Past Events

(By Invitation Only)
Join us as Edward Steinfeld, the Howard Swearer Director of the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University will be discussing his recent work on Chinese industrial innovation and its connection to broader trends in data analytics, robotics, and the Internet of Things. While focusing on evidence from the firm level, Edward will try to connect those to broader governmental plans for national industrial development — plans that bear many similarities to what the German government is currently advocating with “Industrie 4.0.”

Edward S. Steinfeld is professor of political science and the Howard Swearer Director of the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University. Steinfeld also directs the Brown China Initiative, a research effort uniting scholars in the social sciences, physical sciences, and engineering disciplines in the study of Chinese development and global sustainability. Steinfeld previously served as a faculty member in the MIT Sloan School of Management from 1996 to 2001 and in the MIT Department of Political Science from 2001 to 2013. Steinfeld received his PhD, MA, and BA in Political Science from Harvard University, where he was also elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Steinfeld’s research focuses on understanding the political economy of industrial development, with a particular emphasis on contemporary China. Steinfeld speaks and reads Mandarin fluently and is the author of books and numerous articles related to China.

(By Invitation Only)
For the month of December, there is no morning Executive Interchange Breakfast. The Directors of the Asia America Chamber of Commerce would like to invite you to our Holiday Cocktail Reception. Come enjoy refreshments, socialize, discuss current events and catch up with friends. No cost, same location, invitation below.

(By Invitation Only)
Join us as Johannes Heinlein, VP of Strategic Partnerships for edX, the online learning initiative of Harvard and MIT shares his and the organization’s experiences with establishing partnerships across the globe including China, Hong Kong and the Asia Pacific region including the negotiations and closed agreements with top Chinese and Hong Kong Universities such as Tsinghua, PKU, HKU and HKUST.

Johannes is Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for edX, Inc. of Cambridge, MA. Founded by Harvard University and MIT in 2012 edX is an online learning destination and MOOC provider, offering high-quality courses from the world’s best universities and institutions to learners everywhere. With more than 85 global partners, edX is proud to count the world’s leading universities, nonprofits, and institutions as their members. Prior to joining edX, Johannes served as director in the Office of the President and Provost of Harvard University where he was responsible for the planning and execution of university-wide transformations in strategy and operations. He has lived and worked in Europe, Asia and North America. Johannes holds degrees from the University of Hamburg, Germany, the University of Edinburgh, Scotland and the University of Strathclyde, Scotland..

(By Invitation Only)
Join us as David Balabon, VP and General Council of GreatPoint Energy, Inc. shares his and the company’s experiences in attempting to commercialize their technology in China. The discussion will include some general background on their gasification technology, their commercialization plans prior to the natural gas fracking revolution in the US, why and how they initially pivoted to China and the substantial investment in GreatPoint made by a privately owned Chinese company in a complex transaction.

David is Vice President and General Counsel of GreatPoint Energy, Inc. of Cambridge, MA. He obtained his J.D. from Harvard Law School and Undergraduate degree from Cornell University. GreatPoint
owns a proprietary technology for the catalytic gasification of coal into pipeline quality natural gas. They have raised over $265 million from venture capital and strategic investors, including a significant investment by an affiliate of China Wanxiang Group, which is their largest shareholder. GreatPoint is currently in negotiations with other potential investors and partners in China.

(By Invitation Only)
Massive explosions rocked one of China’s largest ports, Tianjin port. The Chinese central bank surprised the market by devaluing its currency. The Chinese stock market crashed, but was rescued by government interventions, only to continue struggling with wild gyrations. Is the Chinese economy in trouble? How can such recent events impact your business and investment in Asia and in China in particular?

Using his years of experience as a researcher, educator, entrepreneur, and investor, Mr. Jing Huang, will help you navigate the rapidly shifting sociological and economic landscape of China. Mr. Huang is Managing Executive Director at Harvard Center Shanghai. Before Harvard Center Shanghai, Mr. Huang was Partner of TPG Growth and RMB Funds, based in Shanghai, China. Prior to that, he was Managing Director at Bain Capital LLC, where he set up and ran its Shanghai operations. His other investment positions included Managing Director China at SOFTBANK Asia Infrastructure Fund (SAIF), Partner at SUNeVision Ventures and Senior Manager of Strategic Investment at Intel Capital. Before his investment career, Mr. Huang worked as Director of Research Operations at GartnerGroup, Co-founder/Vice President of Marketing at Mtone Wireless and English Lecturer at Communication University of China. Mr. Huang received an M.B.A from Harvard Business School, an M.A. from Stanford University and a B.A. from Beijing Foreign Studies University.

(By Invitation Only)
China is dredging sand in the Spratly Island in the disputed South China Sea. The Pentagon now says it might consider sending ships and aircraft within 12 nautical miles of built-up reefs. China is also leading the formation of an Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank. Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, together with more than 50 other nations, are joining the bank, while ignoring the US pressure to stay out. A forthcoming direct linkage between the Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Shanghai stock markets will further open up equity trades to foreign investors and create a trading platform equaling Wall Street. Is China challenging the U.S. global dominance geographically and financially? Is your business now faced with new risks in Asia as a result?

We are very pleased to have Jeffrey R. Williams, Senior Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, join us for an insightful discussion. Jeff has spent most of his career in East Asia, most recently as Executive Director, Harvard Center Shanghai. Prior to this, he was president of the Shenzhen Development Bank and the first foreigner to lead a Chinese bank since the founding of the PRC. Previously, he also served as general manager for American Express Company and Standard Chartered Bank in Taiwan, and worked for Citibank in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China.

(By Invitation Only)
Yang Liu (born in Beijing, now a Graphic Arts professor in Berlin, Germany) generated about 8 years ago simplified depictions of cross-cultural differences between “East versus West”; 2 examples attached and they are perennially entertaining.

The plan is: we run through the 15+ slides and make this an interactive session; Reinhold Hesse will facilitate with the following output:
How can “western visitors to China better prepare for the visits / conduct business” ?
How can “China visitors to the West better prepare for the visits / conduct business”?

This ought to be both a serious, insightful discussion and light-hearted (poking fun at us in the West).

(By Invitation Only)
U.S. technology companies in China are forming alliances with domestic firms hoping that having a local partner will make it easier to operate. We will discuss the background and approach for using Contract Manufacturers in Asia to manufacturer High Tech Products while selling direct into Asia and the Global Market. We are excited to have Frank Altieri Director of Global External Manufacturing at EMC Corporation as our special guest for our breakfast meeting on April 10th.

Frank is the Director of a Global External Manufacturing Team that is responsible for all technical aspects of fulfillment of high end servers, storage and networking products through a Global network of Contract Manufacturer’s. Frank directs a diverse globally dispersed team of Managerial and Technical resources that implement MFG solutions to support the manufacture and final configuration of High Reliability Products. In addition his team provides sustaining support for current product fulfillment, and new product Introduction to EMC’s external manufacturing base.

(By Invitation Only)
Conducting business internationally introduces your company to a complex world of laws, regulations and controls. This month we will discuss International Trade with a focus on U. S. Customs. The interchange will allow members the chance to learn more about the opportunities available to expedite their supply chain and minimize the risk of examination and inspection. We will discuss and cover the areas of import, export, supply chain, logistics, warehousing and transportation as they relate to international trade with a specific focus on U.S. Customs. Voluntary public-private sector partnership programs will be discussed, such as C-TPAT and the ISA Program as well as Foreign Trade Zones, Customs Bonded Warehouses and opportunities with Drawback along with export compliance.

To lead our discussion we have Glenn Page Senior Consultant with Pragmatic Consulting as our special guest for our breakfast meeting on March 13th. Glenn has over 30 years of experience with US Customs, and has worked alongside other federal agencies such as the U.S. Commerce Department, U.S. Customs investigators and has been nominated for U.S. Customs inspector of the year.

(By Invitation Only)
Manufacturing is moving back to the states from Asia. Which major local company has done that? What’s driving this company’s decision?

We are excited to have Greg Scher, Executive VP, Supply Chain, AIS, and AACC member as our special guest for our breakfast meeting on January 16th. AIS is a $140 million officer furniture manufacturer headquartered in Hudson, MA. AIS has recently won the prestigious Shingo Prize and MassEcon Gold Award. Greg will discuss about commodities, index trends, and risks related to Asian sourcing and benefits of sourcing locally, particularly why AIS has moved its manufacturing back.

Greg Scher is Executive VP, Supply Chain, AIS where he has worked for more than ten years traveling frequently to Asia. Prior to that, Greg was with Blue Raven Technologies and GE Aircraft Engines, Lighting, & Aerospace. He is a graduate of GE’s Corporate Manufacturing Management Program, and holds an MBA from Boston University and BSEE from SUNY Buffalo.

(By Invitation Only)
For the month of December, there is no morning Executive Interchange Breakfast. The Directors of the Asia America Chamber of Commerce would like to invite you to our Holiday Cocktail Reception. Come enjoy refreshments, socialize, discuss current events and catch up with friends. No charge and same location

(By Invitation Only)
Jose Suarez, Founder and Managing Director of Impactiva will share his vast experience on manufacturing quality assurance in India and how it compares against China and other Asian Countries.

Impactiva was established in 2003 and has become the world’s leading quality assurance company with over 200 employees. Major brands from Asia, Europe and the United States trust Impactiva to ensure their factories produce “Best in World” quality. Jose has a Bachelor of Science and Masters of Engineering Degree in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering from Cornell University and has over 25 year of experience in the Leather, Footwear and Apparel industries.

(By Invitation Only)
What types of risk can affect your company -strategic, financial, operational, compliance or reputational risks?

We are fortunate to have James Lam, President of James Lam & Associates to lead a discussion on managing enterprise wide risk. James is a noted consultant, author, and speaker and wildly noted for coining the term “Chief Risk Officer”.

James is President of James Lam & Associates, a risk management consulting firm he founded in early 2002 and serves as a management consultant and board advisor to organizations in North America and Asia. James has over 100 articles and book chapters to his credit, encompassing a wide range of financial and risk management topics. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review’s Insight Center, American Banker, Financial Times, and CFO Magazine and is on the Board of Directors of E*TRADE Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: ETFC). Prior to James Lam & Associates, James served as Chief Risk Officer[1] at GE Capital Markets Services, Fidelity Investments, Oliver Wyman and Founder and President of Erisk.

(By Invitation Only)
Since 1981, the Fishman name (Fishman Tranducers) has been synonymous with technical innovation in acoustic amplification in the music industry.

We are very pleased to have Phil Doucette, CFO, Fishman Transducers, join us for a breakfast discussion on the company’s fifteen years of successful manufacturing and licensing in Asia, first through a licensing partnership with CorTek Corporation in South Korea and now with Ming’s in China as well as various manufacturing “partnerships” over the years within Asia. For the past ten years, Phil has been deeply involved in the critical Asia manufacturing and licensing decisions and execution, deftly managing highly complex risks.

Before Fishman, Phil has held senior executive positions at Teradyne and Genrad, and served as the CFO of Dynisco, and President of Kona Corporation, the largest division within Dynisco. While with Dynisco, Phil was a key player in the integration of 10+ global acquisitions.

(By Invitation Only)
3D printing and additive manufacturing is quietly revolutionizing the manufacturing world. Is it all hype or solidly practical? How do we separate facts from fiction? How is this going to help move manufacturing center back from Asia to the U.S.?

We are excited to have Michael Fuller, Principal, Watermill Group guide us through a strategic discussion on “additive manufacturing” and new trends in manufacturing. Michael will also share a Tenere story. Tenere is a Dresser, WI based full-service designer and fabricator of complex metal and plastic components and assemblies. Tenere has successfully used additive manufacturing to gain a competitive edge.

Michael Fuller is a Principal at Watermill Group. He has over 18 years of experience in operations, financial and turnaround management, serving in various senior leadership roles, such as President & CEO of York Manufacturing, Inc. – a manufacturer of building products in the commercial and residential construction market.

(By Invitation Only)
As we commence our Executive Interchange into Spring we are delighted to have Jack Daniels, President of EastBridge Engineering join us for a discussion . Jack will be providing an update on economic activity in the Asia-Pacific region, profile of key drivers (positive and negative) in each country/market and their impact on western companies. Jack will draw on current experience and share insights with regards to:

• Review of key industrial and mercantile differentiators in China, Greater China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia
• Profile of commercial factors such as hot segments; readiness to adopt new technologies; banking, cultural and Gov. attributes
• Current atmosphere for foreign direct investments (FDI) into Asia

Jack Daniels is currently the President of EastBridge Engineering, which has decades of experience in manufacturing engineering & procurement, international trade and contract management in the Asia-Pacific region.

(By Invitation Only)
(By Invitation Only)
Companies sourcing products overseas are facing the continuous challenge on how to control rising costs while trying to maintain margins. China is no longer the go to country for low cost sourcing as their economy develops and costs continue to increase. Businesses are faced with tough decisions on finding the next best sourcing countries while trying to maintain low cost, quality, consistency and reliability. Add to the complexity the increased focus on import compliance, consumer product safety and factory safety & ethics and it becomes a real challenge on how to balance out the right strategy.

We are delighted to have Bruce Barnet, Chief Operating Officer of Charles River Apparel, join us for a discussion on Balanced Sourcing. This will include a discussion on how to maintain a balanced sourcing model incorporating a mix of sourcing countries while considering cost, quality, lead times and other risks. Bruce will bring firsthand experience on apparel sourcing as well as share other personal experiences from other companies.

Bruce Barnet is currently the COO for Charles River Apparel, a market leader in manufacturing, distributing and selling superior quality apparel for men, women and children into various market segments. Bruce oversees Finance & Accounting, Information Technology, Distribution Center and the Decoration Business Unit. Bruce’s prior experience includes both private and public companies as a financial and business executive with strong international and China experience.

(By Invitation Only)
Jerry Guo, Founder and CEO, CASA Systems will lead a discussion on China’s new leadership, its new economic policies and their impact on US companies. Jerry will also discuss about CASA’s success in selling its products to state owned Chinese companies.

Casa Systems provides worldwide cable operators the industry’s only Cable labs Gold Certified DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem Termination Systems with the highest density in the cable head end to deploy broadband, video and voice services. Casa deployed thousands CMTSs over 400 customers worldwide with two major facilities in Andover, MA and Guangzhou, China.

Before CASA, Jerry was VP of Engineering and co-founded RiverDelta which was acquired by Motorola in 2001, Prior to RiverDelta, he was a director at Bellabs Lucent. Jerry holds a PHD in Electrical Engineering from University Madison-Wisconsin and B.S. and M.S. degrees from Tsing Hua University from China.

(By Invitation Only)
By Invitation Only
For the month of December, there is no morning Executive Interchange Breakfast. The Directors of the Asia America Chamber of Commerce would like to invite you to our Holiday Cocktail Reception. Come enjoy refreshments, socialize, discuss current events and catch up with friends. No charge and same location

(By Invitation Only)
Ambassador Friedrich Lohr was German’s Ambassador to North Korea from 2005 to 2007. He has also served his country in Berlin, Sudan, Algiers, Nigeria, and China. Lohr has a law degree from Heidelberg and a master’s degree in International Relations from Oxford University. He is Ambassador in Residence at Suffolk University.

Based on the knowledge he gained while serving in Pyongyang, Ambassador Lohr will be discussing the current and future politics of North Korea. The repressed population of this secluded country has been indoctrinated to see all good coming from the ruling Kim family. The founder’s grandson, Kim Jong Un became the Supreme Leader just a year ago. His stylish wife shows up in public with expensive designer clothes in a country where many do not have enough to eat. Where is the country going?

(All are Welcome)
On behalf of Asia-America Chamber of Commerce, Changzhou City in China, and U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce, we are pleased to invite you to the “Changzhou Meets Boston: A Seminar on Bilateral Trade & Investment.” The special event will be held on Thursday, June 13, 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at InterContinental Boston Hotel, 510 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, MA, 02210.

A panel discussion will include Vice Mayor Fang Guoqiang, senior executives from Kohler Co., Rexnord Corporation, Amphenol Corporation and Sensata Technologies. A cocktail reception and dinner will follow, which will also provide face-to- face meetings with senior leaders and business executives from Changzhou. No fee for this event.

The forum will focus on bilateral trade and investments opportunities between the U.S. and China in honor of a high level delegation consisting of over 50 senior business and government leaders from Changzhou, led by The Honorable Fang Guoqiang, Vice Mayor.

(By Invitation Only)
Zhongding Sealing Parts Co., Ltd. acquired in 2012 Precix (formerly Acushnet Rubber) and we are very fortunate to host the principals of this transaction Dave Slutz (the CEO of Precix) and Rob MacLeod (the Managing Director of Bigelow LLC, the Investment Advisors) to present the background and insights of this transaction. For Zhongding, this was their largest acquisition outside of Asia. For Precix, they have teamed up with a Chinese leader which opens up their single largest potential growth market. The strategic, tactical and cross-cultural challenges of this transaction were staggering.

(By Invitation Only)
We will be joined by Peter Fusaro, a well-known expert in Asian Pacific energy and environmental markets. Peter has worked extensively in Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia since 1993 with oil, gas, and power companies as well as think tanks and government agencies on issues such as deregulation, new technologies, smart grid and market entry strategies.

Peter is Chairman of Global Change Associates a financial services advisory in New York and is the bestselling author of What Went Wrong at Enron as well as 15 other books on energy and the environmental financial markets. His book, Energy Hedging in Asia, is considered a primer in that region’s emerging energy trading and risk management markets. This topic will be timely especially given the Chinese government’s recent announcement of imposing a carbon tax on businesses operating in China.

(By Invitation Only)
Ambassador Friedrich Lohr was German’s Ambassador to North Korea from 2005 to 2007. He has also served his country in Berlin, Sudan, Algiers, Nigeria, and China. Lohr has a law degree from Heidelberg and a master’s degree in International Relations from Oxford University. He is Ambassador in Residence at Suffolk University.

Based on the knowledge he gained while serving in Pyongyang, Ambassador Lohr will be discussing the current and future politics of North Korea. The repressed population of this secluded country has been indoctrinated to see all good coming from the ruling Kim family. The founder’s grandson, Kim Jong Un became the Supreme Leader just a year ago. His stylish wife shows up in public with expensive designer clothes in a country where many do not have enough to eat. Where is the country going?

(By Invitation Only)
Negotiating with your Asian business partners, vendors, and customers can be challenging. There are significant cultural barriers and differences in business practices. A successful or a failed negotiation can mean millions of dollars at stake. We are very pleased to have Edward Samaha, VP, Worldwide Service, GT Advanced Technologies lead the discussion on cross-cultural negotiations. Ed will share with us his experiences and insights into such negotiations. GT Advanced Technology is a $1 billion provider of specialized production equipment for the solar power industry.

Ed has spent past twenty five years traveling between the U.S. and Asia. He first set foot in Japan as early as 1982 and in China as early as 1984. He has managed a number of U.S. equipment manufacturers’ global and Asia operations, including companies, such his current employer, GT Advanced Technologies, Veeco Instruments ($400 million revenue), PRI Automation ($300 million), Silicon Valley Group ($700 million), and Perkin-Elmer ($1.5 billion).”

Come enjoy refreshments, discuss current events, and catch up with members. Let’s celebrate the holiday season!

David Gross-Loh will be discussing investing in volatile Asia markets in our October breakfast meeting. David will draw on his experiences making long-term investments in Asia across turbulent macro environments and country-specific conditions.

David Gross-Loh is a Managing Director with Bain Capital where he has been since 2000 in Boston, New York, and Tokyo offices. David is a founding member of Bain Capital’s Asia business, having started and managed the Tokyo office since March of 2006. He is a member of the Asia Leadership Team and sits on the Asia Credit Committee and Global Credit Committee at Bain Capital.

Reinhold will share his thoughts and experience around this topic and insight into tapping into RMB funds (in China) from the US (access in US dollars). Prior to CBT Technology, Inc., Reinhold held senior executive management positions at PerkinElmer, Systems SBE, and Polaroid.

CBT Technology, Inc. services the needs of companies for “mechanical solutions for circuit boards“ in the Telecommunications, Industrial Electronics, Military and Aerospace markets. CBT’s facilities in the US and China support their global customers through manufacturing, product design and customer support. Under Reinhold’s leadership, Extrusion Technology started their initial WOFE in Xiamen (China) in 2006 and subsequently expanded through the acquisitions of Triple E and Purcell Technologies. Recently the business was rebranded as CBT Technology, Inc.

How can a manufacturing company best position itself in a rapidly changing global marketplace.
The cost of labor is rising in China while corporate customers in Asia increasingly demand
Asia manufacturing and delivery. Mark Moss will share his experience managing Synventive
Molding Solutions’ rapid Asia growth both in terms of manufacturing and sales.

Synventive Molding Solutions is a global manufacturing company providing hot runner products
and solutions for all types of injection molding applications. Mark is the past president of
Synventive Molding Solutions Asia and he lived in China from Synventive’s China inception
in 2005 to 2009. Under Mark’s leadership, the Company built its manufacturing plant and
significantly expanded its sales within China. In his new role at the Company, Mark has
responsibility for global marketing, IT and R&D.

How a technology startup can best leverage Asia for its products, market, and capital? Dr.
Don Telage, Chairman of Board, OnRamp Wireless will tell the story and the strategy of the
company’s journey through Asia – capital from Gemtek, a Taiwanese radio module maker and
strategic partner with a South Korean company in market development. OnRamp has raised $37
million capital since its founding in 2008 and is in the process of raising another $20-$30 million
as part of a Series C round of venture funding. OnRamp Wireless provides low-cost monitoring
of electric power grids and similar infrastructure that extends across thousands of miles.

Dr. Telage served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Network Solutions Inc. (NSI)
from 1995 through its 1997 public offering until its purchase by VeriSign in 2001 for $21 billion.
Following the acquisition, Dr. Telage headed up VeriSign’s China operations. Earlier positions
included Group Senior Vice President with Science Applications International Corporation
(SAIC) and Systems Engineering Manager at GTE Strategic Systems Division. Dr. Telage has a
PhD in Mathematics and was a college professor of Mathematics before GTE.

(by invitation only)
Raising birds in a cage has been a thousand year Chinese hobby. The new economic model in China has borrowed this slogan and analogy. China is rapidly transforming from the world’s factory floor to an innovation economy. But what is the “Cage”? What are the new “Birds”? Who is changing the birds?

We are delighted to have George Dai, Ph.D. from M.A. Weatherbie & Co. joining us on April 13, 2012. George will share his insights he has developed from his hundreds of interactions with U.S. and Chinese company CEOs and Chinese government officials. He will dissect the cross currents present in Chinese culture, history, politics and economy to give us a framework to think through this complicated picture.

George is Deputy Chief Investment Officer, Head of Alternative Investment and Senior Managing Director at M.A. Weatherbie & Co. which manages ~ $1 B investment in small to mid cap growth companies. George received his MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, his Ph.D. in chemistry from Johns Hopkins University, and a B.S. from the University of Science and Technology of China. Prior to being an investor, he did drug research at Proctor & Gamble. A prized Bridge player, he also holds four US patents.

(by invitation only)
Radha Jalan, Ph.D. President and CEO of ElectroChem, Inc. will be discussing Selling into Asia specifically India and Japan for this month’s breakfast meeting. Dr. Jalan will be drawing on her 40 years experience invested in fuel cell technology.

ElectroChem, Inc. is a leading company not only in the fuel cell market but also in fuel cell technology development. Its customers include fortune 500 companies, universities and governments and has a network of distribution internationally.

In addition to leading ElectroChem, Inc. Dr. Jalan has co-founded numerous organizations, and contributes regularly to many more. A partial list of her contributions include, Founder of US Fuel Cell Council, Founder and executive member of the Mass Hydrogen Coalition, Founding member of TIE Boston (The Indus Entrepreneur, a international organization to promote entrepreneurship in the south Asian community) and a Board member of Mass Energy.

(by invitation only)
Professor Li Jin, Harvard Business School, will take you through the mindset of Chinese company executives – their strategic thought process concerning growth through acquisitions in overseas markets and global financing options. Prof Jin will share with you a real case study of a Chinese company, Zoomlion, and its acquisition of an Italian heavy machinery manufacturing company, CIFA. He will provide his post acquisition assessment of Zoomlion’s success or failure in its strategy and execution.

Li Jin is an Associate Professor in Finance at the Harvard Business School. He currently teaches Investment and Finance in Emerging Markets, a course that he designed. Prof. Jin has also had many other teaching assignments at HBS, including Senior Executive Programs for China, Global CEO Program for China, and Co-chair, Private Equity and Venture Capital Program in Asia. Professor Jin received his Ph.D. in finance from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 2001, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Fudan University in 1992.

(by invitation only)
Jack Daniels, President of EastBridge Engineering will join us for a discussion. Jack will be providing an update on economic activity in the Asia-Pacific region, profile of key drivers (positive and negative) in each country/market and their impact on western companies. Jack will draw on current experience and share insights into (a) key industrial and mercantile differentiators in China, Greater China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia, (b) commercial factors such as hot segments; readiness to adopt new technologies; banking, cultural and Gov. attributes, (c) current atmosphere for foreign direct investments (FDI) into Asia.

Jack Daniels is currently the President of EastBridge Engineering, which has decades of experience in manufacturing engineering & procurement, international trade and contract management in the Asia-Pacific region.

(by invitation only)
Chinese proverb: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now”. Now has become the best time for US companies to start trading in the rapidly growing China domestic market. We are delighted to have Bruce Barnet, CFO, McCue, join us for a discussion on how to set up a Wholly Owned Foreign Enterprise Trading Company to do business in China. Bruce will draw on a real case study of McCue and its experience in China and share insights into some challenging issues, and the “surprises” – things he learned in painful ways and approaches he would adopt differently if he were to do it again.

Bruce Barnet is currently the Chief Financial Officer of McCue Corporation, a privately held, multinational company with operations in the US, Europe and China. Bruce oversees Finance & Accounting, Human Resources and Information Technology. Previously, Bruce was President and Founder of Supply Strategies; Chief Financial Officer of Ark-Les Corporation; Group Controller Speedline Technologies (Cookson Electronics); Director of Internal Audit for Cookson Electronics ($1B division of Cookson Group PLC). Bruce started his career as a CPA with Coopers & Lybrand (PricewaterhouseCoopers) in Boston.

(by invitation only)
Annual Holiday Party. Wednesday November 9, 2011. 6:00 – 8:30. RSVP, tleonard@vettecorp.com.

(by invitation only)
Alan Hed, Executive Vice President, New Balance, will take us chronologically through the years based on his different experiences in trading, setting up JV’s, investing in Emerging Markets, and doing business in China, India, Japan, and Korea.

Alan joined New Balance in late 2008. Before New Balance, Alan served as President of Levi Strauss & Co’s Asia Pacific division. Alan has lived and worked in Asia, Europe and South Africa and currently resides in Massachusetts with his wife and two children.

(by invitation only)
As volatile stock and currency markets continue to yo-yo, financial planning in an interconnected global economy continues to pose new challenges as companies operate in rapidly changing, unpredictable global markets. We are delighted to have Aman Verjee, the Chief Financial Officer of Sonos, Inc., join us on Friday, September 16th to discuss:

• Five Key Lessons on Doing Business in China; and

• Financial Planning in a Global Company — Best Practices in Asia

Aman Verjee currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer for Sonos, Inc., a global consumer electronics company that builds wireless music systems for houses. Prior to joining Sonos in March 2010, Aman was the CFO of eBay’s North America Marketplace business and ran the Strategy and FP&A groups at PayPal. Aman is also the co-founder and former editor-in-chief of American Thunder, which was the nation’s leading NASCAR magazine in 2004.

(by invitation only)
This is a tradeoff between balancing today’s profits with tomorrow’s survival and market position, particularly in regard to technology transfer in China. We are very excited to have Tina Wang, Treasurer, Peggy Shukur, General Counsel, and Paul Kohout, Senior Tax Director, of Lionbridge Technologies join us for breakfast on June 10th.

Tina Wang , is responsible for managing Lionbridge’s initiatives regarding capital management, banking, capital investments, foreign exchange, real estate and insurance. Prior to joining Lionbridge, Wang was the Assistant Treasurer at ModusLink (CMGI)

Peggy Shukur , is responsible for Lionbridge’s worldwide legal affairs and manages its legal department, including corporate and securities matters, intellectual property. Prior to Lionbridge, Shukur served as Senior Securities Counsel for Oak Industries, a $500 million NYSE company.

Paul Kohout , has over 20 years of experience in public accounting, the last 9 years of which were as a Tax Director for PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Lionbridge Technologies (NASDAQ: LIOX) , Headquartered in Waltham, is the leading provider of translation, development and testing solutions with offices in 26 countries and more than $400 million in revenue.

(by invitation only)
The earthquake and nuclear fallout in Japan, coupled with the rising inflation and commodity prices in Asia, are impacting U.S. companies’ product sourcing, pricing, and logistics. We are very excited to have Laura J. Sen, CEO, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc. join us for breakfast on May 13th. Laura will talk about the 5 P’s – Product, Price, Place, Promotion, and People, – of the wholesale club industry in the context of Asia.

Laura J. Sen , has been Chief Executive Officer of BJ’s Wholesale Club Inc. since February 1, 2009 and has been its President since January 15, 2008, responsible for all day-to-day operations. Laura has nearly 30 years of experience in mass retailing, including service with Zayre Corporation and Jordan Marsh Company. She played key roles in growing BJ’s from an early stage business to a Fortune 500 company.

(by invitation only)
Asia beckons as a vast market for Massachusetts leading edge technology companies. How do you break into this market? How do you find your customers in this market? We are very fortunate to have a special guest, Dr. Jill Becker, Founder and CEO, CambridgeNanoTech, join us on April 8. Dr. Becker will share with us how she found her Asian distributors, how she likes to work with them, and how she is dealing with the issues of working with her Asian distributors. For example, her Chinese distributor copied and started selling her flagship system.

In 2003, Dr. Becker founded Cambridge NanoTech, which grew directly out of one of the foremost ALD research groups in the world – the Gordon Lab at Harvard University. In May 2010, Dr. Becker was named a Finalist in Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” awards for her excellence in vision, leadership and achievement.

(by Invitation Only)
We will be featuring a discussion on China’s accelerating inflation, new industrial policies, and the Mid-East unrest. What are the corporate risks and strategic considerations in the context of potential social instability? Two CEOs will lead the discussion on their strategic thinking.

George Dannecker, CEO, Vette Corp. Vette Corp has marketing, manufacturing and engineering facilities in Taiwan and China.

Reinhold Hesse, CEO, Extrusion Technology, has now two manufacturing facilities in China.

(by Invitation Only)
U.S. companies going to China continue to be concerned about protecting their technologies. At the same time there are more patents filed in China by Chinese companies than those filed in the U.S. last year. Is the IP environment improving in China? How can a U.S. Company best protect itself?

Jack Daniels, Founder and President of EastBridge Partners LLC, which provides strategic on-the-ground execution of business development projects throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
Charlotte Kim, Partner at Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati PC., a premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences and growth enterprises worldwide.
Jim McSherry, Senior Vice President at HUB International. HUB International provides risk management and insurance brokerage services globally.

(by Invitation Only)
What are the best ways to find, select, negotiate, and form outsourced supply chain partnerships in Asia?
Stephen T. Eccles, COO, Ceralta Technologies, Inc. has initiated this discussion

(by Invitation Only)
Come celebrate the holidays! We expect a large turnout of corporate C-suite executives.

(by Invitation Only)
Mid term elections over. Fed’s $600 billion move. G20 Summit in Seoul, South Korea. China and Australia’s surprise interest rate move. The threat of devaluation and a global currency war. The confluence of such events, government policies, struggling economies, and expanding deficit are rapidly reshaping the foreign exchange market. The exchange rate movement can benefit or hurt your business. Are you prepared?

Marc Chandler joined Brown Brothers Harriman in October 2005 as the global head of currency strategy. Previously he was the chief currency strategist for HSBC Bank USA and Mellon Bank. Marc is a prolific writer and speaker and his essays have been published in the Financial Times, Barron’s, Euromoney, Corporate Finance, and Foreign Affairs.

Economic growth in China has been explosive over the past ten years. U.S. companies have found it to be an attractive market to sell high-value-added products and set up manufacturing facilities in the Chinese provinces. It is not for the weak at heart. We have assembled a top-flight business panel who possess a wealth of experience exporting high-value-added products to China, setting up operating plants and facilities, and navigating enterprises through unfamiliar territory and ambiguous rules and regulations. We are partnering with SBANE and sponsoring this event.

Olivia Ho Cheng, President, Aurora Imaging, North Andover, MA
Michael McGowen, Asia Pacific Counsel, Cabot Corporation, Boston, MA
Jack Daniels, President, EastBridge Partners, LLC, Boston, MA
Rick LeBlanc, President, NELCO, Burlington, MA
Kerry Scarlott, Esq., Director, Goulston & Storrs, Boston, MA

(by invitation only)
Join us for a day of fun and networking at Hopkinton Country Club. We will T off at 12:00 pm followed by a buffet reception at the end of the round where the Chamber will host an after hours networking reception for both golfers and non-golfers. By invitation only.

(by invitation only)
Dr. Overholt is a Senior Fellow at Harvard University. He formally served as Head of Strategy and Economics at Nomura’s regional headquarters in Hong Kong and as Managing Director and Head of Research at BankBoston’s regional headquarters in Singapore. Dr. Overholt is the author of six books, including The Rise of China, which won the Mainichi News/Asian Affairs Research Center Special Book Prize. Dr. Overholt also served as a Governor of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong for six years. Dr. Overholt has shared with us the international political and economic pressures the Chinese government is faced with and the tough balancing act it is conducting to maintain social stability, economic growth, and the new global leadership role that other countries have come to expect of China. Dr. Overholt has predicted a number of potential moves that the Chinese government may make on the economic and political fronts and how such moves may impact U.S. companies doing business with China.

(by invitation only)
Jing Huang joined us for breakfast from Bain Capital’s Shanghai office, which he opened in 2005. Prior to Bain Capital, Jing was Managing Director, Softbank Infrastructure Fund and SunneVision, two major, Asia-based venture capital and private equity funds. Jing gave us an overview of private equity in China. The financial crisis has greatly altered the investment landscape in China. With continuous credit constraints and a growing number of foreign PE firms in China, doing PE deals is both more difficult and more competitive. Locally, there is now more capital available through local currency based PE funds, and the establishment of ChiNex, the new “NASDAQ” of China. U.S. company executives asked Jing many questions, such as about the M&A environment in China and sources of capital for U.S. companies operating in China, and had some in-depth discussion on current capital market issues in Asia.

(by invitation only)
Following up on some spirited debates during our past meetings on IP in China and the high-level of interest, we had Michael Bunis, an intellectual property (IP) partner at Choate join us. Mike has broad experience advising companies in a variety of US-Asia IP matters and talked specifically about The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), touching on the questions such as “Why are companies like Apple and Samsung using the ITC to enforce their IP rights?”. Company CEOs in attendance also discussed practical measures they were taking to combat IP infringement in Asia and the noticeable improvement in the IP environment in China.

(by invitation only)
Professor Yasheng Huang from the MIT Sloan School of Management joined us for breakfast and discussion. Professor Yasheng Huang has written a number of books on China, including Capitalism with Chinese Character, Inflation and Investment Control in China, and Foreign Direct Investment in China. Professor Yasheng Huang is also the founder of the China and India labs at MIT. Professor Huang shared with us his insights into the forces driving wage and labor cost increases, the brooding real estate bubble, and the new economic dynamics between the urban and rural areas in China. This gave executives much to think about in terms of adjusting their China manufacturing strategies to cope with the recent 15% labor cost increase in some areas.

(by invitation only)
The attendees shared with the group what was on everyone’s mind and discussed key risk factors in managing business operations in Asia regarding the economy, currency, inflation, regulation, political unrest, and IP issues. The group also discussed the flare up of the Google-China conflict and its implications for technology firms operating in China. Also on people’s mind was China’s real estate bubble and its effect on raw material and commodity prices globally. The group exchanged useful information and contacts to further discuss risk factors pertaining to their operations heading into 2010.