On March 16, 17 and 18, the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) is organising Fresh Connections China. On Thursday the 17th, a series of Fresh Connections seminars will be held in the centre of Shanghai. The sessions provide the latest insights into the fast changing Chinese fresh produce industry. Topics include a review of the Chinese marketplace, food safety, supply chain efficiencies and varietal innovation. The discussions will be moderated by renowned speakers from around the world, including Tim York, the CEO of Markon (USA), Jerome Chen, Executive Director of Joyvio Group (China), and John Wang, the CEO of Lantao Shanghai Great Harvest (Canada/China).
Speaker Eric Li of Shanghai Yiguo, PMA Fresh Connections China 2015
Think Like a Global CEO
Think Like a Global CEO is a special panel discussion hosted in the afternoon and chaired by Bryan Silbermann. It is an interactive seminar designed to explore the qualities of outstanding business leaders and to bring to light what characteristics have enabled them to become so successful on the global stage. “Two thirds of our audience on the day will be Chinese. Some will have global business experience. For many it will be a great opportunity to hear from others that have gone down this road before. Others that can share the skills they had to build and adjust along the way and that can elaborate on the lessons they have learned. It is very important to do this in a highly personal way. The session will not involve someone getting up and speaking for thirty minutes straight. It will very much be a conversation and there will be lots of opportunity for the audience to engage.”
The panel will consist of four senior executives. Steve Barnard is the President and CEO of Mission Produce (USA), a global leader in the avocado industry. The company has a base in California and operates in Mexico, Peru and Chile. Mission Produce is a pioneer in the use of ripening and distribution centres in the US. The second panelist is Liu Mau Wah, the Co-Chairman of recently-merged Joyvio-Golden Wing Mau (China). The company is now the largest fruit supplier and distributor in China. Shawn Harris, thirdly, is the CEO of Nature's Pride (Netherlands). Shawn Harris founded the company in 2001. It now imports 500 products from over 70 countries, selling them to more than 300 customers in 21 countries. The final panelist is Michael Simonetta, the CEO of Perfection Fresh Australia (Australia). The company has grown from a small, family operation, to a major international player exporting to 13 countries in the Asia Pacific.
Afternoon networking break, PMA Fresh Connections China 2015
Personal insights
“The session will focus on four topics. We will zoom in onto the qualities and characteristics that are most important to somebody managing a successful international business. Secondly, our panel will discuss key issues that organisations face in building a global business. We then will dive into the biggest challenges CEO's have faced personally in conducting business internationally and what are the keys to success to grow a global business.”
“The whole point of the session is to have a personalised discussion during which we ask each of the speakers to begin by giving a 2 to 3 minutes version of what we call “an extended elevator pitch” In which they summarize their personal journeys. All our four participants are renowned CEOs of highly successful firms. They have achieved their success in different ways and in different regions around the world. Within these four topics they will tell us their personal story. For instance, as part of the quality and characteristics discussion, we will explore the role of intellectual curiosity, how to develop a team and align on goals, and what different communication skills apply in an international context.”
“The intent of PMA is to bring people together everywhere in the world. The expertise of these four industry leaders can help the audience better understand what it takes to run a global business.”
For a detailed programme outline, click here.
Visitors can attend the event after registration. For registration, click here.
For more information or to register:
Bryan Silbermann, CEOProduce Marketing Assocation
bsilbermann@pma.com
www.pma.com