainable, controlled manner on an international scale. He graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Business Administration. He also earned the Chartered Accountant designation. Over the past 30 years of career life, he has worked for KPMG (7 years), Adidas Group (11 years), and ASC Fine Wines (3 years as General Manager). He has done numerous projects works in over 50 countries, including most of Europe & Asia, and parts of Africa. Since 2014, he has received numerous awards, including City Weekend winners, That’s Shanghai winner, Timeout Readers Choice Awards, Drink Magazine Bar Awards - Nominated (Top 5 in China), etc.
Ben Lu
Founder and Managing Director of the Consumption Fund at China Everbright LimitedBen Lu is the founder and managing director of the Consumption Fund at China Everbright Limited. Funds under his team’s management amount to over 6 billion RMB. Select portfolio companies in the food and beverage field include McKintey (麦金地, a leading group meal company headquartered in Shanghai), Jiu Duo Rou Duo (九多肉多, a store chain of marinated food headquartered in Henan), Dekon (德康, one of the largest pig farming companies headquartered in Sichuan), Shu Yi (书亦烧仙草, a leading store chain of tea drinks headquartered in Sichuan), etc.
Ben joined China Everbright in 2013 and prior to that, was with a few leading Chinese and international financial institutions based in Beijing, Hongkong, Toronto, etc. Ben graduated from the Renmin University of China with a bachelor's degree in finance, the University of British Columbia with a master degree in economics, and from the University of Western Ontario with an MBA. He also holds a lawyer certificate from China.
Francis Zhang
Investment Director of Dao FoodsFrancis Zhang is the investment director of Dao Foods, an impact investment firm that aims to help entrepreneurs develop exciting and innovative alternative protein products in China to reduce the consumer demand for animal agriculture. Francis is responsible for deal sourcing and post investment management at Dao Foods. Before that, he has sales and consulting experience in multiple Fortune 500 companies.
Dr. Lucy Yao
Dietician at United Family HospitalDr. Yao has been engaged in clinical nutrition work for nearly 20 years, she has rich experience in nutrition treatment and health care for outpatient and inpatient. She has successively worked in tertiary hospitals and high-end private medical institutions in Shanghai and has practice experience in both domestic public hospitals and international medical institutions. She is committed to preventing diseases and promoting health through reasonable nutrition.
Dr. Yao has a master's degree in public health and a bachelor's degree in both nutrition and catering management. She holds the nutrition professional technical qualification certificate, the Chinese registered dietitian certificate, the preventive medicine doctor qualification certificate and practice certificate, and the maternal and child health professional technical qualification certificate.
Dr. Yao participated in many research projects, presided over the hospital nutrition risk screening project as the first person in charge, and successfully applied for a patent for a "low protein conversion fan".
姚医生从事临床营养工作近20年，具有丰富的门诊及住院患者营养治疗与保健经验。曾先后就职于上海三级医院及上海高端私立医疗机构，拥有国内公立医院及国际医疗机构执业经历。致力于通过合理的营养防治疾病、促进健康。
姚医生具有公共卫生硕士学位、营养学学士学位以及餐饮管理学士学位。持有营养专业技术资格证书、中国注册营养师证书、预防医学医师资格证书及执业证书、妇幼保健专业技术资格证书。
参与多项研究课题，以第一负责人主持院内营养风险筛查课题，并成功申请“低蛋白转换扇”专利一项。
Li Xin
President at SustentureLi Xin is President of Sustenture – an investment, M&A and strategy consulting firm with MNC and SME clients in F&B, tech, retail and manufacturing sectors. Previously, Li was China President for Sealed Air Corp, a US Fortune 500 Company with businesses in food packaging and product protection. Li held sales, marketing and management responsibilities in US and Canada for 13 years prior to his China assignment. Li serves on the boards of several food and industrial companies in the US and China, and is also a board member of Enactus China – a non-profit organization. Li has been an active member of AmCham Shanghai for the past 13 years, and serves as a core member of the Food, Agriculture & Beverage Committee.
David Ettinger
Chief Representative, Shanghai Office at Keller & Heckman LLPDavid Ettinger is the Chief Representative in Keller and Heckman’s Shanghai office. He counsels multinational companies on the import and export of food and food-related products to ensure compliance with regulations in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Since 1999, Mr. Ettinger worked in the firm’s Washington, DC and Brussels offices, and is uniquely positioned to counsel foreign companies who need to navigate the regulatory landscape in Asia. He is a frequent lecturer and author on international food safety matters. Mr. Ettinger is a recognized practitioner by Chambers and Partners in the area of Life Sciences (International Firms) – China and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2016, 2017 and 2018 (FDA Law).
Dr. Benoit Rossignol
Managing Director of Shiyao Investment Advisory (Shanghai), Ltd.Dr. Benoit Rossignol is CEO of Shiyao Investment Ltd. and has been based in China for the last twenty years. Before founding Shiyao Investment Ltd, Dr. Rossignol was Investment Officer at the World Bank Group, in charge of investment in the food & retail sector for China. Both at the World Bank Group and as CEO of Shiyao Investment Ltd, Dr. Rossignol and his team have been instrumental in structuring and advising numerous transactions both in the agribusiness, food manufacturing and the life sciences sector in China and Japan. Previous to joining the World Bank Group, Dr. Rossignol was the head of the Agri-food unit of a think thank based in Tokyo, Nichifutsu Kaikan, in charge of identifying and structuring strategic cooperation with Japanese Food & Retail groups.
Dr. Rossignol is a graduate of the Kellogg School of Management (MBA, Northwestern University, Chicago), the University of Tokyo, School of Agricultural Economics (MS) and the Veterinary School of Lyon (DVM). He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, English and French.