The Steering Committee is composed of French and Chinese personalities chosen for the important role they play in the political, economic and cultural relations between both countries.

The Steering Committee approves the annual budget and program activities. The members of the Committee meet twice a year, once during the annual session of the Young Leaders Program.

Cyril BENOIT

Founder and Chairman, B&A Investment Bankers
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Cyril Benoit chairs investment bank B&A Investment Bankers, which he founded in 2011. B&A intervenes in cross-border transactions, in particular between France and China.

Cyril Benoit worked from 2007 to 2010 in London as Principal of Perella Weinberg. From 2003 to 2007, he was a senior executive at Unibail-Rodamco. His positions included Head of Corporate Development and M&A, CIO/CFO of the shopping center division as well as member of the Strategic Committee of the group.

Previously, Cyril Benoit worked at the French Treasury Department and contributed to the creation of the French Government Shareholding Agency. From 2000 to 2002, Cyril Benoit was Advisor to the Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry (Laurent Fabius). Before 2000, Cyril Benoit notably worked at the Office of Congressman Tom Lantos, in Washington D.C., and at the Office of the President of the French Chamber (“Assemblée Nationale”).

Cyril Benoit is the president of “Vouloir la République » think-tank, which he has founded in 1995. He was also the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Aspen Institute France from 2013 to 2015, and one of the founders of the public interest organization “Fondation France Israël” in 2006.

Cyril Benoit graduated from Ecole Normale Supérieure Lettres et Sciences Humaines and the Université de Paris-IV Sorbonne in philosophy.

Sébastien BILLIOUD

Professor of Chinese studies, University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité; Head, East Asian Studies Department
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Sébastien Billioud is Professor of Chinese studies and Head of the East Asian studies department of University Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité. Based on a cross-disciplinary approach in anthropology and intellectual history his research explores the modern and contemporary fates of Confucianism in a variety of realms such as philosophy, education, religion and rituals, social practices and politics.

Among other works, he is the author of Thinking Through Confucian Modernity and co-author of The Sage and the People, The Confucian Revival in China. The French version of this book was awarded the 2015 Bernheim Prize for the History of Religion by the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres.

Before his appointment as Professor, Sébastien Billioud was successively visiting scholar at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Chief Editor of China Perspectives and Researcher at the French Center for Research on Contemporary China in Hong Kong and Associate Professor at University Paris-Diderot.

A graduate from HEC Paris (1993), Sébastien Billioud also holds a MA in Law (U. Paris 2), a Ph.D. in East Asian Studies (U. Paris-Diderot, 2004) and a Habilitation for the supervision of doctoral theses (INALCO, 2012).

Bruno BOUYGUES

CEO of GYS
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Bruno BOUYGUES
CEO of GYS

Before graduating in 2002 from INSEAD with an MBA, Bruno attended Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, where in 1999, he obtained an MSc.

Included in his work experience are: 3 years in the Mergers & Acquisitions department of Merrill Lynch in London, a position within the Corporate Finance department of Société Générale in New York, 2 years of Management Consulting at Oliver Wyman in France, and 9 years as the CEO of GYS, an industrial group, headquartered in France.

With 500 employees in five countries (France, UK, Germany, India & China), GYS engineers and manufactures welding equipment, automotive battery chargers, and automotive collision repair equipment. The group is positioned as one of the world’s technological leaders in its fields.

Aside from his professional endeavors, Bruno is a member of the YPO network and sits on the board of the UIMM (Union of Metallurgies Industries) Mayenne. Bruno is married to Heyoung Lee Bouygues, a talented business woman who has created Lee Bouygues Partners, a consulting company dedicated to helping companies in operational difficulties.

Edouard COURTIAL

Senator of the Oise
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Edouard COURTIAL

Member of Parliament for Oise department

Edouard Courtial was born in 1973, went to school in Clermont and Compiègne but grew up in Agnetz, a town in which his father was the mayor since 1989.

He studied economics and management at Paris-Dauphine University and obtained a master degree at ESSEC business school. Between 1999 and 2001 he worked as a financial auditor for Ernst & Young and Cap Gemini as strategy consultant.

By 2002, he decided to serve his fellow citizens and run for constituency in the 7th district of Oise Department where he is deeply rooted. At the age of 28, he has been elected at the French National Assembly, and was the youngest member of parliament in France. The next year, after his father passed away, he followed his career and became Mayor of Agnetz city in 2003 where he has been re-elected in 2007.

Later on, in 2012 he has been re-elected against the President of the Regional Council and former Mayor of the biggest town of the district, Clermont.

After he won the Oise Department Council Presidency in 2015, he had to step down from his Mayor position to comply with the new French law.

Former Secretary of State in charge of French nationals abroad, between 2011 and 2012, he is still member of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the French National Assembly and chairs Estonia, Colombia and Lithuania Friendship groups.

Deeply committed to his political family, Edouard Courtial has been in charge of local federations of his party and is currently political advisor of former French President, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Coralie DUBOST

Member of Parliament for Hérault and Vice-President of LREM in the French National Assembly
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Coralie Dubost is a lawyer with degrees in private European law, and European law and international human rights. 

Her years of professional experience in strategic consulting, decision-making support and team management during project implementation have honed her ability to understand the challenges facing the business world, from small and medium-sized companies to multinationals.  

Coralie Dubost has published several articles on non-discrimination in European and international law, and the social responsibility of companies.

FANG Yi

Founder and CEO, Getui
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FANG Yi 方毅

Founder and CEO, Getui

Fang Yi, founder and CEO of GeTui (Merit Interactive, Stock Ticker: 300766), B.S. from Chu Kochen Honors College, and M.S. in Computer Science and Engineering from Zhejiang University.

As a serial entrepreneur since 2005, Fang founded GeTui in 2010. GeTui, a leading data intelligence company in China, is the first data intelligence company listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Pioneering in third-party push notification services, GeTui gave rise to an ecosystem that connects hundreds of thousands of developers and apps in China.

With Fang’s leadership and a commitment to create “Tech for Daily Life,” GeTui has conducted in-depth exploration in the big data industry and has served diverse industries including mobile internet, brand marketing, financial technology, smart cities and tourism, and public affairs.

Fang was the recipient of the first prize of the “China Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition” organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology, and was selected into China’s national “Ten Thousand Talent Program” for tech entrepreneurship and leadership. He was also reported on the front page of New York Times as China’s emerging tech entrepreneur on the same day that Alibaba was listed on NYSE in 2014. In 2016, Fang Yi was invited to the 63th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and delivered a keynote speech about GeTui’s breakthrough exploration in data intelligence.

Fang believes in the era of intelligence, data are the key to break new ground, expedite tech innovation, and transform everyday life. In the never-ending journey to data intelligence, Fang and his teams are committed to go above and beyond.

Marc FRAPPIER

Managing Director, Eurazeo Capital
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Marc FRAPPIER

Managing Director, Eurazeo Capital

Marc Frappier joined the Eurazeo investment team in 2006. At Eurazeo, he participated in the investment or in the oversight of Accor/Edenred, APCOA, Elis, Foncia and Rexel investments.

He began his career in 1996 as a financial auditor with Deloitte & Touche in Paris and New York. From 1999 to 2006, he worked for The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Paris and Singapore, where he participated in numerous strategy and operational effectiveness assignments in the industrial goods and services sector, energy, as well as the media and telecommunication sector.

Marc Frappier graduated from EMN (Ingénieur Civil des Mines).

Allen GUO

Founding Partner, 2048 Capital
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Allen GUO 郭春龙

Founding Partner, 2048 Capital

Allen Guo is a serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist. He is founding partner of 2048 capital investing in Internet and Deep Tech: AI, Blockchain, IOT and Healthcare. .

Still a PhD student in UC Berkeley, Allen founded Baihe.com, which later became the largest online matching making service in China. He also founded Yobo.com, a personalized mobile music platform, which he sold to China Mobile. Allen has regular contact with France and is currently developing a new investment vehicle to connect France and China’s booming tech and capital market, with a focus in AI.

Allen Guo received BS degree from Tsinghua University with highest honour, and was a PhD candidate at UC Berkeley’s EECS department when he started his entrepreneurial career. He was Mayfield Fellow and Hitachi Fellow at Haas School of Business.

JIANG Qiong’er

CEO & Artistic Director, SHANG XIA
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Jiang Qiong’er, founder of SHANG XIA, is an internationally renowned designer. After many years studying in Europe, Jiang brings a cosmopolitan approach and bi-cultural experience to her designs. Respectful of tradition, she draws inspiration from a vast range of sources, and this is reflected in her versatile work, of which is collected by museums around the world.

In 2009, she established the contemporary lifestyle brand SHANG XIA, and took the positions of artistic director and CEO. Jiang Qiong Er and SHANG XIA are dedicated to bringing fine Chinese crafts to the world. They infuse traditional crafts with contemporary design, weaving concepts from East and West to create a 21st century lifestyle. The creations received wide acclaim and distinguished design awards at national and international level, with the works collected by world-class museums like British Museum, Musée Guimet and Musée des Arts Décoratifs.

In 2011, Jiang Qiong Er was named as Forbes 25 Most Influential Chinese in Global Fashion and Lifestyle. In 2013, she was honored “Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres” of the French Republic in recognition of her contribution to cultural exchange between China and France. In 2014, Jiang was honored as Cinquantenaire des Relations Franco-Chinoises “50 Ans 50 Personnes”. And in 2016, she was then honored by French Government as “Chevalier de L’Ordre National du Mérite” in Shanghai.

Casey KANG

President, JRSY Investment Co. Ltd
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Casey KANG 康伟宏

President, JRSY Investment Co. Ltd

Before graduating in 2012 from Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business with an EMBA, Casey attended the University of International Business and Economics of Law, where she obtained an LLM. Her first graduation was from Shanghai Finance Institute majoring in International Finance.

She is the President of JRSY Investment Company Ltd, specialized in new energy, environment and agricultural fertilizer. She is also the General partner of ALEF Mountain Capital Partners (together with general partners from France and USA having PE by venturing advanced technology of Israel developed in China). She  also works as a Senior Advisor of important French Companies to find financial partners and to develop their business in China.

From 1996-2002, she served as a key member of BASF Group for the negotiation of an important mega integrated petro-chemical site projects in China.

Casey is also actively participating in Chinese political activities by proposing consultative opinions especially in the field of environment and urban construction.

Howard Hao KWOK

President, YunGao Group; Deputy General Manager, Westin Xi’an
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Howard Hao KWOK 郭豪

President, YunGao Group; Deputy General Manager, Westin Xi’an

Howard Kwok is the President of YunGao Group, a real estate developer with projects in Shanghai, Xi’an and Lhasa. He is also Deputy General Manager at The Westin Xi’an, an investment of YunGao.

Howard is the owner of three Chateaux in Saint-Emilion and Pomerol.

He began his career as a financial analyst at Morgan Stanley’s in New York. He then became a consultant for McKinsey & Company in China.

Howard has a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Harvard Business School in Boston, U.S.A., as well as a diploma in French Cuisine from the Cordon Bleu in Paris, France.

Howard is a native of Hong Kong and is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, English and French.

LIANG Jianquan

Vice-president of the C.P.I.F.A.
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1986-1991 : Staff member, Attaché, Third Secretary, Embassy of China in the Federal Republic of Germany
1991-1994 : Third Secretary, Department of West European Affairs, MFA
1994-1997 : Third Secretary, Second Secretary, Embassy of China in Austria
1997-2001 : Second Secretary, Deputy Director, Department of West European Affairs, MFA
2001-2003 : First Secretary, Embassy of China in Austria
2003-2007 : Counsellor, Embassy of China in Austria
2007-2010 : Counsellor, Department of European Affairs, MFA
2010-2014 : Consul General, Consulate General of China in Zurich and Liechtenstein
2014-2016 : Consul General, Consulate General of China in Frankfurt
2016-2017.2 : Deputy Director-General, Department of European Affairs, MFA
2017.2- : Vice President, Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs 

Jack LO

Founding Partner, Forcapital
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Jack Lo (LU Yuanxin) currently serves as the founding partner of ForCapital Investment co. ltd, director of Tongfang Technovator(Shanghai) co. ltd, director of Fair Long (Shanghai) International Engineering Technology co. ltd, director of 55 the group hotel management co. ltd, director of Sino-Benefit Insurance Brokers co. ltd, director of Huatan (Chongqing) New Material co. ltd, managing director of Lifemark cultural & creative co. ltd(preparatory), sponsor of JiaRong Industrial Investment Fund(preparatory), director of DaShi YuanLi Energy co. ltd(preparatory), Chinese Deputy Representative of San Fransisco-Shanghai Sister City Commission

Included in his work experience are: special assistant to the CEO of Morgan Stanley Huaxin Fund Management co. ltd, director of Cedarlake Capital Investment co. ltd, and positions in Morgan Stanley and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.

Jack Lo obtained a double degree in political science and economics in Penn State University.

Nicolas MACQUIN
FOUNDING MEMBER

Managing Director, Vitruvian
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Nicolas Macquin is Managing Director at Vitruvian Partners. He began his career in 1998 with Morgan Stanley in London. In 2002, he joined Alpha Private Equity in Paris, where he became a Partner in 2009. In 2017, he joined Vitruvian Partners to focus on technology investment opportunities in Europe.

Since 2000, Nicolas has served on several boards of directors, including in the areas of fashion & retail (Comptoir des Cotonniers, Tom Tailor, Eterna, Sandro, Hans Anders, Stokomani, Vestiaire Collective) and business services (Babilou, Crossknowledge,  AsiaInspection), as well as in a number of digital & tech growth investments (Artefact, BandsinTown, Scalefast, Thedetoxmarket).

Nicolas is also involved in other investment activities in Europe, Asia and Africa as a business angel, in particular as support for French entrepreneurs in emerging countries (Africaworks, Balloon, DRCom, Gaia, Madeforgoods, et Zoodmall).

Nicolas graduated from the HEC Business School (1998) and earned an MBA at INSEAD (2005).

Nicolas Macquin is a founding member of the France China Foundation.

Arnaud VENTURA
FOUNDING MEMBER

Founder, Baobab
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Arnaud Ventura Founder, Baobab Group

Mr. Arnaud Ventura is the Founder of Baobab Group www.baobab.bz

Arnaud Ventura founded Baobab Group (formerly MicroCred), a leading digital finance company focusing on financial inclusion through simple and accessible financial services offered to underserved Micro&SMEes in Africa & China.

Baobab offers financial services to emerging customers segments in Madagascar, Senegal, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkina Faso, DRC, Zimbabwe, Tunisia & China. As of end of 2017, Baobab serves more than 700 000 clients with a network of over 1000 points of presences (branches and agents). Baobab also developed services in the field of clean energy or access to digital through Baobab+.

Prior to the creation of Baobab, Arnaud Ventura cofounded PlaNet Finance (now Positive PlaNet) a leading player in the field of international development and microfinance. He was nominated a Young Global Leader from the World Economic Forum (Davos) in 2013.

Before co-founding PlaNet Finance, Arnaud worked for BNP Paribas in France and Argentina and participated in the creation of two leading Internet providers in France and in Thailand (Club-Internet & Internet Thaïland).

Arnaud speaks English, Spanish and French fluently, he was born in Antibes in the South of France in April 1973.

Arnaud Ventura is a founding member of the France China Foundation.

YAN Lan

Managing Director, Head of Greater China Investment Banking, Lazard Ltd
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YAN Lan was graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University, Peking University and the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International Studies. She is a French lawyer. In 1991 she joined the French law firm Gide Loyrette Nouel, and became a partner in 1997. From 1998, she managed the firm’s Beijing representative Office. Since 2011, she was appointed Managing Director and Head of Greater China Investment Banking of Lazard. Yan Lan is also arbitrator of China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, French Foreign Trade Advisor, independent administrator of China Merchants Bank, vice president of the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society (Asia), president of the Advisory Board for the Beijing International Music Festival and chairman of “CHINA HERITAGE SOCIETY”. On November 1st, 2012, she was made a Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour.

YAN Lan is special advisor to the France China Foundation.