CCBC 2024 Women’s Business Mission to China

As the lead for EDC’s Women in Trade strategy, Catherine Beach focuses specifically on helping more women entrepreneurs export to grow their business. With more than 15 years’ experience in international business, marketing and partnership development, Ms. Beach has worked with fast-growing startups, international development agencies, social enterprises, and government organizations in Europe, Asia, and North America.

Ms. Beach has a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, with a Bachelor of International Business and a post-graduate in non-profit marketing from Carleton University in Ottawa. She is also a certified scrum alliance product owner and is completing her designation to become a coach with the International Coaching Federation.

As the Chief Representative for Greater China, Ran Carter is responsible for leading the overall market coverage strategy and managing EDC’s teams in the region. She joined EDC in 2021 with extensive experience in strategy, business development, and operational management from her previous role as a management consultant. With her experience as a former Canadian expat in Asia, Ms. Carter has on-the-ground experience advising global companies on their regional operations. She has provided valuable insights and facilitated key connections for many Canadian SMEs interested in the broader Indo-Pacific region.

Ms. Carter holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Queen’s University. She is a Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) and currently serves on the Boards for Forum for International Trade Training (FITT) and Canadian International Council’s Edmonton Chapter.

Anna Lin Yip has been instrumental in revitalizing the Danish Chamber of Commerce in China (DCCC), where she currently serves as Secretary General. Under her leadership, she has spearheaded strategic initiatives and comprehensive rebranding efforts, transforming the Chamber’s identity and driving a remarkable 200% growth in both membership and turnover.

With 16 years of in-depth experience in China, Ms. Lin Yip combines her Nordic roots with a deep understanding of Chinese culture, making her a seasoned expert in marketing and branding within the Chinese market. Her unique background allows her to navigate the complexities of cross-cultural branding with ease.

Before joining DCCC, Ms. Lin Yip served as the Marketing Director for Mosto & Moka Bros Hospitality Group, where she played a key role in the successful launch of 20 venues across multiple Chinese cities. Her expertise in branding and communications helped establish the group as a prominent player in China’s competitive hospitality industry.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Lin Yip worked with the renowned engineering consultancy COWI, where she led the introduction of a new corporate visual identity (VI) to the Chinese market, creating tailored marketing materials that resonated with local audiences. Her experience across diverse industries highlights her versatility and deep expertise in branding and marketing within China.

Macy Lu is the owner of Badao Hotpot & Spicy Gangster restaurants. She founded the independent restaurant brand Badao Hotpot in Shanghai in 2014 and in 2021, opened her second independent restaurant, Spicy Gangster. Her brand mission is to offer visitors or those living in Shanghai an authentic taste of Chongqing cuisine from Southwest China.

Demi Shi currently heads up Brand Partnerships at Douyin E-commerce Global for The Americas & Europe. With over 600 million daily active users, Douyin leads China’s short video app scene. As a pioneer in the China cross-border e-commerce sector since 2015, Ms. Shi’s passion lies in engaging American brands and partners to expand their presence and be successful in China. Leveraging her expertise, Ms. Shi guides brands through China market entry solutions to ensure a successful launch on the premium online-channel social e-commerce platform. Prior to ByteDance, she worked for Alibaba Group’s Tmall Global for five years overseeing fashion and beauty categories.

As WPIC’s Director of Social Media for APAC, Laura Tang leads a team of expert social media marketers in crafting strategies that elevate global brands across APAC markets. Originally from Vancouver and now based in Hangzhou, Ms. Tang cultivates a test-and-learn culture driven by innovation, inspiring her team to push creative boundaries and redefine the impact of social media marketing. With over a decade of experience, she excels at building brands’ online presence, engaging communities, and delivering insights that drive tangible business results.

Lilian Tian, a Beijing native, entrepreneur, interior architect, world traveler. At the youthful age of 24, she established her own design studio, WTL Design.

With unwavering conviction, Ms. Tian believes that a well-designed object can endure the test of time, preserving its functionality, character, charm, and texture. She poeticizes her philosophy, stating, “I was born in a land of poetry, and thus, the spaces I design should be imbued with a poetic essence.” Guided by this belief, she has created and personally overseen the design of the JinShang series of spatial projects, which include JinShang Yuan, JinShang Li, JinShang MuTianYu, JinShang DongShaShu, and JinShang ChengXi.

Ms. Tian envisions the creation of 100 JinShang spaces, each a vessel for diverse human interests. She posits that while human interests are varied, they share a common thread: individuals experience a sense of value and happiness when engaged in their passions.

JinShang spaces, designed as community-oriented, interdisciplinary, and multifunctional hubs, are in a constant state of exploration and refinement of lifestyle concepts. These spaces have garnered accolades from across various industries and fields.

Continuing to follow her interests, Ms. Tian has gone on to establish:

• Alexandria‘s Library of Utopian Materials
• Sixth Sense Selection
• JinShang Institute, and Liang&Lin Room

Her creations are not just spaces but communities that transcend sectors and industries, offering a platform for the continuous discovery and enhancement of life’s possibilities.

Experience:

In 1999, she founded WTL Design (WTL Design) – Beijing WTL Architectural Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd.

In 2016, she founded the JinShang space series (JinShang) Beijing Li Lian Jin Shang Enterprise Management Co., Ltd.

In 2020, she founded Alexandria’s Library of Utopian Materials.

Skylar Wang is the Head of Global Affairs and Public Relations at Kmind Consulting, with over 10 years of experience in Asia and North America, and expertise in corporate branding, cross-cultural communication, and global campaign management. Prior to joining Kmind, Ms. Wang worked at the United Nations Headquarters in NYC and Sino Vision USA.

Ellen Wei is the Senior Director for Brookfield Properties in China. In this role, Ms. Wei oversees all of Brookfield Properties’ retail leasing in China. Ms. Wei joined Brookfield in 2021 and has over 17 years of experience in retail leasing and consulting across tier 1 cities in China. Prior to joining Broofield Properties, Ms. Wei was the Senior Director, Head of Retail at JLL, overseeing the Retail team and key landlord representation assignments. Ms. Wei has valuable experience about the representative retail projects in China, including China Xingtiandi, Shanghai L+Mall, Beijing Xidan Joy City, Sanlitun Village, and Shenzhen Cocopark.

Ms. Wei holds a BA from the University of Cyprus.