Ted Hornbein is the Director of China Operations for Rea Magnet Wire’s four joint-venture factories in the PRC.
Ted has spent over 25 years working in China for a variety of industrial companies including diecasting, EMI shielding, electronic connectors, and plastic fasteners. He has a wealth of
experience in starting and running China manufacturing facilities as well as integrating these facilities into a company’s global sales and supply chain.
Ted speaks fluent Mandarin and can offer perspectives on China management from either an entrepreneurial or multinational viewpoint. Ted holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago
and a B.A. in East Asian Studies from George Washington University.

Kent is a Partner in Control Risks, Greater China and North Asia. He is responsible for Control Risks’ practices across mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, the Koreas and Mongolia. He has worked in Asia since the early 1980s.

Kent has consulted with multi-national and Asian corporations on a range of risk and strategy issues; such as M&A and organic growth strategy, crisis management and operational business controls, and strategic and organizational development programs. Kent has particular expertise in the Asia-Pacific healthcare, food and beverage, and consumer products sectors .


Examples of Kent’s work include:
Strategically reorganised a company in China, helping it focus on lower-risk/higher return market segments and adjusting its commercial practices to be more effective and sustainable.
Led the Asia franchising strategy for a global fast food company, including identifying potential partners, completing commercial and integrity due diligence and negotiating final deals.
Worked with an Asia-Pacific CEO to make a strategic acquisition of a competitor by launching a commercial due diligence programme to verify market penetration and quality of earnings claims.
Directed crisis management programs for high-profile corruption and food safety cases in Asia.

Formerly, Kent was responsible for the Compliance, Forensics and Intelligence practice throughout Asia-Pacific. Prior to joining Control Risks, Kent was general manager and co-owner of Technomic Asia, a market strategy consulting firm.

Kent has worked as a journalist and is a frequent contributor to Asia-based media outlets. The co-author of The China Ready Company (2006, China Pathways) he writes and produces The Talking Monkey, a blog and podcast on living as a foreigner in China.

Kent has a bachelor’s in English and a master’s in East Asian studies from the University of Minnesota. He also completed graduate studies in journalism and mass communication at the China Times Centre for Mass Media and Social Studies.

Bill Russo is the Shanghai-based Founder and CEO of Automobility Limited, a strategy and
investment advisory firm helping its clients to create the future of mobility. His over 35
years of experience includes 15 years as an automotive executive, including 14 years of
experience in China and Asia. He has also worked nearly 12 years in the electronics and
information technology industries. He has worked as an advisor and consultant for numerous
multinational and local Chinese firms in the formulation and implementation of their global market
and product strategies.
In his current role, Bill advises start-ups, corporations and investors on how to maximize their
participation in China’s Automobility Revolution. In order to achieve success, he believes
they must expand their focus from the product (the automobile) to the utility derived from the
product (“automobility”), and create a business model and digital ecosystem optimized to provide
digitally enabled solutions for both car owners and mobility services users.
Bill was previously the regional head of Chrysler in North East Asia, where he successfully
negotiated agreements with partners and obtained required approvals from the China government
to bring six new vehicle programs to the market in a three-year period, while concurrently
establishing an infrastructure for local sourcing and sales distribution.
Mr. Russo has a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University in New
York, and a Master of Science in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from Lehigh University in
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Mr. Russo is a highly sought after opinion leader on the development of
the China market and the automotive industry