Graham Kiy is the General Manager of the Zendai Hotel Yin and Zendai Art Hotel at the Himalayas Centre in Shanghai, both of which will open in 2010.

Paul French is Research Director of Access Asia, a Shanghai-based research consultancy, and author of three books. His fourth book, Through the Looking Glass: China's Foreign Journalists from Opium Wars to Mao, is a vibrant account of the lives and times of foreign journalists reporting from China between 1827 and 1947. French is also the author of a Chinese history-based website, www.ChinaRhyming.com

Bruno Lhopiteau is the founder of Siveco China, the country's largest maintenance consultancy. Previously, he ran the utility division of a major international software vendor in Asia Pacific, taking part in some of China's largest infrastructure projects.

Oliver Kay worked in Zurich’s IT industry, left his mark in Silicon Valley and invested in restaurants in San Francisco. Now, he is CEO and President of SWISSeau, a company that markets and sells a premium Swiss alpine spring water in China and takes on no one else but Danone’s Evian.

William Pedersen is the Principal Design Partner of Kohn Pedersen Fox, which he co-founded in 1976. During his career, he has received six AIA National Honor Awards, the Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prize, and the Prix d’excellence from L’Ordre des Architectes de Québec. A visiting professor at the Rhode Island School of Design and Harvard University, he also held the Eero Saarinen Chair at Yale University. He spoke to BizChinaUpdate at the opening of his latest creation, the 492-metre Shanghai World Financial Center.

Mari Elka Pangestu has been Indonesia’s Minister of Trade since October 2004. She gained Bachelor and Master of Economics degrees at the Australian National University in Canberra, followed by a Ph.D in International Trade and Finance at the University of California, Davis. She spoke to BizChinaUpdate at the opening of the 2008 Trade Expo Indonesia exhibition in Jakarta, before heading to Beijing to attend the Asia-Europe leaders summit.

Jean Georges Vongerichten is, quite simply, a culinary legend. Born in Alsace France, his career cooking in France, Germany, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Shanghai and New York has resulted in a 3-star Michelin rating for his signature Jean Georges restaurant at the Trump Tower in New York. His company currently operates 18 restaurants worldwide, including Jean Georges in Shanghai.

CEO INTERVIEW: Stephan Titze, General Manager of Syngenta China.
Stephan Titze is General Manager of agribusiness company Syngenta China. Previously, he was General Manager of Syngenta Indonesia, and held several positions within the company, and with UK-based Zeneca.

Founded in Jesce, Matera in Italy in 2000, the Incanto Group is one of the world’s leading designers, producers and distributors of upholstered sofas and furniture. With four companies, two in Italy and one each in China and the United States, 
Incanto is now focusing heavily on China. BizChinaUpdate spoke to Giovanni Sforza during the recent China International Furniture Expo in Shanghai.

Brenda Lei Foster has been President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai since September 2005. Previously, she was President & CEO of ULU Group, and held the positions of Executive Advisor to the Governor of Hawaii for International and National Affairs, Director of the State of Hawaii's Office of International Relations, and Executive Director of Hawaii's World Affairs Council, and the Pacific and Asian Affairs Council.

BIZ TALK INTERVIEW: Charles Merkle – President and CEO of CBC Business Consulting.
In 1995, Charles Merkle founded his research and business consulting company CBC in Shanghai. Since then, he expanded to Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Mumbai and Berne and is currently preparing for the IPO in Switzerland.

BIZ TALK INTERVIEW: Kuno Kohler - Regional President, Asia North Region, Ciba (China) Ltd.
Kuno Kohler first joined Ciba-Geigy AG in its Basel headquarters in 1986 and worked as the controller for its group companies in Europe. He has since developed a long track record of  working in Asia Pacific, including Australia, Taiwan and Indonesia. He took up his present position in 2004.

BIZ TALK INTERVIEW: William Bray – Founder & General Manager, Gourmet Café
William Bray is Founder and General Manager of Gourmet Café, Shanghai’s first gourmet burger restaurant, which opened in 2007. As a passionate cook, he is also instrumental in the development of new menu concepts. This week, sees the opening of a second concept, Gourmet Noodle Café – promising to “breathe new life into the traditional noodle.”

BIZ TALK INTERVIEW: Wilfried Meyer, Director of Human Resources, Executive Vice President and Member of the Management Board, Siemens China.

Before assuming this position in Beijing in 2004, Wilfried Meyer worked for the Munich-based company in Germany, Australia, South Africa and the United States. He started his career at Siemens in 1975.