Edward Altman is the Max L. Heine Professor of Finance Emeritus at New York University, Stern School of Business and Director of the Credit and Fixed Income Research Program at the NYU Salomon Center. Dr. Altman has an international reputation as an expert on corporate bankruptcy, high yield bonds, distressed debt and credit risk analysis. He is the creator of the world famous Altman Z-Score models for bankruptcy prediction of firms globally. Professor Altman was inducted into the Fixed Income Analysts Society Hall of Fame in 2001 and was amongst the inaugural inductees into the Turnaround Management Association’s Hall of Fame in 2008. Dr. Altman was named one of the “100 Most Influential People in Finance” by Treasury & Risk Management magazine and is frequently quoted in the popular press and on network TV. Dr. Altman has been an advisor to many financial institutions including Merrill Lynch, Salomon Brothers, Citigroup, Concordia Advisors, Investcorp, Paulson & Co., S&P Global Market Intelligence and the Risk Metrics Group, (MSCI, Inc.). He serves on the Board of Franklin Mutual Series and Alternative Investments Funds. He is also Chairman of the Academic Advisory Council of the Turnaround Management Association. His book, “"Corporate Financial Distress, Restructuring, and Bankruptcy" has been regarded an international authoritative guide on distressed firms. In 2020, he was invited to join the COVID-19 and Bankruptcy Working Group, providing policy response recommendations to the US Senate and Congress. Dr. Altman also testified before the US House of Representatives’ Finance Committee on December 5, 2008, recommending that GM and Chrysler not be bailed out but to file for Bankruptcy Reorganization under Chapter 11 and that GM receive a super priority loan from the government. Eventually, on June 1, 2009, GM did file for bankruptcy protection and restructured so as to become a resilient going concern and not be sold or liquidated. Finally, Dr. Altman co-founded the credit analytic fintech, Wiserfunding, Ltd., based in London and Mumbai, and he continues as that firm’s Senior Advisor.”

Weisi Xie is the Shanghai Director at the Economist Intelligence Corporate Network (EICN), and is responsible for engaging with top executives in the region on key economic and political issues as well as industry-specific analysis to support their businesses in the dynamic Chinese market.

Mr. Xie served as an Assistant Professor of Economics at Shanghai Jiao Tong University before joining EICN. As a trained trade economist, his teaching and research mainly focused on the fields of international trade, industrial economics and economic development, with a particular emphasis on China’s economy in a global perspective. He also possesses extensive expertise in the non-profit sector through work experience with think tanks and international organizations, including the Shanghai Institute for National Economy and the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland, where he contributed to multiple government counseling projects and policy studies. His work has appeared in leading academic journals as well as major economic policy publications.

Mr. Xie has a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a B.A. in International Business from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics.