Board of Directors
Edward J. Wajda II
Briggs & Stratton Corporation
Mr. Edward Wajda currently acts as Senior Vice President for the International Power Group at Briggs & Stratton – a global leader in engine design and manufacturing along with an extensive portfolio of associated end- products and brands. Briggs’ end-product portfolio supports numerous market segments - some of which include yard and home power products, as well as high performance racing engines to name a few. Today, the International Power Group manufactures, sources, and sells Briggs’ extensive product range in all regions of the world for key OEM and retail customers.
Previous to Briggs & Stratton, Mr. Wajda spent nearly fourteen years living is Asia – specifically Taiwan, China and Singapore. During these years he successfully completed several Asian division green-field start-ups for three multi-national companies. Each of these start-ups were fully integrated operations that captured the dramatic growth of Asia from 1987 – 2003. With such regional economic growth, each of Mr. Wajda’s Asian divisions achieved compounded double-digit sales & EBITDA growth for their respective parent companies. In his last Asian appointment as President of Jacuzzi Asia & Middle East, he traveled extensively throughout East Asia, Asia-Pacific, South-East Asia, South Asia and the Middle East executing business development activity in emerging and pre-emerging markets.
Mr. Wajda is an active member of the US-China Chamber of Commerce. As a member of USCCC he enjoys providing his personal insight and assistance to American companies launching their initial sales and operational divisions in Asia. Mr. Wajda is also an active member of the Turnaround Management Association – specializing in strategic growth and turnaround management.
Mr. Wajda completed his B.S. degree at DePaul University in bio-mechanical engineering, a M.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and Master Black Belt in Lean/ 6 Sigma from Prairie State University. Currently, he is also completing his M.S. degree at Northwestern University in bio-mechanical engineering.
Deng Wei, Ph.D.
Bright Oceans Corporation
Dr. Deng Wei is the Chairman of Bright Oceans Corporation, a high-tech industrial group which is mainly engaged in four industries: telecommunication, transportation, energy, and capital investment, and has a market value over RMB 10 billion.
Dr. Deng is also one of the members of the 9th, 10th and 11th of The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Vice Chairman of the ACFY of the Departments Under the CPC Central Committee, Vice President of the Chinese Association of Young Scientists And Technicians, Vice President of the China Yong Entrepreneurs Association, has been named one of the 10th Top Ten Outstanding Youths of China, is a winner of National Model Worker's prize, and is a winner of the 1st China Young Entrepreneurs Management Innovation Gold Awards.
Dr. Deng holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronic Projects, an MBA, and a Ph.D. in Economy.
Gruma Corporation
Juan A. Gonzàlez Moreno
Juan A. Gonzàlez Moreno is the Chief Executive Officer of Gruma Asia & Oceania.
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. He earned his B.A. from Beijing University in 1990, his LL.M. from Duke University School of Law in 1995 and his J.D. from Duke Univeristy School of Law in 1998.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.
Feng Xue, Esq.
Andrew W. Rice
The Jordan Company
Andrew Rice is Senior Vice President of International Business at The Jordan Company ("TJC"), a leading global middle-market private equity firm with $6 billion in assets under management. Mr. Rice joined TJC in 1989 and has held numerous strategy, international business development and investment positions.
Mr. Rice travels extensively assisting Jordan companies expand overseas. Since 1990, he has helped coordinate over 45 acquisitions, joint ventures and wholly-owned start-up operations in China, Russia, Czech Republic, India, Malaysia, Spain, England, Israel, Mexico, Brazil and other countries. Mr. Rice is currently focused on China and has travelled to China 10-12 times per year the past 10 years. Prior to joining TJC, Mr. Rice held various corporate development, strategy and marketing positions at Ameritech, IC Industries, and The Pillsbury Company.
Mr. Rice earned a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and an M.S. in Engineering Administration (a joint engineering and MBA program), 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 is a 2011 recipient of the M&A Advisor International M&A Leadership Award. He currently serves as Immediate Past Chairman of the Board of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG Global). Mr. Rice is also on the board of the US-China Chamber of Commerce, ACG Chicago and several community service organizations. Formerly, he was on the board 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).
Siva Yam, CPA, CFA
U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce
Siva Yam & Associates
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 also a partner of U.S.-China Capital, Ltd., a Hong Kong based merchant bank. Serving as advisor to a number of venture funds and corporations, he is President of the United States of America-China Chamber of Commerce, a non-profit organization founded by Prescott S. Bush, Jr. that is dedicated to promoting trade and investment activities between the U.S. and China. Mr. Yam serves on the Advisory Board of the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago and the North America Representative Office of Shenzhen, and he has extensive international experience and has both traveled frequently and lived overseas. 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 of Stifel International Capital Markets, Inc., where he assisted corporate clients in financings, joint ventures, and trade activities with an emphasis on “Emerging Markets.” Mr. Yam authored and co-authored two 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 top five stock picks in 1993.
Mr. Yam is recognized as an expert in U.S.-Asia business. China Daily featured him on the front page of Business Weekly in August 2002 (“Bridging U.S.-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 [Asia] 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 U.S. and Chinese relationships.” A course he taught that was hosted by POPAI (Point of Purchase Association) has become the basis of a best-selling educational offering (“Outsourcing to China: What Do You Need to Know?”) on the market for over five years. An interview with Mr. Yam by a renowned scholar in China also became part of a textbook for universities in China and has been studied by millions of college students.
A Certified Public Accountant and a Chartered Financial Analyst, Mr. Yam has received numerous awards and speaks frequently at over 100 conferences, seminars, and television interviews in both the U.S. and Asia such as CNN, Fox News, Wall Street Journal, Smart Money, Financial Times, Shanghai Daily, and China Daily on China. Some of the interviews have been translated into Chinese, Hindu, Vietnamese, and French. In addition, he writes articles regularly for USCCC’s newsletters and international newspapers, and his advice and opinions have been sought widely. 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 also graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic with honors and is fluent in both English and Chinese.
Pin Ni
Wanxiang America Corporation
Mr. Pin Ni is the President of Wanxiang America Corporation, a wholly owned US subsidiary of Wanxiang Group Company based in Hangzhou, China. Mr. Ni also serves as the Executive Vice President for Wanxiang Group.
Mr. Ni received his Bachelor degree and MBA degree from Zhejiang University, after which he joined Wanxiang and has been with the company ever since. He has also studied in the PhD program in University of Kentucky’s Department of Economics.