GS1 Asia Pacific Regional Forum 2024 (For GS1 GO/ AP Internal Memebers Staff ONLY)

This session will cover the global healthcare strategy, focusing on key topics such as "One Product, One Barcode," clinical systems, and emerging technologies with discussions how locally these can be supported. 

It will also equip MOs to effectively engage with hospitals, showcasing the benefits of GS1 standards and barcode scanning. 

We will demonstrate how these standards improve the hospital environment using the GS1 Hospital model and supporting materials. 

This will help you strengthen strategic engagement with local hospitals while learning from regional colleagues as they share their practical implementation experiences.
 

29 Oct (Tue) 10:00 - 11:30
Connecting 2D, Registries, and Digital Links

29 Oct (Tue) 17:00 - 18:00
Digital Links, Registries, Resolvers: Understanding the Building Blocks of Connected Data

31 Oct (Thu) 11:00 - 12:00
Let’s think again about 2D, Registries, and Digital Links

29 Oct (Tue) 10:00 - 11:30
Connecting 2D, Registries, and Digital Links

29 Oct (Tue) 16:00 - 17:00
Unlocking the Power of 2D barcodes at POS  

31 Oct (Thu) 11:00 - 12:00
Let’s think again about 2D, Registries, and Digital Links

29 Oct (Tue) 16:00 - 17:00
Unlocking the Power of 2D barcodes at POS  

31 Oct (Thu) 11:00 - 12:00
Let’s think again about 2D, Registries, and Digital Links

Mr. Harvey Rouse, Ambassador of the European Union to Hong Kong & Macao

Harvey Rouse was appointed Ambassador / Head of the European Union Office to Hong Kong and Macao on 1 September 2024. He is a Public Diplomacy Professional possessing over 30 years' of experience in both private and public sectors.

Harvey has extensive multicultural and diplomatic experience. He has served in Asia and Africa having worked in three Delegations of the EU. He was the Head of the Trade and Economic Section in Jakarta leading trade relations and negotiations on the ground with Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam as well as ASEAN. In addition, he served as the Head of Political and Trade Section in Kenya and Uganda.

During his time in Delegations, but also through his earlier work in DG TRADE where he headed up the bilateral relations with Turkey and Central Asia, Harvey also gained widespread experience in trade policy, advocacy and negotiations as well as in relationship building.

Directly before coming to Hong Kong, Harvey headed up International Relations in the transport domain in the European Commission. His primary role was to deepen transport relations between the EU and the rest of the world promoting sustainable connectivity links (Global Gateway) and increasing cooperation on the decarbonisation agenda.

In addition to public service, Harvey has worked in the private sector, most notably for ten years as the Vice President for EU Affairs / Trade Policy and the European Spokesman of the Motion Picture Association, which represents the interests of the Hollywood studios, in a PR Company and a European law firm.

Mr. Aaron Liu, Director-General of Trade and Industry, The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China

Mr Aaron Liu assumed the post of Director-General of Trade and Industry of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in August 2024. He heads the Trade and Industry Department in fostering Hong Kong’s international trade relations, implementing trade policies and agreements, as well as supporting Hong Kong’s industries and small and medium enterprises.

Mr Liu has served in a diverse range of bureaux and departments, including the former Security Branch, the former Industry Department, the former Economic Services Bureau, the Civil Service Bureau, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau. He was Deputy Commissioner for Tourism from September 2016 to July 2019, Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Financial Services) from August 2019 to July 2022, and Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Treasury) from July 2022 to August 2024

Mr. Donald Mak, Deputy Commissioner (Data Governance), Digital Policy Office,
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

As the Deputy Commissioner (Data Governance), Mr. Donald Mak has been actively involved in promoting Government’s agenda for innovation, technology adoption and public services improvement. He also played a key role in the implementation of a number of digital government infrastructures (including the government cloud infrastructure, big data analytics platform, shared blockchain platform, consented data exchange gateway, iAM Smart, Digital Corporate Identity Platform) and the formulation and implementation of open data policy.

Mr. Mak joined the Government in 1989.  Since then he has assumed various important duties including formulation and implementation of facilitation strategy and initiatives for ICT industry development, data centre development, digital inclusion, ICT co operation with the Mainland and overseas economies as well as the implementation and management of various government ICT systems and services.

Wilkie Wong, Chief Financial Officer, Esquel Group

Wilkie Wong is Chief Financial Officer at Esquel Group, a knowledge-based innovation company that continuously pushes for positive change in the textile and apparel business, expanding into new territory to evolve with the industry and its customers.
Wilkie has over 20 years of general management experience. Joining Esquel since 2004, Wilkie has led various departments from Group Finance to Production Planning and Control, Global Sourcing, Information Technology, and General Management Office. He is currently in charge of the company’s Finance and Logistics and Corporate Communications function.
Prior to joining Esquel, Wilkie was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, where he advised senior executives of leading companies in Greater China with a focus on consumer goods and retailing.  Wilkie has extensive consulting experience in strategy and business development, M&A advisory, organizational restructuring and operational improvements.  

Wilkie has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Operations Research from Columbia University in New York.  He obtained his MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Daisy Shen, Head of Climate and Sustainability, KPMG China

Daisy Shen has 24 years’ experience with KPMG, including a long term secondment to KPMG’s Global Chairman’s Office and the  KPMG Energy Centre of Excellence based in London, where she gained invaluable international experience in executive management and cross border M&A transactions.

Daisy is specialized in Strategy, M&A, Energy Transition, ESG and decarbonisation, Sustainable Supply Chain Advisory, providing advice to corporates, financial institutions (including multilateral banks) and governments in climate change, energy transition, low carbon investment, ESG and decarbonisation (including Corporate PPA, energy efficiency) strategy.

Daisy is a member of the Executive Committee of the British Chamber of Commerce in China, dedicated to promoting trade, investment and economic development between China and the UK. She is also a frequent speaker at women leadership forums and mentorship programs. 

Mr. Raymond Choi, Solutions Director, Markem-Imaje

Raymond Choi is Solutions Director at Markem-Imaje, a leading and global provider of end-to- end supply chain solutions and industrial marking and coding systems. He leads the Asian solutions group and brings over 26 years of experience in software and solutions engineering, operations and sales, serving global top 100 consumer goods & FMCG companies, and has successfully run several 2D code serialization and digitalization projects.

With extended experience from FMCG, pharmaceutical, electronics, financial and telecommunication industries, he is expert in areas such as Industry 4.0 & IoT, digital identification, supply chain and track & trace including the globally accepted GS1 standards, artificial intelligence, security, and payment technology.

Ms. Keshini Talwatte, General Manager-Group Sourcing and Supply Chain, MAS Holdings Private Limited

Keshini Talwatte has been with MAS for 21+ years and has contributed in multiple roles. Keshini currently holds the position of General Manager of Group Sourcing and Supply Chain Digital.

Currently, She is at the forefront of shaping a forward-focused digital transformation strategy for sourcing and supply chain management. Spearheading transformative initiatives such as the Supply Chain Control Tower and ESG Traceability. Keshini also provides industry technical leadership to the Sri Lanka apparel and textile industry, driving ESG data digitization and exchanging collaborative projects with GS1 and ADB. Keshini, a certified Lean Black Belt at MAS, has been instrumental in implementing lean manufacturing and enterprise business reengineering, with global exposure to lean consultancy in Japan and the USA. She earned her B.Sc. in Science from the University of Delhi, India, and possesses an MBA from Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK.

Mr. Michael Walsh, CEO, Pacific Basin Economic Council

Walsh is a senior executive with over 28 years of experience, currently leading his own consultancy firm and serving as Executive Director & CEO of the Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC) since 2019. He has held key roles in the aviation industry, including CEO of Asia Jet and Chief Commercial Officer at Hongkong Jet and BAS Guernsey. He led the Asian Business Aviation Association from 2014-2019 and is known for his crisis leadership during events like 9/11, the Asian Tsunami, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Passionate about youth engagement and philanthropy, he founded the "Student Discovery" program and raised over USD 350,000 for Orbis. Recognized for his work with the UN and the UK Government, Walsh has focused PBEC on fostering collaboration aligned with APEC and ABAC agendas. He promotes resilience in global supply chains and advocates for sustainability in aviation, convening dialogues to enhance economic collaboration across the Asia-Pacific

Mr. Bosco Law, Chairman, Textile Council of Hong Kong / Deputy Chairman and CEO of LAWSGROUP

Bosco Law is the Chairman of the Textile Council of Hong Kong. He actively engages in international delegations such as Sweden and Italy, collaborating with designers, representatives from fashion associations, and NGOs dedicated to sustainable fashion to share insights on sustainable development. Additionally, he facilitates initiatives to promote sustainability, including the upcoming Fashion Summit next month.

As the Deputy Chairman and CEO of LAWSGROUP, Bosco leads the company’s global operations and strategic development in Apparel Manufacturing, Retail & Branding, and Property Investment. Founded in 1975, LAWSGROUP has been a leader in apparel manufacturing and fashion retail for nearly five decades.

Bosco is also passionate about Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability. He initiated the “1.5°Campaign” to combat global warming and limit temperature rise to 1.5°C. The Group's redevelopment project, KTK350, exemplifies environmental excellence and has achieved Pre-Certification under the LEED V4.1 O&M rating system, gaining global recognition for its steadfast commitment to sustainability.
 

Freda Ng, Managing Director. PARKnSHOP

Ms. Freda Ng is the Managing Director of PARKnSHOP (Hong Kong & Macau), a leading O+O (Offline Plus Online) supermarket chain under AS Watson Group, operating nearly 250 outlets of a diverse portfolio of retail brands across Hong Kong and Macau, including TASTE, TASTE x FRESH, FUSION, food le parc, GOURMET, GREAT FOOD HALL and more.

Ms. Ng joined AS Watson Group (ASW) in 2010 in a Business Planning and Development role. She joined PARKnSHOP as Chief Operating Officer in 2023, and prior to her role in PARKnSHOP, she was Chief Digital Officer of Watsons International and the Chief Customer & Digital Officer of Watsons Hong Kong. 

Prior to joining ASW, she worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company and Vice President at EQT Partners (Asia), a leading Swedish Private Equity firm. 

Ms. Ng holds an Executive MBA Degree from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and a Bachelor Degree of Business Administration in Professional Accountancy from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is a member of the HKICPA and currently serves as a board member at Junior Achievement Hong Kong.

Mr. Bowen Du, Manager, Participant Engagement and Services, Hong Kong Representative
United Nations Global Compact Liaison Office in China

Bowen is a seasoned professional with deep expertise in global marketing, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and ESG strategy. Currently serving as a Manager at the United Nations Global Compact, focusing on developing and localizing value propositions, as well as enhancing participant engagement. 

Previously, he was the CSR Director at NetEase, where he spearheaded the integration of ESG strategies, driving sustainability initiatives aligned with corporate values. During the tenure as Global Marketing Director at TikTok, he led growth marketing and social impact programs, including “TikTok for Good,” inspiring global audiences towards positive change. His extensive background also includes strategic communication roles at Oxfam and WWF, where he contributed to advocacy development, media relations, and digital communication. 

As a passionate advocate for sustainable development, he is skilled at leveraging ESG frameworks to enhance corporate reputation and foster long-term value creation.

Mr. Volker Ditscher, Director Global Sales T&T, Wipotec Group

After studying electrical engineering with a focus on automation technology, he worked in the automotive industry at General Motors. Since 2007 he is active for the WIPOTEC Group, a global market leader in Track & Trace systems for marking and labeling products in various industries. As a Project and Business Development Manager for many years Volker rolled-out several hundred such serialization projects. Since 2011 he is globally responsible as the Director Track & Trace for the relevant product division at WIPOTEC.

Aik Hoe Lim, Director, Trade and Environment Division, WTO

Aik Hoe Lim is Director of the Trade and Environment Division at the World Trade Organization and leads its work on environmental sustainability, climate change and trade, as well as on technical regulations and standards under the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade.  In this role, he has strengthened WTO's role on environmental sustainability, as well as its partnership with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Basel, Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions (BSR), as well as the World Bank, UNCTAD, OECD and the WEF, amongst other international organizations. He led the establishment of WTO's Trade and Environment Week, which is now an annual flagship event for the organization. He leads WTO's work on trade and climate change and formulated/coordinated WTO's strategy for engagement and participation at the UN Climate Change Conferences. He joined the WTO in 1999 and served in the External Relations Division, the Director-General's Cabinet and the Trade in Services Division. He was previously Counsellor to two WTO Director-Generals, Adviser to the Director General’s Consultative Group, and Secretary to WTO committees, working groups and negotiating bodies on services trade and domestic regulation. He represents the WTO in the UN Environmental Management Group and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and is a member of the Advisory Board of the UNEP Global Environmental Outlook.  He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, UK.  Some of his publications include contributions to the "Research Handbook on Climate Change and Trade Law" (2017); "Win-Win: How International Trade Can Help Meet the Sustainable Development Goals" (2017); and an edited volume on "WTO Domestic Regulation and Services Trade" (2014).   

Mr. Renaud de Barbuat, President and CEO, GS1 

Renaud de Barbuat was appointed President and CEO of GS1 on 1 July 2022. He joined GS1 in 2019 as Chief Operating Officer, leading the implementation of the 3 Year Plan, the Industry & Product global programmes and the modernisation of the GS1 Registry Platform. He chairs the GS1 GDSN (Global Data Synchronisation Network) Board, the world's largest product data network.

Renaud served as Chief Information Officer at CARREFOUR (2015-2019), leading a profound omni-channel digital transformation to support the growth of e-commerce, driving efficiencies in sourcing, supply chain and store operations. He leveraged the use of big data, cloud and blockchain technologies at scale, the deployment of agile methods and a data-centric strategy using GS1 standards.

Representing Carrefour in GS1, Renaud served as board member for GS1 France and GS1 Global and was elected Vice-Chairman of the GS1 Global Management Board in 2018.

As Chief Information Officer at THALES (Aerospace and Defence) between 2008 and 2013, Renaud implemented a worldwide IT simplification program, supporting the roll-out of business best-practices and improving engineering methods.
Between 2002 and 2008, Renaud was Group CIO at EDF, preparing the business for a deregulated market and supporting EDF IPO.

Robert Beideman, Chief Product Officer, GS1

Robert Beideman leads the teams that bring standards, global services and innovations to life at GS1. He and his teams engage businesses, organisations and industries as trusted advisors to transform their supply chains, adapt their logistics models and thrive in a time of unprecedented digital transformation. His consultative approach to leadership relies on perspectives gained in roles in product development, systems engineering, sales and marketing, consulting, research & development and ML/BI design.

Active Work: 
Strategy: Global strategic leadership of all Standards, Global Data Services and Innovation offerings for GS1, inclusive of GS1's Global Standards Development Process. 
Leadership: Responsible for thought leadership on topics of technology’s relevance to business needs, in areas such as IoT, Blockchain, Physical/Digital Identity, Web Data Sharing and Networked Platforms.
Vision: Visionary advancement of sector-agnostic global solutions and standards offerings related to traceability, sustainability, anti-counterfeit and fighting illicit trade.
Innovation: Leader of GS1's Innovation Board and the President of EPCglobal, the association that set the foundation for global RFID standards. 

Engagement and Consensus: Strategic engagement and consensus-building across global groups of industry stakeholders, technical experts and associations to create standards and services that help to solve pressing global business challenges.
Technology: Deep understanding of the GS1 System, significant knowledge of web and data architectures and the global standards landscape.

Prior to his time at GS1, Robert led global teams that focused on integrated hardware, software and services solutions across the logistics automation market space, inclusive of the retail, healthcare, transportation & logistics, airport, postal and parcel sectors.
He is a published landscape photographer and a licensed sea captain. He also loves coffee and believes that the intersection of ‘that which is possible’ and ‘that which is needed’ is where all the fun stuff happens.  You can reach him at robert.beideman@gs1.org. 
Mr. Beideman holds bachelor’s degrees in physics & mathematics, a master’s degree in Systems Engineering and an MBA in International Business.

Marianne Timmons, President of Community Engagement, GS1

Marianne Timmons is the President of Community Engagement at GS1 Global Office. Over the past 10 years, Marianne has been a member of the GS1 Leadership Team with responsibility for Industry Sectors, (Retail/Marketplaces, Healthcare, Transport & Logistics, Technical Industries), Public Policy, Programmes (Master Data/GDSN, GS1 Registry Programme, Global Migration to 2D, Training and Customer Service). Additionally, Marianne has been a member of the CGF Data Coalition of Action and End to End Steering committee since inception. Marianne has recently announced her intention to retire from GS1 in February of 2025 and as a result, the organisation is actively transitioning her responsibilities to other leaders. 

Prior to her time at GS1 Global Office, Marianne spent 30 years in and around the Retail and Consumer Products Industries as both a consultant (Accenture, Capgemini), and a practitioner (Wegmans Food Markets), where she held leadership roles in Store Operations, Marketing, Supply Chain, Transportation and Global Business to Business.  

Ms. Géraldine Lissalde-Bonnet, Vice-President Healthcare, GS1 

Géraldine Lissalde-Bonnet leads GS1 Healthcare at GS1 Global Office. She works with her colleagues across the world to enhance patient safety and supply chain efficiencies globally through GS1 standards for AIDC (Automatic Identification and Data Capture), data synchronisation and traceability.

GS1 Healthcare is formed by stakeholders in the healthcare supply chain worldwide, including pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturer, wholesaler/distributor, group purchasing organisations, hospitals, pharmacies, logistic providers, governmental and regulatory bodies and associations.

A lawyer by training, Géraldine led for ten years the GS1 Healthcare Global Public Policy Work Team. She has sound experience in interacting with decision makers globally and in providing strategic leadership on the harmonised use of GS1 standards in the healthcare sector. 

Géraldine is Vice-Chair of the Fight the Fake Alliance.

Géraldine started her career in the private sector, complemented by several years in the European Commission, in the Directorate-General for Health and Consumers. 

Ms. Francesca Poggiali, Vice President, Global Public Policy, GS1 

Francesca Poggiali is VP for global public policy at GS1 after 8 years as Chief Public Policy Officer Europe. Her career includes a mixture of public and private sectors experience within Ferrero, the European Commission and Parliament and a couple of trade associations.
She studied Corporate Social Responsibility at the Harvard Business School, and International and European Law in the UK and Italy where she received the highest recognition cum laude. 
Among her biggest achievements so far: the corporate social responsibility program for Ferrero International, the convergence of environmental protection and chemical industry impacts in the framework of the EU Chemical reform, the fight against illicit trade and digital product passports through open non-proprietary standards for GS1.

Nick Allison, General Manager, Government, GS1 

Nick Allison comes to GS1 New Zealand from a position as a Principal Economist at the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER). He has previously held leadership roles at the Ministry of Economic Development, Foundation for Research, Science & Technology, Transfund and Ernst & Young.

At GS1, Nick works with Government agencies to support their adoption of GS1’s global data standards for identification, traceability and electronic data interchange (EDI).

Ildikó Lieber, GS1 in Europe Project Manager, GS1

Ildikó Lieber is a project manager at GS1 in Europe which is a collaboration platform for 49 European members to take care of various projects relevant for the whole European community. She is also the global lead for the GS1 Centre of Excellence Construction where she is working together with 15 GS1 MOs worldwide to demonstrate the relevance of standards in the much-needed digitalisation of the construction sector. The Centre of Excellence Construction believes that construction is one of the emerging sectors with the biggest potential for GS1 for the upcoming years and is working on raising awareness for the sector in and outside of the GS1 world.

Ms. Anna Lin, MH, JP, FCILT, FHKIM, Chief Executive, GS1 Hong Kong

Anna has more than 30 years of CEO experience in steering the strategic direction of the organisation, spearheading major strategic innovative initiatives that have revolutionized the way companies do business locally and globally, helping HK business community thrive.

She has led GS1 Hong Kong to establish platforms, ecosystems and programmes that have driven industry adoption of global supply chain standards, practices and technologies to enhance business efficiency, facilitate digital commerce, drive IoT development and enable sustainable value chain across industries.

In fostering a collaborative ecosystem, Ms Lin holds a number of appointments in both government and local industry organizations as well as regional organisations, including:

• Non-official Member of Digital Economy Development Committee, HKSAR;
• Vice-chairman of Subcommittee on Infrastructure and Promotion, Hong Kong Logistics Development Council, HKSAR;
• Chairperson of Advisory Group of Digital Transformation Support Pilot Programme, Cyberport; 
• Member of the GS1 Global CEO Advisory Council;
• Director of Board of Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC);
• APEC Business Advisory Council Hong Kong representative for APEC Policy Partnership on Food Security

and more.

Ms Lin is a native of Hong Kong. She holds an MBA in Strategic Management from the University of Birmingham United Kingdom.

Ms. Caroline James, Sector Engagement Manager for DIY Hardware & Construction at GS1NZ

Her role involves working with industry manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, Industry Associations and the GS1NZ Government team to promote the use of GS1 Global Standards & Solutions for identifying, capturing and sharing product data, images and location information.