University of Virginia Darden School of Business to Host Global Economic Forum in Shanghai

The University of Virginia Darden School of Business will host the inaugural Darden Global Economic Forum in Shanghai, China, on Friday, 10 May 2013. Open to the public, the afternoon forum will explore the Chinese and global economies and will take place at the Radisson Blu Hotel Shanghai New World from 1-5 p.m. Register online.

The event will include five sessions (in this order):

1.”Welcome and Thoughts on the Global Economy,” will be led by Robert F. Bruner, dean of the Darden School of Business, and Peter Rodriguez, Darden’s senior associate dean for degree programs.

Bruner is a financial economist who is well-known for his research on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and financial panics. He is author of the book Deals From Hell: M&A Lessons That Rise Above the Ashes and co-author with Sean D. Carr of The Panic of 1907: Lessons Learned From the Market’s Perfect Storm, which attracted wide attention for its discussion of the underpinnings of financial crises.

Rodriguez is an economist who studies strategic global business issues, international trade policies and economic development, with an emphasis on anti-corruption strategies.

2. Qiu Xin, president of the Shanghai Media Group, will then deliver the keynote address, “Perspectives on the Chinese Business and Media Climate.”

3. Darden Professor Dennis Yang will then moderate a panel discussion, “China’s Economy in Transition,” with Chinese business leaders, including:

• Jun Ma, managing director, chief economist for Greater China and head of China/Hong Kong strategy, Deutsche Bank
• Jun Zhang, Chang-Jiang Professor of Economics, Fudan University
• Lin Zhou, dean, Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Yang, a native of China, focuses on economic development and growth in China. His work covers a wide range of topics, from China’s population policies and household behavior to wage structure and savings and income distribution.

4. Darden alumnus Scott Price (MBA ’90), chief executive officer of Walmart Asia, and Shaojian Zhang, general manager of Rockwell Automation SBU, China, will lead the panel discussion, “China – Preparing for the World’s Next #1 Consumer Market?,” with Chinese business leaders, including:

• Wei Jin, vice president, International Insurance, Prudential Financial Inc.
• Donald Lan, vice chair, Tralin Agro-Environmental Tech Group
• Jerry Zhang, founder & chair, Nostalgia Home Fashion
• Baocheng Yang, provost & CFO, Huanghe S&T University

5. Darden alumnus Jerry Peng (MBA ’03), chief executive officer of Four Seas Capital Management, and Henry Skelsey (MBA ’84), co-founder and managing partner of PRC Venture Partners, will lead the panel discussion, “A Baby Giant — Status and Outlook for China’s Financial Markets,” with:

• Jon L. Christianson, partner, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flow
• Shawn Liu (MBA ’05) founder & CIO, AZ Investment Management
• Winston Wang (MBA ’03), managing director, Shipston
• Jimmy Wei (MBA ’02), Venture Partner, KPCB China

The event forms part of the second annual Darden Global Leadership Forum, which will convene faculty, students and alumni of the Darden School of Business in Shanghai 10-12 May for classes and discussions about the current business climate in China and Asia and leadership challenges facing executives who manage across continents and cultures.

The forum will also convene Darden’s Global Advisory Council, which includes Darden graduates from the School’s alumni network of more than 14,000 around the world, who have significant experience in the global marketplace and advise the School on its global activities and objectives.

The Darden School provides multiple opportunities for students in the three formats of its MBA degree program — MBA, MBA for Executives and Global MBA for Executives — to study in Shanghai. Darden Executive Education, a Top Five global provider, regularly delivers custom programs for clients in Asia.