GS1 Asia Pacific Regional Forum 2024

Forum Opening Session

Welcome address & GS1 Vision & Sharing by HKSAR Govt. Officials

• Ms. May Chung, Chairman, GS1 HK Board
• Mr. Renaud de Barbuat, President & CEO, GS1
• Mr. Aaron Liu / Mr. Donald Mak (HKSARs)
• Mr. Donald Mak, Deputy Commissioner (Data Governance), Digital Policy Office, Government of the HKSAR

Digitalisation Policy & Digital Trade Enablement

• Guest-of-Honour: HE Harvey Rouse, Ambassador of the European Union to Hong Kong & Macao
• Moderator: Ms Francesca Poggiali; to be joined for Q&A by Renaud de Barbuat and Anna Lin

Digital Trade Panel Discussion

• Moderator: Mr Andrew Weir, Chairman, PBEC
• Mr Robert Beideman, Chief Product Officer, GS1
• Mr Wilkie Wong, Chief Financial Officer, Esquel Group
• HKU (TBA)

Supply Chain Transparency Facilitate International Trade

APEC & ADB Projects: leveraging electronic exchange of paperless traceability and ESG credentials to facilitate international trade and support the GS1 community

• Mr Nick Allison, GS1 New Zealand
• Ms Mary Wong, GS1 Peru

Unlocking the Scope 3 Opportunity – Insights from Asia-Pacific Business

• Mr Michael Walsh, CEO, PBEC
• Ms Daisy Shen, Head of Climate and Sustainability, KPMG China

Sustainability Panel: The Unstoppable Drive Towards Sustainability

• Moderator: Mr Patrik Jonasson, Senior Director, Sustainability, GS1
• Panelists:
  • Ms Daisy Shen, Head of Climate and Sustainability, KPMG China
  • Ms Keshini Talwatte, General Manager, Group Sourcing and Supply Chain, MAS Holding
  • Mr Michael Walsh, CEO, Pacific Basin Economic Council
  • Mr Bosco Law, Chairman, Textile Council of Hong Kong / Deputy Chairman and CEO of LAWSGROUP
  • Mr Bowen Du, Hong Kong Representative, United Nations Global Compact Liaison Office

Coffee Break (Foyer MR S221, HKCEC)

GS1 Sustainability Programme

• Patrik Jonasson, Senior Director, Sustainability, GS1

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.

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.
 

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. 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.

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.