Speaker Biographies
Gregory P. Brown
Global Manufacturing Tranformation Project Manager
Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.
Greg Brown currently resides in Connecticut and is employed with Stanley Black & Decker in the CDIY business segment focused on Global operational support and business transformation projects. He has been working in the Asian business environment since the late 1980’s including living in SuZhou China for 5 years with his family. Greg established and managed Stant Automotive Systems (Suzhou) Co. Ltd. as the Managing Director and VP of Asia. He also was a BOD member for the Stant JV, DongFeng-Fuji-Thomson Thermostat Co. Ltd, in Wuhan. Greg holds a BSME from UCONN and an MBA from Rensselaer at Hartford.
Thomas Fu
Director of Global Innovation
LBP Manufacturing, Inc.
Thomas has more than 20 years of experience in research, innovation, new business development, general operation and business management in the fields of materials, packaging, printing and converting for the global marketplace. He achieved his PhD degree in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University and EMBA from Xavier University, and have held various progressive positions from scientist to R&PD manager to director in at various companies. Thomas has also been a company representative at USCCC, SPC and Global Green USA CoRR, and is strongly interested in sustainable packaging and business development, as well as global collaboration for the betterment of the world.
Lou Longo
Partner
Plante Moran Global Services
Lou leads the Plante Moran Global Services Team. Plante Moran Global Services includes consultants, accountants, and engineers experienced in strategy, finance, tax, and business operations for multinational organizations. Lou leads the firm’s Global Services’ offices in Chicago, Detroit, Shanghai, China and Monterrey, Mexico. In addition to his leadership role, Lou is an international business consultant assisting manufacturers and service organizations with global business strategies and transactions. He provides expertise to clients engaged in international business in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.
Lou’s wide range of experience includes the purchase, operation, and sale of a business and the accompanying business concerns. He assists clients with globalization and off-shoring strategies, foreign investments, mergers, joint ventures, market analysis, and export market requirements. In addition, Lou is a frequent speaker on international business considerations to various groups, including World Trade Center chapters, the Export Academy, as well as business associations and client groups. This experience led to his appointment by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce to the District Export Council.
Tom Manning
Board Member, AsiaCommScope; Dun & Bradstreet; Clear Media
Adjunct Faculty, University of Chicago Law School
Tom Manning is a board director, corporate advisor, and educator who previously managed companies in the services sector in Asia, Europe and the United States.
As an operating executive based in Hong Kong for seventeen years, he served as the CEO of Cerberus Asia, Indachin Limited, Capgemini Asia, and Ernst & Young Global Consulting Asia, and as a partner with Bain & Company. While with Capgemini, he managed the firm’s Global Strategy & Technology business from Paris. Earlier in his career, he was with McKinsey & Company, CSC Index, and Buddy Systems in the United States.
He is currently a Lecturer at The University of Chicago Law School, where he teaches courses on corporate governance in Asia, private equity in emerging markets, U.S.-China relations, and innovative solutions. He serves as an independent board director of three publicly-listed companies: Dun & Bradstreet, the leading global provider or corporate information (NYSE); CommScope, a leading telecommunications technology company (Nasdaq); and Clear Media, China’s largest outdoor media management company (HKSE). He is also an advisory board member of The Demand Institute, an affiliate partner of the Waterstone Management Group, and Vice Chairman of The Chicago Philharmonic. In 2013, he founded the China Advisory Board, a network of China-experienced executives who provide strategic assistance to corporations whose future increasingly depends on growth in China.
During the past decade, Mr. Manning also served as an independent director on the boards of the Bank of Communications, the fifth-largest bank in China (HKSE, Shanghai Exchange); Gome Electrical Appliances, a leading consumer electronics retailer in China (HKSE); AsiaInfo-Linkage Holdings, China’s primary telecom software company (NASDAQ); and iSoftStone, one of China’s top IT companies (NYSE). He was also an advisor to the World Economic Forum on its Global Agenda for China, a founding director of the Chicago-China Development Corporation, and a director of six private companies across Hong Kong, India and China.
A native of Chicago and a graduate of Harvard College (A.B., East Asian Studies, 1977) and the Stanford Graduate School of Business (MBA, 1979), Mr. Manning is a frequent commentator and op-ed contributor on topics such as China, governance, innovation, and private equity. He speaks Mandarin and divides his time between Beijing and Chicago.
Andrew W. Rice
Senior Vice President of International Business
The Jordan Company, LP
Andy Rice is Senior Vice President of International Business at The Jordan Company, LP ("TJC"), a leading global middle-market private equity firm with $8 billion in assets under management. Prior to joining TJC in 1989, Mr. Rice held various corporate development, strategy and marketing positions at Ameritech, IC Industries, and The Pillsbury Company.
Mr. Rice has traveled extensively assisting TJC companies expand overseas. Since 1990, he has helped coordinate over 45 acquisitions, joint ventures and wholly-owned start-up operations in China, Russia, India, Brazil, Mexico, Czech Republic, Western Europe, and other countries. Mr. Rice is currently focused on China where he travels10-12 times per year. Since 1995, TJC has completed more than 25 investments in China, including the acquisitions of both private companies and State Owned Enterprises (SOEs).
In 2006, TJC established International Mining Machinery Limited (“IMM”) to acquire two leading SOE manufacturers of underground coal mining equipment in Heilongjiang Province, China. These high profile landmark deals were the first SOEs in Heilongjiang acquired 100% by a foreign firm as part of China’s Northeast Region Revitalization Program. TJC subsequently completed 7 add-on IMM acquisitions and JVs. In February 2010, TJC successfully listed IMM on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. This was the first time a foreign firm had acquired control of an SOE and later taken the company public offshore. In December 2011, TJC sold its shares in IMM to Joy Global.
Mr. Rice earned a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and an M.S. in Engineering Administration, both from New Mexico State University. In 1978, Mr. Rice was named The Outstanding Industrial Engineering Student in the U.S. by the Institute of Industrial Engineers. He also completed one year of graduate studies in international economics at the University of Melbourne, Australia, where he studied as a Rotary Foundation Graduate Fellow.
Mr. Rice serves on the board of the U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce, the ACG Chicago Advisory board and several community service organizations. He is a Past Chairman of the Board of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG Global). Formerly, he served on the boards of the Illinois Finance Authority and the Washington, D.C. based Small Business Exporters Association. Mr. Rice is also a member of the Executives’ Club of Chicago, the International Trade Association of Greater Chicago, and the American Chamber of Commerce-China (Beijing). He is a 2011 recipient of the M&A Advisor International M&A Leadership Award.
Eric R. Rock
Partner
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Eric R. Rock concentrates his practice on customs and international trade matters. His areas of experience include the tariff classification, valuation and eligibility of merchandise for various free trade agreements and trade preference programs. Eric also advises clients regarding US export laws and regulations, including restrictions on the sale or disclosure of US-origin technology to foreign nationals, export licensing requirements, encryption controls and compliance with US trade embargoes. He has also represented clients entering into transactions subject to Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) reporting based on national interest concerns, and has represented clients in all facets of trade compliance, including administrative proceedings, litigation, audits and internal reviews of trade matters.
Over the course of his more than 20-year career, Eric has developed unique experience in creating innovative compliance solutions and proactive countermeasures to address the challenges facing his clients. He frequently handles inquiries related to textiles, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and antidumping compliance. He also assists clients in successfully enrolling in beneficial trade programs such as the Importer Self-Assessment (ISA) program and the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT).
Eric has obtained favorable antidumping scope exclusions and defended these outcomes in court. His litigation experience includes matters related to tariff classification and Section 337 investigations concerning the protection of intellectual property before the US International Trade Commission (USITC). He has also worked with congressional offices to successfully introduce special trade legislation.
Before joining Katten, Eric spent 19 years as a licensed customs broker, working with corporate clients to implement trade compliance initiatives and tailor procedures to ensure the effective importation and exportation of merchandise. He oversaw the processing of numerous transactions through a broad range of government agencies, including US Customs and Border Protection (CBP); the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA); the Bureau of Industry and Security; the US Department of Commerce; the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC); the US State Department; the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and CFIUS.
Brian Taylor – CPIM
Vice President, Asian Business Development and Operations
Anchor Lamina
A thirty plus year professional in manufacturing operations, logistics and supply chain management, his experiences range throughout a breadth of industries including Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, and Commercial Manufacturing. Previous experience with foreign owned companies, Hawker-Siddeley and Sulzer International, have provided him a unique perspective on the trials, tribulations and opportunities associated with dealing with foreign countries and cultures.
In his current position Brian has the responsibility for developing both the strategic direction and execution of the development of the Asian market. Successes include the development of a comprehensive distribution network throughout China and its neighboring countries for US manufactured product, a number of successful supply partners, and the selection, creation and management of a highly successful green field joint venture with Dongfeng to serve the needs of the Asia marketplace. Brian currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of this Joint venture as well as his ongoing duties with Anchor Lamina. During the last twelve years he has traveled extensively throughout most of the industrial areas of Asia and has experiences and relationships throughout many areas of the country.
Bryan W. Wahl, M.D.
Partner
Orange County
Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear, LLP
Bryan W. Wahl is a partner in our Orange County office. He specializes in intellectual property protection, infringement studies, financings, and strategic transactions especially with respect to medical devices, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals, and has counseled clients from the pre-Series A stage through exit. Dr. Wahl has represented clients in a variety of technical fields including aesthetic, bariatric, cardiovascular, gynecologic, imaging, neurologic, orthopedic, and pulmonary devices.
Prior to joining the firm, Dr. Wahl entered medical school after one undergraduate year, and received his medical degree with honors from the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School Of Medicine in 1999. He completed an internal medicine residency in the UCLA-affiliated Cedars-Sinai Medical Center program in Los Angeles in 2002, and is board certified in Internal Medicine. Dr. Wahl earned his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall) in 2005. In law school, he received three American Jurisprudence Awards, two Prosser Awards, and the Barbee Fellowship, researching conflicts of interest of hospital institutional review boards, and also was a summer extern for the Honorable Ronald T.Y. Moon, Chief Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court.
Dr. Wahl joined the firm in 2005. In 2012, he was recognized by the Daily Journal as one of the top 20 under 40 attorneys in California. Dr. Wahl was also named by the Daily Journal in both 2012 and 2013 as one of the top 25 Intellectual Property Portfolio Managers in California, as well as one of the top 100 intellectual property attorneys in California. In addition, he was recognized by The Recorder in its 2012 inaugural listing of 50 Lawyers on the Fast Track, as a Rising Star by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association in 2013, and as a Southern California Rising Star in intellectual property law in a 2013 survey of his peers, featured in an article in Los Angeles as well as Super Lawyers magazine.
In addition to his law practice at the firm, Dr. Wahl also continues to practice inpatient internal medicine as a hospitalist in both Southern California as well as the Bay Area.
Feng Xue
Partner
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Feng Xue is head of Katten’s China practice and chief representative and managing partner of the firm’s Shanghai office. He applies his 20 years of experience representing Chinese and US investors and companies to cross-border transactions involving a variety of private equity, mergers and acquisitions, securities regulations and general corporate matters.
Feng negotiates and documents the establishment of joint ventures, wholly foreign owned enterprises (WFOEs) and distribution/franchise relationships. Increasingly, his practice consists of representing Chinese companies in their acquisition and expansion efforts overseas. He sits on the boards of directors of several Chinese companies and serves as general counsel to dozens of private equity funds and technology companies doing business in China.
Feng represents clients from a variety of industries, including manufacturing, venture capital, education, biotech, pharmaceuticals, hospitality and technology. He often represents US companies and investors looking to expand to China, and Chinese companies and venture capital firms looking to invest in US companies and sell to US investors.
A seasoned practitioner of corporate law in the United States, Feng focuses his corporate practice on complex merger and acquisition transactions, securities offerings, middle market buyout fund acquisitions and venture capital investments.
Feng has been quoted in Chinese and US media on issues related to doing business in China and cross-border M&A matters, including The Wall Street Journal’s TheStreet.com, The M&A Journal and China Business News. He is a frequent speaker on the legal issues affecting foreign investment in China.
He is the co-author of Laws of the People’s Republic of China, Volumes III, IV, and V, published by China Science Press, and Western Corporate Laws, published by China Law Press. Prior to attending law school, Feng worked as a senior legislative officer for the Legislative Affairs Commission and Law Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress, where he participated in the drafting of Chinese national legislation.
Siva Yam, CPA, CFA
President
U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce
Mr. Siva Yam, CPA, CFA, an investment banker with over 20 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions, public offerings and private placements of securities, venture financing, and privatization, is Managing Director of Siva Yam & Associates, LLC, a private consulting and investment banking boutique, which specializes in cross border business and trade activities between the U.S. and Asia, and in particular, The Greater China Region. He is a Partner and CFO of Amicus Capital Partners, a startup private equity fund that specializes in the healthcare industry.
Mr. Yam is the current President of the United States-China Chamber of Commerce, a non-profit organization founded by Prescott S. Bush, Jr. that is dedicated to promoting trade and investment activities between US and China. He has served on the Advisory Board of the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago and is an advisor to the North America Representative Office of Shenzhen. Prior to his current engagements, he was Co-Founder, Senior Managing Director, and Director of Investment Banking of Chicago Capital, Inc., an investment banking boutique. Prior to founding Chicago Capital, he worked in the Corporate Finance Department at Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, in various capacities, including as Co-Founder and a Managing Director of Stifel International Capital Markets, Inc. Mr. Yam has also authored and co-authored investment research reports including one recommendation that was featured in “Institutional Investor” as “Home-Run Hitter of 1993 #5 up 296.0%”, one of the best five stock picks in that year.
Mr. Yam is internationally recognized as an expert in US-China business. China Daily featured him on the front page of Business Weekly in August 2002 describing him as "Bridge US-China Business: USCCC tries to strengthen nations' trade, cultural relations". In March 2005, Investor's Business Daily stated "... American companies seeking advice on operating there often seek out Chicago investment banker Siva Yam, president of the U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce ..." In January 2006, Mr. Yam appeared on the cover of World Trade magazine with the cover story "Trading with China: A Guide for Newcomers - Siva Yam, U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce.” Again in March 2009, China Daily described “Siva Yam knows business - especially when it comes to US and Chinese relationships.”
A Certified Public Accountant and a Chartered Financial Analyst, Mr. Yam speaks frequently at various conferences, seminars, and television interviews in both the U.S. and Asia on a variety of subjects. Some of his interviews have appeared in English, Chinese, German, Russian, French, Vietnamese, Thai, Italian, Spanish, and Hindu. In addition, he writes articles regularly for USCCC’s newsletters and international newspapers. Mr. Yam received his MBA from Duke University on a Fuqua Fellowship and his Bachelor of Business Administration, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Wisconsin. Previously, he graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic with honors and is fluent in both English and Chinese.
Thomas Y. Yee
Partner
Orange County
Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear, LLP
Thomas Y. Yee, a partner in our Orange County office, focuses on optimizing the commercial value of the intellectual property of our clients. Leveraging his diverse business experiences, Mr. Yee counsels clients on strategic actions for patent portfolio development, intellectual property transactions and licensing, and trademark portfolio procurement.
The clients that Mr. Yee serves vary from sole inventors and medium-size companies to large multi-national corporations, all in a diverse set of industries, including medical devices, financial services, internet startups, automotive, electronics, software, medical informatics, biotech, warehousing logistics and components, religious institutions, sporting goods, and baby products.
Mr. Yee advises business leaders across the U.S. and around the world, such as in Honolulu and Hong Kong, as well as other parts of China and Europe.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Yee was one of the youngest managers in the Internet division of the American Express Company, where he was responsible for a re-engineering initiative of the worldwide website for the company. Mr. Yee also conducted due diligence for the founders of a New York City based venture capital firm, Silicon Alley Seed Investors, specifically evaluating $1-2 million investments in early stage startups.
Additionally, Mr. Yee served as a business development manager at a Silicon Alley financial services software company, TradingNews. At Walker Digital, the Internet incubator that created Priceline.com, Mr. Yee worked on the creation of two startup companies, where he was responsible for managing business development work with the company’s development partner, Bain Consulting in Boston, and for overseeing the technical development work with the company’s software development teams in New York and Atlanta.
Weifang Zhou
Senior Vice President
Chief Commercial Officer
Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer
UL LLC
Mr. Weifang Zhou is Senior Vice-President, Chief Commercial Officer, and Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer of UL. In this capacity, he leads UL’s Global Accounts to drive business growth through innovative safety solutions and new service expansion so as to build strong strategic partnerships with industry leaders in the value chain. He is also responsible for UL’s enterprise strategy, corporate branding and marketing.
Mr. Zhou joined UL in September 2009 as Vice-President and General Manager of UL Greater China, leading UL’s operation in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. During his term, UL served as a model in developing the local ecosystem and assisting Chinese manufacturers’ growth in both overseas and domestic market.
Prior to joining UL, Mr. Zhou served as President and CEO of GE’s water and process technologies division, and worked in various GE departments for 10 years in greater China.