Richard is a highly respected veteran of the Asia-Pacific wines & spirits industry, with over 25 years of in-depth, brand building experience.

He has particular expertise in new product introduction and development, brand management including extension strategies and execution, sales and distribution organization, key account development, and merchandising program strategies and implementation.

Richard's high echelon postings have included Regional Vice President for Allied Domecq (Ballantine's Scotch, Canadian Club Whisky, Kahlua liqueur), and Asia-Pacific President of Groupe Camus S.A., the world's largest independent Cognac house.

His background also includes responsibility for consumer marketing activities for Jardine Matheson in Hong Kong and Thailand.

At Camus, Richard was responsible for the company's bottom line performance with over 60 distributors and direct retail customers in 20 countries throughout the region.

He has extraordinary skills and experience of the Duty Free and Travel Retail sectors, and has long-established relationships with all the key operators, including Duty Free Shoppers, Nuance, Kingpower, the China Duty Free Group, the Korea National Tourism Corporation, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and China Airlines.

Leveraging his unique knowledge and abilities, Richard pioneered Camus' entry into the wine market in 1997, as a practical and strategic response to the Asian currency crisis. Today Camus is the largest selling brand in Asia duty free

Nineteen years of Peter's 30 year management career has been in Asia. His vast experience includes many successes in bringing international companies into new markets in the region. He is a specialist in market entry strategies including greenfield start-ups, joint-ventures, strategic alliances and acquisitions.

Peter has also considerable experience in manufacturing restructuring with related shifts to low-labor cost countries. His formidable skills have resulted in significant and profitable growth during his time at the helm as Regional CEO for such industry stalwarts as Reebok International, Sara Lee and most recently, Exectrolux.

Peter’s firm knowledge of the corporate management practices, strategies and operational structures can help develop efficient, profitable and robust businesses in the fast growth markets of China, India, and the ASEAN countries as well as East Asia and Australasia.

Mike is a vastly experienced and highly successful chief executive who has led one of the world's most powerful multinationals to success in more than a dozen international marketplaces in Asia.

As General Manager of Effem Foods Asia (Mars), he was responsible for all Mars business in Asia (excluding Japan). He personally built their business in twelve Asian countries including Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. In the process he took the Mars regional business to profitability while tripling turnover.

As Managing Director of Mars China, he masterminded all aspects of their business: marketing, manufacturing, sales and general management – in the PRC and Hong Kong. As testimony to his skills, Mike built the Mars operation to market leadership in snack food and pet food within a mere four years. Further success was achieved as Chairman of the Great Lakes Fruit Juice Company (China) where he led a privately owned manufacturer and distributor of premium fruit juices to sector leadership, transforming the balance sheet from a significant loss to the most profitable fruit juice company in China.

As a strategist, planner, and hands-on operations manager, Mike's track record of driving FMCG companies to leadership positions is second to none. His expertise in Asia, and particularly the China market, make him an invaluable advisory asset.

Bryan can best be described an international banker extraordinaire. His forty-four year career has included senior positions with major institutions in the Bahamas, Nigeria, USA and Hong Kong.

During this period he has experienced many facets of international banking with the last fifteen years focusing upon private banking. He has significant experience in structuring and marketing credit related transactions, including derivatives and other risk management products.

Since 2006 he has been consulting with the Royal Bank of Scotland Group and advising on the establishment of China's first domestic private bank. As part of that process, he was accountable for the design and development of a client proposition and its subsequent implementation, including people selection, product design and premises selection and refurbishment. The project has drawn upon his well- established and acknowledged front-of-house skills. 


Bryan joined the RBS Group in 2003 and worked with Coutts Bank in the roles of Hong Kong Branch Manager and head of sales teams in Hong Kong, Philippines, and South East Asia.

During his ten years with JPM Chase in Asia, 1993-2003, he worked primarily with private clients variously fulfilling the roles of Regional Credit Executive, Senior Banker, Regional Business Manager and Deputy Area Executive.

Bryan’s global experience and plentiful skills make his advice an invaluable asset for the strategic and operational strengthening of virtually any aspect of the business of high finance.

Wilson has long been a major industry figure in Asian marketing and communications.

He is a specialist in devising communications strategies, project management, branding and brand management, digital marketing and e-commerce.

He began his professional career in the late seventies in Hong Kong where he served a blue-chip portfolio of Fortune 500 clients with multinational agencies such as FCB, Ketchum, Saatchi & Saatchi and BBDO.

In the early nineties, Wilson was the pioneer in launching the integrated marketing discipline in Asia when he founded and built Storm Communications into a successful regional agency. His served major clients such as BAT, Motorola, Reemtsma, Jardine Fleming, Cartier and Hyatt International. Storm was so successful that it was sought out and purchased by a major international communications group.

Wilson was also co-founder and chairman of DG Interaction in 2000, and was a frequent industry speaker advocating the adoption of digital marketing and e-business strategies.

Along with his extensive entrepreneurial and marketing experience, Wilson is also an expert in corporate strategy planning and business re-engineering for Asian small to medium size enterprises.

David is a specialist in distribution, marketing and business development, with a focus on financial services, whose work in the Asia Pacific region encompasses strategy and implementation for M&A activities, market entry, distribution systems and product development.

His unique skills are the result of his early insurance business background combined with his later key positions with major marketing communications companies. With early experience across a number of sales and marketing roles, he moved into the service side of the communications industry as Director of Client Service for Saatchi & Saatchi and then General Manager of DDB Needham, both in New Zealand.

Joining National Mutual (now AXA) in 1994, he held a number of senior line management positions in across Australasia and Asia Pacific, including Manager, Life Insurance Marketing; Managing Director National Mutual Assets Management; Managing Director Freedom Financial Services and Executive Director, National Mutual Health. Within AXA's Head Office, David was responsible for M&A integration activity, before joining the Executive of the group as General Manager Strategic Marketing.

David then decided to offer his expertise to a multitude of companies in the region by forming a Hong Kong based business consultancy in 2000. His blue-chip client base has included ING, AXA, Prudential, Credit Suisse, National Australia Bank, HBOS, Sun Life Financial, The Carlyle Group and New York Life, among others.

He has managed projects across the Asian region, including China, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Singapore, as well as numerous regional projects that have involved North American, European or Australasian involvement. In addition to financial institution specialization, David is also active across a range of other industry categories including the FMCG sector.

Ray is one of the most prolific and accomplished business leaders in Asia, particularly in the realm of finance. Evidenced by his 10 year reign as Head of Personal Financial Services at HSBC Taiwan, and two other multinational banks, his expertise covers a wide spectrum of knowledge and skills: credit cards, mortgages, personal loans, insurance and investment services. During his time with HSBC, he was also Deputy Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Taiwan and Chairman of HSBC Insurance Brokerage (Taiwan) Ltd.

Ray's is an accomplished executive with international experience in Asia and Europe in business start-ups, turnarounds of under-performing businesses via organic growth, as well as mergers, acquisitions, and alliances involving other multinational banks. He’s skilled in business positioning, managing multi-channel sales and distribution, new market identification, the use of productivity enhancing technology, and change management.

Ray is the personification of the Gravitas Partnership: Highly seasoned, exceptionally skilled and a proven track record of creating sustainable profitability. Any company seeking to realize and/or maximize its potential in the Asia marketplace would find no better advice than his.

D.S. is one of Korea's standout professionals with a strong track record in business management, politics and academia.

As president of MCB International, he has long specialized in the strategic planning for sales and marketing, joint venture development and revenue stream modeling. He is a senior advisor to blue chips corporations such as Pepsi Cola, Sara Lee, TRIARC, Frito Lay, Timberland and Inchcape.

As Vice President, Asia Pacific for Pepsi Cola International and President of Pepsi Cola Korea, he managed a total company restructuring, including the building of new plants, devising new distribution channels and new marketing strategies for both South and North Korea. His leadership skills resulted in a great leap in both volume and bottom line profit. As Pepsi's Regional Director for Korea, Taiwan and Guam, he built the business in Taiwan from zero to five million cases in a few short years.

D.S. has served as Secretary General of Korea's Democratic Party and its 1997 Presidential candidate. He has also been a candidate for Parliament himself. He has a keen understanding of government policies and practices. And as a marketing PhD, D.S. is a visiting professor at universities in Korea, China and Russia.

It would be difficult to find anyone with an equal amount of knowledge, experience and practical business success in the important market of Korea.

Chok specializes in designing and engineering major infrastructure projects and has for years advised on, and personally led, projects throughout Asia. With a Ph.D. from MIT and years of practical experience in the field, Dr. Lee knows what it takes to successfully plan and complete major building projects, from bulk materials port/inland terminals for grain, grain derivatives, coal, cement, ore, etc; power plants, mass transit, solid waste disposal, coal mining, roads/bridges and the like.

As he operates in a field that is heavily regulated, Chok is keenly aware of the processes required for certification and the widely varying practices and policies of regulation in countries throughout the region. Chok is also a successful entrepreneur with a long track record of not only engineering projects to the highest technical standards, but also how to create commercial value for both end users and shareholders alike.

Dr. Lee offers expert advice on project concept development, project feasibility study, program viability, capital costing, construction planning and scheduling, and cost/benefit analysis.

Loc has a long, successful track record in the growing market of Vietnam.

He established and managed Vietnam Marketing Center (VMC), the country's first privately sanctioned marketing company, and developed it into the Vietnam's leading marketing and communications company. His was the first local agency to be appointed by Sony Vietnam as its full-service partner, winning out over several high profile multinational agencies.

Subsequently, in a coordinated effort with DMB&B, VMC was named as Vietnam media buying agency of record for Procter & Gamble. His success led VMC to becoming the only local entrant in the top-ten rated agencies in the Vietnam market.

Loc was elected Vice chairman of HAA (Advertising Association of Ho Chi Minh City) in charge of Foreign affairs and is currently the Association's head of Business Development. He is also an elected board member of the Vietnam Advertising Association.

With an additional 25 years experience in journalism, including many with the Washington Post, Loc has a strong relationship with the local media as well as with government organizations in Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi.

Through years of experience he has developed an indepth knowledge of the country's organizational structures, business practices and government commercial requirements.

Any organization seeking strategic advice and practical assistance on entering Vietnam's rapidly emerging market would find Loc an invaluable asset.

Clarke is well known throughout Asia for his strategic insight and creative excellence.

He is a specialist in creating campaigns to build brands and to launch and build new companies, products and services. With years of experience in Asia he has a keen understanding of the opportunities and limitations of marketing communications that have to travel well across borders, languages and cultures.

He has spent the past 22 years living and working in Hong Kong where he served long tenures with Ogilvy & Mather as Creative Director, and Bozell Worldwide as Executive Creative Director and Vice Chairman, Creative Director of International Business. More recently he served as advising Regional Creative Director for O&M and TBWA providing creative solutions for regional clients such as Motorola, Novartis Agrichemicals and Shangri-la Hotels. He also developed campaigns for Principal Insurance (Hong Kong), Renault/Samsung Motors (Korea), Louis Vuitton (China) and Cheung Kong Holdings (Beijing). He recently revamped the brand image and retail outlet design for Electrolux throughout China and the Asia Pacific region.

Among his many blue chip client relationships over the years have been American Express, Bausch and Lomb, Smith-Kline Beecham, Carlsberg, Continental Airlines, Korean Air, the Korea National Tourism Commission, Hutchison Telephone, Mazda, Merrill Lynch, WingTai Asia, Ocean Park Hong Kong, Seagram, the Hong Kong Tourist Association, the Peninsula Group of hotels and Toyota.

As both copywriter and art director, Clarke has repeatedly won accolades for excellence in Hong Kong, Asia Pacific and international awards competitions. Clarke is currently working for PingTian Resorts as VP, Branding and Communications. The four–season mountain resort is a new venture in China’s far northwest region of Xinjiang.

If anyone can be considered the doyen of Direct Marketing and Customer Relationship Management in Asia, it is certainly Godfrey.

Over 30 years living and working in Hong Kong, he has become renowned throughout the region for his experience, knowledge, skills and long record of successfully driving clients’ businesses forward.

Godfrey specializes in market entry DM strategies, mailing list management and sourcing, database management, program audits and results analysis. He is highly sought after for his strong reputation in the highly specialized area of loyalty marketing and has developed comprehensive programs for such high profile companies as Mandarin Oriental hotels and United Airlines.

In the 1980’s, he was personally responsible for building Ogilvy & Mather’s direct marketing network throughout the region. He was also a founding director and Chairman of the Hong Kong Direct Marketing Association. As further evidence of Godfrey’s stature, he was chosen to represent the Asia/Pacific Direct Marketing Association on the United Nations Universal Postal Union Direct Mail Advisory Board.

DM and CRM are still relatively untapped marketing communication channels in Asia, particularly in China. For marketers seeking advice and recommendations on effective strategies and programs to realize this vast potential, there is no better source of expertise and experience than Godfrey.

Martin is firmly ensconced at the fore front of Hong Kong's corporate communications industry.

With his years of experience, there is virtually no type of opportunity, event, or calamity which his skills have not mastered.

He specializes in communications strategies, company reputation management and media/public speaking training. He is also highly sought after for crisis communications abilities. Whether it be anything having to do with maintaining a company's positive relationships with consumers, employees, investors, government bodies, or the public at large, Martin's experience and expertise is unsurpassed.

His clients have included all of the Jardine Matheson Group companies, as well as British Airways, Dresdner RCM Global Investors, Charles Schwab, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Fortis Bank, Grant Thornton, The Principal Financial Group, Marks & Spencer, P&O, Agilent, New T&T, Juniper Networks, Asia Satellite Telecommunications, Newsweek, South China Morning Post Group, and Quality HealthCare Asia.

Half of his 30 years in the business were spent with Burson Marsteller Asia (which he cofounded), The Rowland Company (which acquired his own firm, Turner Spurrier), and Weber Shandwick (which acquired his second venture, Ludgate Asia). For Weber Shandwick, he was Regional Chairman. The balance of his long successful career was spent primarily with the Jardine Matheson Group where he was responsible for corporate, financial and marketing communications. Time was also spent with Hongkong Land and Mandarin Oriental.

Martin is currently the MD of Hong Kong operations for one of the world's most high profile public relations companies. He is a Senior Advisor to the private Swiss bank, Mirabaud & Cie, an Honorary Life Member of The British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.

Mark is a Human Resources expert with a long career of helping companies in the Asia Pacific with change management, leadership development and human capital management.

His most recent high-key assignment was for Electrolux China. As HR Director, based in Beijing and Shanghai, his prime focus was on devising people strategies and action plans to enable the successful implementation of a significant business re-direction and organizational re-structuring.

Previously, Mark was Regional VP of Human Resources for Sara Lee Asia Pacific. Based in Singapore, the role covered all aspects of HR management across ten Asian countries. His focus was on management sourcing, personnel development, training, compensation and career/succession/organizational planning and development. Subsequent to Sara Lee, Mark was based in Hong Kong, serving as Group Human Resources Advisor-Asia for A.S. Watson & Co.

He spent many successful years with Rank Xerox as Human Resources and Quality Director, living and working in such diverse markets as the UK, Spain, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

In a developing business climate such as Asia, the competition for superior people is fierce. Finding those people and developing them into productive company contributors is perhaps the most important part of any business. Mark's many years of hands-on experience in Asia make him a valuable advisor for any company entering, or expanding within, the region.

Mark is one of Asia's premier authorities on web commerce and communications.

He specializes in digital strategies, concept and planning, interactive branding, internet, intranet and extranet applications including promotional mini-sites and portals, online and e-mail marketing, e-CRM and e-commerce.

During his more than 28 years international experience, 18 of those in Asia, he has served as both Executive Creative Director and Managing Director of companies such as Ion Global (formally The Web Connection) and Bates 141 China and Hong Kong. He has provided strategic end-to-end e-business solutions for leading companies such as Hongkong Bank (HSBC), PCCW (C&W HKT), Heineken, the Hong Kong Tourist Association, Shell and BAT.

Mark is a sought after industry speaker, delivering addresses such as “The Media Summit - Media Integration: The role of the Internet in today's Media Mix", and “e-Branding Strategy Asia – Putting Your Brand on the Web" He is also a published author, his work including "Websights: The Future of Business and Design on the Internet" (RC Publications, New York, 2000).

There is wide recognition of Mark's talents. The internationally prestigious Web Marketing Awards USA, named his work as Outstanding Web Site and as Best Airline Web Site for Cathay Pacific. His work for HSBC received accolades from Web Marketing Awards USA as the year's Outstanding Web Site, from Asiaweek as the Best Online Bank, and from the Internet World Asia Industry Awards as the Best B2C Internet site

Vincent specializes in the acquisition, management and development of human capital and over the last 15 years has provided strategic solutions to hundreds of the leading multinationals across Asia-Pacific.

The resolution of any major business problem ultimately rests with the key executives chosen and their organizational systems. Vincent's expertise is in identifying top new talent, enhancing the capabilities of existing teams through his management development programs and ensuring that complex multinational organizations are structured for success. He also provides personnel solutions involving M&A activities, post-merger integrations, organizational development and succession planning.

He is the CEO of TRANSEARCH Wright Company, one of Asia's fastest-growing high-end executive search firms, part of the TRANSEARCH global network of retained search firms, of which Vincent is also the Asia-Pacific Chairman. In 2008, Vincent was elected Chairman of the Global Board of the Association of Executive Search Consultants, the first time a professional from Asia-Pacific has been so honoured.

Vincent was formerly a Senior Partner and Asia-Pacific Practice Leader at search firm Heidrick & Struggles. He previously spent 10 years managing multiple offices in Asia for advertising agency Leo Burnett.

Vincent has been based in Asia for 25 years and now divides his time equally between Greater China and Southeast Asia.

Brian Thom brings 30 years of experience in business management and strategic marketing to Gravitas, including more than 25 years in Asia starting and managing businesses. This experience covers the spectrum from running credit card and retail banking businesses in Japan and Korea to starting Internet banking in Hong Kong and Germany to start-up and management of a self-service photo printing kiosk business in Singapore and Hong Kong.

As Managing Director of DPSL Limited, Brian led the start-up of this owner/operator of Sony self-service photo printing kiosks. These kiosks use Sony technology to print various sizes of photos in seconds from a variety of input media.

His experience includes the role of Chief Marketing Officer for LINA Korea where he managed all aspects of marketing and sales for the Korea brand of CIGNA, the large U.S. insurance company. His digital expertise was sought by Elysium Technologies where he was CEO and successfully managed this start-up provider of end-to-end software solutions that allow customers to create and manage online directories and e-catalogues.

Brian has also served as Global Marketing Head for American Express Bank's consumer banking business based in Paris where he served as senior brand manager for American Express' consumer banking businesses for Asia, Europe and Latin America.

He was previously Senior Vice President Marketing, Asia/Pacific Region for MasterCard. In Tokyo, one of the world's most competitive markets, Brian, as President, Citicorp Card Services, was responsible for starting and managing Citibank's credit card business. On his watch, the business rose from zero to a multi-million dollar business.

Roger is one of the most respected and experienced advertising and marketing professionals in Asia.

He specializes in corporate strategic development, operational structures, joint venture partnering and mergers and acquisitions. He was a pioneer in transforming the communications business in Asia away from a single stream business and single office mindset into a multi-dimensional, multi-country offering. He was also an early adopter of the importance of the internet and its role in business and communications, and has launched, managed and acquired digital communications businesses.

Roger has spent over 25 years living and working in the region. During that time, he has served as Regional President for three major U.S. multi-national groups – Ogilvy & Mather, Darcy and Bozell Worldwide. His responsibilities covered every country in the Asia Pacific region. He has recently been responsible for Asian acquisitions for the Aegis Group, the world’s largest independent media company.

Over time he has worked in just about every business category with a large number of blue chip companies including American Express, Bausch and Lomb, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Coca-Cola, Compaq, Daimler Chrysler, Guinness, Hyatt, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft, Mars, MasterCard, Maybeline, Merrill Lynch, Moet Hennessy, Nestle, PepsiCo, Philips, Procter & Gamble, Sara Lee, Sony and Unilever.

Outside of marketing communications he launched “Chinabranding”, his own company with an ambitious goal to establish a widespread e-commerce business in China.

Ronald has a career spanning 25 years in the communications and marketing industry, having held senior positions in multinational and local companies in the Asia Pacific region.

He was Asia Pacific Chief Executive Officer of Lowe Worldwide, a major advertising arm of the Interpublic Group of Companies. There, he managed a network of communication agencies spanning 18 countries with billings of USD1.2 billion and was responsible for network development and mergers and acquisitions.

Prior to Lowe, Ronald served as Managing Director of HKT Holdings' sporting goods distribution and marketing business. He saw to the overall development of manufacturing, distribution and retailing for the Puma, Lotto and Hi-tech brands, with over 170 stores in 7 countries in Greater China and South East Asia.

Ronald previously co-founded Synergie Communications and which became one of the Hong Kong's successful home grown agencies in Hong Kong. His agency later merged and became The Ball Partnership, which then evolved to become an integral part of the Euro RSCG network.

During his career he has been instrumental in the business growth of major accounts such as ion In addition to managing a client roster consisting of Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, HSBC, Sun Microsystems,Colgate Palmolive and De Beers.

Elliot has a sterling track record of successful retail operations in Asia.

He specializes in retail concept development, as well as strategies, operations, supply, distribution and logistics. He is also an acknowledged expert in retail marketing and branding.

For six years he was Managing Director of IKEA in Hong Kong which captured over 25% of the loose furniture market under his direction. He also launched IKEA's successful operations in Taiwan.

In 1994, he co-founded Shanghai Tang in Hong Kong, a very successful Chinese gift store concept which later expanded to New York, London, Singapore and Beijing. Later, he was Group CEO of TSL Jeweler, the largest jewelry retailer in the Far East with over 120 stores in six countries.

As evidence to Elliott's retail business acumen he was the recipient of Jardine's Managing Director Award and a two time winner of the HKMA/TVB Marketing Excellence Award for IKEA and TSL Jewelery respectively. In 1998, under his leadership, TSL won three more major management awards in a single year: Marketing Excellence, Total Quality Management and Training Excellence.

Elliott later founded ICON, Asia's first "bricks-and-clicks" concept on cosmetics and beauty products. The business entails the wholesaling and retailing of five cosmetics brands, online e-tailing regionally and a beauty salon business.

The benefits of Elliott's knowledge, practical experience and remarkable success make his an invaluable advisory asset to launch, re-engineer or opptimize retail businesses in Asia.