Managing Partner, C3U Venture Capital; stars Alumna, Shenzhen, China

Esther BIAN is the Managing Partner of C3U Ventures. C3U is a family-oriented fund, focusing on early-stage fund-cooperation and technology investments, registered in Singapore. Esther is also the founder of Unitime Consulting. Unitime is an innovative investment consulting firm specialized in providing outsourced investment services in China and Southeast Asia, including industry research & advice, investments sourcing, due diligence, portfolio managements and M&A supports. Esther holds a MPA degree from London School of Economics and Bachelor degree from University College London.

Founder and CEO, Roumai Medical, Shenzhen, China

Director for China and Drucker Relationships, Peter F. Drucker School; former Associate Researcher, Shenzhen University; stars Alumna, Shenzhen, China

Virginia Cheung is the Director for China and Drucker Relationships at the Peter F. Drucker School of Management and a former Associate Researcher at Shenzhen University. She holds a PhD in Management and an EMBA from the Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito School at Claremont Graduate University. Virginia specializes in integrating Western and Eastern thought leadership, with a focus on leadership, management, and effective societies. Her comparative research explores alternative management philosophies, with a unique emphasis on bridging Peter Drucker’s management principles and Confucianism.
She co-authored "Creating the Organization of the Future" and its Chinese counterpart with renowned Peter Drucker Chair Professor Bernard Jaworski. Virginia also holds a Master’s in Law and Economics from the University of Hamburg and a degree in Economics from the University of Bradford. In addition to her academic career, she has held leadership roles at Phoenix Satellite Television and Siemens AG and served on the boards of Chinese high-tech startups. Her cross-cultural expertise and industry experience enable her to deliver innovative, practical management solutions that address global challenges. Virginia is passionate about advancing management thinking by fostering collaboration across disciplines, industries, and cultures.

Managing Partner of Greater Bay Area, PwC China; Executive Vice President of Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce, Qianhai, China

Mr. James Chang is a member of the PwC Mainland China and Hong Kong Management Board. He is responsible for the Regional Economic Clusters business in China, the South Markets’ strategy and activities, and the overall operations of the Shenzhen office. He is committed to promoting the integrated and coordinated development of China’s city clusters, including the Greater Bay Area, covering Infrastructure Layout, Industrial Collaboration, Public Services Sharing, and Ecological Co-Construction and Environmental Co-Governance. At the same time, he serves as the Financial Services Leader and leads the team to provide a full suite of services to various financial institutions in China.

James has over 25 years of experience in professional services, providing a full range of services for state-owned enterprises, private enterprises, government agencies and multinational companies operating in China. James previously served as PwC China Consulting Leader, helping enterprises carry out overall strategic planning, business operations’ deployment, M&A integration, risk and compliance, digital transformation and other projects to achieve sustainable growth.

James is often invited to deliver speeches on China’s economic sustainable development and transformation, green finance, data assetisation and other hot topics at prestigious forums and summits such as the World Economic Forum, BoAo Forum for Asia, the World Internet Conference, and the World Artificial Intelligence Conference. In 2016, he represented PwC as the Knowledge Partner for the B20 Financing Growth Taskforce and presented a policy recommendation report on financial growth for the G20 Summit. The report included policy recommendations on green finance, digital finance, inclusive finance and many other topics, which were adopted and reflected in the official G20 Hangzhou Summit Communiqué.

Prior to joining PwC, James worked at several Wall Street investment banks. He graduated from the New York University Stern School of Business with an MBA. He has the professional qualifications of Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Public Account (CPA) of New York State. He also completed the Leading Professional Service Firms (LPSF) Executive Training Program from Harvard Business School. James is an expert consultant or member of organisations such as the National Engineering Laboratory of Big Data Distribution and Exchange Technologies and the FinTech Cooperation Committee of Asian Financial Cooperation Association.

Co-Founder and Financial Journalist, The Market, Zurich, Switzerland

Mark Dittli is a journalist and author in Zurich, specializing in financial markets and global economics. He is Co-Founder and Financial Journalist of The Market, a new financial media platform that was launched in April 2019. The Market publishes in-depth analytical and background articles as well as interviews on companies, global industry trends and macroeconomic issues. From 2012 to 2017, Mark was the editor-in-chief of Finanz und Wirtschaft, Switzerland’s leading financial newspaper. Prior to that, he was the editor of the international section of Finanz und Wirtschaft and has spent five years as the U.S. correspondent of the paper in New York, covering economic and monetary policy as well as company issues. Mark has studied business economics in Zurich, journalism in New York and is a CFA charterholder. He is currently pursuing a Masters degree in history at the University of Zurich. Mark is married, has two children and lives in Zurich.

Professor and Director, Institute of the US and Pacific Studies, Shanghai International Studies University (SISU); Member, stars Scientific Board, Shanghai, China

Prof. Dr. Huang Jing is co-founder and CEO of Transcend Consulting. He is also a University Professor and Director of the Institute of the US and Pacific Studies at the Shanghai International Studies University (SISU). Before joining SISU, Prof. Huang was University Professor and Dean (Academic Affairs) of the Institute of International and Regional Studies at Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU). He was also the Lee Foundation Professor on US-China Relations and Director of the Centre on Asia and Globalization of the LKY School of Public Policy at National University of Singapore (2008-2018), Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution (2004-2008), Shorenstein Fellow at Stanford University (2002-2003), and Associate Professor (tenured) of Political Science and Director of the Asian Studies Program at Utah State University (1994-2004). Prof. Huang also taught at Harvard University as an instructor in 1993-94.

Prof. Huang’s main research and teaching interests include security in Asia-Pacific, US-China relations, major power diplomacy in Asia-Pacific, China’s foreign policies and its development strategy. He is the author of numerous papers and journal articles, and has published hundreds of columns and op-eds in major newspapers and magazines. Prof. Huang has authored two books: Factionalism in Chinese Communist Politics (Cambridge University Press, 2000) and Inseparable Separation: the Making of China’s Taiwan Policy” (World Scientific Press, 2010), and edited or co-edited seven volumes on South China Sea, the environment policies of Asian countries, and the development of Russia’s Far East and Siberia. As an internationally renowned scholar, Prof. Huang has provided policy advices for governments, NGOs, educational institutions, think tanks, and businesses for countries in Asia, America and Europe, including China, the United States, Russia, Japan, India, South Korea, Norway, Germany, Vietnam, Australia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Prof. Huang earned a bachelor degree in English literature from Sichuan University, a master degree in history from Fudan University, and a PhD in Political science from Harvard University.

Founder and Executive Chairman, stars Foundation, Weinfelden, Switzerland

• 2014 – present: Executive Chairman and Founder of the stars Foundation Board, Weinfelden, Switzerland
• 2008 – 2014: Chairman and Co-Founder of the stars Foundation Board, Weinfelden, Switzerland
• 1994 – 2016: Member of the Board of UBS Wolfsberg and Congress Hotel Seepark AG
• 1994 – 2014: CEO, UBS Wolfsberg. Emphasis on Business Development, i.e. initiating, supervising, and conducting UBS Briefings, UBS Health Forum, UBS Arts Forum, UBS Study Trips, UBS Think Tanks, Wolfsberg Podium (www.wolfsberg.com)
• 1981 – 1994: Various responsibilities for UBS Management and Executive Development, Member and Chairman of the Board of UBS Art Collection
• Concurrently: Member of the Board of various companies and foundations in Switzerland

Consul General, Consulate General of Switzerland, Guangzhou, China

Markus Thür was born 1966 in Scherzingen/Thurgau in the Eastern part of Switzerland. He joined the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs in 1992. He holds a Swiss Federal Diploma in Business Administration and a Diploma in International Relations FFHS. 

After his consular training in Berne/Switzerland and São Paulo/Brazil, he was subsequently transferred to the Swiss consular and diplomatic representations in Lyon/France, San José/Costa Rica, Houston/USA and Dakar/Senegal. From June 2011 to 2016 he was in charge of the section for the Citizen Services and Support for Representations at the Consular Directorate of the Foreign Ministry in Berne/Switzerland followed by the appointment as Consul General of Switzerland in Munich, Germany. From 2020 to 2024, he was appointed as Consul General of Switzerland in Cape Town/South Africa and in November 2024 Mr. Thür started his appointment as Consul General of Switzerland in Guangzhou. 

He is married to Juçara Thür-de Idaira Cavalcante Braga and is the father of two adult children. 

Research Associate Professor, SUSTech Southern University of Science and Technology; President, stars Shenzhen alumni chapter, Shenzhen, China
Ke is an experienced researcher and practitioner in quantitative finance and risk management, with a solid educational foundation that includes a doctoral degree in Quantitative Finance from ETH Zurich, a master’s degree in Mathematical Finance from Columbia University, a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Peking University, and a Bachelor of Mathematics from Beijing Normal University. His profound background encompasses financial bubbles, quantitative trading, complex systems, and data mining. Ke co-founded and leads Gaia-Qingke Fund Management Ltd., a top quantitative hedge fund in China, and has been instrumental at the Financial Crisis Observatory founded at ETH Zurich, offering critical bubble warnings and financial market reports utilized globally.

His contributions extend into the international business realm, with over ten years of investment experience and a deep commitment to fostering European-Chinese business cooperation. Ke co-founded and is the Secretary-General of the Swiss-Sino Innovation Center, demonstrating his dedication to international collaboration and innovation. He is also a co-founder and board member of the ETH Alumni Chapter Shenzhen and holds board positions in the Chinese Association of Finance Professionals in Switzerland and the Peking University Alumni Association in Switzerland. Dr. Wu served as the Executive President of the Association of Chinese Students and Scholars in Zurich (ACSSZ) from 2016 to 2018. His work has been acknowledged with several prestigious awards, including Shenzhen Overseas High-level Talents, Marie Curie Fellowship under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Program, and the National Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad Award.

General Manager, Imedco Technology; Member of the Board, EU Chamber South China; VP, Swiss Chamber South China, Shenzhen, China

Born in Germany, Klaus Zenkel graduated in Industrial Engineering. He worked from 1993 to 2006 in executive management positions within the Siemens Group, one of which was Technical Director at Siemens SSMR in Shenzhen. Mr. Zenkel joined the European Chamber South China Board in 2016. As Vice President of the European Chamber and Chairman of the South China Board, he supports the member companies and meets with government officials. As one of the 300 member companies in European Chamber South China Chapter, Imedco provides MRI shielding solutions for hospitals and research institutions. The company was founded in 1987 in Zurich, Switzerland. In 2006, Mr. Zenkel opened its Shenzhen subsidiary and started its business in China.

Deputy GM & Board Secretary at Barty Medical Technology Co., Ltd, Hangzhou, China

 Experience 

• Apr 2023 – Present: Deputy GM & Board Secretary at Barty Medical Technology Co., Ltd Hangzhou 
• Apr 2021 – Apr 2023: Senior Manager, Business Development at MicroPort® Scientific Corporation Shanghai
• Aug 2017 – Apr 2021: Senior Investment Manager at Sinopharm Holding Investment Management Co., Ltd Shanghai 
• May 2016 – Feb 2020: Research Assistant / Part-time Researcher at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) Shanghai
• July 2014 – Jun 2015: Assistant Researcher at Chinese Centre for Disease Control & Prevention, Ministry of Health Beijing

 Education 

• London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) London
  MPA Dual Degree with Distinction (Public Economics and Finance) 2015 – 2017
  Honours: LSE Graduate Student Schedule Scholarship
• National University of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Singapore
  MPP Dual Degree (Health Economics and Health Policy) 2015 – 2017
  Honours: Li Ka-Shing Dual Degree Scholarship
• Renmin University of China Beijing
  BSc in Public Administration (Demography and Health Management) 2011 – 2015
  Honours: Academic Scholarship; Outstanding Student Leader Prize of RUC