As Principal Economist for Asia, Nick helps craft and guide EIU’s economic and political forecasts for the entire Asian region. He has a particular focus looking at the intersection between geopolitics and trade, and regularly delivers briefings on how to navigate the shifting era of globalisation, particularly in the context of China’s evolving relationship with the West. Nick has specific responsibilities for EIU’s views on Taiwan and Australia, while also helping shape our views for China and Hong Kong. In that role, Nick also leads EIU’s analysis of China-Taiwan relations, including how companies and governments can mitigate the risks attached to cross-Strait ties.

Nick previously conducted trade research in Beijing with the US-China Business Council, where he advised US companies on the Chinese market. He graduated from the University of Virginia with degrees in Foreign Affairs and Chinese, and holds graduate certification from the Johns Hopkins-Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American Studies.

As Hong Kong Disneyland’s Chief Financial Officer, Lesz oversees all functions of financial management including controllership, operations finance, business development and revenue management and analytics, as well as corporate alliances and strategic sourcing.

Lesz started his Disney career in 1995 at Walt Disney World Resort and has held many finance roles of increasing responsibility in different lines of business across the company. He previously held the role of Vice President of Finance, Segment Planning and Communications, where he led the Disney Parks’ financial planning processes, including long-term and annual operating plans, capital plans, monthly forecasts and quarterly earnings reviews. From 2018 to 2021, he held the role of Chief Financial Officer at Shanghai Disney Resort.

Lesz was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Stetson University in the United States.

Kai-Lung Hui is Acting Dean, Elman Family Professor of Business, and Chair Professor in the Department of Information Systems, Business Statistics, and Operations Management at the HKUST Business School. He is also the Academic Director of the Kellogg-HKUST EMBA program.

Professor Hui’s research interests include cybercrime economics and policy, Fintech, privacy, IT policy, and electronic commerce. His research has been published in scholarly journals including Information Systems Research, Management Science, MIS Quarterly, and Journal of Management Information Systems, among others. He served as a Senior Editor for Information Systems Research and is currently serving as an Editor for Journal of Management Information Systems and Senior Editor for Production and Operations Management, all three of which are used in the Financial Times’ business school ranking.

Professor Hui has provided expert advice and consultancy services to government and private organizations including the Intellectual Property Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government, Insurance Authority of Hong Kong, World Intellectual Property Organization, and Ministry of Law of Singapore. He frequently speaks about digital piracy, cybersecurity, privacy, Fintech, and technology policy in events organized by professional organizations in banking, education, finance, insurance, and IT industries. Prof. Hui is an honorary advisor of the Hong Kong Police College and has been serving as an advisor for UC.NOW, insurance authority, and various other organizations.

Professor Hui has taught undergraduate, MSc, MBA, EMBA, PhD, and executive courses on cybersecurity and risk management, privacy and information management, Fintech, blockchain and cryptocurrencies, big data and analytics, strategic IT management, and competitive business strategy, among others. He obtained his BBA and PhD degrees from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Roger Lui is A&O Shearman’s Global Co-head for the bank sector and is a member of the firm’s Board.

Roger has over 25 years’ experience advising international and regional financial institutions, private credit institutions, developmental organisations, sponsors and corporates on a wide range of complex, high-profile and highly structured financing transactions across Greater China, the wider Asia Pacific region and beyond. He has a varied and extensive practice, having regularly advised on project financing, corporate lending, pre-IPO financing, listed share-backed financing, other forms of structured and acquisition financing and real estate financing.

Over the years, Roger has advised on numerous significant, award-winning financing transactions involving market-first features, setting industry precedents. While Roger has returned to practise in Hong Kong since 2001, he started his career at A&O’s London office and has spent time in Tokyo at A&O’s offices and on client secondment supporting their securitisation business.

Gareth Pope is the Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific at lululemon athletica., an athletic apparel company. He joined lululemon in 2017, and is responsible for driving growth and developing the brand across the Asia Pacific region

Prior to his current role, Gareth was General Manager, EMEA, where he was instrumental in advancing lululemon’s growth agenda and market expansions across the region.

Gareth has also served as General Manager, EMEA, at Converse, and before that spent 12 years at Nike, where he held several positions including General Manager of Nike Digital Commerce, North America, and General Manager of Nike Action Sports, EMEA. Gareth has also worked at McKinsey & Company.

Gareth holds an MBA from Columbia University and a BSc (Econ) from the London School of Economics. Gareth has always had a passion for sports. He is a keen athlete, having played tennis and basketball at junior international level, and these days can often be found on his bike, in the mountains or on the mat.

Anke Schrader is the China director of the Economist Intelligence Corporate Network. Utilizing over two decades of living and working in China, Anke works closely with network members to help inform their business strategies through political, economic, and operational insight and to connect them with their senior leadership peers.

Anke is also a recognized sustainability expert. She is the author of numerous publications on ESG, citizenship, and sustainable development issues in China and served six years as Chair of the American Chamber of Commerce in China’s Business Sustainability Committee.

Before joining The Economist Group, Anke was the Asia Research Director at The Conference Board, where she led strategic planning and execution of thought leadership research for China and the Asia region, leading a team of economists and researchers covering macroeconomics, human capital, and sustainability research. She also previously worked as a strategy consultant at PwC in Beijing advising multinational clients on macroeconomic, policy, market entry strategy, and operational issues.
Anke has led multi-year China research partnerships with Cornell University and Indiana University (funded by the Henry Luce Foundation and the Ford Foundation), was a guest lecturer at Cornell’s Employment and Disability Institute, and a mentor for the Schwarzman Scholars Program at Tsinghua University.

Anke received scholarships for Chinese language studies at the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) in Beijing and Shanghai Jiaotong University’s international MBA program. She holds an M.A. in politics and management from University of Konstanz.

Edward Chui is the Hong Kong Director at the Economist Intelligence Corporate Network (EICN), and is responsible for program development and engaging with top executives in the region on key economic and political issues as well as industry-specific analysis to support their businesses in Hong Kong.

Mr Chui has worked in the Greater China region for over 20 years. Before coming to The Economist Group, he was a consultant with Chesapeake Pacific Capital Management overseeing a range of thought leadership projects on the ultra-high net worth, family office, philanthropy, and next generation wealth succession. He was also Vice President at The Private Bank at JPMorgan in Hong Kong working with senior management in the expansion of the Asia Pacific business through special programs and wealth management publications for clients. Mr Chui also possesses extensive experience in the media and technology sectors having worked at StarTV, a subsidiary of NewsCorp, AlterEgo Networks in Silicon Valley and EF Education focusing on the China mobile business.

Mr Chui has a BA in Government from Wesleyan University and an MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business.