Far East / Asia Speakers

Gary Duncan is the former Economics Editor of The Times, an award-winning journalist, and one of the country’s leading economic and financial commentators. As a Times columnist, he jointly wrote the paper’s flagship weekly economics commentary, sharing this with Anatole Kaletsky.

Duncan has covered economics for The Times for the past decade. Before becoming Economics Editor he was Economics Correspondent for four years. Previously, he spent 10 years writing for The Scotsman, Scotland’s national newspaper, where he was Economics Editor and chief economics commentator, writing a regular weekly column on UK and Scottish economic affairs. He also spent five years covering UK politics as a Lobby Correspondent at Westminster, becoming a noted commentator on political trends, as well as an admired and witty sketch-writer.

Gary Duncan has an in-depth expertise on the UK economy, with contacts at the highest levels among top economic policy-makers, in Britain and beyond. He has interviewed leading figures including the last three Chancellors of the Exchequer, the present and previous Governors of the Bank of England (Mervyn King and Lord George), many past and present members of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee, as well as senior US policy-makers.

Duncan is highly regarded for his insight into all aspects of monetary, fiscal, and broader economic policy, as well as their impact on UK politics and the business environment. He also has extensive expertise in the European, US and leading Asian economies, as well as broader global economic prospects and trends. He is adept at simplifying complex issues and presenting them in a lucid and compelling, as well as entertaining way.

Gary Duncan has substantial experience of speaking to audiences of all sizes from 10 to 500-plus, including conference platform speaking, and presentations at business lunches and dinners. He has chaired formal events for the World Economic Forum’s prestigious annual meeting in Davos, with participants up to heads of governments and multi-national chief executives.

Tanya Beckett is the presenter of BBC World News’ World News Today: Business Edition. She has worked as a presenter for the BBC since 1998, anchoring a variety of news and business programmes across the BBC’s including Business Breakfast, Breakfast News, Working Lunch and most recently, World Business Report. She also co-presents news programmes live from Washington with her London-based colleague, Zeinab Badawi.

In 2003 Tanya moved to the US, where she hosted live shows in New York and Washington, reporting on key events such as the 2004 presidential election and the Wall Street Financial scandals. She was also the New York-based presenter of World Business Report on BBC World News.

After graduating from Oxford with a degree in Metallurgy and the Science of Materials, Tanya spent a year working for Courtaulds, researching the properties of carbon and glass fibres. She then spent the next four years working as an investment banker for Commerzbank in Frankfurt and Citibank in London.

In 1993, Tanya became a business and political reporter for CNBC Europe. She’s worked for various broadcasters including BBC, NBC Europe and CNBC Europe, where she presented The Moneywheel and FT Business Tonight; for Sky News as presenter of its live nightly business news programme; for CNN International, reporting from the London International Financial Futures Exchange; and for News Direct Radio 97.3 in London.

During her television career, Tanya also presented a 30-minute chat show for NBC Europe with guests from the worlds of politics, showbusiness and the arts, including Chaim Herzog, Salman Rushdie, Ian Smith and Eddie Izzard.

Tanya speaks German and French fluently and has completed many high profile assignments both corporate and broadcast in both languages.

Dr Marc Faber was born in Zurich, Switzerland. He studied in Geneva, Zurich and Economics at the University of Zurich. At the age of 24, obtained a PhD in Economics magna cum laude.

In the 70’s Dr Faber worked for White Weld & Company Limited in New York, Zurich and Hong Kong and since 1973, he has lived in Hong Kong. From 1978 to 1990, he was the Managing Director of Drexel Burnham Lambert (HK) Ltd. setting up his own business in 1990 as an investment advisor and fund manager.

Dr Faber publishes a widely read monthly investment newsletter “The Gloom Boom & Doom Report” which highlights unusual investment opportunities, and is the author of several books including “ TOMORROW’S GOLD – Asia’s Age of Discovery” which was first published in 2002 and highlights future investment opportunities around the world. “TOMORROW’S GOLD” was for several weeks on Amazon’s best seller list and is being translated into Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai and German. Dr. Faber is also a regular contributor to several leading financial publications around the world.

A book on Dr Faber, “RIDING THE MILLENNIAL STORM”, by Nury Vittachi, was published in 1998. A regular speaker at investment seminars, Dr Faber is well known for his “contrarian” investment approach.
He is also associated with a variety of funds and is a member of the Board of Directors of numerous companies.

THE GLOOM BOOM & DOOM REPORT

The Gloom Boom & Doom Report is an in depth economic and financial publication, which highlights unusual investment opportunities around the world. The guiding philosophy is that, as Horace already observed, “many shall be restored that are now fallen and many shall fall that are now in honour.” The Gloom Boom & Doom report aims, based on economic, social and historical trends, to warn investors when investment themes have become widely accepted and are, therefore, highly priced and risky, while it continuously searches for opportunities in unloved and depressed markets. Subscribers to the GBD report are usually institutional investors, corporations or high net worth individuals, who are in a position to invest internationally and in all asset classes including bonds, equities, commodities and real estate, and have the necessary account facilities in place to do so.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1993-1998. He also served as Minister of Finance for Malaysia from 1991-1998. Highly respected for his principled stance against corruption and his skillful management of the Malaysian economy during the turbulent period of its financial crisis, Anwar is also viewed as one of the forefathers of the Asian Renaissance and a leading proponent of greater cooperation among civilizations.

He is an ardent supporter of democracy and is an authoritative voice bridging the gap between East and West. Anwar was invited to join the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the ruling political party in Malaysia, and the government in 1982, by then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. His rise in the party and in the government was meteoric.

He was elected in 1984, as Leader of UMNO Youth and in 1986, became a Vice-President of UMNO. He served as Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports in 1983; Minister of Agriculture in 1984; and Minister of Education in 1986, prior to his tenure as Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in the 90s.

Active on the national front, Anwar has also been highly engaged in the international arena. He has been a strong advocate for civilizational dialogue and has worked tirelessly towards the ideals of Convivencia, the mutual coexistence of civilizations and the interplay of different social, cultural, and spiritual ideas.

Anwar also was Chairman of the Development Committee of World Bank and International Monetary Fund in 1998. During his tenure he strongly endorsed the initiatives of debt cancellation and reprieve for poor countries, particularly those in Africa.

Throughout his career in public service, Anwar was unrelenting in his campaign against corruption and has been committed to the ideals of empowerment, justice, and equity. He has stressed the need for internal reforms in order to reinforce civil and democratic institutions and to expand the democratic space. As acting Prime Minister in 1997 he introduced the controversial but effective Anti-Corruption Legislation. His emphasis on social justice, poverty eradication, education and civil society has guided his government involvement to the end.

During his tenure as Finance Minister, Malaysia enjoyed unprecedented prosperity and economic growth and joined the ranks of other Asian countries as an “Asian Tiger.” Anwar’s impact on the economy was immediate. Shortly after becoming Finance Minister, Euromoney named him as one of the top four finance ministers and in 1996, Asiamoney named him Finance Minister of the Year.

In the midst of Asian Financial Crises of 1997, Anwar was hailed for guiding Malaysia through this period of instability. He backed free market principles and called for “creative destruction”, highlighting the need to reconsider the proximity of business and politics in Malaysia. He advocated for greater accountability and refused to offer government bail-outs to companies facing bankruptcy. He also instituted widespread spending cuts and gut government expenditure on mega projects. These prescriptions saved the Malaysian economy and earned Anwar many accolades, including the title “Asian of the Year” by Newsweek International in 1998.

As Anwar amplified his calls for reform in 1998, fearing that he was losing his grip over the country, then Prime Minister Mahathir dismissed Anwar from the government and had him tried on trumped up charges.

Anwar’s trial and subsequent conviction were widely discredited in the international community. Amnesty International stated that the entire trial proceedings “ exposed a pattern of political manipulation of key state institutions including the police, public prosecutor’s office and the judiciary” Many world leaders including US Vice President Al Gore as well as the US Senate called for his release from prison.

His conviction was overturned by the Malaysian Supreme Court and Anwar was finally released from solitary confinement on September 2, 2004.

Since 2004 he has held lecturing positions at St. Anthony’s College at Oxford, the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University and at the School of Foreign Service in Georgetown University. Anwar was recently appointed as Honorary President of the London-based group AccountAbility as well as Chairman of the Beirut-based Foundation for the Future. Anwar is also currently advisor to the People’s Justice Party (Keadilan), Malaysia.

He is an internationally renowned speaker on the subjects of democracy, freedom, governance, Islam and democracy and the need for accountability. He resides in Malaysia with his wife and six children.

In 2005 Amani brought the Ancient Arab world alive to BBC audiences with What The Ancients Did For Us; the language of the modern Arab world alive in the BBC’s (Award Winning) Primary Arabic and the issues of Rural Britain to the fore in Countryfile.

Amani’s transition to front of camera came about in 2004 when both Primary Arabic and What The Ancients Did For Us saw what she was able to bring to the party…

She achieved an MA in Near and Middle Eastern Studies (involving Arabic translation, Law and Economics) from the School of Oriental and African Studies in 1998.

She worked as a Social Counsellor with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees affiliated project in the Arab republic of Yemen which also involved being an intermediary between state/UN authorities and refugee advocate in courts and authorities.

From PR Assistant at the Head Office of Saudi Arabian Airlines Amani moved to become the PA to the BBC correspondent in Yemen, and at this point began to research for BBC World News.

In 1999 Amani was researching for the BBC’s Holocaust Memorial day coverage. In 2001 she was developing ideas and concepts for the BBC and organised television events, thereafter moving to BBC New Media, and on to Events Co-ordination.

Now Amani is developing her own programme, giving unique insight into the Arab world, using her excellent voice-over skills – and at the same time can be seen presenting BBC TV’s Computer Tutor on: www.bbc.co.uk/computertutor.

Hamish McRae is one of Europe’s leading futurists. He is the author of the acclaimed work on the future “The World in 2020: Power, Culture and Prosperity” and was named Business and Finance Journalist of the Year 2006 at the British Press Awards.

He is associate editor and the principal economic commentator of “The Independent” and “The Independent on Sunday”.

Since the publication of “The World in 2020″ he has been in demand world-wide as a speaker on the future.

His other books include “Capital City – London as a Financial Centre”, co-authored with Frances Cairncross, and “Wake-up Japan”, co-authored with Tadashi Nakamae. Awards include Financial Journalist of the Year in 1979, a special merit award in the first Amex Bank essay awards in 1987, 1996 Columnist of the Year in the Periodical Publisher’s Awards – and in 2005 the David Watt Prize for outstanding political journalism. He is a visiting professor at the School of Management at Lancaster University and a council member of the Royal Economic Society.

His current areas of work include the shift of power to the economies of Asia and the impact of the new technologies on the world economy. He is now working on a new book on global best practice.

He was educated at Fettes College, Edinburgh and has an MA in Economics and Political Science from Trinity College, Dublin. He was deputy editor of “The Banker” and editor of “Euromoney” before becoming financial editor of “The Guardian” in 1975. In 1989 he moved to “The Independent” where he is now associate editor.

`A charismatic and innovative speaker. I can only recommend him.’
Deutsche Telekom

`An engaging and entertaining speaker, credible and authoritative.’
BBC

‘Thank you for your excellent talk at our chief executives’ conference, it contributed greatly to the success of the occasion. You certainly stimulated lively debate both for the rest of evening and beyond.’
Islandsbanki

`Hamish successfully stimulated group discussion after an excellent presentation. He is a pleasure to work with’
Scottish Enterprise

Dominique de Villepin is the former Prime Minister of France from 2005 – 2007. Following a career as a diplomat he became renown throughout France and the rest of the world for his views on peace and justice. He was a leader in promoting a policy of multilateralism through global governance. He was also active in reform for both French and European global policy.

Skills developed during his years in the diplomatic service and as Minister of the Interior enabled him to confront the issues of the underlying aggression in the French suburbs leading him onto dealing with the battles of Africa and the Middle East. Not deterred by the level of conflict or popularity aspects he used such strategies as calling a state of emergency in 2005 to deal with some of the problems faced by France at such time. He was a champion for the people working to provide solutions for unemployment realising a reduction of approximately 20 % in this during his time in office.

Coming from outside of France having been born in North Africa and spending his early years in South America enabled him to have a wider perspective on both continents with an ideal to promote further understanding and develop a unity between the two. An active writer he expanded on his ideas for a vision of man in a diverse environment searching for solutions to maintain cultural identities within a common ground.

A man with vision he can bring not just experience but thoughts for the future from a context of intense thought and deliberation.

Prime Minister de Villepin speaks French, English and Spanish.

Akio Miyabayashi was CEO of Minolta Europe for twenty years and is considered the outstanding Japanese businessman in Europe. He became CEO Minolta Europe in 1975, and led them through a period of tremendous change until 1995. His clear understanding of the criteria and driving forces of global competitiveness enabled him to successfully develop the European operations.

From 1987 to 1995 he was a member of the Board of Directors of Minolta Ltd in Japan, with special responsibility for Europe. In 1995 on his retirement he became Senior Corporate Adviser for Minolta.

Akio’s ability to understand different cultures of the world and utilising them for successful growth, enabled Minolta to become a major player in Europe, with 44 companies and subsidiaries and 2 factories throughout Europe, including Eastern Europe and throughout the former Soviet Union.

Akio Miyabayashi is a charismatic speaker with knowledge of European, American and Japanese cultures. He has shared centre stage with many of the world’s prominent politicians and business leaders. His presentations give insights into European and Asian developments in industry, management and society, and offer meaningful projections into the 21st Century.

Akio conducts the Executive Leadership Program for the American Management Association. He is an advisory board member of the Graduate School of Business Administration, Zurich, Switzerland, and lectures in Business Strategy

Apart from lectures and keynote speeches he is also a regular panelist and can deliver his presentations in English, German or Japanese.

He also advises several major Japanese corporations operating in Europe.