Larry Franklin

Former General Manager - Investments & Head Legal Counsel, Hutchison Whampoa (China)

" Adjunct Professor "

Prof. Larry Franklin has worked full-time for the past 25 years, and taught part time. In the last 10 years, he has taught full-time and consulted part-time. He has been actively involved in more than 300 deals, raising more than US$5 billion in funds for China projects, and more than US$4 billion for projects in the rest of Asia.

Larry has been living and working in Asia since 1981, as a lawyer, commercial banker, investment banker, China advisor and equity investor. Most recently, he worked for Hutchison Whampoa (China) Ltd. (HWCL), the China subsidiary of Hutchison Whampoa Ltd., as General Manager-Investments of a US$500 million Venture Capital Fund making direct investments in Greater China, and as Head Legal Counsel. Hutchison Whampoa is generally considered the largest conglomerate in Asia, ex-Japan, and was the most profitable company in the world in 1999, according to Business Week. Its major shareholder is Cheung Kong, owned by Mr. Li Ka Shing, reportedly the richest man in Hong Kong, according to Time magazine.

Previously, Larry held the position of Deputy Managing Director for AIA Capital Corp. (AIACC), the flagship investment banking arm in Asia of the American International Group (AIG). Larry was actively involved in investment banking transactions and in structuring investments in the Asia region for AIACC’s US$110 million Venture Capital Fund, as well as for AIG’s US$1.1 billion Infrastructure Fund. AIG at the time had more than US$75 billion in investments in Asia Pacific.

From 1981-1989, Larry worked for The First National Bank of Chicago (now part of JP Morgan), first as Asia Pacific Regional Counsel (1981-85) and then as China Country Head (1985-89).

Larry holds MBA and Juris Doctor degrees from Stanford, and is a Certified Public Accountant. Larry has taught more than 300 graduate-level business and law courses.

Larry has acted as a consultant for a number of companies to advise on transactions in China and Asia. A partial client list includes: Amoco, Arco, Bechtel, Conoco, Dow, Firestone, Freeport-McMoran, General Foods, Hewlett-Packard, Hilton, Koppers, McDonald’s, Marriott, Midlantic, PPG (U.S.); CNOOC (oil), CNCDC (coal), QFG (building materials) (China); Samsung, Tong Yang Group (Korea); Taiwan Glass (Taiwan); HKR (Hong Kong); the Philippine Government, PLDT, Piltel (Philippines); P.T. Astra, P.T. Samudera, P.T. Modern (Indonesia); Pratt Group (Australia); Zeneca (U.K.); Alcatel, Le Meridien (France); Nedlloyd (Netherlands); Norsk Hydo (Norway); IMPSA (Argentina).

Veronique Lafon-Vinais

Former Head of Treasury Origination, Standard Chartered (Hong Kong)

" Associate Professor of Business Education "

Professor Veronique Lafon-Vinais is a seasoned market professional with over 20 years of banking and capital markets experience. She has worked in all the major financial markets: European markets (Paris, London, Madrid), North America (Chicago) and Asia (Hong Kong). She has extensive experience in all the major debt markets including loan syndications and assets sales (par and distressed debt), money markets, debt capital markets (including derivatives structured products distribution) and structured, trade and project finance. A seasoned loans and syndications specialist, Veronique developed the secondary market for loans at First Chicago in London and was involved in the development of the EMTN market at its inception. She arranged and syndicated plain vanilla and structured transactions in Europe, the US and Asia for sovereign, public and corporate entities including the Kingdom of Spain, Republic of Ireland, ICO, ARCO Chemicals, Sinopec, COSCO, Cathay Pacific, FECSA, Endesa, Motorola and numerous financial institutions. Veronique joined Credit Agricole in Paris in 1980 after graduating from HEC; she moved to First Chicago in London in 1984 then to Chicago in 1990; in 1991 Veronique joined Union Investissements in Paris to work on various M&A and corporate finance advisory projects. Veronique moved to Hong Kong in 1994 as Managing Director, Financial Markets, Asia Pacific for First Chicago. She joined Standard Chartered Bank plc as Head of Treasury Origination in 2000 and retired from banking in 2001.

Tat Koon Koh

HKUST Business School Director of Global Business Program

" Director of Global Business Program "

Chris Doran

CEO Asia, Strategic Thinking Group
Former Director of Strategic Planning and Development, A.S. Watson

" Adjunct Associate Professor; Academic Director, Kellogg-HKUST EMBA Program "

Professor Chris Doran has over 20 years experience in consulting, working as a consultant in largeand small firms, as an internal consultant in a staff role and as a client. He learnt how to be a consultant at McKinsey & Co, the world’s leading management consultancy. He was based in the London and Delhi Offices, rising from business analyst to associate to engagement manager.

He has been an internal consultant for 10 years within major multinationals. He has been Strategy Director for A.S.Watson (the retail division of Hutchison Whampoa), Lend Lease (one of Australia’s largest Real Estate companies) and UDV, the US$2 billion operating profit drinks division of Diageo plc. His responsibilities have included M&A, corporate strategy, new ventures and running the strategic planning process for over 50 business units in 34 countries. He therefore has first-hand experience of the challenges and opportunities of consulting in a staff role and getting the best from consultants as a client.

In addition to teaching on the HKUST MBA program, he is currently CEO Asia for the Strategic Thinking Group, an international Group of leading strategy practitioners who assist Chief Executive Officers of organisations around the world to craft, execute and sustain their strategic direction.

Prior to his MBA from INSEAD in France, he has a first class Masters degree in Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Cambridge in England.

Stephen Nason

Professor of Business Practice
Director, World Bachelor of Business Program

" Professor of Business Practice "

Professor Stephen Nason has taught in the MGMT Department at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology since 1996. He is the Director of the World Bachelor in Business (WBB) program, a joint venture between USC, Bocconi University, and HKUST, and the Co-director of LABU. Stephen has taught extensively in a wide range of MBA programs at HKUST, and other universities, (including the full time, part time, executive, and company specific MBA programs). He has also taught a wide range of UG courses, generally around negotiations and decision making. Stephen has won almost as many teaching awards as Larry (including the Michael G. Gale Medal 2012, Great Minds 2012, Franklin Prize for both UG and MBA teaching and Top Ten Lecturers Award 2008, 2009, and 2011).

Professor Nason has published various articles in premier journals, including The Academy of Management Journal, Human Resource Management Journal, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Journal of Management, etc. He has consulted widely (with firms such as Motorola, Cisco, Samsung Electronics, Michelin, and others). Stephen has co-authored a book and several cases.

Cassian Cheung

Academic qualification 
MBA Kellogg School of Management,
USA BSc Saint Joseph's College, USA

" Adjunct Professor "