New Global Norm: "Superbrands" Converge at Asia Business Conference, March 6

By Laura Counts

companies

Execs from border-spanning tech powerhouses like Houzz, Evernote, and LinkedIn—which already have tens of millions of users across Asia—will be featured at the 15th annual Asia Business Conference on Friday, March 6.


This year's theme, "Converging on a New Global Norm," will explore the long-term implications of increasing globalization for both Asian and Western firms. The student-run conference will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the San Francisco Marriott. Register here (use the code HAASASIA for $15 off).

"We wanted to take a step back from the latest headlines on emerging competitors from Asia and really think about where this is all leading—for startups as well as multinationals," says conference Co-Chair Blake Street, MBA 15. "As we thought more about it, we kept coming back to the notion of global convergence."

Street used Alibaba as an example: "Will it look more like Western tech giants in 10 years, or will it retain a uniquely Asian identity and operating model?" Already, Asian firms are undergoing significant reforms to become more like established multinationals in the West. And Western firms are adapting to local markets in Asia in order to capture growth opportunities, conference organizers pointed out.

The keynote speaker is Thomas Clayton, vice president of international operations for Houzz, which announced its first foray Japan in December. Other speakers include Ying Liu, principal international designer for LinkedIn, which surpassed 50 million users in the Asia Pacific region last year, and Linda Kozlowski, vice president of worldwide operations for Evernote, which has more than 30 million users in the region. The lineup also includes executives from Goodwater Capital; Kinzon Capital; Founders Space; btrax; and 500 Startups.

"San Francisco and Silicon Valley are the Pacific Rim gateway for countries in Asia to do business and build partnerships for success in the US," says Susan Hsieh, EWMBA 16, who plans to attend. "I want to hear from today's business leaders on their exciting initiatives and how they are leveraging US and Asian talents to build better companies."

Berkeley-Haas students explore Shanghai's Nan Jing Road during an International Business Development consulting project. Berkeley-Haas students explore Shanghai's Nan Jing Road during an International Business Development consulting project.
 

 

In addition to Street, the conference is co-organized by Simon Yoo, MBA 15, along with Danny Wang, EWMBA 16; George James, MBA 16; Sydnie Reed, MBA/MPH 16; and Sandeep Srinivasan, EWMBA 17.

Posted on March 2, 2015
Laura Counts
Laura is a senior marketing and communications manager at Berkeley-Haas. As a former journalist, she finds no shortage of interesting stories to tell at Haas. As a Cal alum, she loves being able to walk to work through redwood groves along Strawberry Creek.