China Business, China Trade, Business in China, Chinese Business Culture

Benoît Ams, a Belgian national, is a specialist in international marketing.

A Belgian national based in China for seven years, Benoit Ams is an experienced international marketing professional and intercultural expert.
His professional career started in Brussels where he founded and managed an event marketing company. In two years, he organised two major cultural events in Brussels with major industrial sponsors and national press coverage. He then focused his activities to market research with qualitative and quantitative market research and focus groups, working on files ranging from consumer goods to distribution.

He then decided to go to Australia where he worked under contract for the Belgian Foreign Trade Board on market research and international marketing strategy for Belgian firms. He has been awarded the title of “laureate of the prize of the ministry of foreign trade” in Belgium.

Returning to Europe, he worked as an independent expert in international marketing helping SME’s with their export and international marketing strategy and received the title of “Specialist in Foreign Trade” (Specialiste en Commerce Exterieur) from the Walloon Export Agency (AWEX). In this capacity he conducted numerous business development projects mostly in Europe and Asia.

He then joined the European Commission funded EU-China Junior Manager Training Programme to specialise in the specific aspects of doing business in China.

Subsequently he acted for 5 years as General Manager of a premium food products distribution company representing multinational companies in China for which he successfully built and managed a nation-wide distribution network with offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong-Kong. During these five years, he gained a deep understanding of the specifics of the Chinese business culture and the particulars of doing business in China.

In 2002, he founded New Step International Limited, in Hong-Kong. Since then, he has advised nearly 50 companies in the field of marketing strategy and operations in China Mainland and Hong-Kong. He has extensive experience of the branded consumer goods and distribution sectors, and has conducted projects for headquarters, representative offices, Join-Ventures, and distribution centres.

Doing Business in Asia, Marketing in Asia and Distribution strategy are still the main focuses of his work today.

Benoit is a passionate entrepreneur and is currently involved in several start-ups in Asia. He authored the first-ever business book devoted to the realities of doing business in China for SME’s and writes regularly for the trade and business press.

He is also member of the Eurochallenge and F.A.C.E. networks and is consultant for the ‘partenariat interentreprise’ project sponsored by the European Union and the Walloon Region of Belgium. Benoit is a member of the Hong-Kong Institute of Marketing.

Benoit holds business degree from Brussels' Solvay Business School, Brussels’ Universite Libre de Bruxelles and Beijing Foreign Language University. Based in Shanghai and Hong-Kong for 7 years, he speaks Mandarin Chinese and English in addition to his native French.

Laurence Diet, a French national, is a specialist in e-business and operations.

Her professional career started in Belgium where she worked as an e-business consultant for Ulysse Group s.a. during two years. During these years, she has advised mid to big-sized companies in e-business and e-marketing related topics, in sectors ranging from luxury goods to chemical industry.
She then joined the European Commission funded EU-China Junior Manager Training Programme to specialise in the specific aspects of doing business in China.

Subsequently, she worked for alibaba.com, the leading China based internet platform. During her stay with alibaba.com, she led a project team focused on the development of a marketing and communication strategy for the European Market.

Then, she acted as Operation Manager during 5 years for a French invested sourcing company in Shanghai, representing national and international retailers for their sourcing operations in China for outdoor and indoor furniture, textile, tools and toys. She also helped European factories to outsource manufacturing of finished or semi-finished products in China.

Laurence holds business degree from Toulouse’s Ecole Superieure de Commerce, and was graduated by Beijing Foreign Language University in the framework of the European Commission`s program for junior Managers. Based in Shanghai and Hong-Kong for 7 years, she speaks Mandarin Chinese and English in addition to her native French.