Over close to three decades of business experience and executive positions in China for both MNC and small companies, Etienne has developed an acute sense of what it takes to be successful in China.
As General Manager and Vice President in Alcatel (MNC in telecommunication) and later as founder of procusAsia, he was a driving force in many joint ventures, transfers of technology, strategic partnerships and M&A projects, and he acquired a unique insight on how international businesses can effectively cooperate with Chinese organizations.
He gained field experienced in several of China's most dynamic industries such as high-tech (incl. artificial intelligence), cleantech and advanced manufacturing solutions.
Today, Etienne is one of the partners in Riverbanks Investments (boutique M&A advisory firm).
He is also driving DIY AI, an initiative to help companies outside the IT industry figure out how to leverage the new tools of data science and machine learning in their business.
Etienne's interest for AI started early, when he was one of the developers of an "artificial neural networks on silicon" in 1988. He is currently offering consulting services to companies and is also a lecturer in several deep learning technical training initiatives, such as Le Wagon.
A Belgian national, Etienne holds a Master in Electrical Engineering and a Bachelor in Philosophy from UCL, as well as a MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management. He lives in Shanghai with his family.
Dr. Guo Bai is Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) and is also the Programme Director of Development Camp for Future CEOs.
Dr. Bai earned her Ph.D. in Strategic Management from HEC Paris, M.A. in Management Science from ESCP Europe, and B.A. in Economics and English Language & Literature from Peking University. Her current research primarily focuses on digital economy, technology and innovation management, technological ethics, etc. The book, China’s Development: Capitalism and Empire, which is co-authored with Professor Michel Aglietta, has a significant impact in France and beyond. It has been granted a whole page report by several major newspapers in France, such as Le Monde, Le Figaro, Les Échos, etc.
Dr. Bai’s recent teaching and research work mainly focus on the business model and corporate study in relation to the new technology format. Meanwhile, she pays close attention to the influence of technology development, especially that of artificial intelligence and other digital technologies on social equality, social welfare, and sustained economic growth. Her study on the corporate structure and analysis under Internet era is gaining more and more attention from academic and business sectors. Her research outcomes have been gradually published on the world leading journals including Journal of Management Studies. Dr. Bai is also invited to present at numerous conference including AOM and Smart City Congress at Barcelona.
Bruce is an Associate Director at LABS3.IO, providing cutting-edge consulting services to clients such as L'ORÉAL and Porsche. Using GPT and self-hosted LLMs, he has created internal and client-facing AI-powered creative and data analysis workflows to increase productivity. Ex-frog design technologist.
Labs3.io is the metaverse/innovation practice under Labbrand Group, we are a global brand consultancy with 100+ creatives, strategists, digital experts, designers and storytellers across New York, Paris, Shanghai and Singapore.
Philippe Snel is founder and managing director of DaWo Law Firm and started his China practice in 2001. He has been a member of the Brussels Bar (Nederlandse Orde der Advocaten Brussels) since 1997.
Philippe has assisted numerous foreign investors to establish, develop and operate their businesses on the Chinese market. He mainly advises in the fields of corporate law, compliance and technology transfer.
Additionally, Philippe teaches Intellectual Property & Technology Law at the Shanghai Normal University (Finance & Business School) and is active in several professional and educational organizations such as the Benelux Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (BenCham), the Lycée Français de Shanghai (LFS) and Sinnolabs, a business accelerator for European technology companies in China. He is fluent in Dutch, French and English and conversational in Mandarin and German.