China Beachhead Advisory Board

David Mahon

Chair

Expatriate New Zealander David Mahon has worked in Beijing for more than two decades, his private equity firm Mahon China Investment Management Limited operating through China’s emergence as an economic power.
 
The company represents the China investments and interests of a variety of international financial and industrial groups. David himself has direct responsibility for the management of 19 Chinese companies.
 
He also advises a range of companies across a variety of sectors on all aspects of their China operations, from strategy development to facility establishment and partner negotiations.
 
Read Q&As with David Mahon

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Jade Gray

Recipient of the 1993 ‘Nomad’ Scholarship (Haileybury Imperial Services College, London) and a University of Otago graduate (Marketing / Mandarin), Jade moved to China in 1996 from Wanaka, New Zealand.
 
He went on to project manage for two foreign companies; Otto and Son’s International (a dedicated McDonald’s supplier) and Te Mania International (livestock exporters/breeders) on ventures ranging from cattle ranching in Liaoning to supermarket retailing with Wal-Mart in Kunming.
 
In 1999 Jade built his own gym franchise Fusion Fitness in Beijing, which he later sold in 2003. Jade is the Founder/CEO of Blue Panda Co. Ltd (HK), whose start-ups include restaurants and an events management company.
 
Most recently he co-founded Gung Ho Ventures, a hospitality enterprise, which owns a boutique retreat at the Great Wall of China, and a Pizza franchise.

Michael Laske

Michael Laske has served as the President of AVL List GMBH-China since 1995. AVL is the largest private organisation engaged in the development of engines and transmissions and serves all major global OEMs.
 
Michael is also a member of the company’s ten-person Executive Leadership team, which develops and manages strategy, culture and organisational change for the company on a global basis.
 
Prior to joining China AVL in 1995, Michael helped to establish and develop two other businesses in China.
 
He is the former chairman of the Green Diesel Organisation and the current chairman of the Automotive Components working Group of the EU Chamber of Commerce.
 
He has been active in China related business since 1985 and resident in Beijing since 1989, and speaks fluent Chinese. He also holds an MIA from Columbia University.

John O’Loghlen

John has lived in Beijing since 2005 when he moved to China to study Mandarin and work for the international advisory business of former Goldman Sachs Chairman John L.Thornton. Prior to this he spent time in Eastern Europe, London and New York where he worked for the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs for five years.
 
From 2006 to 2009, John led business development for Domino's Pizza International in expanding its Asian footprint. In January 2009, John established a business partnership to develop dining concepts in China which he is currently building from a base in Beijing targeting a national roll-out.   
 
John presents regularly to investor clients of Asia-focused investment bank CLSA and is a member of the Asia Society's Asia 21 Young Leaders Class of 2010. John is a Director of New Zealand Spring Water and co-leads the management of Oxford-based Harry Mahon Cancer Research Trust and Hong Kong-registered Golden Bird Foundation. John has a BA from Harvard University studies and a MPhil from Cambridge University.

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Nancy Sun

A native of Ningbo, Zhejiang province, Nancy Sun is president and CEO of Ningbo Pacific Rim Manufacturing Company Limited, an integrated contract manufacturer and sub-contractor of plastic and metal components.
 
Nancy started Pacific Rim in 1992, from a single workshop to become one of the leading companies in its sector in China’s richest province. Her international clients include Esselte, Whirlpool, and ACCO. 
 
Nancy has had a long affinity with New Zealand and has travelled extensively through the country.
 
She is currently developing education and outward-bound programmes in China based on the New Zealand experience and has long been involved in assisting the expansion of New Zealand businesses in China. She divides her time between her factory site in Ningbo and her home in Shanghai.
 
Watch Nancy Sun on TV3’s ASB Business programme

Adam Williams

Born 1953 in Hong Kong, Adam Williams is the fourth generation of his family to be living and working in China. A graduate of Oxford University, he speaks fluent Chinese and has been involved in China business since 1980 when, after several years journalism in Hong Kong and Taiwan, he joined the Sino British Trade Council in London.
 
In 1985 Adam moved to Beijing with GEC Avionics and has resided in China ever since. Posts have included; Chief Representative, Jardine Matheson, in Shanghai (1986-1988); Chief Representative, GEC Marconi, Beijing (1989-1994); China Country Head, Jardine Fleming (1995-2000).
 
In 1999 Adam received the Order of the British Empire for services to Sino-British trade during his time as Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in China. He has also chaired the EU Chamber of Commerce Financial Committee.
 
Adam is currently Group Chief Representative of the Jardine Matheson Group in China. In this capacity he is involved in the full range of Jardine’s business from hotels, real estate, insurance broking, construction, automotive, retail and distribution, airport services and shipping.
 
In addition to his business activities, Adam is an author of best-selling novels with Chinese historical themes.