Event

KPMG Presents:The Innovation & Technology Series Part 4 - China's Connected Consumers

February 19, 2016, -


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About the Event:
 
The Chinese consumer has entered the digital age with a big splash, driven by disruptive technologies such as mobile commerce and new payment platforms. Despite a subdued market for higher-end bricks-and-mortar-type spending, luxury e-commerce spending in China has maintained robust growth. The e-commerce market in China leap-frogged the US in 2013, and roared further ahead with 35% growth in 2014 (to USD 426 Million) and 32% in 2015.
 
China’s connected consumers have grown tremendously in sophistication, buying many different services on various mobile commerce platforms, with a significant and profound impact on the global commerce marketplace.  These tech-savvy shoppers seek out international bargains with the highest quality. Multinational corporations in this market (both existing and new entrants) can expect to compete in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
 
Chinese consumers are also moving away from simply owning luxury products to experiencing luxury regardless of category. Luxury brands must therefore provide their customers with unique and personal experiences and develop the proper strategies to survive and prosper in an increasingly disruptive environment.
 
In this talk our panellists will discuss how they use China’s most popular social media to drive consumers to directly purchase products through their e-commerce platforms and share what types of promotions have had the most success on their bottom lines.
 
About the Speakers:
Thibault Villet
CEO & Founder, Mei.com


Mr. Thibault Villet is CEO and founder of Mei.com, a leading Chinese luxury and fashion flash sales retailer. Operating in China since 2010, the company collaborates directly with over 2400 international fashion, luxury and lifestyle brands, and helps them to sell their products online, providing outstanding product selection, presentation as well as superior customer experience. Mei.com has already recruited over 3 million fashionista’s in China. Mei.com received a strategic investment from Alibaba group in July, 2015.
 
Prior to joining Mei.com, Thibault Villet was the first Greater China President of Coach, Vice President of Luxury Products Division of the L'Oreal Group in Japan, and Vice President and General Manager of the L’Oreal Luxury Products Division in China.
 
Mr. Thibault Villet graduated with an MBA degree from the Paris Graduate School of Management in 1992. He is also a member of the luxury retail committee of the French Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Executive Vice President of China Luxury Industry Association.
 
Sebastian Picardo
Chief Retail Officer, Lane Crawford


Sebastian Picardo is Chief Retail Officer at Lane Crawford. Within this role, he is responsible for Marketing & Communications, Sales & Service, Business Development and Technology.
 
Sebastian joined Lane Crawford in 2012 from Burberry where he served as Managing Director, Digital Commerce based in London. Previous to this role, he was Managing Director, Operations at Burberry Spain based in Barcelona. Prior to this, he held various finance roles at Net-a-porter, Alexander McQueen and Deloitte.
 
Originally from Argentina, he holds an undergraduate degree in Business Management, a Masters degree in International Finance and is a Chartered Accountant.
Chris Baker
Managing Director, Totem Media


Chris Baker has 14 years experience in digital media, advertising and brand strategy and is currently Managing Director at digital agency Totem Media. Prior to launching Totem he led the digital media practice at MediaCom China as Vice President of Interaction.
 
Prior to MediaCom, Chris spent over 6 years at Eight Partnership, including three years leading the development of Eight in mainland China which included managing over 40 major digital programs including an award winning digital (social, viral) campaign with Nokia that Advertising Age called “one of the top three campaigns in China in 2006”.
 
Originally from Canada, and a graduate of Simon Fraser University, Chris is now based full-time in Hong Kong but travels regularly to China.
Pony Ma
CTO, EMC2 (Greater China)


Pony Ma was named as the CTO for EMC2 Greater China in February, 2014. Pony has been in the IT industry for more than 35 years. He brings deep knowledge in IT solutions & services, especially his great customer experiences in the FSI industry in GC. Before this appointment, Pony has worked at the EMC2 APJ CTO office in the past 6 years. Prior to joining EMC2, Pony had spent most of his career in IBM, from consulting & advanced services to product support, from 1978 till 2008.

In his role as CTO, Pony will lead EMC2 China Next Generation Solution team to drive cloud solutions and consulting services, to manage the complex solution & service offerings related to the 3rd IT platform and coordinate the best practice sharing across GC.

Pony holds a masters degree in Operations Research from University of California at Berkeley and a bachelor degree in Mathematics from University of California at San Diego.
 
About the Moderator:
 
Anson Bailey
Principal, Business Development, KPMG


Anson has spent the last twenty years working in both industry and professional services covering strategic consulting across a number of countries in the Asia Pacific region and numerous sectors. Anson joined KPMG in Hong Kong in 1999 and is currently a Partner based in the Hong Kong office heading up business development across the KPMG China Practice. He is part of the Regional Consumer Markets Practice Leadership team, and a member of the Global Technology Innovation Centre and the High Growth Tech & Innovation Group based in Hong Kong.
 
Anson is currently involved in driving a number of strategic initiatives including  a series of thought leadership and executive briefings for senior executives covering the technology and ecommerce arena with recent reports released including Global Mobile Payments, Consumers & Convergence, Mobilizing Innovation: The Changing Landscape of Disruptive Technologies, The  Rise of  the Digital Multi-tasker, Innovation in China, China’s Connected Consumers and The Changing Face of Commerce series.

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