As TechCrunch Shenzhen 2018 is only a few days away, we are releasing the final list of main stage speakers. For the full agenda, visit the TechCrunch Shenzhen official website.
To reiterate what the TechCrunch events we organize are all about: it is our attempt to connect the Chinese startup community with the rest of the world. Featuring the Startup Alley, VC Meetup, Hackathon, and discussions on the main stage, our TechCrunch events bring together hungry startups, VCs looking for their next investment, and the companies that are shaping China’s future. This year’s theme is Reshaping Innovation, as we explore current trends that are further transforming industries like retail and transportation in China and beyond.
Jack Jing
COO of Suning Technology Group
Jack Jing has more than 20 years of experience in technology and internet business management. He is committed to the operation, development, and establishment of ecological resources of internet operations, he has promoted the transition of a large number of traditional enterprises to carry out “Internet +”, and he also has a large number of individual patents, such as big data and market forecasting models. Jing is the COO of Suning Technology Group, China’s leading smart retail technology group and the R&D arm of Suning Holding Group, with R&D bases in Silicon Valley, Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, and Wuhan. Suning uses advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and big data to serve global users in the areas of O2O retail, supply chain, financial payment and logistics. Based on the precipitation of information technology in the past 30 years, Suning focus on three major businesses: Intelligent Platform, Intelligent Service and Intelligent Terminal to provide users with real intelligent services. At TechCrunch Shenzhen 2018, Jack Jing will talk about AI in new retail.
Jian Pei
Head of Big Data and Smart Supply Chain for JD.com
Jian Pei is Vice President of JD.com and head of Big Data and Smart Supply Chain. A veteran with more than 25 years of corporate and academic experience in data research and application, Pei previously served as VP and AI Chief Scientist at Huawei Technologies, leading the AI product team for Huawei Cloud. He also served as a Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Big Data Science and a Professor in the School of Computing Science at Simon Fraser University in Canada. Pei is one of the most cited authors in the areas of big data and data science. He is recognized as a fellow of both the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Pei holds a Ph.D. in Computing Science from Simon Fraser University. JD.com is China’s leading technology-driven e-commerce company. Its cutting-edge retail infrastructure enables consumers to buy whatever they want, whenever and wherever they want it. The company has opened its technology and infrastructure to partners, brands and other sectors, as part of its Retail as a Service offering to help drive productivity and innovation across a range of industries. JD.com is the largest retailer in China, a member of the NASDAQ100 and a Fortune Global 500 company. At TechCrunch Shenzhen 2018, Jian Pei will look at the question of whether or not fostering innovation in big data and smart supply chain is a gamble or a calculated risk.
Ted Hopkins
Senior Director of Ecommerce for Walmart China
Ted Hopkins currently manages omnichannel platform development for Walmart China. He previously led the development of the Sam’s Club WeChat digital membership and social media platform and launched Sam’s Club on JD.com. Ted has an International Masters of Business Administration, Chinese Specialization from the Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina. Walmart China began in 1996 with the opening of a supercenter and Sam’s Club in Shenzhen. To date, Walmart operates a Global Sourcing Office and stores under a number of formats and banners. In June 2016, Walmart and JD.com, China’s largest e-commerce company by revenue, announced a strategic alliance to better serve consumers across China through a powerful combination of e-commerce and retail. At TechCrunch Shenzhen 2018, Ted Hopkins will share what innovation is happening in the omnichannel economy.
Sern Hong Yu
Development Director for China WeWork
Sern Hong Yu is the VP, Regional Head of Project Delivery, Greater China at WeWork where he manages the delivery of the physical product for all markets in the region. Sern is a real estate development professional with a background in community engagement, planning, architectural design, project management, and construction. He is now focused on building WeWork’s physical product team in China and travels extensively throughout the region. Previously he has worked in design and real estate development offices in Singapore, Los Angeles, and Shanghai. He received his Master of Architecture from Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCIArc) and Bachelor of Arts (Architecture) from the National University of Singapore (NUS). WeWork provides its members around the world with space, community, and services through both physical and virtual offerings. From startups and freelancers to small businesses and Fortune 500 companies, its community is united by a desire for members to create meaningful work and lead meaningful lives—to be a part of something greater than oneself. Co-founded by Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey in New York City in 2010, WeWork is a privately held company with over 7000 employees. At TechCrunch Shenzhen 2018, Sern Hong Yu will talk about architecture and productivity.
Simone Chao
Managing Partner of CoCoon Ignite Ventures
Simone Chao is a Managing Partner of CoCoon Ignite Ventures, with a focus on consumer technology and B2B automation technology. CoCoon Ignite Ventures seeks for and participates in seed stage investments globally. Prior to joining CIV, Chao worked as Business Development and Marketing executive across Ogilvy, Promed Cancer Center, and Sotheby’s. She is currently an investment manager for her private family office (Novel Group), serves as a CPPCC Member in Shanghai as well as Co-President to the Penn Club of Hong Kong. Chao earned her MBA from Wharton School and a BS from the University of Pennsylvania. With connected capital, CoCoon Ignite Venture invests in early-stage entrepreneurs who have a unique vision of the New Economy. In the New Economy, businesses are transitioning to non-asset based communities and marketplaces. At TechCrunch Shenzhen 2018, Simone Chao will explore the multiple investment landscapes in Asia and share the rules of early-stage investing.