Spring Break
Asia Business Conference 2005: Adding Value in Asia, From Outsourcing To Innovation
Makiko Nakata (OJ), Ted Lin (OF), Richard Lin (OH), Joe Kauffman (NA), Will Plummer (OA), and Marily
Issue date: 2/28/05 Section: News
Following the keynote speeches, more than ten panels and executive round tables were held. One of the panels, 'Multinational Corporate Investment in Asia,' was noticeably well attended with people sitting in aisles and standing in the back of the classroom. All four speakers on the panel succeeded to overcome the challenges they faced when they brought "Western" products and business models to Asia. Paul Etchells, CEO of Coca-Cola (China) Beverages Co., Ltd., based on his experience in expanding the Coke distribution network in China, discussed the challenges of sales and distribution to every last outlet (now 1.5 million of them) and the importance of making the company's presence felt at the point of purchase. Kiyotaka Fujii, President and CEO of SAP Japan Co., Ltd., discussed the challenges he faced in introducing the new enterprise software in Japan. He managed to educate the consumer, in a society that demands perfection, that perfection cannot be expected in the software industry and that while constantly improving, their products should be thought of as "works-in-progress" Hans Wang, VP and Head of M&A, Asia Pacific region, InBev, discussed the challenges in the M&A environment in Asia, where many firms are family-owned. Phil Leung, Partner of Bain & Company, shared his belief that people are the key to succeeding in consulting business in any local market.
The 'Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship' panel produced a lively exchange of diverse perspectives on the entrepreneurship process in Asia. Andrew Yan, Managing Director at the Softbank Asia Infrastructure Fund, and Michael Greeley, Managing Director, IDG Ventures, were the voices for venture capitalists on the panel, speaking to the challenges of screening investments, developing companies, and operating a VC fund in the region. Yi Bo Shao, Chairman and founder of Eachnet.com (the 'eBay of China') and Eric Rosenblum, Chairman of Smartpay.com spoke about the challenges of fundraising and executing in China. Finally, Tomer Rothchild, former Country Manager for Bally's Total Fitness China rounded out the panel by shedding light on the opportunities for entrepreneurship in China within the context of larger corporations.
The excitement of the on-campus discussions continued onto off-campus events, including the Fogg Art Museum cocktail party and the Valentine's Dinner and Ball. Many speakers and attendees enjoyed interacting and exchanging ideas personally beyond the panel setting.
The organizers of Asia Business Conference 2005 would especially like to thank the corporate sponsors - most of all platinum sponsors Bain & Company, Morgan Stanley, and Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker - for making this conference so successful.
The 'Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship' panel produced a lively exchange of diverse perspectives on the entrepreneurship process in Asia. Andrew Yan, Managing Director at the Softbank Asia Infrastructure Fund, and Michael Greeley, Managing Director, IDG Ventures, were the voices for venture capitalists on the panel, speaking to the challenges of screening investments, developing companies, and operating a VC fund in the region. Yi Bo Shao, Chairman and founder of Eachnet.com (the 'eBay of China') and Eric Rosenblum, Chairman of Smartpay.com spoke about the challenges of fundraising and executing in China. Finally, Tomer Rothchild, former Country Manager for Bally's Total Fitness China rounded out the panel by shedding light on the opportunities for entrepreneurship in China within the context of larger corporations.
The excitement of the on-campus discussions continued onto off-campus events, including the Fogg Art Museum cocktail party and the Valentine's Dinner and Ball. Many speakers and attendees enjoyed interacting and exchanging ideas personally beyond the panel setting.
The organizers of Asia Business Conference 2005 would especially like to thank the corporate sponsors - most of all platinum sponsors Bain & Company, Morgan Stanley, and Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker - for making this conference so successful.
