Speaker Profiles

1

Mr. Gregory SO Kam-leung, JPUnder Secretary for Commerce and Economic DevelopmentHong Kong SAR Government

Mr. Gregory So Kam-leung was appointed as Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administra-tive Region on 1 June 2008. The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau is responsible for various policy matters including Hong Kong’s external commer-cial relations, inward investment promotion, intellectual property protection, indus-try and business support, tourism, consumer protection, competition, broadcast-ing, film-related issues, creative industries, development of telecommunications, innovation and technology etc.

Before the appointment, So was a practicing solicitor. He previously served as the Vice-chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong; Board Member of Hong Kong Housing Authority; Council Member of Lingnan University; Member of Commission on Strategic Development; and mem-ber of the District Council of Wong Tai Sin District.

Speaker Profiles

2

Until April 2010, Mr. Edwin Keh was the Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Wal-Mart Global Procurement, managing offices in more than 20 countries and sourcing activities in over 50 countries. In addition to acting as the supply chain spokesman on numerous occasions, Keh helped put together the October 2008 Global CEO Summit on Sustainability in Beijing, China.

Prior to working for Wal-Mart, Keh managed a consulting group that worked for companies on supply chain, manufacturing and product design, as well as for non-profit organisations and charities.

His commercial clients included Berkshire Hathaway and Payless Shoes Aus-tralia, among others, while his non-profit work took him to Burma, Northern Thai-land, the Philippines, Laos and China, where he worked with schools, orphanages, tribal peoples and people afflicted with leprosy.

Keh had a career as a senior executive with several US consumer goods and retail companies: he was the Managing Director of Payless Shoesource Interna-tional, Donna Karan International and Country Road Australia, and did the start-up sourcing for Abercrombie & Fitch and Structure stores.

Prior to entering graduate school, Keh worked for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees as an editor and resettlement lobbyist.

He graduated from Whittier College with a BA in Political Science, Sociology and Urban Design, going on to do graduate work at Claremont College’s Drucker School.

Keh currently is on the faculty at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He also works with Yale and Harvard universities on a new initiative focused on governance and capacity-building in Africa. He serves as Vice Chair-man of the trustee board of Whittier College, California; is on the Boards of FACE, a shoe industry charity, and Handa, an NGO that serves the needs of people af-flicted with leprosy in China; and advises several social enterprises. Keh has also spoken or taught recently at events at multiple universities in Asia and the US.

Mr. Edwin KEHLecturer

Operations & Information Management DepartmentThe Wharton Business School

University of Pennsylvania

Speaker Profiles

3

Mr. Hermann WINKLERDirector, Sales, China & Hong Kong, Element BusinessSWAROVSKI® ELEMENTS

Mr. Hermann Winkler joined Swarovski in 2002, and worked as both a Prod-uct Manager and Head of Application Management at Swarovski Headquarters in Austria, as well as a Project Manager at Swarovski Hong Kong. He is currently responsible for the sales of Swarovski Elements business in Hong Kong and the China region, working with customers from the fashion, interiors, electronics, and gifts and premiums fields.

Winkler is a former Consultant at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and holds de-grees in International Business and Business Administration from the University of Innsbruck, Austria, and Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, as well as certificates from the St. Gallen Management Centre in Switzerland and the University of Hong Kong.

Speaker Profiles

4

Mr. Carlos ARIASPresident

Denimatrix

Mr. Carlos Arias attended law school in Guatemala at the Universidad Fran-cisco Marroquin. After graduation, he joined the Aritex Group, a company dedi-cated to the production of woven dress shirts and knit baby apparel, as General Manager from 1991 to 2000.

In 2000, Arias moved to Koramsa, the largest producer of woven bottoms in Guatemala, serving as President of the company from February 2006 to February 2009, when he took over the role of President of Denimatrix, a subsidiary of the Plains Cotton Cooperative Association of Lubbock, Texas. Denimatrix is part of the first vertical integrated company, from cotton fields to delivered denim jeans, in the Western Hemisphere.

Arias is also President of the Board of Directors of the Apparel and Textile Commission in Guatemala (Vestex); a member of the Board of Directors of the Guatemala Apparel and Textile Treaty Administration; a member of the Board of Directors of the Central American Council of Textiles and Apparel (CECATEC); a member of the Board of Directors of the Centre for Action in Corporate Social Responsibility of Guatemala (CentraRSE); Chairman of the American Apparel Producers Network (AAPN) based in Atlanta, Georgia; a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Apparel Magazine since 2005; and a member of the Fashion and Apparel Studies Advisory Board at the University of Delaware.

Speaker Profiles

5

Professor Raymond Au earned his National Diploma (with Distinction) in Fashion Design and a Certificate in Art & Design (with Distinction) from the London College of Fashion, now part of the University of Arts London. He also earned an MA in Fashion from the St. Martin’s School of Art (now the Central St. Martin’s Col-lege of Art & Design).

Au’s great passion is fashion illustration, which he developed based on his earlier fashion training in the UK and with works exhibited at such renowned fairs as Pitti Filati, Italy. He is currently the Associate Head overseeing Partnership and Extension for the Institute of Textiles & Clothing.

With over 32 years’ teaching experience, Au’s areas of interest include Fash-ion Design, Fashion Illustration, Historic Fashion, Fashion Semiology, Product De-velopment, and Uniform Design.

Au holds honorary Consulting/Visiting/Adjunct Professorships at some 17 fash-ion institutions in China, among them The Central Academy of Art & Design at Ts-inghua University, Beijing; the Beijing Clothing Institute of Technology; the Fashion Institute of Donghua University; the Faculty of Art & Design at Suzhou University; the Zhongyuan Institute of Technology; the College of Textiles & Garments at Guangzhou University; the Guangzhou Union Textile College; the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts; the Institute of Fashion at Huizhou University, Guangdong; the Faculty of Art & Design at Shenzhen University; and the Faculty of Art & Design at Shenzhen Poly-technic. He is also the Honorary Advisor of the Macao Fashion Designers’ Society founded by the Macao Productivity & Technology Transfer Centre.

Au has been Honorary Secretary of The Clothing & Footwear Institute Hong Kong Branch for many years, and serves on the executive committees of the Tex-tile Institute Hong Kong Section, and The Hong Kong Institute of Textile and Ap-parel. He is also an elected Fellow of The Textile Institute International, the UK; a Fellow of The Clothing & Footwear Institute, the UK; a Fellow of The Hong Kong Institute of Textiles and Apparel; and Honorary Advisor and Member of the Apparel Merchandising Professional Association, Hong Kong.

Prof. Raymond AU, Ph.D.Professor and Associate Head, Institute of Textiles & ClothingThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Speaker Profiles

6

Mr. Anson BAILEYPrincipal, Business Development

KPMG Hong Kong

Mr. Anson Bailey has spent the past 18 years working in both industry and professional services across a number of countries in the Asia Pacific region. He joined KPMG in Hong Kong in 1999 and is currently a Partner in the Hong Kong of-fice, heading up business development across the KPMG China Practice. He also assists the Regional Consumer Markets Chairman across the Asia Pacific region and the Partner-in-charge of Consumer Markets in China.

Bailey has undertaken strategic consulting roles and market assessments for multinational corporations in the region, with experience in a wide range of sectors, including retail, food and beverage, FMCG, sourcing, technology, consumer electronics, software and other consumer markets areas. He is responsible for a number of revenue programmes focused on an actively managed account programme, including a number of global and national consumer markets accounts in the retail and consumer markets fields.

Bailey is currently involved in driving a number of thought leadership initiatives, including soon-to-be-released reports on China’s Luxury Consumers and Product Sourcing in Asia Pacific, as well as such upcoming reports as Retail Property in China, Retail Asia Top 500 Ranking Study, Supply Chain Issues in Consumer Markets and a general retail update on the China marketplace.

Today, he helps to drive the business development team and is focused on providing the best in client care service while acting as the Account Director on several multinational accounts in the consumer markets arena.

Speaker Profiles

7

Mr. Derek Binns is founder and Managing Director of DBL Consulting. Estab-lished in 2002, DBL Consulting provides product development, strategic marketing and sustainable supply chain services to the casual cotton fashion manufacturing industry. Sustainable, fairtrade, organic and recycled denim and jean products are a particular speciality.

Binns commenced his career with Goretex Fabrics in Europe, and progressed to manage sales and marketing for several leading denim manufacturers world-wide. He was also Business Director of Klopman Italy and Supply Chain Marketing Consultant to the Cotton Council International.

Binns has a Bachelor’s degree and a Masters in Public Business Administra-tion, as well as a Textile Diploma from the Shirley Institute.

Since 2002, Binns has personally helped several leading denim manufactur-ers and brands to create and promote sustainable products and develop new mar-kets. In the course of implementing the plans, he has sensitively managed change affecting people, put in place the processes and developed management teams to enable his plans to succeed.

Binns has created business and sustainable sales by facilitating new and rap-idly growing ethical segments of the market. This has required the development of new products and the deployment of sales resources to win new customers.

Specialising in cotton clothing and textiles, he has personally developed recy-cled, organic and fairtrade products and supply chains, and secured the necessary accreditations and compliances. This has resulted in increased sales volumes, average sales prices and contribution margins for DBL clients, with commensurate benefits through the entire supply chain.

Binns is an experienced speaker at ITAC, ASBCI, and Prime Source Forum and Fashion Access.

Mr. Derek BINNSFounder and Managing DirectorDBL Consulting

Speaker Profiles

8

Mr. Kevin Burke joined the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) in June 2001, since when the Association has grown its membership base, its member programmes, its financial position and its standing on Capitol Hill.

Burke is a career government relations professional with more than 25 years’ experience in Washington, DC. He previously served five years as Vice President, Government Relations for Food Distributors International, a trade association representing wholesalers of food to independent grocers and restaurants, where he was responsible for all aspects of the company’s outreach to Congress and the federal agencies on issues ranging from ergonomics to tax law and more.

From 1987 to 1995, Burke was Vice President of Government Relations for the American Bakers’ Association, speaking on behalf of wholesale baking com-panies on legislative and regulatory issues, ranging from family/medical leave to transportation policy.

Before that, Burke managed the government relations office of the National Association of Broadcasters, coordinating visits by association executives with Members of Congress, as well as fundraising and advocating on behalf of mem-bers to lawmakers and the administration.

Burke also worked as a Legislative Assistant, and later Press Secretary, to Representative Norm Lent (R-NY). He began his career in 1979 at the Republican National Committee and the Reagan-Bush Presidential Campaign.

Burke currently serves on the Boards of the Apparel Education Foundation, Kids In Distressed Situations and the US Chamber of Commerce’s National Cham-ber Foundation. He is also a member of various political and trade association CEO groups in the Washington, DC area.

Burke received a master’s degree in public administration in 1983 from the American University in Washington DC. He also holds a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Brockport.

Mr. Kevin BURKEPresident & CEO

American Apparel & Footwear Association

Speaker Profiles

9

Mr. Kurt CAVANOCEOTradeCard, Inc.

TradeCard, Inc. is a technology and services firm that has automated the pro-curement process for corporations from order through settlement. Mr. Kurt Cavano has been its Chairman and CEO since January 1999.

Under Cavano’s leadership, TradeCard has grown from a concept and a dozen employees at its New York headquarters to over 225 employees in offices throughout the US, as well as in offices in Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, Shenzhen, Colombo and Brussels.

Previously, Cavano was a Vice President at American Management Systems, an international business and information technology consulting firm. He also managed the Corporate Banking Practice of the AMS Finance Industry Group.

Cavano has more than 20 years’ experience assisting corporations to im-prove their business performance through the intelligent application of technology. Featured as one of World Trade Magazine’s 50 most influential people, Cavano is a frequent speaker and writer on issues involving international trade and global supply chain management.

Speaker Profiles

10

Mr. Miguel A. CERNAExecutive Manager, The CSR Committee

Managing Director, Group Administration OfficeNew Wide Group

Born in 1966 in El Salvador, Mr. Miguel Cerna is in charge of global CSR issues, a globalisation management system and international affairs at the New Wide Group. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of VICS Asia Pacific.

Cerna holds a PhD in Business Administration (Globalisation and Behavioural Science) from Donghua University, China; an MA in Social Psychology of Fashion and a degree in Fashion Design from Fu Jen University, Taiwan; foreign languages (English, Spanish and Chinese), and Teaching Methodologies and Psychology from the National University of El Salvador; and certificate programmes in the areas of projects, people and operations management.

His professional background includes journalism (1987-1992), education in the areas of graphic design, creativity and foreign languages (1994-2003), diplo-macy as Cultural Attaché to the Embassy of El Salvador in Taiwan (1995-1999), marketing (2001 to date), graphic and fashion design (1994 to date), academic research administration/execution (2004), and international trade and business administration (2005 to date).

Cerna is also a part-time lecturer and consultant in the areas of international team management, cross-cultural communication and creativity.

Speaker Profiles

11

Ms. Shirley CHANHead of Global Transaction Services, Hong KongThe Royal Bank of Scotland N.V.

Ms. Shirley Chan is responsible for RBS Bank’s Global Transaction Services business in Hong Kong, with a key focus on providing cash management, as well as trade and supply chain solutions for multinational and local corporations.

Prior to joining RBS in August 2010, she held similar senior positions at Stand-ard Chartered Bank, Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan Chase.

Chan has more than 20 years’ banking experience in Hong Kong, Australia, China, Taiwan and the UK.

Speaker Profiles

12

Ms. Chandrima CHATTERJEEDirector, Compliance, Economic & Consultancy

Apparel Export Promotion Council, India

An alumna of the Delhi School of Economics in India, Ms. Chandrima Chatterjee has over 13 years’ experience in economic research with various consulting firms and trade associations.

She currently heads the Compliance Cell and the Economic Consultancy Divi-sion of the Apparel Export Promotion Council, one of the largest export promotion councils in India, with more than 5,000 members comprising garment manufactur-ers and exporters across India.

Chatterjee has been engaged in policy consultations, strategy and research, and brand management for the Council for the past four years. Since last year, the Council has been working on social compliance issues in this sector and today has a pan-India project called DISHA – Driving Industry Towards Sustainable Human Capital Advancement. Chatterjee is responsible for running this programme and for working on a Common Compliance Code for the apparel sector in India.

Prior to this, she was Chief Economist with the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry in New Delhi and also worked with the Associated Chambers of Com-merce and Industry of India in Delhi.

Speaker Profiles

13

Dr. Geoff COLLINSRegional Marketing & Sales Director, Business Unit Nonwoven FibersLenzing Fibers (Hong Kong) Ltd.

Dr. Geoff Collins has a PhD in Colour Chemistry from the University of Leeds in the UK and 14 years’ experience working with sustainable man-made cellulosic fibres, starting in the TENCEL Research Department in the UK and then holding further positions in technical marketing and market development in Europe, Turkey and Pakistan, including a nine-month period in India developing TENCEL fabric and garment packages.

Following the merge with Lenzing in 2004, Collins became Head of Business Development in the Textiles and Fibres Business Unit, covering apparel, and home and technical textiles for TENCEL, Lenzing Modal, Lenzing Viscose and Lenzing FR.

Since 2007, Collins has been responsible for the Sales and Marketing of the Non-Woven Fibres Business Unit in Asia, based in Hong Kong and working with global supply chains to grow the business for Lenzing Fibres from all production sites into the rapidly expanding Asian market.

Speaker Profiles

14

Mr. Christophe DEGOIXPresident, The Sourcing Committee

The French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Hong Kong

Mr. Christophe Degoix was born in Paris, France, in 1972. After earning his degree from a famous French engineering school, Degoix went to the US to obtain a Master’s of Engineering and Science from the Pennsylvania State University, where he graduated with a perfect GPA.

Degoix has published many articles about his research and has been a speaker at several world conferences in the US. He worked in South Carolina in the US before performing his military service in the French Air Force in the south of France.

In 1997, Degoix joined Procter & Gamble at its European headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, where he worked on new laundry initiative launches in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) and the US regions. During his time at P&G, Degoix obtained several patents and recognitions.

In 2003, Degoix decided to explore a new world and moved to the fashion industry, working for several famous brands in France and Italy. In 2006, he moved to Asia to acquire experience in this region of growing importance. Since then, he has been working in the leather goods and footwear sourcing field. Degoix is now VP – Operations of a large company, in charge of all sourcing operations in the Asia Pacific region. He is also President of the Sourcing Committee of the French Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and, in September 2010, was elected to the board of the French Chamber, where he plays an active role.

Degoix is recognised for his management skills, as well as for his expertise in the fashion and sourcing fields, with over eight years’ experience in these fields, including five in Asia.

Speaker Profiles

15

Dr. Marsha Ann DICKSONProfessor and Chairperson, Department of Fashion and Apparel StudiesUniversity of Delaware

Dr. Marsha Dickson’s department at the University of Delaware offers under-graduate degrees in Apparel Design and Fashion Merchandising to approximately 400 students, as well as a graduate certificate in Socially Responsible and Sustain-able Apparel Business, and a Master’s degree in fashion and apparel studies for 15-20 students. Dickson is internationally known for her research and teaching on social responsibility in the apparel industry. She is the lead author of the book Social Responsibility in the Global Apparel Industry and has published in such peer-reviewed journals as Business & Society, Journal of Business Ethics, and Journal of Fashion Marketing & Management.

Dickson is President of the international consortium of Educators for Socially Responsible Apparel Business, and is also monitoring committee chair and a mem-ber of the Board of Directors of the Fair Labour Association, a non-governmental organisation formed by President Clinton to improve working conditions in factories around the world. In 2009, Dickson was recognised for her academic and industry contributions to social responsibility with the All Star Award from Apparel Magazine.

Speaker Profiles

16

Mr. David DODWELLChief Executive

Strategic Access Ltd.

A veteran Financial Times journalist and expert on international business, glo-bal trade, and economic and political developments, particularly in Hong Kong and China, Mr. David Dodwell founded Strategic Access Ltd. in 2005.

Actively involved in the Hong Kong business community, Dodwell is Vice-Chairman, Government Relations of the British Chamber of Commerce and Chair-man of the Hong Kong Coalition of Service Industries, the policy think tank of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce.

Dodwell spent 18 years as a Financial Times journalist, mostly in Asia, with a secondment to the China Daily in Beijing. In the decade between leaving the Financial Times and creating Strategic Access, he held three senior positions in Hong Kong combining corporate communications, government relations and public policy research. He was Executive Director at GolinHarris, a global communica-tions group, Director of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs for Jardine Fleming, the Asia-focused merchant bank, and a private consultant to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

With an honours degree from the University of East Anglia in the UK, Dodwell co-authored with Professor Michael Enright The Hong Kong Advantage, published by the Oxford University Press. He has also served as a member of a number of Hong Kong government advisory committees, is a frequent lecturer on Hong Kong issues around the world and, in 2001, was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star for his contribution to the international community’s understanding of Hong Kong.

Speaker Profiles

17

Mr. Michael FAGANInternational Programme ManagerCGA

CGA is the sourcing arm of Wesfarmers, a US$40-billion retailer with stores in Australia and New Zealand, and the parent company of many retail brands, in-cluding Target Australia and Kmart Australia. Fagan is based in Hong Kong and is responsible for CGA’s strategic development in the Asia Pacific region, where the company sources from more than a dozen countries.

Prior to moving to Hong Kong, Fagan was responsible for revamping the In-

ternational Supply Chain strategy and processes at the Coles Group, Australia’s largest importer. He was also a management consultant for 10 years, leading large-scale multi-year change programmes throughout Europe, the US and Asia Pacific across a diverse range of industries, including government, financial serv-ices, telecommunications and retail.

Fagan holds an MBA from Deakin University, Australia and a Bachelor of Elec-

tronic Engineering from University College Dublin, Ireland. He has also taught Project Management at University of Technology, Sydney, and is a guest lecturer in both Change Management and International Business at Deakin University.

Speaker Profiles

18

Mr. Markus FERRIGATOHead of Innovation

SWAROVSKI® ELEMENTS

Based at Swarovski headquarters in Wattens, Austria, Mr. Markus Ferrigato and his team are responsible for material innovations, the marketing perspective of compliance and sustainability issues, as well as colour and effect developments, and exclusive customised productions.

Ferrigato joined Swarovski in 2004 and has held various positions within the company, among them Product Manager of its components business.

Prior to joining Swarovski, Ferrigato worked as a Business Development Manager in the mobile phone applications industry.

He holds a degree in Marketing and International Management from Innsbruck University.

Speaker Profiles

19

Coats is the world’s largest manufacturer of industrial sewing thread and the second-largest in zips, with sales of US$1.6 billion, 24,000 employees and opera-tions in 84 countries, and a 250-year history of excellence. Mr. Stephen Forte oversees the company’s Global Sales group, which manages US$1 billion in sales to the top apparel brands, retailers and large garment contractors worldwide.

Forte was formerly Chief Executive Officer of YCC Group Company, Ltd., a privately held Chinese manufacturing company that is one of the world’s leading suppliers of zippers and fabric components to the apparel and luggage industry.

He was also Chief Executive Officer of Talon International, Inc., a publicly traded firm in the global apparel market based in Los Angeles, with operations globally. It was at Talon that Forte developed his passion for the global apparel supply chain business and has since focused his career on dominating this market.

Prior to joining Talon, Forte founded Ascendent Systems Inc. in 1999, personally drafting more than a dozen patents of his inventions for Ascendent’s core technologies. Before this, Forte founded Travelers Telecom (aka. Wilshire Cellular) in 1993, and co-founded VinylChem International Inc., which were subsequently sold to large companies.

While earning his MBA, Forte worked in the investment banking field, devel-oping several software programs to calculate capital budgeting and sovereign risk analysis for Third World programs at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.

Forte started his career in the United States Marine Corp. with a full scholarship to the University of Southern California. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California and an MBA from George Washington University. He is a frequent lecturer on entrepreneurship, innovation and business strategy, and currently serves on the Board of the School of Business at The George Washington University, as a mentor at the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, and is a member of the Young Presidents Organisation.

Mr. Stephen P. FORTEManaging Director, Global SalesCoats

Speaker Profiles

20

Mr. Bill FOUDYVice President & Head of Strategy and Brand Sourcing, Apparel

adidas Group

Mr. Bill Foudy has been with the adidas Group for three years, prior to which he spent 15 years in various leadership roles in the apparel industry across the US, Hong Kong, Thailand, Taiwan and India, including with Nike and Bugle Boy.

Foudy has a BA in International Affairs from Lewis and Clark College.

Speaker Profiles

21

For the past 22 years, Dr. Mike Fralix has worked in a variety of capacities at [TC]², providing guidance to hundreds of sewn products companies. With 34 years’ experience in apparel manufacturing, research and development, opera-tions and corporate management, Fralix leads the company’s initiatives to develop next-generation supply chain technologies, and works with companies to imple-ment currently available technologies and business processes.

In addition to overseeing [TC]²’s technology development and technology dissemination initiatives, Fralix speaks internationally on a variety of topics. He and the [TC]² staff deliver an extensive array of programmes and provide consulting services to individual companies. These services span such topics as 3D product development, sizing for fit, production scheduling, industrial engineering, ergonomics, full package production, simulation, lean manufacturing systems, sustainable technologies and the digital supply chain.

Fralix holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Applied Mathematics and Philoso-phy from North Carolina State University, an MBA from Duke University and a Ph.D. in Technology Management from North Carolina State University. In 2009, he was appointed an Adjunct Associate Professor at North Carolina State University.

Fralix is also active in several industry organisations: he is a member of the Board of Directors of the AAFA (American Apparel & Footwear Association), Vice Chairman of SPESA (Sewn Products Equipment and Suppliers of the Americas), a member of the Executive Committee of IAF (the International Apparel Federation) and serves on the Board of Trustees for C-CAA (the Caribbean Central American Action). He is also the President of the AAFA Education Foundation, President of the Georgia Soft Goods Education Foundation and Past Chair of the AAFA Human Resources Leadership Council.

Fralix’s key message is that tomorrow’s soft goods industry leaders will thrive through the use of digital technologies and processes that are integrated across continents.

Dr. Michael T. FRALIX, Ph.D.President and CEO[TC]²

Speaker Profiles

22

Mr. Veit GEISEVP Asia Sourcing

VF Asia Ltd.

Mr. Veit Geise is responsible for the Sourcing Divisions of Jeanswear US (Lee and Wrangler), as well as Imagewear Brands (Uniform and Sports Licensing Business – Major League Baseball, Harley Davidson, NFL, Nascar, Fedex, Airline Uniforms, Coveralls, etc) in Asia, reporting to the Managing Director of Global Pro-curement.

The company’s FOB Volume for Jeanswear is US$450 million and for Imagewear US$60 million.

Geise is responsible for the VF Asia Offshore Offices in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Shanghai, as well as for the QA Division for Jeanswear, Imagewear and Sportswear (Nautica).

Speaker Profiles

23

Ms. Selina GOHDirector of Market Development, Branding and Information SolutionsRetail Branding and Information Solutions, Global Sourcing RegionsAvery Dennison

Ms. Selina Goh is based in Hong Kong, where she is responsible for strategic leadership driving market development strategies, including RFID, supply chain and manufacturing solutions development and deployment. Goh also leads the commercial training team and provides vision to build world-class selling organisa-tions through training, fostering organisational learning and upgrading the com-mercial organisational capability.

Prior to her current position, Goh managed a business unit specialising in apparel manufacturing solutions across Asia covering commercial, customer serv-ices, technical support and development functions. As a key member of the leader-ship team, she formulated business strategies and plans.

Goh’s major accomplishments include driving business growth through de-veloping new markets, establishing strong partnerships with customers and driv-ing global project implementations. She has also amplified sales growth and en-hanced profitability for RBIS through strong strategic and operating initiatives.

Prior to joining Avery Dennison in 1999, Goh was Systems Manager for All-Mark Industries, a master distributor of Zebra Technologies in Auckland, New Zealand, where she specialised in barcode equipment, and supplies sales and marketing.

Goh earned a Master’s degree in Commerce, Marketing and International Business from the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Speaker Profiles

24

Mr. Edward A. GRIBBINPresident

Alvanon Inc.

Mr. Edward Gribbin leads Alvanon, Inc., the Apparel Fit Expert, teams around the world, helping fashion industry clients to optimise their fit, sizing and product development strategies. Gribbin is widely recognised as the world’s leading au-thority on sizing and fit, and serves numerous global organisations dedicated to the success of the retail, apparel and textile sectors.

Gribbin joined Alvanon in 2006 to launch the AlvaInsight strategic consulting division. Prior to this, he served as President of Intellifit Corporation, where he co-invented the revolutionary Intellifit Body Scanner. As Senior Vice President at Angelica Corporation, Gribbin managed sales, marketing, design and production for one of the largest corporate wear companies in the US.

Gribbin has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from St. Joseph’s Uni-versity.

Speaker Profiles

25

Over the past 15 years, Mr. R. J. Gurley has built a track record of success as an economic development professional specialising in competitiveness, SME development, trade and investment, and financial sector development. He has also earned a reputation for his energy, professionalism, integrity and outstanding performance.

Since June 2008, Gurley has served as Director of the VALUE Project, a five-year, US$7.9-million economic development project funded by the United States Agency for International Development that was designed to increase the integra-tion of ASEAN’s textile and apparel and tourism sectors. Gurley, an employee of Nathan Associates, Inc, a US-based consulting firm, is responsible for the overall technical direction, management and leadership of the project.

Prior to joining the VALUE Project, Gurley served as Chief of the Private En-terprise Development Division in the Office of Economic Growth at USAID/Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, where he contributed to the design and management of a broad portfolio of competitiveness, trade and investment, SME and financial sec-tor development projects. From 1998 to 2002, he served as the Senior Economic Development Advisor to USAID/Central Asian Republics, where he was the prin-cipal advisor on the design, implementation and project management of trade and investment, competitiveness, SME development, regulatory reform and financial sector programmes throughout the five Central Asian Republics.

Gurley has more than nine years’ experience in economic development in Southeast Asia, four with USAID/Thailand. As Country Manager for a US-Thai industrial property firm in Vietnam, he designed and implemented a successful foreign investment promotion campaign. While serving as Senior Private Sector Advisor for USAID/ Thailand, he assisted more than 30 US-based companies to enter the Asian market, generating over US$500 million in new business. As an asset manager, he raised and profitably managed over US$20 million in client equity controlling over US$100 million in investments. His career as a commodity futures trader gave Gurley a deep knowledge of both the agricultural and the financial markets.

Mr. R. J. GURLEYDirector, VALUE ProjectNathan Associates, Inc.

Speaker Profiles

26

Mr. Joachim HENSCHPresident

International Association of Clothing Designers and ExecutivesHead of Pattern Design and Technical Development

HUGO BOSS AG

Mr. Joachim Hensch started as an apprentice for bespoke men’s suits in 1984. After six years, he finalised this experience as a Master Tailor in the German Chamber of Handicrafts, after which he worked for several German companies and brands in pattern design.

Beginning in the formal wear business with evening wear, Hensch went through all product groups, including sportswear, coats and jeans, winning several prime awards in the German fashion industry. In 1995, he started at HUGO BOSS as Team Leader for the pattern design of “HUGO”. In 2000, he was promoted to Head of the Pattern Design Department, a position he holds today.

Hensch joined the International Association of Clothing Designers and Execu-tives (IACDE) in 1993. All the major menswear clothing companies from Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US are members of this 100-year-old organisation, which is the only “club” for pattern designers in the world. In 2007, he became President of the German chapter of the IACDE and, in 2009, was elected President of the global organisation.

Speaker Profiles

27

Mr. Jalaj HORASenior Director, Global Raw Materials DevelopmentTarget Sourcing Services/ CIRFS

Mr. Jalaj Hora, an engineer who specialises in global textile and apparel mar-keting, moved to Hong Kong two and a half years ago from Minneapolis, Minne-sota, the headquarters of Target Corporation, where his key areas of focus were the standardisation of raw materials, and integrating quality in product develop-ment and design.

In previous roles, Hora has worked with various segments of the textile and apparel complex in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America.

Speaker Profiles

28

Mr. Abdul Basir HOTAKPresident

Herati Cashmere and Skin Processing Plant

Mr. Abdul Basir Hotak is the owner of Herati Cashmere and Skin Processing Plant (HCS), establishing processing facilities in Herat, Afghanistan, with an investment of US$2.7 million. Hotak has been involved in the cashmere business since 1999 and has acquired an in-depth knowledge of the cashmere business. He exports raw cashmere, in scoured and greasy forms, to China and Europe through his trading companies, Zubair Hotak Import & Export Co. Ltd. and Muslim Import & Export Co. Ltd., and is one of the leading exporters of cashmere materials from Afghanistan.

Hotak was born and raised in the Wardak Maidan province of Afghanistan. He completed his primary and high school education in Kabul, and received a bachelor’s degree in electronics from Kabul State University.

Hotak worked for 10 years as a government employee before becoming in-volved in the cashmere and the skin trading businesses, and has since established good working relationships with famous cashmere and skin companies in different countries across the world.

HCS recently started producing hand-spun cashmere yarn and hand-knitted clothing. With the assistance of USAID’s Accelerating Sustainable Agriculture Pro-gramme (ASAP), Hotak has also established a cashmere dehairing line, the first such facility in Afghanistan, that will begin operations in April 2011.

Speaker Profiles

29

Ms. Julia K. HUGHESPresidentUnited States Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel

The United States Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel (USA-ITA) represents all segments of the fashion industry, from apparel brands to retailers to service companies. As the Association’s President, Ms. Julia Hughes represents the interests of textile and apparel importers on trade policy issues to government officials, both in the US and overseas, and has testified before Congress and the Executive Branch on textile trade issues.

Recognised as an expert in textile and apparel issues, Hughes is a frequent speaker at international conferences, including the Apparel Sourcing Show, MAGIC, the Foreign Service Institute, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Cotton Sourcing Summit, USIA’s Worldnet, the International Textiles and Clothing Bureau, the Young Presidents’ Organisation, the World Trade Organisation Beijing International Forum and others.

Hughes also served as the first President of the Organisation of Women in International Trade (OWIT) and is one of the founders of the Washington Chapter of Women in International Trade (WIIT). In 1992, she received the Outstanding Woman in International Trade award and, in 2008, as presented with the WIIT Lifetime Achievement Award.

Hughes has an MA in International Studies from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a BS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.

Speaker Profiles

30

Mr. Michael HUNGChief Executive Officer

Core Solutions

Mr. Michael Hung has more than 20 years’ experience in information technolo-gies and helped to found Core Solutions. Hung led the original design and archi-tecture of CBX software, which today is used by some of the largest retailers and manufacturers around the world. Prior to Core Solutions, Hung was a consultant at IBM/Lotus, implementing mission critical systems for the company’s enterprise clients. Prior to IBM, he was an in-house consultant at The Travelers Companies.

Hung holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering with a second major in Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University.

Speaker Profiles

31

Ms. Brenda A. JACOBSCounselSidley Austin LLP

Based in Washington, DC, Ms. Brenda Jacobs works with US and foreign manufacturers on a wide range of issues, including responding to and managing evolving regulatory and corporate social responsibility demands globally, imple-menting internal compliance programmes (including with respect to anti-corruption measures), and drafting and negotiating vendor-purchaser contracts. She also represents companies in US administrative proceedings, and before the US Con-gress and executive agencies.

Jacobs served previously as Senior Counsel for Trade Agreements at the US Department of Commerce, where she was the principal legal advisor on the US textile quota programme, and as a legal advisor in the US International Trade Com-mission’s General Counsel’s office.

She has been recognised as a leader in her field in Chambers Global 2010 and 2011; Chambers Asia 2011; Best Lawyers in America, 2006-2011; and Best of the Best Women in Business Law, 2010. A graduate of Cornell University and the George Washington University Law School, Jacobs currently serves as chair of the Customs Committee of the Customs and International Trade Bar Association and as Vice Chairman of the Steering Committee of the International Law Section of the District of Columbia Bar.

Speaker Profiles

32

Ms. Susan JENNIONDirector, Product Development & Sourcing Global Denizen

Levi Strauss & Co.

Ms. Susan Jennion’s current role makes her responsible for development and sourcing for the newly launched Global Denizen Brand from Levi Strauss & Co. out of Hong Kong.

Jennion’s experience encompasses sourcing from South East Asian coun-tries, India and China, with the challenge being to develop a range of garments that meets country-specific government and company standards, while attaining the aesthetic requirements of both the design team and markets buying a global apparel range.

Now with more than 25 years’ experience in the apparel industry, Jennion started her career as a piece work machinist in Manchester, the UK, working for a CMT factory that made men’s suits for Burtons. After completing a Clothing Indus-try Diploma, she returned to roles with manufacturing companies, gaining hands-on garment production and quality control experience. Jennion went on to develop her technical skills with branded manufacturing companies, while her managerial skills were honed by opportunities arising from the shift of production to low-cost labour countries in the late 1980s and 1990s.

Jennion’s first overseas role was in Indonesia, where she made a major con-tribution to the establishment of a local development and merchandising team for a private trading company that owned the design and distribution rights for a variety of sports and leisurewear brands to large retail customers in the UK. She moved to Hong Kong in 2003 to take up a similar role in development with the same company. Jennion holds a CFI Diploma from Hollings at Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK and an Executive MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Busi-ness in Hong Kong.

Speaker Profiles

33

Mr. Peter R. KAMINSKYVice President, Asian Operations The Children’s Place Retail Stores

Mr. Peter Kaminsky is the Vice President for Asian Operations at The Chil¬dren’s Place Retail Stores (TCP) and oversees its Asian sourcing operations. His experience in international sourcing spans 20 years and he has lived in Hong Kong with his family since 1988.

Prior to joining TCP, Kaminsky was General Manager for Growth-Link Over¬seas and specialised in international tax at Price Waterhouse.

Kaminsky received his bachelors’ degree in Accountancy from the University of Illinois. He is a US CPA, and a member of the Illinois and American Institutes of Certified Public Accountants. Kaminsky serves on the boards of several Hong Kong charities.

Speaker Profiles

34

Mr. Søren KARASVice President and Managing Director, Head of South China

Maersk Line

Mr. Søren Karas is responsible for all Maersk Line activities in South China, which incorporates Hong Kong, as well as Guangdong, Hunan, Guizhou, Guangxi and Yunnan provinces.

Karas joined A.P. Moller-Maersk as a management trainee in 1992 and has since then held a wide variety of positions in the Group, mainly in the container businesses.

From 1995-2000, Karas worked at Maersk China, holding positions in Beijing, Nanjing and Ningbo, where he was involved in the rapid expansion of the company following the incorporation of Maersk China.

In 2000, Karas returned to Copenhagen and joined Maersk’s Corporate Line Management Department, where he was involved in a large number of global trades and strategic undertakings in various leadership positions, most recently as head of the company’s Africa Product Portfolio. In 2009, Karas took on his current role as country manager for the South China cluster and now lives in Hong Kong.

Karas holds an MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago.

Speaker Profiles

35

Mr. Steve KELLYHead of Commercial Sales Markets, North East Asia Global MarketsANZ

Mr. Steve Kelly is a professional global markets banking executive with 40 years’ experience in the financial markets industry.

Kelly has held a succession of executive leadership positions in Australia, the US, the UK, New Zealand, Malaysia and Hong Kong, including Head of Business Transformation – Markets for ANZ; and Global Head of Trade Finance, Global Head of Financial Markets Sales, Services & Products, and Chief Dealer Foreign Exchange & Money Markets for National Australia Bank.

In his current position at ANZ, Kelly has moved to Hong Kong. Prior to this role, he was the GM Foreign Exchange and Derivatives for AmBank, Malaysia.

Speaker Profiles

36

Mr. Andreas A. KIMManaging Director

Lectra, Greater China & Japan

Mr. Andreas Kim is based at the Lectra International Advance Technology Centres in Shanghai, China. His mission is to reinforce Lectra’s position as the undisputed leader in all its market sectors and to drive business growth in Greater China.

Kim has over 20 years’ experience in engineering, marketing, sales, services, business development and strategy, developing international businesses both in the US and across the globe. Prior to taking up his current position, Kim was Senior Vice President for Marketing and Services at Lectra Asia-Pacific, based in Shanghai.

Prior to joining Lectra, Kim worked for such large global companies as Texas Instruments, Sun Microsystems and Tektronix, as well as in market-leading start-ups, such as WebTrends. He has lived and worked previously in Asia, and, as a Korean-born US citizen, grew up with both Western and Eastern cultures, allowing him to successfully navigate global business relationships.

Kim holds a BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science, an MSc in Compu-ter Science and Engineering, and an MBA in Marketing and Finance from top US universities.

Speaker Profiles

37

Mr. Stephen E. LAMARExecutive Vice PresidentAmerican Apparel & Footwear Association

Mr. Stephen Lamar is responsible for the design and execution of American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) lobbying strategies on a series of issues covering international trade, labour policy, customs procedures, environment, judicial policy, product safety and procurement practices. In that role, he also advises AAFA-member companies on legislation and regulatory policies affecting the clothing and footwear industries.

Before joining AAFA, Lamar worked for several prominent DC-based lobbying shops, including Jefferson Waterman International, and Neill and Company. He has more than six years’ experience with the Executive Branch, including several years with the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration as a Presidential Management Intern. Before joining the Commerce Department, Lamar served for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the southern African country of Botswana.

Lamar is President of the Washington International Trade Association. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colgate University in New York and a Master of Arts degree in International Affairs (with a concentration on African politics and international trade) from George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Speaker Profiles

38

Dr. Harry LEE, SBS, JPCEO

TAL Apparel Ltd.

Dr. Harry Lee, born in September, 1942, was educated in both the UK and the US. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College, London, the UK and a Doctorate from Brown University, the US.

He joined Textile Alliance Ltd. (TAL) in Hong Kong in 1979 and, in 1983, was appointed Managing Director of TAL Apparel Ltd., a title that was changed to Chief Executive Officer in 2010. The company currently employs more than 20,000 employees.

Lee is actively involved in a number of trade organisations and public services in Hong Kong. He is the Honorary Chairman of the Hong Kong Garment Manufacturers’ Association and the Textile Council of Hong Kong Ltd., a Panel Assessor for the Innovation & Technology Support Programme as part of the Innovation & Technology Fund, and a member of the Board of the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles & Apparel Ltd. He is also Chairman of the Entrepreneurial Advisory Committee at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, as well as Chairman of Tradelink Electronic Commerce Ltd.

Lee was named in the Queen’s birthday honour list as an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) in 1996. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace (JP) in 1997, and was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star (SBS) at the Fourth Anniversary of the Establishment of the Hong Kong SAR in 2001.

Speaker Profiles

39

Mr. André LEROYMarketing DirectorModern Testing Services (Global) Ltd.

Mr. André Leroy has been Marketing Director of Modern Testing Services, a world-class independent provider of technical services, since June 2007. He is also currently Chairman of the Apparel & Footwear Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce.

Before joining Modern Testing Services, Leroy was Textile Business Develop-ment Manager of TÜV Product Services in Greater China. He had also been Qual-ity Assurance Manager and Process Engineering Manager at Levi Strauss, one of the world’s largest brand-name apparel marketers, for seven years.

With many years’ experience, Leroy is very knowledgeable about the textile and apparel industry. He received his college education in France, having been educated at Ecole Centrale de Lyon, a prestigious engineering school, and Ecole de Management de Lyon, a leading management school.

Speaker Profiles

40

Mr. LEUNG Wai YeungSolutions Architect – Fashion, Asia Pacific

Lawson Software, Inc.

One of Mr. Leung Wai Yeung’s responsibilities is to talk to various players in the fashion industry about their aspirations when it comes to finding the right tools for their businesses. He then presents a range of strategic and operational solutions to these companies, most of which play either a manufacturing, sourcing and/or distribution role in the fashion industry. Leung also holds the title of APAC Industry Responsible for Fashion, enabling him to liaise closely with Lawson’s Product Development team. He consequently plays an important role in contributing to the company’s system roadmap as he funnels a multitude of system demands back to R&D.

Prior to his current position, Leung implemented ERP projects at a several key fashion and FMCG companies, among them TAL, IKEA and Getz Brothers. In addition, he was part of project implementations for a number of intimate apparel manufacturers, and was also involved in putting in place solutions for retail and wholesale businesses, such as Club 21, Walker Shop, the Veldhoven Group and Christian Bernard.

A Belgium native who was educated in the UK, Leung started his career in the fashion industry as a Business Analyst for a Franco-Vietnamese jewellery manu-facturing company headquartered in Paris.

Speaker Profiles

41

Mr. Ligang LIUHead of Greater China EconomicsANZ

As Head of Greater China Economics at ANZ Bank, Dr. Li-Gang Liu covers macroeconomics, foreign exchange, capital markets and strategy research for the bank. His previous professional experience includes the post of Senior Manager of the Research Department at the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Senior Fellow of the Asian Development Bank Institute in Tokyo, Chief Economist for the East Asian and Pacific Region at the World Bank Group and a Research Associate at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Washington DC.

Liu has published extensively in both academic and policy journals, and his views on China have been widely cited in both the international and the Chinese press. He is also an invited columnist for FTChinese.com, and contributes regu-larly to Caijing, Caixin and the Shanghai Securities Journal.

He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Johns Hopkins University, Maryland.

Speaker Profiles

42

Mr. Ranjan MAHTANICEO & Managing Director

The Epic Group

The Epic Group, one of the largest garment manufacturers in Asia, has state-of-the-art facilities in Bangladesh and Vietnam.

The group was established in 1971 and today employs over 18,000 people with offices worldwide and an annual production capacity of 40 million garments, and annual sales of over US$500 million.

Mr. Ranjan Mahtani started his internship at Epic Designers Limited in Hong Kong in 1983. In July 1985, he set up the Epic offices in Bangladesh, starting operations from scratch, and developed the buying office’s business to a turnover of US$100 million within four years. Epic continues to be one of the largest buying agents in Bangladesh.

Since 1997, Mahtani has been based out of Hong Kong, spearheading the entire Epic Group operation as Chief Executive Officer.

With over 27 years’ experience in the rag trade, Mahtani is very passionate and hands-on, and is deeply involved in the design, development, merchandising, production and financial aspects of the Group.

He is a graduate of Mumbai University.

Speaker Profiles

43

Mr. Robert MCKEEIndustry Strategy Director for FashionLawson Software, Inc.

Mr. Robert (Bob) McKee has almost 40 years’ experience working with ap-parel, footwear, home textiles and fashion accessories companies. He has hands-on experience sourcing apparel products around the globe and was one of the first US apparel executives to start sourcing in China in the early 1980s. His knowledge and skills span retail, sourcing and manufacturing within the fashion industry.

McKee has held a string of senior roles, including Vice President of Opera-tions at O’Bryan Brothers, Inc., an intimate apparel and lingerie manufacturer; Di-rector of Sourcing at Holloway Sportswear, Inc.; Vice President of Manufacturing, Sourcing and Quality Control at Bachrach Clothing, Inc.; Vice President of Manu-facturing at The Company Store; Vice President of Sourcing and Vice President of Materials Management at Warnaco; and Director of Materials Management at Medi-Flex Hospital Products. He started his career in the industry at Hartmarx in 1972.

Over the years, McKee has implemented seven different enterprise manage-ment solutions while working at different fashion companies. In 1998, he joined Intentia International as Director for the Intentia Fashion Solution. When Intentia merged with Lawson Software in 2006, McKee became Industry Strategy Director for Fashion, and has been driving the focus and direction behind the Lawson Fash-ion solution since then, including the acquisition of Freeborders PLM Software division in 2008.

McKee is a Purdue University-educated economist, which has proven to be invaluable when working as a senior executive in the fashion industry and as an industry strategist. Today, he is considered by many as a guru, and is a well-known veteran of the industry and a regular speaker at industry events.

Speaker Profiles

44

Prof. Dr. Helmut MERKEL Managing Shareholder

EurAsia Global Concept Ltd., Prologue Asia Pacific Ltd.

Born 1949 in Achern, Germany, Prof. Dr. Helmut Merkel holds a Business Administration Degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Mannheim.

From 1980 to 1989, Merkel was a Consultant, Senior Consultant and then Executive Director of a European consulting company, The Sema Group. From 1989 to 1993, he was CEO of a European software service and consulting com¬pany (DAT AG). In 1990, he was appointed a Professor at Mannheim University and, from 1993 to 1999, was Managing Director and a Member of the Board of the DEICHMANN Group, an international retail company. In 1997, Merkel founded and was a shareholder of IM+C AG, a Mannheim-based technology research and consulting company with a focus on international retail and prologue consulting in Cologne. Prologue is a 4PL supply chain management service company.

In 2000, Merkel became an Executive Board Director of KarstadtQuelle AG, in charge of cross-functional IT, logistics and group buying. In 2003, he was named CEO of KARSTADT Warenhaus AG, where he oversaw successful restructuring until 2006, when he again became Board Director of ARCANDOR AG, in charge of IT, logistics and group buying.

Since 2004, Merkel has been Chairman of the Supervisory Board of GS1 (Global Standardisation “One”) in Germany. In 2005, he was appointed President of the German Retail Association BAG and a member of the board of the National Association of German Employers. In 2007, he was named President of the International Group of Department Stores (IGDS).

Since January 2009, Merkel has undertaken entrepreneurial activities in Europe and Asia with Prologue Asia Pacific Ltd. and EurAsia Global Concept Ltd. in Hong Kong and Beijing. He holds representative functions in Asia for the Otto Group in Hong Kong and Altavia China in Shanghai.

Speaker Profiles

45

Mr. Kevin MYETTEDirector of Product IntegrityRecreational Equipment, Inc. (REI)

Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) is a US retailer of high-quality outdoor gear and clothing. Mr. Kevin Myette’s role at the company covers quality, safety and sustainability, all of which are among the main reasons for customers to shop at REI.

Specifically, Myette is responsible for ensuring the integrity of all products sold at REI, both private and wholesale brands. This includes the functions of research, laboratory and field testing, quality control, restricted substance compliance in the product and supply chain, and other issues of environmental responsibility. In ad-dition to these roles, Myette oversees the REI Gear and Apparel engineering proc-esses and the information technology used by REI’s private outdoor brand group.

Myette is a 29-year veteran of the outdoor and cycling industries, with 25 years at REI.

He is a member of, and has participated in, a number of multi-stakeholder initiatives to promote better understanding, standards, testing, safety, environmen-tal considerations, and fair labour assurance for products and supply chains. He is a co-founder of a broadly supported effort to develop a cross-outdoor industry eco index under the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) trade group, which is fast becoming the foundation for all efforts in measuring and understanding product sustainability. He also started a working group, also under OIA, to address fair labour in the supply chain.

Myette holds a Bachelor’s degree from Williams College.

Speaker Profiles

46

Mr. Roger NELSONManaging Director

Concepts 2 Results Ltd.

Mr. Roger Nelson is Managing Director of Concepts 2 Results Ltd. and a former Senior Vice President-Asian Operations of the Thomas Group, an internationally known implementer of process improvement successes in numerous industries in Asia, Europe and North America.

Nelson has diversified experience in operations and supply chain management, manufacturing/engineering management and manufacturing/management consulting. His career has covered various industries encompassing apparel manufacturing, automotive, metals processing, aerospace, material handling, electronics, telecommunications, health care and insurance.

Specifically, Nelson’s multiple industry background has included process improvement implementations for supply chain and manufacturing/services arenas. His international consulting experience has been extensive, with a major focus on Malaysia, Mainland China, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines and Taiwan.

Nelson is also a lecturer at the University of Hong Kong and is on the Hong Kong American Chamber of Commerce Committees of Textile/Apparel, Energy, Logistics/Transportation and Human Resources.

Speaker Profiles

47

Mr. Thomas NELSONManaging DirectorVF Asia Ltd.

Mr. Thomas Nelson has 28 years’ experience in the apparel business with the VF Corporation, including in engineering, factory management for cut, sew and wet processes, and finishing plants for denim bottoms. He spent three years in Human Resources responsible for the US, Costa Rica, Honduras and Puerto Rico; three years in Hong Kong, responsible for the jeans business, quality, technical services and the lab; and approximately five years in Hong Kong as Managing Director for VF Asia Sourcing.

Nelson’s current responsibilities include 16 offices worldwide in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Mainland China (five offices), Peru and the US. VF Asia’s sourcing group manages US$2 billion in FOB on an annual basis, and has more than 1,100 employees sourcing 300 million pieces annually in Asia and the Americas.

In addition, Nelson is responsible for all internal manufacturing operations for VF, globally. Internal manufacturing represents approximately US$1.5 billion FOB in volume and some 17,000 employees worldwide.

Nelson serves as Vice Chairman of the Textile and Apparel Committee for the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Chairman of the Global Apparel, Footwear and Textile Initiative (GAFTI), on the Board of Directors for the International Apparel Federation (IAF) and on the Board of Advisors for the Students In Free Enterprises (SIFE).

Speaker Profiles

48

Dr. Peter PFNEISL Former President, The European Apparel and Textile Confederation

Authorised Signatory, Eybl Austria GmbH

Dr. Peter Pfneisl was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1941. He earned his diploma from the College for Textile Technology in the field of knitting in 1960, after which he studied law in Vienna. From 1965 to 1970, he worked as a lawyer before becom¬ing head of the sales department of a family-owned company involved in women’s outerwear in 1970, a position he held until 1976.

From 1976 to 1979, Pfneisl was CEO of Martin Stapf AG, which is involved in weaving, finishing and printing for women’s outerwear. He then moved to Lam¬bacher Hitiag Leinen AG (a linen spinning mill with two production sites) as CEO, a position he held until 2001.

Since 2003, Pfneisl has been the authorised signatory for Eybl Austria GmbH, which manufactures interior textiles for the automobile industry.

In other organisations, he was President of the Association of the Austrian Textile Industry from 1996 to 2008 and a member of the Association’s board since 1990; from 1995 to 2005, he was Vice President of the Textile Industry Represen¬tation; and, from 1997 to 2008, was Chairman of the Board of the Austrian Textile Research Institute.

Speaker Profiles

49

Mr. Andrew B. SCHROTHManaging PartnerGrunfeld, Desiderio, Lebowitz, Silverman & Klestadt LLP (Hong Kong)

Mr. Andrew Schroth focuses on US legal practices concentrating on International Trade Law (US anti-dumping and countervailing duty actions); and US Customs, product and food safety, and related regulatory laws (CPSC, FDA, USDA). He represents clients in US trade actions before the US Department of Commerce, the US International Trade Commission and the US Trade Representative, as well as federal trade litigation before the Court of International Trade and Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Schroth also advises on regulatory matters before the US CBP, CPSC and FDA; he has been in private practice for 20 years.

Schroth is involved in all aspects of representing US and foreign interests (including foreign governments and corporations) before US government agencies and courts in trade disputes involving unfair trade practices, “less than fair value” pricing investigations, unlawful subsidisation and other trade remedies administered under the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

He has a substantial client base in Asia, including Chinese Government ministries and export chambers, US-Chinese joint ventures, and corporate clients in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Schroth also represents foreign producers, exporters and government bodies throughout the EU (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK), as well as US multinational corporations and individual importers/exporters, Customs brokers, freight forwarders and related entities.

Schroth is a member of the Massachusetts and District of Columbia bars; the Customs & International Trade Bar Association; the Massachusetts and District of Columbia Bar Associations; the American Bar Association; the Court of International Trade; the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; and the District Court of the Northern District of New York.

Speaker Profiles

50

Mr. Michael Lee SERWETZPresident

Prophet Business Services

Mr. Mike Serwetz founded Prophet Business Services in 2010 with the vision of helping both buyers and suppliers to secure the supply chain after the irrevoca-ble changes begun in 2008.

He offers a unique expertise derived from a long and rich background of global sourcing and managing global supply chains, which includes:

5 years as Vice President Global Sourcing Gold Toe Moretz;6 years Director of Global Manufacturing Joe Boxer;7 Years General Merchandise Manager at Levi Strauss;5 Years President of Ecompartners, Web supply chain software application

provider;6 Years Buyer for Abraham & Straus

Plus he owned his owned business, International Trade & Marketing Corp, in China for several years, and taught MBA courses (on behalf of Dominican Univer-sity) at the Wuxi Management Institute.

During this time, he has never failed to dramatically improve supply chains and supply chain cost, and has always left them in good enough shape to run without his presence.

Due to his unique education background which includes NYU Stern School of Business and Dominican University (MA in Political and Economic Assessment, Pacific Basin), he has the unique ability to analyse political and economic events and apply them to actionable supply chain strategies.

Speaker Profiles

51

Dr. Andrew SIAChairman and CEOACE Style Intimate Apparel Ltd.

The core business of the ACE Style Group, Dr. Andrew Sia’s company, is the manufacture of premium-quality lingerie and swimwear. The company is headquar-tered in Hong Kong, and supported by its manufacturing facilities in China and the Philippines, with customer services and design offices in New York and London.

Dr. Sia was the Founding Chairman of the Hong Kong Intimate Apparel In-dustries Association, and founder of the ACE Style Institute of Intimate Apparel at both De Montfort University in the UK and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

He is also an active member of the Trade Development Council’s Garment Advisory Committee and a director of the Textile Council of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel, and the Hong Kong General Chamber of Textiles, to name just a few of his public appointments.

Speaker Profiles

52

Ms. Jane SINGEREditor Director

21st Century Media Ltd.

Ms. Jane Singer oversees the editorial product and market positioning of 21st Century Media Ltd.’s magazines and website, namely Inside Fashion, Fashion Technology Magazine, Fashion Retail, StyleBook Fashion Forecast and Inside-fashionlive.com.

Prior to joining Inside Fashion, Singer worked at Women’s Wear Daily as As-

sociate Publisher, Asia and at Footwear News as Marketing Manager. She is a graduate of Vassar College with a BSc in Economics.

Inside Fashion has always been an early adopter of technology solutions. The company began using SaaS solutions in 2001, enabling it to enhance col-laboration among its global team members. The company was also one of the first publishers to use Desktop Publishing Solutions (starting in 1988) and continues to implement new technology to boost workflow efficiencies.

Speaker Profiles

53

Mr. Stanley Szeto joined Lever Style in 2000 and became its CEO in 2001. Since 2000, the company has tripled in size, making it one of the fastest-growing companies in the apparel manufacturing industry. Lever Style has been re-engi-neering the conventional garment manufacturing process to improve speed and flexibility, and Szeto’s progress in adopting such manufacturing systems has been profiled by CNN, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and various other media organisations.

Lever Style is known for its environmental sustainability. In 2008, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) selected the company as its first apparel industry partner for the Low Carbon Manufacturing Programme, and recognised the company’s low carbon footprint by granting it the Silver Award. In 2009, HSBC selected Szeto to be the public spokesperson for its major media campaign in Hong Kong promoting environmental sustainability.

Keenly involved in promoting the industry, Szeto is Vice-Chairman of the Hong Kong Garment Manufacturers’ Association, a Director of the Hong Kong Textile Council, a Director of the Federation of Hong Kong Garment Manufacturers, a Director of the Hong Kong Shippers’ Council, a member of the Textiles Advisory Board of the Hong Kong Government, a member of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Textile and Clothing Industries Advisory Committee, a Board member of the Textile and Clothing Training Board of the Hong Kong Vocational Training Council, and a member of the Hong Kong Consumer Council.

Recognised for his contributions to the industry, Szeto received the 2009 Young Industrialist Award of Hong Kong from the Federation of Hong Kong Industries. Prior to joining Lever Style in 2000, Szeto worked in J.P. Morgan’s mergers and acquisi-tions unit, and later at PAMA, an Asian buyout firm with over US$1 billion under management. He also served on the boards of companies in PAMA’s portfolio.

Szeto graduated magna cum laude from the Wharton School at the Univer-sity of Pennsylvania, triple-majoring in Finance, Entrepreneurial Management and Legal Studies.

Mr. Stanley SZETOChairman & CEOLever Style Inc.

Speaker Profiles

54

Ms. Khishigjargal TSEDEVExecutive Director

Mongol Yak Society

Mrs. Tsedev Khishigjargal has been working for the Mongol Yak Society since 2005, and has initiated and managed projects using natural resources, among them cashmere, camel and yak wool, from animals in the rural areas of Mongolia. She has broad education and wide-ranging experience in the fields of textiles, quality standards and research. She worked previously at the Gobi Cashmere Corporation, one of the top cashmere companies in Mongolia, as a Senior Re-search Engineer in the Quality, Standards, Certification and Research Department, and as a Quality Controller and Supervisor.

Khishigjargal is currently Project Director of the “Yak Wool Value Chain” in the framework of livestock management and the “Green Gold“ Pasture Ecosystem Pro-gramme initiated by the Swiss Cooperation Agency in Mongolia. This Programme has improved the quality of specific yak and camel raw materials, and developed, tested and marketed value-added products. The corresponding value chains have also improved, directly benefitting yak and camel herders and producers.

The Mongol Yak Society is one of the major projects in Mongolia designed to help the development of rural livestock herders’ lives though the introduction of technology to improve the processing of yak wool. The Society has undertaken a large number of activities and events to introduce and train the herders, and has also established training and a yak wool production centre in Arkh Khangai that has became the main source for herders to learn and develop their livestock sup-ply resources.

Khishigjargal published Magnificent Cashmere in the US in 2000. She also teaches textile fibres and apparel, and the composition of analytical tests study-ing the structure of cashmere fibres at the National University of Agriculture in Mongolia.

Speaker Profiles

55

Mr. Steven R. WALTONChairmanWing Tai International Apparel Group

Mr. Steven Walton has been in the apparel industry for over 30 years; he currently chairs and sits on the board of international companies spanning both apparel and technology.

Walton started his career at Marks and Spencer (M&S) in the 1970s as a management trainee, becoming the youngest executive to hold a managerial position at M&S’s flagship Marble Arch store and, later, in the buying department at the M&S Head Office.

In 1987, after a 10-year career at M&S, Walton co-founded one of the first design, sourcing and distribution companies to import apparel from Asia for M&S via a network of Far East operations. He was recruited by Wing Tai in the early 1990s and has been with the group in various capacities since then.

In 2009/10, Walton added to his portfolio the role of interim CEO of the luxury menswear brand Gieves and Hawkes, and Chairman of Wensum Tailoring Ltd.

Walton is a member of the Institute of Directors and attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. In 2008, he was invited to speak at the United Nations’ World Investment Forum.

Speaker Profiles

56

Mr. Pat-Nie WOODirector, Central Textiles (Hong Kong) Ltd.

Chairman, Sustainable Fashion Business Consortium, Hong Kong

Mr. Pat-Nie Woo is an innovation leader in the textile field, focusing on yarn and woven fabric developments.

Woo and Central Textiles actively promote sustainable development in the textile and apparel industry; Central Textiles was the first Asian manufacturer in the textile and apparel industry to issue a sustainability report under Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines and one of the first vertical denim fabric mills to receive certification from the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and Global Recycling Standard (GRS).

Woo also serves as Chairman of the Sustainable Fashion Business Consortium (SFBC) in Hong Kong. Through Central Textiles and the SFBC, Woo has started an industry-wide initiative to introduce a more sustainable business model into the fashion supply chain. This initiative is the first of its kind in the textile and apparel industry, and has received global recognition. Woo often speaks at major conferences in Hong Kong as well as in Europe and the US.

The industry has been pleasantly surprised by the proactive approach that Asian manufacturers are taking in leading the industry into the second decade of the 21st century and, for his efforts, Woo was named Young Industrialist of the Year by the Federation of Hong Kong Industries in 2009.

Other posts that Woo holds include Chairman of the Hong Kong Cotton Spinners Association, member of the General Committee of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, member of the Textile and Clothing Training Board of the Vocational Training Council and a member of the Board of the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles & Apparel.

Speaker Profiles

57

Mr. Ka-Ho YANVP, Technical Design & Quality AssuranceKirkstone Co., Ltd.Charming Shoppes Inc.

Mr. Yan Ka-Ho graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic in 1984, having majored in Textile Chemistry, and has more than 27 years’ industrial experience with various multinational companies, among them Ann Taylor Inc., Gap Inc. and Intertek Testing Services.

In his current position, he is responsible for quality assurance management and technical support in end-to-end apparel global sourcing activities, and functional responsibilities, including Technical Design, Colour Services, Testing Services and Quality Assurance, at Charming Shoppes, Inc.

Based in Hong Kong most of the time, Yan has travelled to many different countries with key investments in apparel manufacturing and has watched the radical transformation of apparel manufacturing activities in Asia over the past 20 years, specifically in terms of country migration, automation in the manufacturing process and productivity improvement.

Speaker Profiles

58

Prof. Philip YEUNGExecutive Director

Clothing Industry Training Authority

Professor Philip Yeung has a long and distinguished academic career, and was associated with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) for more than 30 years before joining CITA in June 2006.

His administrative ability was highly appreciated at the PolyU, where he was Vice President overseeing academic development from 2000 to 2005. Yeung’s long association with the PolyU also saw the successful development of the Insti-tute of Textiles and Clothing (ITC), for which he was the department head for more than 10 years.

In addition to his research interest in textile product development, Yeung also actively conducts consultancy projects in the application of quality management for the industry.

Speaker Profiles

59

Mr. Francis K. C. YÜKSenior Vice PresidentWorldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP)

Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) is the world’s larg-est facility-based social and environmental compliance certification and training organisation, based in Arlington, Virginia, the US.

Mr. Francis Yük has worked in the manufacturing, international trade and quality audit industries for over 30 years, with a passion for helping to improve fac-tory working conditions and the environment.

Yük was born in Shanghai, China, and completed his education in Hong Kong, the UK and the US. He received his Master’s of Science degree in Textile Sciences from The University of Leeds, the UK, and completed post-graduate re-search at the Cotton Incorporated Research Institute in Raleigh, North Carolina, the US. He is an ISO 9000-certified auditor, a Fellow of the Textile Institute and a Fellow of the Institute of Management.

Yük began his career as a mechanic and chief engineer for vertical textile manufacturing facilities in Hong Kong and Singapore/Malaysia. His international merchandising career started with the Dodwell Hong Kong Buying Service. He later joined Australian retail chain Myer Emporium Buying Offices (currently the Coles Group) as Regional Manager for its China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tai-wan buying operations.

He subsequently joined SGS, a third-party testing and inspection organisa-

tion, and later moved to Intertek Testing Services in the US, organising and giving presentations at various consumer product safety and audit seminars throughout the Far East and the US, building long-standing relationships with numerous con-sumer product industries and government agencies. Most recently, Yük was Presi-dent of Supply Chain Services with Intertek’s Consumer Goods Division and then CEO of the SgT Group.