NEW NORMALS AND NEW MODELS:
TECHNOLOGY LEARNINGS FROM THE GREATER CHINA REGION
Innovators and influencers will explore the metaverse and its role in the future of
work, shopping and social engagements; the role of blockchain as an enabling
platform for innovations in financial services; the role of electric vehicles and
autonomous vehicles in the future of transportation; and the role of public policy
in shaping the type of innovations that will evolve in the future.
April 5, 7 & 8, 2022
5:00 - 7:45 p.m.
Pacific Time
April 6, 8 & 9, 2022
8:00 - 10:45 a.m.
China Standard Time
A Virtual Conference
REGISTER NOW
A notable technology-driven transformation is occurring in the Greater China region fueling a digitization of numerous industries and companies and enabling new business models. The scale and momentum of this technology-driven transformation has been enabled by Government policy, changes in consumer preferences and enterprise driven innovation. In a short period of time, China has transitioned to become one of the world’s largest digital economies. Digital innovations that emerge in the region will not only shape its own ecosystem, but also serve as a reference for digital ecosystems that are evolving elsewhere. The paths taken by companies in the region as well as the government have implications and create broad-based learnings for new and traditional players in the region and in the U.S.
The 2022 Wilbur K. Woo Greater China Business Conference will bring together leading executives, innovators, influencers and investors for a series of conversations around the major forces, trends and technology-based innovations in the region. Experts will share their thoughts and perspectives on the key enablers required to advance technology commercially in sectors such as retail, finance and cleantech and provide a forward-looking perspective on new advancements. They will address how technology is driving the transformation of society, enterprises, and consumers around the world and the contextual leadership that is imperative to adapt to shifting dynamics and an increasingly digitized global economy.
Featured Sessions
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The Landscape of Innovation Occurring in the Greater China Region and The Data Economy as A Driver of Future Growth in Internet Services;
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The Future of E-Commerce and Retail and the Role of Social Commerce: The Great Retail Integration: Virtualization of Services;
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The Future of Transportation and Advances in Autonomous and Electric Vehicles;
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Transforming Finance: FinTech Disruptions in the Region;
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A 360-Degree View on the State of Technology Today;
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The Greater China Region: Its Unique Context, Non-Market Risks and Rapidly Changing Public Policy Environment - Implications for Technology Companies.
Featured Speakers
2022 Highlights

Greater China’s Digital Transformation Evolves
Tech business leader Jennifer Zhu Scott envisions the Chinese metaverse

How Greater China’s Social Commerce Drives Global Retail
Nowhere is on-demand shopping more imaginative than in China

Is the Mobility Sector Ground Zero for Opportunity?
How Greater China’s transportation ecosystem benefits society and the environment

Fintech Disruptions, from Banks to Blockchain
How Greater China’s digital ecosystems are reshaping financial services

A 360-Degree View on the State of Technology Today
Ambassador David Gross predicts opportunities and challenges in the Greater China region

Is Greater China’s Tech Success Replicable Globally?
The world’s driver of future innovation affects every domain
What To Expect
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Distinguished and influential business and thought leaders across a variety of domains with expertise in technology-driven innovations in Greater China and beyond;
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An overview and discussion on the general technology landscape in Greater China region;
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Key insights and observations on the current state of technology-driven transformation in Greater China; discussions around the forces, trends and technologies that enable tech-based innovation; and a forward-looking perspective on new advancements that are serving both consumers and society more broadly;
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An interactive format allowing for thought-provoking discussions, coupled with opportunities to network and connect via audience interactive tools and a social lounge.
Agenda Information
Day One
Tuesday, April 5, 5:00 – 7:50 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) /
Wednesday, April 6, 8:00 – 10:50 a.m. China Standard Time (CST)
A MACRO VIEW |
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5:00 – 5:20 p.m. PDT /
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WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS |
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Antonio Bernardo | Dean and John E. Anderson Chair in Management, UCLA Anderson Michael Woo | Son of Wilbur K. Woo and Dean Emeritus, College of Environmental Design, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Terry Kramer | Faculty Director, Easton Technology Management Center and Adjunct Professor, UCLA Anderson |
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5:20 – 6:30 p.m. PDT /
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KEYNOTE ADDRESS AND MODERATED CONVERSATION: THE LANDSCAPE OF INNOVATION OCCURRING IN THE GREATER CHINA REGION AND THE DATA ECONOMY AS A DRIVER OF FUTURE GROWTH IN INTERNET SERVICES |
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Jennifer Zhu Scott | Executive Chairman, The Commons Project Foundation and Founding Partner, Radian. Forbes World’s Top 50 Women in Tech (2018) MODERATOR: Terry Kramer | Faculty Director, Easton Technology Management Center and Adjunct Professor, UCLA Anderson Description: A notable technology-driven transformation is occurring in the Greater China region fueling a digitization of numerous industries and companies and enabling new business models. With the next wave of digital innovation set to disrupt many industries like retail, travel, real-estate, etc., in a recent note to its investors, Morgan Stanley said that the metaverse is expected to have an $8 trillion market size in China alone. The scale and momentum of this technology driven transformation has been enabled by Government policy, changes in consumer preferences and enterprise driven innovation. In a short period of time, China has transitioned to become one of the world’s largest digital economies. According to McKinsey & Co. leading digital players are building portfolios that merge gaming, ecommerce, and social, creating a decentralized, competitive, and creator-friendly ecosystem, a kind of “metaverse”, that will have meaningful impacts in the physical world. Digital innovations that emerge in the region will not only shape its own ecosystem, but also serve as a reference for digital ecosystems that are evolving elsewhere. The paths taken by companies in the region as well as the government have implications and create broad-based learnings for new and traditional players in the region and in the United States. Jennifer Zhu Scott will share her longer-term views on how if the metaverse coalesces, China’s major internet companies are well-positioned to launch metaverse products that combine technical aspects of their platforms with their established user base and become giants within the Chinese metaverse. The conversation will be moderated by Terry Kramer, faculty director of the Easton Technology Management Center and adjunct professor, UCLA Anderson. |
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6:35 – 7:45 p.m. PDT /
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THE FUTURE OF E-COMMERCE AND RETAIL AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL COMMERCE “THE GREAT RETAIL INTEGRATION: VIRTUALIZATION OF SERVICES AND SOCIAL COMMERCE" |
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Grace Huang (’02) | Founder and CEO, DeepZero and Co-Founder and CEO, iPinYou Phil Kim | Managing Director and Board Chair, Asia Pacific, Jerde Partnership Pamela Mar | Executive Vice President Knowledge and Applications, Fung Academy, The Fung Group MODERATOR: Christopher S. Tang | Distinguished Professor and Edward W. Carter Chair in Business Administration, UCLA Anderson Description: The COVID-19 pandemic forced a significant change in the way that global consumers shop for products – they have become more accustomed to online ordering and on-demand delivery. E-commerce is a dominant force in China’s retail market. According to McKinsey & Co., on the back of its base of nearly one billion internet users, China’s ecommerce sales grew to $1.7 trillion in 2020, a number that is equivalent to 30 percent of all retail sales in China. While economic, societal, and demographic trends, propelled by the pandemic, account for the recent surge, nowhere is eCommerce more imaginative or widely-adopted than in China. From mobile commerce, social media, short-form videos, livestreaming, and digital wallets, eCommerce in the region is inventive, digital-first, social and gamified. |
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7:45 – 7:50 p.m. PDT /
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WRAP UP AND CLOSING REMARKS |
Day Two
Thursday, April 7, 5:00 – 7:15 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) /
Friday, April 8, 8:00 – 10:15 a.m. China Standard Time (CST)
INNOVATIONS IN INTERNET SERVICES |
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5:00 – 5:05 p.m. PDT /
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INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW |
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5:05 – 6:05 p.m. PDT /
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THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION “DELIVERING AN ECOSYSTEM THAT BENEFITS SOCIETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT” |
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Feng An | Founder and Executive Director, Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation Stella Li | Executive Vice President, BYD Company Ltd. and President, BYD Americas Bill Russo | Founder and CEO, Automobility Ltd. and Chairman, Automotive Committee, AmCham Shanghai MODERATOR: Terry McCarthy | CEO, American Society of Cinematographers; Former President and CEO, Los Angeles World Affairs Council Description: To help minimize the environmental impact of transportation, governments and corporations need to align to deliver an ecosystem that benefits society as a whole. Around the world, government policy, consumer demand and shareholder activism, fueled by the climate crisis are accelerating the shift in electrification in mobility. China has become a global leader in smart cities and over the last decade, with targeted technological innovation, has developed smart city infrastructure and massively invested in the digital transformation of its cities. From driverless taxis to automated cargo trucks, autonomous vehicles (AVs) will change the nature of on-road driving and, in the process, revolutionize the automotive and mobility industries and facilitate the acceleration of mobility as a service (MaaS). |
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6:10 – 7:10 p.m. PDT /
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THE FUTURE OF FINANCE “TRANSFORMING FINANCE: FINTECH DISRUPTIONS IN THE REGION” |
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Michael Sung | Chairman, CarbonBlue Innovations and Professor, Founder and Co-Director, Fudan Fanhai Fintech Research Center Jason Tu | Co-Founder and CEO, MioTech Robin Wong | CEO, Mocasa MODERATOR: Kar Yan Tam | Dean, School of Business and Management, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) Description: Digital ecosystems are prevalent across Asia. Amid shifts in consumer patterns and sources of growth, FinTech is rapidly evolving in the Greater China region. Disruptions and financial transformations are occurring is areas such as wealth management, credit services, digital payments, insurance and crowdfunding. The region is pushing blockchain technology to the front of its efforts to streamline financial services; and last year, China began piloting the world's first digital sovereign currency. How are local institutions, such as governments, banks and intermediaries responding to the rapid rise and adoption rate of new financial technologies? What changes is FinTech having on large companies, small ventures and on consumers? What is the role of the FinTech entrepreneurs and how can established players defend themselves against this disruption? |
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7:10 – 7:15 p.m. PDT /
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WRAP UP AND CLOSING REMARKS |
Day Three
Friday, April 8, 5:00 – 7:45 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) /
Saturday, April 9, 8:00 – 10:45 a.m. China Standard Time (CST)
INNOVATIONS IN HIGH-TECH MANUFACTURING |
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5:00 – 5:05 p.m. PDT /
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INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW |
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5:05 – 6:15 p.m. PDT /
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“A 360-DEGREE VIEW ON THE STATE OF TECHNOLOGY TODAY” |
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Ambassador David Gross | Partner, Wiley Rein; Former U.S. Ambassador for International Communications and Information Policy MODERATOR: Terry Kramer | Faculty Director, Easton Technology Management Center and Adjunct Professor, UCLA Anderson Description: A discussion on the rapidly changing public policy environment globally and its impact on the technology sector and tech-driven innovations. Key topics will include learnings and emerging areas of public policy focus including anti-trust, data privacy and the role of government amidst a growing penetration of technology-based products/services including social networks. Ambassador Gross will address the key forces shaping China’s digital ecosystem and share learnings from the Greater China region that impact the rest of the world and his predictions on opportunities and challenges ahead in 2022. He will specifically address the most promising areas of innovation and China on a comparative basis to the U.S. in terms of tech-based advances by key sector. The conversation will be moderated by Terry Kramer, faculty director of the Easton Technology Management Center and adjunct professor, UCLA Anderson. |
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6:20 – 7:30 p.m. PDT /
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"THE GREATER CHINA REGION: ITS UNIQUE CONTEXT, NON-MARKET RISKS AND RAPIDLY CHANGING PUBLIC POLICY ENVIRONMENT - IMPLICATIONS FOR TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES” |
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Andy Rothman | Investment Strategist, Matthews Asia Albert Wong | CEO, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park MODERATOR: Christine Loh | Visiting Professor, UCLA Anderson and Former Deputy Minister for the Environment, Hong Kong SAR Government Description: From the world’s manufacturing center to the emerging technology leader, the Greater China region has undergone a tremendous technology-driven transformation, including massive digital transformation. This transformation has not only reshaped the global landscape of technology development but will be a significant future driver of technology-based innovation and value creation going forward across many domains, including retail and e-commerce, mobility, fintech and cleantech. How did Greater China get to where it is today? Are Greater China’s “successes” replicable in other countries? What is the right balance for Chinese technology companies to achieve to serve and satisfy their various stakeholders and in which sectors can the balance be best achieved? What challenges could the region face as its scale and momentum powers further growth and innovation? |
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7:30 – 7:45 p.m. PDT /
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WRAP UP AND CLOSING REMARKS |