Clean Tech in Asia: Opportunities and Challenges

Barry is a well-acknowledged sustainability and environmental professional with over 25 years of experience in advising business leaders on formulating sustainability strategies and integrating them into corporate values and culture.

Barry joined the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks (HKSTP) in 2022. At HKSTP, Barry leads the sustainability strategy and climate agenda and drives the momentum of building next generation of bankable climate solutions ecosystem for Hong Kong and beyond.

Prior to HKSTP, Barry was the Regional Head of Climate Solutions Partnership at HSBC Asia Pacific. In the past fifteen years with HSBC, Barry acted as the subject matter expert in advising regional top management on sustainable financing solutions and business case for sustainability. He also spearheaded the design and implementation of major global climate programmes and oversaw the sustainability function in Asia Pacific network markets. He was one of the key founding members of the regional sustainability function at HSBC back to 2007.

Barry served in the vetting committees of the Environment and Conservation Fund, the Council for Sustainable Development and the Committee on Promotion of Corporate Volunteering of the Hong Kong SAR Government.

Brad Harker is a Foreign Service officer with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Foreign Commercial Service. He is currently serving as the Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong, China. In this position, Brad and his team assist U.S. companies to develop their international sales, marketing, and trade efforts in Hong Kong
and Macao. From 2014-2018, Brad was the Commercial Officer Team Leader for the aviation, rail, energy and environment sectors at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China.
From 2010-2013, Brad served as the Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia with additional responsibilities in Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro. From 2006-2010, Brad was the Principle Commercial Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Osaka, Japan where he was responsible for supporting U.S. Commercial interests in Western Japan. Brad’s first posting was in Athens, Greece from 2001-2004.

Brad joined the Commercial Service in November of 2000 after working as the International Sales Manager for Winnemucca Farms, a large food ingredients company located in northern Nevada. At Winnemucca Farms, Brad oversaw the company’s international export business in Japan, South America and Europe. From 1997 to 2000, Brad was an International Trade Specialist for the State of Nevada’s Commission on Economic Development.

Brad is fluent in Chinese, Japanese and Greek and participated in the Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program from 1994-1996 as an Assistant Language Instructor (ALT). Following JET, Brad worked in the import/export divisions of two Japanese multinational corporations, T-One Inc., a manufacturer of sports clothing, and Panasonic Avionics Systems, a manufacturer of in-flight entertainment systems for commercial aircraft.

Brad is a native of northern Nevada has a Bachelors degree in Marketing from the University of Nevada-Reno (1993) and an MBA from the College of William and Mary, Raymond A Mason School of Business (2018). Brad is married with two children and enjoys skiing and hiking in his spare time.

Cameron Johnson is based in Shanghai and a China market and industry expert with more than 20 years of in-country experience consulting on supply chains, manufacturing, and technology. His current and past clients include multi-national corporations in carbon fiber composites, automotive, software firms, personal protective equipment, and various high technology sectors. He is frequently sought out as an expert on U.S.-China trade and supply chain issues, and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, South China Morning Post, and various other news outlets. A published author, his latest work, “Impacts of Digitalization on Traceability,” published by Wiley, reviews the digitalization impact on carbon fiber supply chains in Asia. Publications also include articles in Caixin, China Business Review, and China US Focus. His work helping U.S. and other overseas buyers’ source personal protective equipment early in the COVID-19 pandemic has been featured on the PBS series Frontline.

Mr. Johnson is a partner at Tidalwave Solutions, a China-focused market research firm, and Head of APAC Strategy for FAO Global. He is also currently a Professor at the New York University School of Professional Studies at NYU’s Shanghai campus, teaching courses on leadership and project management. He previously served as the Asia general manager for a multinational carbon fiber company delivering a CAGR of 48% over 7 years, and held numerous management roles at Microsoft China.

Mr. Johnson has extensive access to business leaders and trade associations in China. He is a board member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (AmCham Shanghai), the largest expatriate business organization in China, and has served in volunteer roles at the Chamber for many years. He has been a multi-year delegate as part of the American Chamber of Commerce (Shanghai) “Door Knock” to Washington DC, Co-Chair of the Future Leaders Committee (FLC) from 2016-2018, and from 2019-2021 was the AmCham Shanghai Vice Chair of the Manufacturers Business Council. He is also an advisor to the National IDC Technology Innovation Alliance.

Mr. Johnson received Bachelor’s degrees in Comparative Religion and Communications from the University of Washington (2002), and a Graduate Certification in management and corporate strategy at the University of Wales (UK, 2005).

Wendy Owens is the Founder and CEO of Hexas Biomass, a biomaterials company producing plant-based raw materials. She is a serial entrepreneur with experience across multiple industries. Hexas combines her background in materials engineering and biotechnology with a passion to save the Earth. Concurrently with past entrepreneurial endeavors, she spent 14 years as an executive-level appointed advisor to the US Secretary of Commerce and US Trade Representative. Ms. Owens is a published author on a variety of subjects and has a Master of Art degree from Tufts University.
LinkedIn: Wendy Owens

Liz Laxague is a Senior International Trade Specialist for the U.S. Commercial Service (USCS) in Seattle, Washington. Liz covers the Environmental Technology, Energy, and Automotive/Smart Mobility sectors. She is currently Deputy Team Leader for the Water Sector on the Commercial Service’s Environmental Technology Global Team. In her career with the Commercial Service, Liz has had the opportunity to serve a temporary assignment at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya as Acting Senior Commercial Officer.

Prior to working for the USCS, Liz was an Import Specialist for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Charleston, SC. During her time in this position, she reviewed import entries to assure correct classifications and values were declared, as well as to assure imports complied with federal regulations. From her experience with CBP, Liz brings with her an expertise in foreign country import requirements and procedures.

Liz began her career with the federal government when she served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Mauritania, West Africa as a Small Enterprise Development Volunteer. During this time, Liz had the opportunity to work with small women’s cooperatives to help them implement basic business practices. Liz is originally from North Carolina, where she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Asheville with a degree in French.