Alex leads the EIU’s consumer practice in Asia, helping global companies make strategic decisions in some of the world’s most dynamic markets. He specialises in data-driven strategy and deploys cutting-edge predictive analytics across a wide range of consumer, economic and market data, helping clients capture emerging growth opportunities and position themselves for success.

Drawing on over a decade of experience in Asia, Alex has served clients across a wide range of industries and strategy areas. Recent projects he has worked on include helping a global luxury brand plan its 5-year expansion strategy across Chinese cities, a ride-hailing firm gain market share in Indonesia, and an FMCG company identify emerging consumer opportunities in Vietnam.

Alex and his team takes an innovative approach to solving clients’ problems. In one recent project a major restaurant chain sought to redesign pricing across China. He drew on a wealth of highly granular data to statistically model the urban environment around each restaurant – from its proximity to public transport to local competition and area affluence. This generated deep insights that could help the client price its menus most effectively.

He joined the EIU’s Beijing office as an economist in 2007, helping to establish the China Regional Forecasting Service, which provides clients with a unique regional view on economic developments across the country. A frequent commentator in international media, Alex holds an MSc in economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science and speaks fluent Mandarin. He also plays electric bass in a local Beijing band.

Berglof sets the vision and strategy for the Economics department and leads the planning, implementation and supervision of its work plan in support of the Bank’s mandate. He is the Bank’s inaugural Chief Economist. Prior to joining AIIB in September 2020, he was Director of the Institute of Global Affairs, London School of Economics, and Chief Economist of the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development from 2006 to 2015, where he was part of creating and co-led the Vienna Initiative, a European crisis response team credited with
mitigating the impact of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. He is an expert in transition economics and institutional transformation through private sector development. He holds a PhD in Financial Economics and an MA in Business and Economics, both from the Stockholm School of Economics. Berglof is a national of Sweden.

Tom Luckock is a projects lawyer based in Beijing. He focuses on projects in the energy and infrastructure sectors.

Tom worked for Norton Rose Australia before moving to Beijing. He has been based in Beijing for almost twenty years. He studied Chinese and undergraduate law for two years at Renmin University and reads and speaks Chinese. Tom is a recommended practitioner in the 2009 to 2020 editions of Legal 500, IFLR 1000 and Chambers and Partners. Tom is also Deputy Chair of the China-Australia Chamber of Commerce.

Tom is also the legal adviser in a consortium of financial, technical and insurance advisers for a 3 year project with a UK government department alongside its counterpart in the Chinese government to support the development of international standards for the BRI projects and to support the involvement of more international investors and lenders for the BRI. The project is currently one year in and the focus is on the development of pilot infrastructure projects in Africa

Other recent project experience includes:
Acting for GCL on their acquisition of an interest in a 33MW solar project in Guinea and the establishment of a joint venture with Africa Development Bank and a Hong Kong investor for the development of the project
Acting for a consortium made up of Huaneng Shandong Ruyi and a third investor on the acquisition of a stake in and construction financing and development of a port in Pakistan
Acting for ERG on the Sinosure backed financing by a consortium of Chinese banks of the development of copper smelter in the Congo to be built by a Chinese EPC contractor China Non Ferrous
Acting for SDIC controlling shareholder in a joint venture with a Malaysian investor for the purchase and restructuring of a partly built 600MW hydro project in Indonesia being constructed by a Chinese EPC Contractor
Acting for SDIC on the establishment of a joint venture together with a Bangladesh pension fund for the joint tender and development and Sinosure backed financing of a power station in Bangladesh
Acting for ADB who represented the Government of Sindh on the development of a standard concession agreement for Karachi for a water project to solve Karachi’s water issues and advising ADB (or the Government of Sindh) through the RFP and bid process for the award of the project as a result of a unilateral submission by a Pakistan and China consortium

Robert is a strategy consultant focused on infrastructure in Asia. Currently consulting at the AIIB, he has over 20 years of experience in consulting and infrastructure funds management across the region. He has spent about 15 of the last 22 years based in Beijing.

His professional career includes:

· Over 12 years with management consulting firm McKinsey & Co, where he focused primarily on infrastructure, urbanisation and transport, serving clients both in Mainland China and across East Asia (two years based in Sydney, over 10 years based in Beijing)

· Five years with infrastructure and real estate funds management firms in both Beijing and Singapore, where he was CEO Asia of Hastings Funds Management, a specialist infrastructure fund manager

· Over four years consulting with investors and governments on regional infrastructure issues, mostly in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

· Currently serving as Senior Consultant (Strategy and Policy) at the Asian infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

Robert holds degrees in Economics and Law (both with Honours) from the Australian National University (ANU) and a two-year Masters in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Alfredo is responsible for overseeing The Economist Intelligence Corporate Network in Beijing. Based in China since 2013, he has focused on analysing the business implications of policy, economic and political developments for companies investing and operating in China, and in the broader Asian region. This with the aim of distilling complex issues and conveying clear takeaways on how to capture business opportunities and respond to emerging challenges.

Before joining The Economist Intelligence Corporate Network, Alfredo was Associate Director for KPMG's Global China Practice, where he led and contributed to numerous thought leadership projects, including flagship reports, customised business briefings, and policy proposals for Chinese authorities. He also played a large role in events programming and outreach, including leading the design and coordination of high-profile events aimed at senior executives. Prior to that, Alfredo worked for J Capital Research, Eurasia Group and the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Alfredo has a Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) from Georgetown University, and a BA in Political Science and International Relations from Mexico's Center of Research and Teaching in Economics (aka. CIDE).