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Dr Romano Prodi is best known as twice serving Prime Minister of Italy (from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998 and from 17 May 2006 to 8 May 2008) and as the tenth President of the European Commission from 1999 to 2004.

As President his commission oversaw a significant increase in power and influence for the European Union (EU) culminating in the signing of the Amsterdam Treaty and the adoption of the single European currency by 12 of the 15 EU Member States. Latterly his commission oversaw the expansion the EU to 10 new countries from Central, Eastern and Southern Europe.

From November 1982 to October 1989, he was chairman and CEO of the Institute for Industrial Reconstruction (IRI), which was the largest Italian public holding.
Recalled to head the Institute in 1993, he saw through the privatization of a number of industrial, banking and service companies.

Since leaving political office for good, Prodi been President of the Foundation for Worldwide Cooperation and was named Chairman of the United Nations-African Union High-level Panel for Peacekeeping in Africa. From February 2009 to December 2013 he was Professor at-large at Brown University (USA) and from 2010 to November 2015 he was Professor of CEIBS (China Europe International Business School) in Shanghai and is now a member of the board.

During his illustrious academic and institutional career, Romano Prodi has been awarded a number of recognitions and he also holds various honorary degrees.

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Jörg Wuttke is Vice President and Chief Representative of BASF China, based in Beijing. Since joining BASF in 1997, Mr. Wuttke has been responsible for helping guide the company’s investment strategies for China, negotiation of large projects and government relations.

Previous to joining BASF, Mr. Wuttke worked with ABB for 11 years; in fact his first professional encounter with China was in 1988 as the Finance and Administration Manager of ABB Beijing. In 1990, he returned to Germany as Sales Manager of ABB Power Plants Division, responsible for gas turbine sales to Africa and Russia. In 1993, he became Chief Representative ABB China in Shanghai and in 1994 moved to the President's Office of ABB China in Beijing, where he was responsible for the development and financing of large projects.

From 2001 to 2004 Mr. Wuttke was the Chairman of the German Chamber of Commerce in China. From 2007 to 2010, 2014 to 2017, and since May 2019 again he is the President of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China

From 2011 to 2019, Mr. Wuttke was Chairman of the BIAC China Task Force of the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD (BIAC), a Paris based body of major business associations that lobbies the OECD.

From 2013 to 2016, and again since 2019 Mr. Wuttke is Vice Chairman of the CPCIF International Cooperation Committee, a group representing Multinational Companies in China’s Chemical Association.

Since its establishment in 2013, Mr. Wuttke is member of the Advisory Board of Germany’s foremost Think Tank on China, Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), in Berlin.

In January 2019 Mr. Wuttke joined the International Board of the Stars Foundation, in Switzerland. stars - for Leaders of the Next Generation.

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Mr. Sergio Bertasi is the Chief Representative Intensa Sanpaolo S.p.A Beijing Representative Office. He has extensive international experience within the Intesa Group for 20 years as Alternate Chief Executive in Hong Kong and heading the Europe and Africa Office of the Corporate Division’s International Banking Network. He has also worked as General Manager for the Societe Europeen de Banque.

He is the Chairman of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China and is a former Vice-Chair of the Banking & Securities Working Group of the European Union Chamber of Commerce. He is fluent in Italian. Mr. Bertasi received a Law Degree.

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Ing. Guido D. Giacconi is co-founder and currently President of In3act Srl, an Italian business strategy consulting and advisory company with operations in China since 2006, focused on Energy and Environmental Protection, Regions Business and Economy Planning, Automotive, Consumer Goods, Chemical, Retail. Among many European Clients, In3act is honored to assist also National and Local Chinese Governments -unique Italian strategy consulting company to serve Public Administrations in China.

He is also CEO of In3act Global - a Group holding with interests in consulting and investments - CEO of GDG&C Srl, a business consulting company specialized in SMEs, active in Europe and China.
Former national Chair of EUCCC Energy WG, former Vice Chairman of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, former Chair of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce Energy and Environment Protection Working Committee, consultant to the Embassy of Italy in China and Italian Trade Agency. In 2017 Ing. Giacconi has developed and issued an advanced study of the Made in China 2025 Chinese Government program and released to Italian Institutions for designing and setting up the most proper Sino-Italian cooperation.

Recently participated as advisor to EU Commission and the State Council think tank Development Reform Center about the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investments under discussion between Europe and China.
Associate Prof. at Scuola Sant’Anna di Pisa, Member of Experts Committee and professor at Global Management China Master and lecturer in many Universities in Europe and China including Tsinghua University in Beijing, member of the Scientific Committee of Rigneracity/Remtech.

Deep strategy consulting experience having covered positions as senior partner of prominent business strategy firms such as Bain Company, KPMG, Booz Allen and Hamilton, Roland Berger with assignments in many countries in Europe and USA.
Matured a deep managerial experience assuming the role of Managing Director and CEO in several companies in Europe. Ing. Giacconi started his career in Procter & Gamble where he worked for about a decade and achieved the responsibility of VP EMEA for several product categories in USA and Europe. Ing. Giacconi worked in USA, UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy and China where Ing. Giacconi is resident for years.

Degree in Electronic and Bioengineering at Bologna University. Matured deep experiences, both as manager and strategy advisor, in many industrial sectors with specific focus on Energy and Environment Protection, Urban Energy Planning, Circular Economy, Healthcare, Consumer and Luxury Goods, Government Affairs, Agriculture, ICT, Industrial goods, etc.
Acquired a broad experience in business management and practicing in complex multicultural environments and in structuring business internationalization strategies aimed at harmonizing business practices and culture gaps, both for SMEs and MNCs.