- The desire to know -

Founder & Director Bright Hong Kong

Germán is an Attorney at Law and Journalist. His curiosity about the world is clearly related to the desire to know. The “love of learning” is the driving force on Germán´s life. That led him to conceive the idea of Bright Hong Kong of which he is its Founder and Director. His idea crystallized in an arena of discussion that brings together intellectuals, social leaders, diplomats and politicians in an atmosphere of respect and understanding. 

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Bright Hong Kong reflects some of German's interests that echo in matters such as the deepest sense of Humanity, the role of culture and history, as well as spirituality. German is also a Board Director for the Ocean Recovery Alliance and has also been a Board Director for the Pacific Basin Economic Council since 2015.

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In Mexico, he was part of the Dean´s staff at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, UNAM. Germán was also a member of the staff of two Presidents of the Republic. He participated in the creation of public policies and government programs, among which the first and most successful program to end extreme poverty in Mexico.

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Currently based in Philadelphia, Germán continuous leading Bright Hong Kong. Prior to this initiative, he was President of the Mexican Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong 2013-2015. Germán has lived and worked in Mexico, Sweden, the United States, France, Singapore, Brazil, Panama, and Hong Kong.

Consul General of Germany in Hong Kong

Dieter Lamlé is the Consul General of Germany to Hong Kong. Born in Pretoria, South Africa, he studied law in Regensburg (1978 - 1983) and he was enrolled in practical legal training in Bavaria, the second level of state law examinations (1984 - 1987). His entry into the Foreign Service took place in Bonn in 1987.

Between 2015 - 2017 Mr. Lamlé was Regional Director for Latin-America and the Caribbean at the Federal Foreign Office, Berlin. He served as Consul General in Erbil (Irak) from January to July 2015. In 2012 he was appointed Chief of Protocol, Land Berlin, Head of Foreign Affairs and between 2011 and 2014 Mr. Lamlé was Head of State Secretaries’ Office, Federal Foreign Office, Berlin. 

During 2009 until 2011 he was Head of Personnel Development and Planning Higher Service Division, Federal Foreign Office, Berlin.

In 2008 he also was the Head of Human Rights, International Human Rights Protection; EU Human Rights Policy Division, Federal Foreign Office, in Berlin. 

Previously, he had several responsibilities that include:

2004 - 2008 Deputy Head of Mission, German Embassy in Lima, Peru.

2001 - 2004 Deputy Head of Personnel - General Division, Federal Foreign Office, Berlin.

1998 - 2001 Desk officer for policy (Security Council, Asia), Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations, New York.

1995 - 1998 Desk officer for press relations at the German Embassy in Jakarta/Indonesia 

1992 - 1995 Personnel Division, Federal Foreign Office, Berlin 

1989 - 1992 Deputy Head of Mission, German Embassy in Kigali/Rwanda 

1988 - 1989 Desk officer for Human Rights, Federal Foreign Office, Bonn.

Mexican Ambassador to Austria

Alicia Buenrostro Massieu is the Mexican Ambassador to Austria, concurrent with Slovakia and Slovenia and Permanent Representative to the International Organizations based in Vienna: the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

She is a co-author with Ambassador Andrés Rozental of the chapter on Bilateral Diplomacy of the Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy, Oxford University Press, 2013 and seats in the board of the International Women’s Forum, Hong Kong Chapter. Alicia was the Consul General of Mexico in Hong Kong and Macao SAR from August 2011 until April 2016.

Economist. Senior Fellow at Bruegel

Chief Economist for the Asia Pacific at NATIXIS. Alicia also serves as Senior Research Fellow at the European think-tank BRUEGEL, a non-resident fellow at Cornell’s emerging market research center and Senior Research Fellow at El Cano Royal Institute for International Relations.

Alicia Garcia-Herrero is currently an adjunct professor at City University of Hong Kong, visiting faculty at the University of Science and Technology (UST) as well as at China-Europe International Business School (CEIBS).

Internationalist & Human Rights Advocate

A former member of the Dutch House of Representatives for the CDA -Christian Democratic- Party, Kathleen is passionately committed to global social change.

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Born in Paramaribo as the daughter of the late Johan Ferrier, 1st President of Suriname following independence, she is well acquainted with the values, traditions and behavioral codes of disparate cultures.

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Like her father before her, Ms. Ferrier’s dedication to uniting divisions is unequivocal. Instilled in her from a young age, is an awareness of political relationships and their complexities. She has an infallible instinct for fairness, human rights, and social justice.

University of Oxford. Chairman of the University's China Advisory Group

Chris Drake first came to Hong Kong in 1982 and, apart from a few years in each of Switzerland and New York, continues to work in Hong Kong as a lawyer.  

He is also actively involved with a number of charities and non-profit organizations and a co-founder of The Mother and Child Health and Education Trust, TCK Learning Centre for Migrant Workers, The Asia-Pacific Network for Moral Education and The Association for Living Values Education International.  

A long-time supporter of the University of Oxford, he is the Chairman of the University's China Advisory Group and a Distinguished Friend of Oxford.

Editor-in-Chief at ¨Harbour Times¨

Andrew Work is the Asia-Pacific Head Content Strategist at NexChange, the social platform connecting the world to finance and innovation. Andrew is also the co-creator of the Fintech O2O brand and events. Mr. Work stewards the content of the NexChange and Fintech O2O websites and events with a content team across Asia. Andrew has spoken on, hosted, and moderated panels at a wide range of business, finance, fintech, and innovation-related events around the world. These have included the Fintech O2O Global Summit, the World Bank/IMF SME Finance Forum, the World Business Angel Investment Forum, the Baring’s relaunch in Asia, Qualcomm’s 4G/5G Summit, RISE Hong Kong, the Canadian Crowdfunding Summit, Standard Chartered events, and many more. Mr. Work founded the Hong Kong economic policy think tank and The Lion Rock Institute, where he remains an active board member. He is the former Executive Director of The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and has worked for The Economist, Penton Media, and on Parliament Hill with a senior cabinet minister in Ottawa. He has written extensively on public policy as it impinges on the growth of business and the flourishing of technology. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from McGill University and an MBA from the University of Victoria.

Economist

Ms. Mukherjee is an economist and has worked for multilateral institutions such as the International Labor Organization and the International Finance Corporation on diverse topics such as poverty reduction, child labor, income inequality, gender inequality, investment climate of emerging economies and energy affordability. 

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At the ILO, based in the Bangkok office, she was responsible for the estimations of child labor populations in the supply chains of various sectors in the Asia Pacific to inform policy and program interventions at the national level. At the IFC, based in the Moscow office, she was responsible for conceptualizing surveys and writing policy recommendations to increase the competitiveness of economies in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Her technical expertise and professional experience have centered on conceptualizing and implementing surveys, analyses, reporting, and dissemination of empirically driven policy positions of a broad range of development indicators. She has experience with developing results frameworks and diagnostics to ascertain performance, outcomes, and impacts. She has contributed to flagship publications and peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Quantitative Economics and World Development. 

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Sanjukta currently heads PwC’s Thought Leadership team for HK and China based in Hong Kong. She has lived and worked in India, the US, Thailand, and Russia. Ms. Mukherjee received her Master in Sciences in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the US and a B.S. in Mathematics - Economics from Lawrence University, Appleton, WI, US.

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Consul for Innovation of the Consulate General of Finland in Hong Kong

Dr. Sari Arho Havrén is in charge of the Team Finland innovation and strategic foresight network in China and the Asia Pacific under TEKES, The Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation, as the Consul for Innovation of the Consulate General of Finland in Hong Kong. Prior to Hong Kong, she held the same position in Shanghai. 

During the past 25 years, Dr. Arho Havrén has held various East and South East Asian-related positions (in Finland, in various occasions in China, Hong Kong, and Thailand) and gained experience in several industry sectors including healthcare, clean tech, and education and training. Throughout her career and being an entrepreneur herself, she has worked closely with businesses entering Asian markets and has an in-depth understanding of the public-private partnerships and promoting innovations.  In addition to various Asian countries and to her home country Finland, Dr. Arho Havrén has experience in such emerging countries as Russia and Bulgaria but also from the cleantech sector from Sweden. Her special expertise includes innovation strategies, strategic and participatory foresight, and she is a keen follower of the Chinese innovation system and development.

Dr. Arho Havrén made her Ph.D. in the field of international relations and specifically in Finnish and Chinese Diplomatic and Trade Relations from 1949 to 1989. She studied general history as her Master’s thesis at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and her minors included sinology and organizations and leadership from the School of Economics. Dr. Arho Havrén has published several books, studies and articles covering East and South East Asian businesses and business cultures.

Head of Research of Asian Private Banker

Stratos is the Head of Research of Asian Private Banker where he is leading a wide spectrum of research projects on Asia’s private banking and wealth management industry. He is also a part-time lecturer at Hong Kong Baptist University. Department of Government and International Studies. Born and raised in Greece, Stratos worked for the Hellenic Ministry of Finance for almost six years.

His research has been funded by the European Commission and the Japanese government, and it has been published by peer-reviewed journals, edited volumes and think-tanks, including SIPRI and Carnegie Europe. He is also a member of the Financial Services Business Council of the European Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong.

Stratos holds a Bachelor in Accounting and Finance, a Master of International Public Policy from Osaka University. In 2017, he received a PhD in Government and International Studies from Hong Kong Baptist University. His PhD dissertation examined energy hedging in China and the EU. In 2017 he led a research grant, offered by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Hong Kong, that examined carbon trade and environmental taxation in Asia.​

Theologist

Tjeerd de Boer is an associate professor, in the area of Mission, Religion, and Culture, at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Hong Kong (50 To Fung Shan Road, Shatin, N.T.). The courses he is giving include World Religions, Theology of Religions, Contextual Theology, Church & Society, and Secularization & Globalization. Tjeerd de Boer is born in the Netherlands (1949) and studied theology at the Free University (VU) Amsterdam, where he received his Ph.D. in 2010. He started his professional career as an assistant at faculty and church, and as a tutor of Christian Education at teacher training colleges in Amsterdam (1973-1983).

De Boer worked as a professor in Practical Theology in Chili (1984-1991) and Brazil (1991-1994) and as visiting professor in Colombia, Mozambique, and Brazil (2003-2007). He headed the department for projects abroad of the NL Foundation for Christian Education (1994-2002) and was responsible for educational projects in Uganda and Malawi, Peru and Bolivia (2002-2013). Tjeerd de Boer is pastor of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PKN), since 1984. He is married to Kathleen Ferrier, and they have two sons.

Businessman & Philanthropist

Following a successful career as an investment banker, Daniel is the founding partner of Polarwide a strategic and financial advisory firm with a focus on Asia- Europe cross-border transactions.

Daniel is also very active in a number of other areas: an associate of Global Philanthropic, an associate of Silk Road Associates, Board member at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce, and also a member of the executive committee of the European Chamber of Commerce.

FinnTech Specialist & Economic Justice for Women Advocate

Renu is one of the Founding Partners and Managing Director of SuperCharger, a dedicated Fintech accelerator in Hong Kong. She is also Co-founder of Asia Fintech Angels and President of Prospect Ventures, an angel investment group based in Hong Kong.

Renu has extensive experience in investment banking, asset management, and private investments, having worked at Goldman Sachs in New York and HSBC in Hong Kong.

She is also well versed in start-ups having started ChinaMD, and Tancho Investments, a real-estate company developing residential and commercial real-estate in Hokkaido, Japan.

Renu is an advisor to FintechHK and is currently involved with several startups in Hong Kong. She has an MBBS from the University of London and an MBA from Yale University.

Financial Forensics Investigator and a Certified AML Specialist

Maria is a Financial Forensics Investigator and a Certified AML Specialist with more than ten years of professional experience. Having worked for the Greek Financial and Economic Crime Unit, she specializes in financial crime investigations including money laundering, fraud & corruption cases. Since moving to Hong Kong, she has participated in various regulatory compliance and investigation research projects. Currently, she is working in the Centre of Corporate Governance and Financial Policy, School of Business, at Hong Kong Baptist University on a corruption-related project.

She has a keen interest in FinTech and RegTech with a particular focus on crypto assets and new technologies. More recently, she has been researching how new methods and regulations can be implemented to combat financial crime and money laundering schemes. Maria holds a Bachelor in Accounting and Finance from the University of Macedonia, Greece and an MBA from the Hellenic Open University.

President of The Mexican Chamber of Commerce

Mauricio is the President of the Mexican Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. He is also a Wealth Manager at FWD Life Insurance Company Ltd. He originally came to HK in 2010 for a scholarship that he received for a Master's in International Banking and Finance at Lingnan University.

Mauricio is from the Mexican - American border of Tijuana and San Diego and has equally experienced life and culture on both sides of the divide. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from the California State University of San Marcos while working as travel agent focusing on Latin- American clientele. Mauricio makes part of the Millennial generation: motivated and confident about the future. 

Former Chief Executive Officer at the Pacific Basin Economic Council

Deborah Biber is the former Chief Executive of the Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC). Founded in 1967, it is the oldest, independent business association to link the economies of the Asia-Pacific Region and the Americas. 

Ms. Biber also was the Chief Executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Macau and was a key player in the formation of the AustCham Greater China initiative and the development of Australian Business Asia, a group of business organizations in India, China, ASEAN, and North Asia.

Ms. Biber is a passionate advocate for business education to help build tomorrow’s leaders.  She was most latterly the Country Manager Hong Kong for the Australian Graduate School of Management, a global top fifty MBA provider, part of the Australian School of Business at the University of New South Wales. 

Deborah has enjoyed a diverse career in all aspects of marketing, public policy, and public affairs in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Europe as well as across Asia including Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, and China. Hong Kong has been her home for 29 years.

Deborah uses her policy, marketing, and sponsorship skills to benefit several NGO’s. She is on the advisory councils of the Entrepreneurs Club Hong Kong, the Hong Kong ASEAN Foundation and the AustCham Australia China Business Awards. She is a Board Member of the HK Chapter of the Australian Rugby Foundation and also a Task Force Member of the UN ESCAP Sustainable Business Network.