Michel Liés: Swiss Re CEO

Michel Liés was born in Pont-Sainte-Maxence, France in 1954. A citizen of Luxemburg he earned a mathematics degree at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. Before joining Swiss Re, Michel was Chief Financial Officer of a ceramics company serving in Sao Paulo and Mogi Guaca, Brazil.

In 1978, he joined Swiss Re focusing on Latin American Life & Health markets. Michel became head of Swiss Re Ibéria & Latin America Property & Casualty in 1994. He became a Member of Swiss Re’s Executive Board by 1998 and Head of the Latin America Division. Michel was Head of Europe Division starting 2000 and also served as the as the company’s Head Clients Markets, where he was in charge of all client relationships globally. He was a member of the Group’s Executive Committee beginning 2005.

From 2011 to 2012, Michel was Chairman of Global Partnerships. In this position, he concentrated on building and deepening long-term relationships with public sector stakeholders, governments and NGOs, with a specific concentration on emerging markets. Innovative insurance solutions and public private partnerships are vital to help society create effective responses to major risks, including natural catastrophes, climate change and food security as well as infrastructure, healthcare and longevity.

He left the board in 2011 when he became the Chairman of Global Partnerships which is largely viewed as an ambassadorial appointment that looked to distance him from future executive positions. So it came as a surprise to some when it was announced he would become the Chief Executive Officer of Swiss Re effective February 1, 2012.  His appointed was viewed as continuity to the programs set by his predecessor and also his strength in emerging markets where much growth is expected.

Michel is fluent in French, English, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish having worked in a number of countries in Europe and Latin America.

Swiss Re is a leading wholesale provider of reinsurance, insurance and other insurance-based forms of risk transfer.  In 2013, premiums earned and fee income totaled $28.8 billion.

Thomas Enders: Airbus Group CEO

Dr. Thomas “Tom” Enders was born in December 1958, in Neuschlade, Germany.  Tom studied economics, political science, and history at the University of Bonn and at the University of California, Los Angeles.

He began his career as an assistant at the German Federal Parliament, and at a series of German and UK-based think tanks. Tom also serves as a Major in the Germany Army Reserve, and spent two years in the planning staff of the German defense ministry.

In 1991, Tom joined the marketing department of DiamlerChrysler Aerospace. He held a number of positions at DASA until he was promoted to head the defense and security systems business in the frame of the merger of EADS in 2000.  In 2005, Tom was appointed co-CEO until 2007 when the company modified its governance. As a result of the governance change, Tom was appointed CEO of Airbus, the largest division in the Group.  In June 1, 2012 he was appointed CEO of Airbus Group (formerly EADS).

Tom was the Chairman from 2005 to 2012 of BDLI, the German aerospace industry association. 

Yuchen Zhu: SPDBC Vice Chairman & President

Yuchen Zhu holds postgraduate degree and Doctor of Economics degree. Yuchen is a Senior Economist and Adjunct Professor at China Agricultural University. He previously served as Management Office Director of China Grain Trading Company. 

Yuchen is the Vice Chairman and President of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Co., Ltd (SPDB). While classified as a regional bank it is huge with 38,976 employees and revenue in excess of $30 billion. While huge in size it is relatively a young bank compared to others its size.

It gained approval of the People’s Bank of China in August 28, 1992 and was incorporated in January 9, 1993. It is a joint-stock commercial bank headquartered in Shanghai, China.  Shanghai Pudong Development Bank issued a 400 million A-share offer on September 23, 1993 on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. In doing so it became the first shareholding commercial bank to list with both Central Bank and China Securities Regulatory Commission’s approval since the enactment of “Commercial Bank Law” and “Securities Law”. Thus the registered capital reached RMB 2.41 billion. In November 10, 1999 320 million shares of the issue was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (stock code 600000).

SPDB was founded to provide financial services for the development of Pudong, building Shanghai into one of the great international financial hubs, and to contribute to the national economic development and social progress.

Thus Yuchen has a very important role to play not just for the bank’s growth and profitability but also in achieving the goals and purpose for which the bank was established.  Aside from his leadership role in SPDB Yuchen has been serving in other leadership positions such as being President of Shenzhen mid-Futures Brokerage Co., Chairman of Shanghai mid-Futures Brokerage Co., The President of China International Futures Brokerage Co., Ltd, party secretary and General Manager of Dilian Commodity Exchange, Vice Party Secretary and General Manager of China Financial Futures Exchange Corporation and other senior positions in various companies.

Yuchen also serves as Member of the 12^th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. 

Renjie Li: Industrial Bank President

Renjie Li was born in 1951 and holds a bachelor’s degree. He is a senior economist who got his start in the banking industry by working in the Fujian Branch of the People’s Bank of China (PB0C) in 1982. Li served as Direct Planning Division of Fujian Branch of PBOC.

He was Deputy Head of Bank and Head of Bank – Shenzhen Branch of Industrial Bank Co., Ltd and is the President and a Director. Li used to serve as Chairman of the Board of Great Wall Securities Co., Ltd and was also Executive Director and Deputy General Manager in Jiang Nan Finance Ltd.

Industrial Bank is one of the largest banks in the world. It engages in the provision of corporate and personal banking services, financial lease, assets custody service and conducting treasury business. Among its activities include accepting public deposits, granting short, medium, and long-term loans, performing settlement services, discounting bills and notes, issuing financial debentures, issuing, underwriting and other financial activities.

Industrial Bank was founded in August 22, 1988 and based in Fuzhou, China. 

Javier G. Gutierrez: Ecopetrol President

Javier Genaro Gutierrez Pemberthy was born in 1951 in Bogota, Columbia. He graduated from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogota in 1975 and is a civil engineer. He also has a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the same university. In 1981 Javier took a course in Electric System Expansion Planning at the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, USA. He also took a specialization course in Finance at Universidad EAFIT in Medellin.

Javier began his career in 1975 working with the Interconexión Electrica S.A. E.S.P. –ISA- in the field of Electrical Planning with an emphasis on Hydraulic Resources and Expansion Models for the Planning of the Columbian Electric System.  He climbed the corporate ladder and served as General Manager from 1992 until January 2007. Javier then became the President of Ecopetrol S.A.

Among his major achievements since leading the company include its entry in the stock markets of Columbia and the U.S. Javier has also internationalized the company which now has operations in the U.S., Brazil and Peru.  The policies on Corporate Governance and human talent have been strengthened. There was also the creation of a corporate group that today has strong presence in exploration and production, refining, transportation, bio-fuels and the marketing of crude oil and refined products.

Javier has been recognized various times for his leadership achievements including receiving in 2002 the “Portafolio” award in the “Best Corporate Leader” category. América Economίa Magazine awarded him in 2005, with the “Excellence” award in the category of “Internationalization,” and in that same year the newspaper “La Repùblica” recognized him as one of the top ten executives of the year in Columbia.

Javier was a member of the Advisory Board for Corporación Calidad and the Advisory Board for Bolsa de Valores de Columbia (Columbian Stock Exchange) among others.

Ecopetrol formerly known as Empresa Colombiana de Petróleos S.A. is the largest and primary petroleum company in Columbia. 

Ken Kobayashi: Mitsubishi President & CEO

Ken Kobayashi joined Mitsubishi Corporation in July 1971 in the Ship Sales Department in Tokyo. In July 1980 he worked for Mitsubishi Corporation London Branch.  Ken served starting on December 1985 at Ship & Rolling Stock Department of Mitsubishi Corporation in Tokyo. He became General Manager of Ship & Industrial Project Department in 1998 and later served as General Manager of Mitsubishi Singapore Branch starting April 2001.

Ken became Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Singapore Branch in April 2003.  He was appointed Senior Vice President, Division COO for the Plant Project Division on June 2004. Ken continued his rise through senior ranks and by April 2007 was Executive Vice President, Group CEO of the Industrial Finance, Logistics & Development Group.  In June of the same year he became Member of the Board of the Industrial Finance, Logistics & Development Group.

After more promotions Ken was finally appointed as Member of the Board, President, and CEO of Mitsubishi Corporation.

Mitsubishi Corporation has seven Business Groups which develops operations in the diverse field of Global Environmental & Infrastructure; Industrial Finance, Logistics & Development; Energy; Metals; Machinery; Chemicals; and Living Essentials. In addition to these Business Groups, MC has also recently established its Business Service Group. Through these business groups and more than 600 subsidiaries and affiliates, MC serves customers around the world in virtually every industry. 

Richard Davis: Leading U.S. Bancrop

Richard Davis was a child star who appeared in a production of Wizard of Oz. He career though would eventually be in the financial sector He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from California State University and completed Banking School Programs at the University of Washington and Cornell University.

He began his banking career as a teller when he was eighteen years old. Richard joined Star Banc Corporation in 1993 as Executive Vice President for Consumer Banking.  In 1998, he oversaw the merger of Star Banc Corporation with Firstar Corporation. The following year Richard oversaw the merger of Firstar with Mercantile Corporation. In 2001 he was integral in the merger of Firstar and U.S. Bancorp.

Richard was the Chief Operating Office of U.S. Bancorp from October 2004 to December 2006. He has been the President since October 2004 and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in December 2006. Richard became Chairman of the board in 2007.

U.S. Bancorp has been known for its conservative approach. When Richard took the helm he took a more offensive approach solidifying the Minneapolis-based company’s presence in California, Chicago and other markets by engaging in deals to build out its branch networks. The bank launched a municipal underwriting group as part of its corporate banking expansion, attracted commercial banking talent and introduced products stemming from investments in mobile banking and remote deposit capture technology.

Richard has managed to take an offensive approach while maintaining a conservative credit culture and efficient operating model that U.S. Bancorp is known for. Since 2007 the bank has made acquisitions across consumer banking, wholesale banking, trust and payment businesses. It has upgraded its call centers, mortgage origination systems, Internet banking capabilities and branch hardware and software.

He previously served on the Board of Directors of Visa Inc. He serves as Chairman of the Finance Services Roundtable, as a Director of the Clearing House and American Bankers Association and is a member of the International Monetary Conference. 

Dr. Ling Wen: Shenhua Group CEO

In 1984 Dr. Ling Wen graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Science from the Shanghai Jiaotong University. He earned a Master’s degree in Systems Engineering in 1987 from the Harbin Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. degree in Management Engineering in 1991. He conducted research in macroeconomics as a post-doctoral fellow in the department of Automation of Shanghai Jiaotong University from 1992 to 1994.

While certainly an academic achiever, Dr. Ling goes beyond theory and has been equally successful in the world of business.  He is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Shenhua Group Corporation Limited. He serves as Chief Executive Officer of China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd (a publicly traded company), and has been its President since August 25, 2006. Dr. Ling has served in various positions at Shenhua Group prior to his eventual appointment as CEO.

He has been the Vice Chairman and Executive Director of China Shenhua Energy Co., Ltd., since June 27, 2014 and November 6, 2004 respectively.

China Shenhua is a world-leading coal-based integrated energy company. It is the largest coal supplier and vendor in China.