Laurie Arnold
Head of Human Resources, China
Amazon

Laurie is corporate Human Resources Director at Joyo Amazon China (www.amazon.cn), the Chinese subsidiary of the world's leading e-commerce company, Amazon.com. Joyo Amazon, founded in May 2000 and acquired by Amazon in 2004, is now the largest retailer of Chinese books in the world, in addition to offering customers a wide selection of music, videos and DVDs, software, wireless and digital cameras, toys and gifts, health and personal care items, and jewelry and watches. Laurie has been in the HR field for 18 years, including Four Seasons Hotels and Amazon, where she's been for the past 11.5 years. Laurie brings significant experience and passion around the challenges and opportunities in the international HR arena, having lived and worked in numerous locations throughout the world for Amazon, including US, Germany, France, UK, Japan and now China. Since relocating with her family from Tokyo one year ago, she and her team have been working on creating an effective people strategy for this fast-moving, high growth company...with particular emphasis in attracting, retaining and developing talent in the fast-moving, high growth country of China!

Benedicte Hersen
Vice-President Human Resources
Airbus China

Graduated in Engineering, Psychology and Coaching, Benedicte Hersen is always ready to meet any new challenge involving Change Management, no matter the domain involved. Trainer in Communication and Management, Benedicte is an experienced top manager who can use the state-of-the-art tools, methodologies and practices on the field while bringing with her over 19 years of experience from various functions such as Engineering, Project & Program Management, Operations, Consulting and HR.

Cecilia Young
Human Resources & Administration Director
Objectiva Software Solutions

Cecilia joined Objectiva Software Solutions in 2005 as Director of Human Resources and Administration. In this position, she is a member of the Management Committee and oversees the departments of Human Resources, Training, Administration and IT. Started her career as a Management Trainee in Shell Hong Kong, Cecilia has since progressively held management and executive positions in various companies in the industries of information technology, energy, real estate and retail.

Ming Zhang
Partner
Llinks Law Offices

Mr. Zhang graduated from Fudan University in 1995 with a degree in economic law and obtained his LLM from Keio University, Tokyo, in 2000. And Mr zhang worked for three famous law offices before joined Llinks Law Offices as partner in June 2006. Mr. Zhang is also a member of Labour Law Research Committee of Shanghai Bar Association. Extensive experience handling matters in the manufacturing, real estate, entertainment, service, and information technology industries. Primarily represents Japanese companies and their investment projects in China.

Paul Ng
Senior Director & General Manager, Greater China
Kelly Services

Paul has over 19 years of experience in management and human resources in Asia Pacific. As Senior Director and General Manager of Kelly Services in Greater China, he is based in Shanghai and has responsibility for the overall management of 9 offices and operations of Kelly Services in China and Hong Kong. He is an active and prominent member of the recruitment services profession in Asia Pacific having started P-Serv, a human resource consulting and payroll services company in 1990.  He led many initiatives for significant business growth and has extensive experience working with clients in chemicals manufacturing, food and beverage, logistics, FMCG and electronic engineering industries.

Avrom Goldberg
Managing Director, Asia Pacifi c & Middle East
SIRVA Relocation

A graduate of the University of Cape Town in South Africa, Avrom has 23 years’ experience in the global mobility industry.  He has held global or regional responsibilities in the areas of supplier networks and management, sales and marketing, and consulting as well as general management. He has lived and worked in South Africa, Netherlands, Belgium, UK and Hong Kong where he is currently based.  His work in the industry has taken him to over 40 countries.  He is a past Chairman of the Worldwide Employee Relocation Council (ERC) Global Advisory Council, as well a past Chairman of its international Symposium Planning Committee.  He has also been a faculty member for ERC’s Global Mobility Specialist certification program for HR and Relocation Services professionals.

Dr. Paul Van Katwyk
Ph.D., Managing Director Greater China
Personnel Decisions International (PDI)

Paul Van Katwyk leads PDI teams in Shanghai and Hong Kong that focus on the design and delivery of talent management systems for clients throughout Greater China. He also delivers a range of services that support talent management initiatives, including executive assessment, training, and coaching. He has in-depth experience in large-scale assessment and development process design and management. He joined PDI’s Assessment Practice in 1995 before taking on an 18-month overseas assignment in the Tokyo office. He returned to PDI’s headquarters in 1999 where he co-developed and later managed the succession management practice area. In 2002, after serving as the midwest regional director for Talent Advantage Solutions, he assumed his current role. Paul Van Katwyk has presented at many conference workshops on succession management, the role of work experience, global leadership, and creating effective leadership development practices.

Barb Thompson
Regional Director
AchieveGlobal

With over 20 years of professional experience as a training and development practitioner, Barb has worked with a broad range of multinational clients to develop and implement training and development approaches that positively impacts business performance and accelerates the execution of business strategies. In her current role as Regional Director based in Beijing PRC, Barb is responsible for managing AchieveGlobal’s wholly owned operations in northern China and is tasked with increasing brand presence, growing market share in key markets and the professional development of our local staff.

KeKe Quei
Founder & Managing Partner, Asia Pacific
Kinnogene Inc.

Keke has years of Organizational Performance backgrounds across Asia-Pacific and both with the experience to be among the very few Certified Professional Facilitators, IAF practicing in this Region. Keke’s  focus is on using facilitation and intervention approaches as effective Leadership and people development responses to dealing with today’s business agility and transformation needs. Keke worked with Dr. Philip Kotler and Mr. Milton Kotler at “Branding Taiwan 2006” in facilitating discussions amongst the working officials and academics Group for continued dialogues as part of the Branding Taiwan Project hosted by TaiTra.

Susie has been living and working in Beijing, China for 25 years as a hands-on human resources practitioner.  Susie was involved at the start-up of the UK firm, Rolls-Royce International operations in China from the early 80s, spending over sixteen years with the organization holding senior management positions.  Prior to joining the United Family in the late summer of 2003, Susie was Director of Human Resources for the Siemens &  CITIC finance leasing joint venture, Xin De Telecom.  Susie is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management, and the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration.

Irene Chan
HR Director
Beijing Olympic Broadcasting Company Ltd

Irene Chan is currently based in Beijing and working for Beijing Olympics Broadcasting Company (BOB) as its Head of Human Resources. BOB, as a cooperative joint venture between BOCOG and OBS (Olympics Broadcasting Services), was the Host Broadcaster for the Beijing Olympics & Paralympics and responsible for producing and distributing unbiased radio and television coverage worldwide. Irene is the chief driver behind the company’s overall Human Resources and Recruitment policy and strategy. Being a key member of the management team, she worked closely with OBS in Madrid and BOCOG in Beijing to devise its HR strategy in order to ensure the successful coverage of the Beijing Olympics. BOB employed more than 5,000 people in August 2008. Irene moved to Beijing from Hong Kong in August 2006. She first provided consultancy services on corporate PR, media training, crisis and issue management for Corporations (e.g. Disney Global Parks & Resorts) before she joined BOB. From 2001-2006, she was the Vice President of Public Affairs for Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and Regional Director of Corporate Communications for The Walt Disney Company in Asia Pacific. She was responsible for directing all aspects of Public Affairs in Hong Kong Disneyland Resort including its public affairs strategy, media engagement and relations strategy, external relations, government relations, and community relations programs.

PLUS:
Jenny Liu
Executive Director, HR Management
Beijing Gao Hua Securities Company Ltd