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Agenda
09
05
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10
15
Overview of the China Retail Market Landscape
Ewan Grist•Zarina Kanji•Raven Xu• 09:05-09:30, Deep Dive of China Retail & Consumer Market Landscape by Zarina Kanji, Managing Director for UK & Europe, WPIC
• 09:30-09:55,Navigating China's Digital Economy-Strategies for Business Growth & Innovation by Raven Xu, Director of Business Development & Consulting, eBeauty Group
• 09:55-10:15 The IP Landscape in China by Ewan Grist, Partner, BIRD & BIRD
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15
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10
45
10
45
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10
55
10
55
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11
40
Panel Discussion - Successful Access to China market, with experienced UK businesses
Miriam Bray•Melody Chen•Lexie Morris•Paul Porter•Sohail ShaikhModerator: Sohail Shaikh, Deputy HM Trade Commissioner to China & Hongkong
Panellist:
• Miriam Bray, CEO, Joyce Beauty
• Melody Chen, Founder & CEO, David Hugh
• Lexie Morris, Chief Growth Officer, ESSENCE Group
• Paul Porter, Global Chief Experience Officer, Hamleys of London
11
55
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12
10
12
10
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13
30
Overview of the China Retail Market Landscape
• 09:05-09:30, Deep Dive of China Retail & Consumer Market Landscape by Zarina Kanji, Managing Director for UK & Europe, WPIC • 09:30-09:55,Navigating China's Digital Economy-Strategies for Business Growth & Innovation by Raven Xu, Director of Business Development & Consulting, eBeauty Group • 09:55-10:15 The IP Landscape in China by Ewan Grist, Partner, BIRD & BIRD
Speakers
Ewan Grist
Intellectual Property Partner (London) at Bird & Bird LLPEwan is a partner in Bird & Bird’s Intellectual Property practice based in London, specialising in IP litigation across a range of rights including patents, trade marks, designs and confidential information. Ewan frequently act in complex litigation (often with a cross-border element) and has represented clients before the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court and IPEC and the CJEU, as well as in proceedings before the EUIPO/UKIPO. Ewan’s clients range from some of the biggest brands in the world through to SMEs, and they operate across a broad spectrum of sectors including Retail & Consumer, Life Sciences and Financial Services. Ewan frequently advises on issues relating to copycats, grey mark goods, Customs enforcement procedures and domain name disputes.
Zarina Kanji
Managing Director for UK & Europe of WPIC Marketing + TechnologiesZarina Kanji is the Managing Director for UK & Europe at WPIC Marketing + Technologies, responsible for helping brands reach Asian consumers through ecommerce.
Zarina previously played a pivotal role at Alibaba Group enabling international brands to successfully enter and thrive in the Chinese and Southeast Asian markets at Tmall Global and Lazada.
Zarina is renowned for her global vision and industry acumen. Her career trajectory has seen her live and work in the global hubs of London, Dubai, and Singapore, giving her a unique, multicultural perspective that informs her strategic leadership at WPIC.
Raven Xu
Director of Business Development & Consulting at eBeauty GroupA seasoned professional with over a decade of experience in China’s retail market, I have built a career at the intersection of luxury, lifestyle, and digital innovation, bringing deep expertise in market insight, e-commerce, omni-channel retail strategy, and digital marketing. My experience extends to global business development and consulting, where I help brands to unlock growth potential, enhance brand performance, and drive strategic transformation in an increasingly digital and competitive marketplace.
Chinese Social Media: Shaping the Next Wave of Brand Growth, by Jack Porteous, Commercial Director, Tong Global
Speakers
Jack Porteous
Commercial Director of TONG GlobalJack Porteous is the Commercial Director at TONG Global, a full service strategy, branding and marketing agency specialised in connecting brands with Chinese consumers. Jack has previously held roles In building luxury beauty brands via cross-border eCommerce into China, as well as a period as Director of Retail & eCommerce for the China-Britain Business Council. He has over a decade of experience growing consumer brands in the China market, and is a Mandarin speaker.
Panel Discussion - Successful Access to China market, with experienced UK businesses
Moderator: Sohail Shaikh, Deputy HM Trade Commissioner to China & Hongkong Panellist: • Miriam Bray, CEO, Joyce Beauty • Melody Chen, Founder & CEO, David Hugh • Lexie Morris, Chief Growth Officer, ESSENCE Group • Paul Porter, Global Chief Experience Officer, Hamleys of London
Speakers
Miriam Bray
Miriam's career is defined by a dynamic international upbringing and a keen focus on the retail and luxury beauty sectors. Educated at Oxford University, she founded her own trading company at 23. A year later, in 1997, she pioneered the introduction of luxury brands to the Chinese market by bringing in Max Mara. Over the next 12 years, she consulted for numerous global luxury brands, including Rolls Royce and Chopard, guiding their market entry and retail expansion strategies.
Transitioning to in-house management, she held CEO and Managing Director roles at luxury houses like La Perla and Lancel (Richemont), deepening her commercial expertise. In 2015, she leveraged this knowledge as Managing Partner at AIM Architecture, enhancing the firm’s retail design portfolio for brands such as Lululemon.
In 2020, Miriam took on the challenge of transforming Joyce Beauty in mainland China, launching its cross-border program for niche beauty brands like Augustinus Bader. By 2022, she acquired the business, establishing Chrysalis. Today, Chrysalis manages over 50 beauty brands, operating a qualified omnichannel cross-border retail program across four physical stores and two online stores, with a vision to be the ultimate global authority for specialty beauty brands.
Melody Chen
Founder&CEO of David Hugh
Lexie Morris
Chief Growth Officer at ESSENCE GroupLexie is a seasoned business leader and China market specialist with over fifteen years’ experience helping international brands launch and scale in Mainland China.
Her career spans entrepreneurship, government advisory, and senior brand leadership; driving multi-million-dollar growth for names such as Whittard of Chelsea, Sweaty Betty, and Rapha. She now leads regional growth for ESSENCE Group, one of China's largest and most successful luxury marketing agencies, where she is spearheading the development of their brand partnerships and distribution portfolio, which currently includes MM6 Maison Margiela and Borsalino.
A fluent Mandarin speaker who has lived and worked in Beijing, Nanjing, and now Shanghai, Lexie combines deep local insight with a genuine passion for connecting remarkable brands to China's fast-evolving consumer landscape.
Paul Porter
Global Chief Experience Officer at Hamleys of LondonAfter more than two decades experience as a strategist for some of the world's leading agencies, I moved to LEGO’s internal agency in 2016, becoming their global strategy director for shopper marketing. Two years later I moved into LEGO Retail to lead the strategy in developing their New Retail Platform, a complete redesign for over 1000 stores globally. Considering the ever-changing audience landscape in a post-covid world. I moved to Hamleys as Global CXO in 2023 with a diverse remit, from store design and packaging to branded experiences and installs.
Sohail Shaikh
Deputy HM Trade Commissioner for China at DBTSohail joined the DBT China team as Sector Director and Minister Counsellor in
September 2021 before moving into the role of Deputy HM Trade Commissioner for
China in July 2023. Sector accountabilities in his role include Education, Creative
Industries, the Sports economy, Consumer & Retail, Food & Drink, Agriculture and
Agritech and Life Sciences & Healthcare.
Prior to joining DBT Sohail had a highly successful career in the Private Sector where
he held Executive and Board roles in the Retail sector and specialised in the
development and expansion of British Retail brands across a global footprint.
Sohail held the role of CEO of the Global Franchise Business for Hamleys of London,
the world’s oldest and most famous Toy business, between 2019 and 2021.
Before Hamleys Sohail worked for Mothercare PLC, a leading global Retailer of
Mother to be and Baby products, in a variety of roles including as MD of their
International Business and was a Board Member of their JV in China.
Sohail travelled extensively during his Private Sector career visiting over 50 countries
on business trips including being a frequent visitor to China
Speakers
Miriam Bray
Miriam's career is defined by a dynamic international upbringing and a keen focus on the retail and luxury beauty sectors. Educated at Oxford University, she founded her own trading company at 23. A year later, in 1997, she pioneered the introduction of luxury brands to the Chinese market by bringing in Max Mara. Over the next 12 years, she consulted for numerous global luxury brands, including Rolls Royce and Chopard, guiding their market entry and retail expansion strategies.
Transitioning to in-house management, she held CEO and Managing Director roles at luxury houses like La Perla and Lancel (Richemont), deepening her commercial expertise. In 2015, she leveraged this knowledge as Managing Partner at AIM Architecture, enhancing the firm’s retail design portfolio for brands such as Lululemon.
In 2020, Miriam took on the challenge of transforming Joyce Beauty in mainland China, launching its cross-border program for niche beauty brands like Augustinus Bader. By 2022, she acquired the business, establishing Chrysalis. Today, Chrysalis manages over 50 beauty brands, operating a qualified omnichannel cross-border retail program across four physical stores and two online stores, with a vision to be the ultimate global authority for specialty beauty brands.
Melody Chen
Founder&CEO of David Hugh
Ewan Grist
Intellectual Property Partner (London) at Bird & Bird LLP
Ewan is a partner in Bird & Bird’s Intellectual Property practice based in London, specialising in IP litigation across a range of rights including patents, trade marks, designs and confidential information. Ewan frequently act in complex litigation (often with a cross-border element) and has represented clients before the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court and IPEC and the CJEU, as well as in proceedings before the EUIPO/UKIPO. Ewan’s clients range from some of the biggest brands in the world through to SMEs, and they operate across a broad spectrum of sectors including Retail & Consumer, Life Sciences and Financial Services. Ewan frequently advises on issues relating to copycats, grey mark goods, Customs enforcement procedures and domain name disputes.
Zarina Kanji
Managing Director for UK & Europe of WPIC Marketing + Technologies
Zarina Kanji is the Managing Director for UK & Europe at WPIC Marketing + Technologies, responsible for helping brands reach Asian consumers through ecommerce.
Zarina previously played a pivotal role at Alibaba Group enabling international brands to successfully enter and thrive in the Chinese and Southeast Asian markets at Tmall Global and Lazada.
Zarina is renowned for her global vision and industry acumen. Her career trajectory has seen her live and work in the global hubs of London, Dubai, and Singapore, giving her a unique, multicultural perspective that informs her strategic leadership at WPIC.
Lexie Morris
Chief Growth Officer at ESSENCE Group
Lexie is a seasoned business leader and China market specialist with over fifteen years’ experience helping international brands launch and scale in Mainland China.
Her career spans entrepreneurship, government advisory, and senior brand leadership; driving multi-million-dollar growth for names such as Whittard of Chelsea, Sweaty Betty, and Rapha. She now leads regional growth for ESSENCE Group, one of China's largest and most successful luxury marketing agencies, where she is spearheading the development of their brand partnerships and distribution portfolio, which currently includes MM6 Maison Margiela and Borsalino.
A fluent Mandarin speaker who has lived and worked in Beijing, Nanjing, and now Shanghai, Lexie combines deep local insight with a genuine passion for connecting remarkable brands to China's fast-evolving consumer landscape.
Jack
Porteous
Commercial Director of TONG Global
Jack Porteous is the Commercial Director at TONG Global, a full service strategy, branding and marketing agency specialised in connecting brands with Chinese consumers. Jack has previously held roles In building luxury beauty brands via cross-border eCommerce into China, as well as a period as Director of Retail & eCommerce for the China-Britain Business Council. He has over a decade of experience growing consumer brands in the China market, and is a Mandarin speaker.
Paul Porter
Global Chief Experience Officer at Hamleys of London
After more than two decades experience as a strategist for some of the world's leading agencies, I moved to LEGO’s internal agency in 2016, becoming their global strategy director for shopper marketing. Two years later I moved into LEGO Retail to lead the strategy in developing their New Retail Platform, a complete redesign for over 1000 stores globally. Considering the ever-changing audience landscape in a post-covid world. I moved to Hamleys as Global CXO in 2023 with a diverse remit, from store design and packaging to branded experiences and installs.
Sohail
Shaikh
Deputy HM Trade Commissioner for China at DBT
Sohail joined the DBT China team as Sector Director and Minister Counsellor in
September 2021 before moving into the role of Deputy HM Trade Commissioner for
China in July 2023. Sector accountabilities in his role include Education, Creative
Industries, the Sports economy, Consumer & Retail, Food & Drink, Agriculture and
Agritech and Life Sciences & Healthcare.
Prior to joining DBT Sohail had a highly successful career in the Private Sector where
he held Executive and Board roles in the Retail sector and specialised in the
development and expansion of British Retail brands across a global footprint.
Sohail held the role of CEO of the Global Franchise Business for Hamleys of London,
the world’s oldest and most famous Toy business, between 2019 and 2021.
Before Hamleys Sohail worked for Mothercare PLC, a leading global Retailer of
Mother to be and Baby products, in a variety of roles including as MD of their
International Business and was a Board Member of their JV in China.
Sohail travelled extensively during his Private Sector career visiting over 50 countries
on business trips including being a frequent visitor to China
Raven Xu
Director of Business Development & Consulting at eBeauty Group
A seasoned professional with over a decade of experience in China’s retail market, I have built a career at the intersection of luxury, lifestyle, and digital innovation, bringing deep expertise in market insight, e-commerce, omni-channel retail strategy, and digital marketing. My experience extends to global business development and consulting, where I help brands to unlock growth potential, enhance brand performance, and drive strategic transformation in an increasingly digital and competitive marketplace.
Key Reminder
Pls make sure you register and book your business meetings before COP Thursday(30 Oct) to secure your slots. After this deadline - on-the-day scheduling will be subject to availability.