The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada is proud to share its fifth Asia Leaders’ Speaker Series webinar, Navigating the China Market Post COVID-19 with J. Michael Evans, the President of Alibaba Group.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, China has been able to effectively contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, begin recovery, and resume normal operations. Notably, throughout both the outbreak and recovery stages, China has seen a profound acceleration in digital transformation across almost all sectors. Businesses have had to turn to digital tools like never before in order to navigate the disruptions caused by COVID-19, and consumer behaviour has been fundamentally reshaped.
In this session, recoreded on June 10, 2020, Alibaba Group President Michael Evans discusses the implications for long-term change and recovery in China as well as how Alibaba is leveraging its digital economy to empower businesses and SMEs from around the world to access growth opportunities in China and embrace digital transformation.
About the Speaker
J. Michael Evans has served as the President of Alibaba Group since August 2015. As president, Mr. Evans is responsible for leading and executing Alibaba Group's international strategy for globalizing the company and expanding its businesses outside of China. He also serves as a member of Alibaba's board, having served as an independent director since the company's initial public offering in September 2014.
Prior to that, Mr. Evans spent 30 years in global finance. He served as vice chairman of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. from February 2008 until December 2013. He served as chairman of Asia operations at Goldman Sachs from 2004 to 2013 and was the global head of Growth Markets at Goldman Sachs from January 2011 to December 2013. He also co-chaired the Business Standards Committee of Goldman Sachs from 2010 to 2013. Mr. Evans joined Goldman Sachs in 1993, became a partner of the firm in 1994 and held various leadership positions within the firm's securities business while based in New York and London, including global head of equity capital markets and global co-head of the equities division, and global co-head of the securities business.
Mr. Evans is a member of the Board of Directors of Barrick Gold Corporation. He is also a trustee of the Asia Society and a member of the Advisory Council for the Bendheim Center for Finance at Princeton University, and a board member of City Harvest.
Mr. Evans received his bachelor's degree in politics from Princeton University in 1981 and won an Olympic gold medal for his home country Canada as a member of the men's eights rowing team in the Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olympics.
