The Rhodes University Investec Business School (RIBS) 4th Business Forum of the year to be held on Monday 19 April 2010 will focus on the: 'Making sense of China's rise: Opportunities and Challenges for South African business: A South African bank's experiences'.
Guest speaker, Thomas Orr, who was schooled in Grahamstown, was stationed in Standard Bank's Beijing Office for 18 months just after it opened as a Manager in the ICBC Strategic Partnership team. He was one of the first employees in the new Beijing Office in mid 2008 and had first-hand experience into the complexities of making new business ventures in China work well.
He has now returned to Standard Bank Head Office, as Manager in the Investment Banking Client Coverage Department; covering the Energy, Infrastructure and Utilities Sector; Africa-wide focus.
Owen Skae, the Director of RIBS says that, “This forum is very opportune and timely. Right now, the leaders of the world's most two powerful economies, US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao, are meeting.
“Thomas Orr, who has intimate knowledge of China, will give our audience a direct opportunity to learn about what it means to do business with China.
“Given Thomas's new role on Energy and Infrastructure, he will also be able to share with us insights into something that many people are not aware of, namely that the world's leading renewable energy drive is happening in China".
The Business Forum will take place in Barratt Lecture Theatre 1 at 18:30 followed by a cocktail party with the guests from Standard Bank.