British Council says "Don't hide your light under a bushell"

I am honoured to be included by the British Council in the 'Leading Lights' programme for 2015.  According to Stephanie Jackson, Education Marketing Officer at British Council, 'the Leading Lights are a key element of the China Alumni Network, and are a selection of successful UK nationals who have built exciting careers on the basis of their China experience. They are all individuals at the forefront of their respective fields, and come from a range of sectors including business, diplomacy and media. They are active participants in the group, and examples of some of our event guests, keynote speakers and panellists. Pia MacRae: Country Director, Save the Children, China Pia’s brief encounter with China in 1986 as an exchange student sparked a fire, bringing her back to write her dissertation, take up numerous jobs, and finally to Beijing where she is now. Prior to joining Save the Children in China in 2011, Pia was the Chief Executive of the Tropical Health and Education Trust in London, an international health NGO. Before that, Pia spent a decade working with BP, focused on their External Affairs work in Asia and Africa. She headed up BP’s Corporate Responsibility practice in China, led BP’s External Affairs activities in India, and supported units in Asia and Africa. Gordon Orr: Chairman, Asia at McKinsey & Co. Gordon’s journey in China began in 1993, when he was responsible for establishing McKinsey’s China practice and spearheaded the opening of the Shanghai and Beijing offices. He has worked with many of China’s leading companies on strategy and international expansion, and on integrations across Asia, Europe and the US. As an expert in combining diversified global management teams in a way that leverages their respective strengths, Gordon illustrates how crucial in-depth understanding of diverse business cultures and international experience are. He regularly posts on Linkedin about economic developments in China, and is one of LinkedIn’s official Influencers.   Joseph Tenzin Oliver: Founding Partner at We Impact  Joseph first ventured to China to study Qi Gong, Tai Chi and Shaolin Kung Fu. During his second visit in 2009 with the British Council as part of the China 400 Delegation of  Cultural Leaders, he met his business partner with whom he started his first company in China in 2011. Over the years, he has developed into a true pioneer of sustainability and innovation, with a mission to create and improve cutting-edge methods and technologies that will change the future of the world for the better. He is dedicated to advising companies, social enterprises and non-profits on how to implement positive change, transforming business practices globally. He has founded five companies to this end, and has been based in Beijing for the past five years. Mary Jess: Singer/Songwriter Mary-Jess came to Nanjing, China in 2009 to study Mandarin as an exchange student from Sheffield University. During that year, she won 民星唱翻天, a live music competition on Chinese TV dubbed ‘The Chinese X Factor’. Her début album ‘Shine’, featuring The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and some of China’s most accomplished musicians, won many classical awards including ‘Album of the Year’. Besides touring with Russell Watson, national TV appearances in the UK and China, and singing the Downton Abbey theme tune, Mary – Jess is global ambassador for Half the Sky, a charity that supports orphaned children in China. As a talented musician with extensive experience in China, Mary-Jess will provide us with a sneak-peek into China’s entertainment industry. Graham Earnshaw : Publisher of Earnshaw Books After moving to Hong Kong at age 21 to work for the South China Morning Post, Graham first set foot in mainland China in 1978 with Reuters News Agency and has lived here almost continuously ever since. Graham is a businessman, writer and musician, founding publishing house Earnshaw Books in 1996. His own books include ‘On Your Own in China’ (1984), ‘Tales of Old Shanghai’ (2008) and an account of his continuing walk across China, ‘The Great Walk of China’ (2010). He has recorded a number of his own albums, including ‘Leap of Faith’ (1996) and ‘The Tao of Music’ (2013). He speaks Mandarin and Cantonese fluently, and his English is said to be acceptable.   Carma Elliot: CMG OBE, Director, British Council China and Minister (Culture and Education), British Embassy Beijing Carma recently celebrated her 30th anniversary of her first setting foot in China, deciding to study Mandarin at Fudan University, Shanghai, in 1984. Since then, she has worked as a UK diplomat across the world, including in China, France, Belgium, Germany, Spain and Saudi Arabia, and received an OBE for her diplomatic services in 2003. Her last three postings were as Consul-General in Jeddah, Chongqing and finally Shanghai. She has become one of the best-known voices for Britain in China, not only through her extensive diplomatic efforts, but also for hosting a radio talk show called ‘Let’s Talk’ during her time in Chongqing. In 2011, she took on the role of Executive Director for Half the Sky Foundation, a major international NGO working with China’s orphan communities, and joined the British Council as Director China two years ago. The various positions Carma has held in China over the years have all acted as stepping stones to where she is now, and she will be happy to share the insights and lessons she learnt along the way. Max Johnson: Associate in Mergers and Acquisitions, Goldman Sachs Hong Kong In 2007, Max was the first UK student to pursue a Master’s in Business Administration at Tsinghua University, Beijing. He previously studied Russian and Polish. His Mandarin and Russian language skills formed a killer combination, allowing him to gain in-depth understanding of the Chinese business culture and important trade links. On the basis of these skills and his cross-cultural experiences, Wogen Resources appointed him as the Business Development Manager for China and Russia in 2010. Whilst in Beijing, he was also elected as the Vice-Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce. He joined the Investment Banking division of Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong in 2013. He is now an associate in the Mergers and Acquisitions team, looking at deals across Asia and particularly in China. Jim James: Founder & Managing Director,  Malvern Morgan Cars Ltd. Beijing Jim has enjoyed a life of adventure and entrepreneurship in Asia since 1995. He first started EASTWEST Public Relations in Singapore, whose China doors opened in 2006. Coming to China allowed his entrepreneurial streak to truly flourish. He founded the Beijing Chapter of the Global Entrepreneur Network, and the British Business Awards in his capacity as Executive Committee member of the British Chamber of Commerce, which celebrate British Innovation, Enterprise and Endeavour. After importing a Morgan sports car in 2011, he became the General Distributor for mainland China in 2012, and also acted as Interim CEO for another British sports car company, Lotus Cars, last year. Creating a sense of purpose in his life are his 2 daughters born to his Shanghainese wife, who all remind Jim daily that his Mandarin is nearly as bad as his French. Katie Lee: Director China Relations, UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) Katie first went to mainland China on a British Council scholarship and spent a year in Jinan at Shandong University from 1984-85. She says that the biggest challenge for overseas students at that time was to find coffee.  Now the challenge is to find a street that doesn’t have a coffee chain shop in it! With over 30 years’ experience of working with China, Katie recently returned from a posting in the British Embassy, Beijing as Strategic Relationship Manager for UKTI, developing relations between key Chinese investors and British companies operating in China.  Previously Katie was Director of the Great Britain – China Centre, which promotes understanding through a wide programme of engagement with Chinese government, civil society, academia and the Communist Party.  Katie developed GBBC’s rule of law programme work with a wide range of Chinese stakeholders and launched the Leadership activities between British parliamentarians and Chinese communist party organisations. Simon MacKinnon: OBE, Chairman Sinophi Healthcare Simon first came to Shanghai in 1985 to teach English. A small first step in his path to receiving an Honorary Citizenship of Shanghai in 2007 (one of 35 foreign citizens to do so since 1949), and being selected as one of the Olympic Torch carriers in the Beijing Olympics Torch relay in 2008. While studying Mandarin, he supported UK companies to enter the Chinese market, and has been hailed as one of the earliest UK – China bridge builders. Simon has led numerous companies, such as Sinophi Healthcare, which invests in Chinese hospitals and creates links between them and the NHS. He is also very engaged in non-profit and community organisations. In 2013 he received an OBE to celebrate his services to UK-China business and his charity work, and is one of LinkedIn’s official Influencers. According to the British Council, 'the Leading Lights showcase the wide range of exciting and fulfilling possibilities open to UK nationals engaging with China. Through interaction with the Leading Lights and with one another in the group, the Council hopes that the professionals in the network will be inspired and empowered  to open up new channels for collaboration, exchange and business between China and the UK. Meanwhile, for the younger members of the network who have perhaps recently graduated or completed an internship in China, the Leading Lights and other knowledgeable members are ideal role models to demonstrate where understanding and experience of China could take you. Whether you choose to follow in their footsteps, or blaze your own trail, we hope that you can become the next generation of Leading Lights and continue the legacy of exchange between the UK and China.' There will be 15 Leading Lights in all, the first 10 announced via 2 posts in the Linkedin Group. When I read the other bio's I fear that my light has not shone as brightly as the other luminaries chosen, but will do my best to demonstrate where the 'experience of China' can take a person - the dark times and the bright times.