Kenneth Jarrett, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai since September 2013. Prior to that he was the Greater China Chairman for APCO Worldwide, a Washington-based public affairs consultancy from 2008 to 2013, and before that a U.S. diplomat from 1982 to 2008. During his 26-year diplomatic career, his postings included Consul General in Shanghai, Deputy Consul General in Hong Kong, and Director of Asian Affairs at the White House National Security Council. He also served in Beijing, Chengdu, Singapore, and had several assignments in Washington, DC. Mr. Jarrett has degrees from Cornell University, Yale University and the National War College.

Mary Boyd is responsible for programme development and client servicing in Shanghai. She also provides research and conceptual support on China for Economist Corporate Network programmes. Before joining the Economist Group Mary Boyd was in the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, serving on assignment in Hong Kong, Thailand, Taiwan and China (in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing). Since leaving government service she has researched and published on economic development and governance issues in China, and has undertaken consultancy work for the World Bank and other international institutions, as well as multinational companies. She has written for a number of Economist Intelligence Unit publications, including Country Report, China Hand and Business China. She co-authored the Economist Intelligence Unit report: Taking on the Competition: Domestic Companies in China. Ms Boyd has an MA (area studies) and an MSc (public policy and management) from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and has also completed language studies at Nanjing University. Her research interests include local governance and decentralisation policies and public-sector reform.

Russell Flannery is editor-in-chief of Forbes China. Now in his 16th year at Forbes, Russell compiles the Forbes China Rich List and the Taiwan Rich List. He was previously a correspondent for Bloomberg News in Taipei and Shanghai and for the Asian Wall Street Journal in Taipei. He is a Massachusetts native, fluent Mandarin speaker, and hold degrees from the University of Vermont and the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

James McGregor is the chairman of APCO Worldwide's greater China region and author of two highly regarded books: No Ancient Wisdom, No Followers: The Challenges of Chinese Authoritarian Capitalism, published in October 2012, and One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China, published in 2005. He was a veteran reporter for The Wall Street Journal, and prior to joining APCO, he was founder and CEO of a China-focused consulting and research firm for hedge funds. He also held previous roles as a senior adviser for Ogilvy Public Relations China and the China managing partner for GIV Venture Partners, a venture capital fund that focused on technology and Internet investments in China and India. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Atlantic Council, a Global Council member of the Asia Society, a board member of the U.S.-China Education Trust and a member of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.