Simon Baptist is Editorial Director and Chief Economist at The Economist Intelligence Unit. Prior to his current role, he has held a number of other senior management and editorial positions in the business, including Managing Director for Asia, Regional Director of our Asia editorial team, Director of Global Forecasting, and Consulting Director in both Europe and Asia

Simon’s focus is on the global economy, national and international political developments, and public policy. He engages with business, government and international organisations, helping them to understand the operational and strategic implications of the EIU’s forecasts.

He has a doctorate in economics from and was a lecturer at Oxford University, along with degrees in economics and science from the University of Tasmania. His academic research investigated technology and the determinants of productivity in manufacturing firms.

Mattie Bekink is responsible for the Economist Corporate Network’s China strategy, including programme development and client servicing across China. She also provides support to all Economist Corporate Network programmes worldwide with a China component.

Ms Bekink has extensive experience in the public, private and policy sectors. Prior to joining The Economist Group, she was the Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission in the Netherlands. She also ran an eponymous consulting business, advising senior executives from businesses, universities and non-profit organisations on China policy, strategy, public affairs, and corporate social responsibility. Ms Bekink practiced law at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, has worked with the US-Asia Law Initiative at NYU Law School and the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative China Program, and served in the legal department at General Motors China.

Ms Bekink has a BA in International Relations from Stanford University and a JD from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Martin Raiser is the World Bank’s new Country Director for China and Mongolia, and Director for Korea starting March 1, 2019. Mr. Raiser is leading a team that is managing an evolving partnership with China, a growing program of support to Mongolia, and a deepening knowledge partnership with Korea focused on innovation and technology.

Mr. Raiser holds a doctorate degree in Economics (summa cum laude) from the University of Kiel, Germany, and degrees in Economics and Economic History from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences. Mr. Raiser worked for the Kiel Institute of World Economics and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, where he was Director of Country Strategy and Editor of the Transition Report. Since joining the World Bank in 2003, Mr. Raiser held positions as the Country Manager in Uzbekistan, Country Director for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, Country Director for Turkey, and most recently Country Director for Brazil.

Mr. Raiser, a German national, is married and has four children. He has published numerous articles in refereed economic journals and authored several books.

A graduate of Columbia University, William Zhao joined Total as its China Country Chair. Before joining Total, he held various positions with both multinational companies and start-ups in Germany, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Africa and the United States.

Between 1996 and 2000, William Zhao served as Planning Manager for Hewlett-Packard. Between 2000 and 2002, he served as Product Manager for two successful technology start-ups in the United States. Between 2003 and 2004, he served as advisor to the United Nations in Africa. Between 2005 and 2008, he served as Commercial Manager for Dubai Energy. Between 2008 and 2009, he served as Managing Director of an energy investment company based out of London and Dubai. He subsequently joined SABIC as its Global Strategy Director with both strategy and business development responsibilities in 2010. Between 2017 and 2018, he served as Managing Director of ZvK Prospero GmbH in Germany.

Jörg Wuttke is Chief Representative of BASF China, based in Beijing. Wuttke is President of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China – an office he already held from 2007 to 2010 and from 2014 to 2017. Wuttke is a member of the Advisory Board of the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) in Berlin. He has lived in Beijing for more than three decades.