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With a background in languages and international relations, Ester is a reliable and adaptable professional with both working and academic experience in multiple countries. As part of the Advocacy team, she currently manages the advocacy activities of the EU SME Centre through liaising with business and government stakeholders, managing the Inter-Chamber SME Working Group, and producing reports on SME policies in China.
Ester has a BA on Social and Institutional Translation from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and a Double Master’s Degree on European Affairs and International Politics from Sciences Po Paris and Fudan University. Prior to joining the EU SME Centre, she had professional experiences in the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China and in the European Institute for the Mediterranean (IEMed).

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Marco Förster is Dezan Shira & Associates’ Shenzhen-based International Business Advisory Associate. Growing up in Berlin and Hanoi, and by gaining on-the-ground China experience since 2014, Marco feels comfortable in projects involving multiple jurisdictions. He mainly advises corporate investors in setting up and growing their businesses in China and ASEAN. These services can range from pre-entry assessments to “China Plus One” strategies, and ongoing support in conjunction with DSA’s legal, tax, accounting, HR and payroll teams. Within the German Desk, Marco looks after the firm’s German, Austrian and Swiss accounts, oversees publications and business partnerships.

Marco speaks fluent German, English, Mandarin, and Vietnamese, and studied economics and Chinese in Hangzhou and Beijing respectively. In 2018, he has joined the firm in Beijing and prior to that, he has gained consulting experience at other consultancies throughout Germany, China and Vietnam.