Speakers

	Mr Sever Keinala (The Moderator) Senior Advisor, Internationalisation of Entreprises, Confederation of Finnish Industries EK Mr Severi Keinala is responsible for promoting internationalisation of Finnish enterprises within the Finnish innovation system. EK’s role is to enhance the operating environment of Finnish enterprises. Within internationalisation of Finnish enterprises this consists of working with the related political agenda and government budget, bringing the voice of business into development of public and semi-public organisations providing support for internationalisation and providing information and services for enterprises. Direct company services include promoting public services and financial instruments (KiVi-project), China and Russia networks, as well as Cleantech Finland Business Forum and Cleantech Finland brand operations.   During over 12 years in EK and in the preceding organisation (Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers, TT) the responsibilities included also international SME-issues, information society issues, EU business agenda (3 years in Brussels office) and trade political matters.   Prior to EK and TT , Mr Keinala has held management positions in internationally operating SMEs, been independent consultant on international trade, conducted research on Finnish High-tech industries prior to Finland’s EU accession and been trainer in internationalisation of enterprises.
	Mr Ma Qiang Counsellor, Embassy of PRC in Finland Mr. MA Qiang, born in Beijing in 1969. Graduated from University of Foreign Affairs in 1992. Married, with one daughter.   1993-1998   Staff member, Attaché, Chinese Embassy in the Kingdom of Norway 1998-2000   Attaché, Third Secretary, Department of Western European Affairs, MFA  2000-2002   Deputy Head of the Nordic Desk, Department of Western European Affairs, MFA 2002-2005   Second Secretary, First Secretary, Chinese Embassy in the Kingdom of Norway 2006-2008   Head of the Nordic Desk, Department of European Affairs, MFA 2008.9-       Counselor, Chinese Embassy in the Republic of Finland
	Ms Sarah Wu Director – General, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London Ms. Wu took up her post as Director-General of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London in April 2006.  As a senior representative of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, she is responsible for leading the development and expansion of Hong Kong's economic and business partnership across the United Kingdom and eight other European countries.   Upon graduation from the University of Hong Kong, Ms. Wu joined the Hong Kong Government as an Administrative Officer in 1978 and attended a one-year course at Oxford University on Administrative Development in 1979.  She received a Master of Tourism degree from Griffith University, Australia in 2003.   Ms. Wu has worked in a wide variety of positions within the civil service.  She was formerly the Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York from June 2002 to March 2006.  Other recent positions she held include Deputy Director of Information Services and Deputy Director of the Food and Environment Hygiene Department.   Ms. Wu loves travelling and is interested in World Heritage Sites.
	Mr Simon Galpin   Director-General, Invest Hong Kong    Mr Simon Galpin is the Director-General of Investment Promotion of Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), the Government Department responsible for attracting and facilitating foreign direct investment into Hong Kong.   Mr Galpin joined InvestHK as Associate Director-General in 2001, soon after the establishment of the Department. His contribution in shaping the strategy and business planning process has helped establish InvestHK as one of the world's leading investment promotion agencies.   Having accumulated solid management experience across the Department’s main investment promotion sectors, Mr Galpin was also heavily involved in the development of its global network, establishing overseas representation in the Americas, South East Asia and Japan, India, and the Middle East.   With senior management experience in both the private and public sectors, Mr Galpin’s work experience combines international marketing, economic development and investment promotion. Prior to joining InvestHK, Mr Galpin spent ten years as the Head of Asia Pacific with Scottish Enterprise - at that time Europe’s largest economic development agency. He was initially posted to Hong Kong in 1992 but also worked in Glasgow, Taipei, Sydney and London.   Mr Galpin, 47, holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Sheffield University Management School, a Master of Science degree from the University of Glasgow and a Master of Law (International Business Law) degree from the University of London.
	Ms Yuan Kuidong   Deputy Director of Huizhou Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau    Ms Yuan Kuidong, graduated from Shanghai Jiao Tong Uiniversity, had worked in Huizhou external processing and assembly services company from 1991 to 1993. She has been working in Huizhou Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau from 1993, served as deputy section chief and section chief, now serve as deputy director, in charge of foreign investment promotion and marketing expanding.
	Mr Reijo Markku   Founding member, Partner, Finndex Group    Reijo Markku, MA, Director of Service Design in Finndex Group, studied technology and architecture at Helsinki University of Technology, after which he moved to University of Art and Design Helsinki to study industrial design. Since graduation he has specialised in Design Management, dealing in business over 20 years. The idea of integrated design management has functioned as a common thread in Finndex Group. Finndex – FINNish Design EXcellence was founded 2005, combining five Finnish design agencies. Now Finndex has estalished itself in Hong Kong with its´ own office in Innocentre. Finndex offers a wide range of design consultancy: design research, product and service design, corporate identity design, spatial design etc. Our business has started to grow in a promising way.
	Mr Paul Wilkinson   CEO, Nicanti Oy    Paul Wilkinson, Chief Executive Officer of Nicanti Oy, aged 47 and an Irish citizen, has a degree in chemical engineering and  23 years of professional experience in manufacturing companies including ten years experience as CEO of two large size manufacturing B2B companies operating in international contexts, member of the board of directors and management of international operations (Italy, France, USA, China), specific business and technical knowledge in chemicals (polymers and resins), construction materials (composites), packaging (cosmetics), flexible packaging (food, pharmaceutical and adhesive tape), and cosmetic makeup products. He has experience in coordinating industrial reorganisations in operations and sales, international acquisitions and joint ventures, negotiations for mergers with competitors, as well as in  management of growth in technically and logistically very complex environments such as make up cosmetics.
	Mr Jari Vepsalainen   Chairman and CEO, Fintrade Mercer Group   Jari E. Vepsäläinen, Chairman and CEO of Fintrade Mercer Group has been actively involved as a corporate lawyer and strategic investment adviser in the People’ s Republic of China for the past 24 years.   Mr. Vepsäläinen is the founder of Fintrade-Mercer Group, which has created, secured approvals and commenced business for more than 100 large and medium scale investment projects in China since 1987. He has managed direct foreign investments into China at telecommunication, healthcare, petrochemical, shipbuilding, real estate and environmental protection and industrial fields. Mr. Vepsäläinen is specialized in structuring international corporate structures and holding company formations for foreign investors targeting the China market.    Mr. Vepsäläinen serves as the Chairman, Board Director & advisor at several wholly foreign owned and joint venture corporations in China and Hongkong, giving Mr. Vepsäläinen a rare opportunity to be an insider in various diverse business fields. His board responsibilities typically involve handling of government relations with the Chinese authorities, directing corporate legal and investor matters and taxation planning issues.   He is a graduate of the Classical College in Finland, received a Master’s Degree at University of Lapland in 1983, was appointed a doctoral candidate and visiting scholar at the People’s University of China in Beijing and the Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou for the period of 1985-1988. He also served the Finnish government during 1981-1983 as chief of police and prosecutor at Suonenjoki City in Finland at various occasions and then as a criminal tax evasion inspector at National Taxation Bureau.
	Mr John Hansson   Founding Partner, YOKA Consulting Ltd   John Hansson has a Masters degree in Industrial Management and Manufacturing Technologies from Helsinki University of Technology. He has been working as a business consultant for more than 10 years on various assignments related to the supply chain, improving the performance and the cooperation between product owner, design partners and manufacturing service providers.   Besides his expertise in business process development John has gained remarkable project management experience from managing demanding cross-functional and cross-company production and technology transfer projects in multicultural and multilingual environment.    John Hansson is a founding partner of YOKA Consulting Ltd, a company who supports its customers to create and sustain cost effective supply chain solutions. Key service areas are Supply Chain Optimization, New Product Introduction and Design for Supply Chain.
	Mr Tero Juotasniemi   Vice President, Corporate Banking, Svenska Handelsbanken Hong Kong Branch   Tero Juotasniemi has been with Handelsbanken since 2001. He has worked as an account manager in Finland and USA. Tero moved to Hong Kong in December 2006 and now works as a Vice President, Corporate Banking responsible for Nordic and local corporates. Before joining Handelsbanken he worked in various posts in Finland, Ireland and Malaysia.
	Mr Derek Qvisth   Director,Nordics, Hong Kong Trade Development Council   EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND 1996-2000 University of Westminster, Westminster Business School, London England  BA (Hons) Business Studies/economics   1995-1996 Beijing Business School, Beijing China business Chinese 1994-1995 Beijing Language Institute, Beijing China basic Chinese   WORK EXPERIENCE 2000 -           Director Nordic, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Stockholm                       1998-1999    StoraEnso, Skoghall Sweden (internship)                     1996           Kelly International, Sa Tian and Hong Kong, China                   Scandic hotel, Karlstad Sweden            1995-1996  Ericsson Inc., Beijing China                      1986-1997  Hedrico AB, Karlstad Sweden