DEZAN SHIRA & ASSOCIATES - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Dezan Shira Partner
Adam Livermore is an equity partner at Dezan Shira & Associates. Born in London, he has been living in China for the past sixteen years and is proficient in Chinese and Japanese.
Adam is based in our Dalian office where he manages both client-facing resources as well as several internal functions for the firm. Adam has been exposed to most areas of the firm's broad range of operations, but has a particular specialization in the areas of Human Resources in China, relating to both the legal and administrative aspects. He also possesses a comprehensive understanding of the key legal and accounting topics related to foreign direct investment in China. Having overseen Dezan Shira's Indian operations for the past several years, Adam is able to compare and contrast these two huge, yet fundamentally different economies, and can provide insights into their respective business cultures and the operational challenges foreign investors face.
Before coming to China, Adam worked for nine years in Japan. During his time there he became deeply involved in commercial real estate finance, working at GMAC Commercial Mortgage. His work exposed him to the business areas of asset management, property management, distressed loan servicing, commercial loan origination and REIT structuring. Properties under Adam's management at the time included office buildings, sports centers, distribution centers, supermarkets and mixed-use buildings. His focus was on the maintenance and disposition of these assets for the company.
Adam has co-authored a book with colleagues from Dezan Shira's Dalian office entitled "Human Resources in China." It provides in-depth explanations of the critical aspects that foreign managers need to understand when dealing with human resources issues in the People's Republic of China. He regularly contributes to Asia Briefing's series of technical guides and provides technical insight for Asia Briefing's business websites. Recently a key focus of his is how to leverage ERP systems and other tools to integrate, localize and automate accounting work. Many of these articles have been syndicated in business publications worldwide.
Job Titles:
- Managing Partner
- Member of the Technology Committee
- Chairman of Its South China Chapter
- Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce
- International Advisor to the Guangzhou Government
- Member of YPO
- National Board Member of the China
- Vice Chairman of the European Union Chamber of Commerce
Alberto Vettoretti was born in Italy and received his education in the UK where he obtained a bachelor's degree in Chinese, Economics, and Management from the University of Durham and an MSc with a specialization in Chinese law from the University of Staffordshire.
He has been living in Asia for over 26 years and speaks and writes fluent Mandarin, Italian, English, and Spanish.
Alberto joined Dezan Shira & Associates as an equity partner in September 1998. Over the years, the company has grown into one of the largest, privately-held pan-Asia professional organization with over 350 professionals and 26 offices.
In 2014, he led the firm's expansion in Asia through the establishment of the Dezan Shira Asia Alliance network with partners and offices in Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Russia, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Dezan Shira & Associates and its Asia Alliance are at the forefront of professional services in the region and represent one of the largest and longest established professional networks in Asia.
Alberto oversees the global operations and expansion of the firm and directly manages five offices in South China (Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Zhongshan, and Hong Kong) and all the company's ASEAN branches. Alberto is responsible for the firm's overall development in overseas markets including its liaison offices in the US and Europe.
In 2006, the firm was appointed as a foundation member of the Leading Edge International Alliance (LEA) of global accountants and auditors. LEA is the 5th largest tax and accounting association world-wide with 135 firms, more than 1,800 partners and revenues of US$ 3 billion in 2022. Alberto is currently a global board member and also a board member of its Asia Pacific Regional Council. Since 2023, Alberto is also the chairman of the LEA global governance committee.
Alberto was formerly a national board member of the China - Italy Chamber of Commerce, the Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce, Guangdong - Shenzhen Sub Chamber, the Vice Chairman of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China and the Chairman of its South China Chapter.
Since 2008, Alberto has been a member of YPO (Young President Organization), Pan GBA Chapter - for which he acts as Finance Chair.
From 2011 to 2017, Alberto was appointed as an International Advisor to the Guangzhou Government (PR China) in recognition of his expertise on FDI in the region and his contribution to the improvement of the city's business environment.
Alberto has consistently contributed to the firm's subsidiary publishing company, Asia Briefing Ltd., which produces a variety of titles related to doing business in Asia - including China Briefing, Vietnam Briefing, India Briefing and ASEAN Briefing. Alberto's comments also regularly appear in international publications such as The Financial Times, The South China Morning Post, Il Sole 24 Ore, China Daily and a host of other local and internationally recognized publications.
Alberto is currently a guest lecturer at the University of Naples l'Orientale (Italy) for their Master in Global Management for China program where he teaches the module on Accounting, Tax and Audit in China.
Job Titles:
- Editor
- Associate, Editorial and Research
Job Titles:
- Editor
- Deputy Editor, ASEAN Briefing
Ayman Falak is the Editor for ASEAN Briefing based in Jakarta, Indonesia.
He writes on legal, economic, and regulatory developments for foreign investors and multinational corporations. His role includes conducting research and managing the ASEAN Briefing website and magazine.
Before joining Asia Briefing, Ayman worked as a business writer for an Indonesian business intelligence firm. The firm provided analysis for international investors on Indonesian companies and the country's business climate.
Ayman holds a BSc in Biomedical Science from London Metropolitan University in the UK.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Founding Partner
- Founder of Dezan Shira
- Founding Partner, to Attend the APEC Annual CEO Summit
- Member of the Royal Overseas League
- Senior Partner, US Investors Road Show
Chris Devonshire-Ellis is the Founder of Dezan Shira & Associates and Chairman of the firms International Board of Equity Partners & Directors; and is the Managing Director of Asia Briefing publications.
He is based in South East Asia, and has enjoyed a 32-year career advising foreign companies on their Asia business strategy, including 25 years based in mainland China. He advises multinational corporations and foreign governments on their investment strategies for China and Asia, expanding this in recent years to include the Belt & Road countries, particularly in regard to Eurasian integration with China's "Belt & Road" initiative. His most recent 2023 work on the subject topic was "BRICS & MENA: China's Growing Role In The Middle East" available here.
Chris established Dezan Shira & Associates in 1992 and Asia Briefing in 1999. Dezan Shira & Associates now employs several hundred professional legal, tax and related personnel throughout Asia and possesses 40 regional offices advising foreign investors in the region. Asia Briefing possesses subsidiary titles concerning ASEAN, China, India, Vietnam, the Middle East, and the Belt and Road Initiative, and has published over 100 books and 1,000 Asia investment advisory magazines over the past 25 years.
During this time Chris has facilitated several billion euros worth of investment into Asia on behalf of his clients. Chris was ranked one of the top ten most important consultants in China by Accountancy Age Magazine in 2011 and ranked 1st in influence by Asia Law in 2015. He is a visiting lecturer at numerous Universities throughout Europe and Asia, while his books and papers are regular course material at multiple Universities across China and Europe. His analysis is regularly featured in international media.
Chris is a member of the Royal Overseas League and St. James Club in London, is a previous member of the Institute of Directors in Hong Kong, and the Capital and American Clubs in Beijing. He is a lifetime member of the Hanoi Press Club and life friend of the Cambridge University Scott Polar Research Institute. He is a regular contributor to numerous regional charities, ranging from education for orphaned children in China (Care for Children) wildlife protection in Mongolia (Snow Leopard Trust) and Sri Lanka and the preservation of ancient buildings and reconstruction of hospitals and orphanages in Tibet (Surmang Foundation). He regularly travels around our offices and the Eurasian region and is an acknowledged key Asia investment influencer on a global basis.
Job Titles:
- Associate of Regional Marketing
- Marketing Lead, East and North China
Freda is an Associate of Regional Marketing at Dezan Shira & Associates and Asia Briefing, based in Shanghai, China. She leads the firm's marketing activities in North and East China while also maintaining and developing partnerships with local stakeholders. Freda collaborates closely with various marketing departments and service teams to plan, coordinate, and execute regional marketing activities for the firm.
Job Titles:
- Director of Group Marketing
- Head of Marketing and Editorial at Dezan Shira
Gary Shaben is the head of marketing and editorial at Dezan Shira & Associates and Asia Briefing.
Since joining the firm in 2016, Gary has helped the board foster the firm's alliances and partnerships, lead its marketing-side digital transformation, and innovate its brands and marketing models. Today, his core focuses include strategic marketing, partnerships, new market expansions, and directing our global marketing operations - to ensure growth and continuously improving the competitive positions of our brands across our many fields and markets.
Prior to joining Dezan Shira & Associates, Gary's career began in the Enterprise IT & Telecom sector for fortune 500 firms like IKON and AT&T. He went on to start up a small ICT consulting services firm in Canada. Gary relocated to China in 2004, where he has since managed several ICT companies and major projects for IBM, while maintaining a sustained focus on accelerating foreign enterprises market entry, growth, and transformations throughout Asia.
Gary was born in Vancouver, is a Canadian citizen, and has a Masters' degree in Business Administration from Durham University School of Business (United Kingdom).
Job Titles:
- Member of the Technology Committee
- Partner
Hannah holds a master's degree in finance management from Tianjin University and a bachelor's degree in accounting from Nankai University. She is a qualified Certified Tax Agent (CTA) and joined CPA Australia as a CPA as well.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate, Social Media
Job Titles:
- Member of the Technology Committee
- Partner
- Partner at Dezan Shira
Kyle Freeman is a Partner at Dezan Shira & Associates, and leads the International Business Advisory team in North China as well as the firm's North American client services desk in Asia. He advises clients on market entry strategy, corporate structuring and establishment, and related tax and legal issues concerning investment in China, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia.
Prior to joining Dezan Shira & Associates, Kyle worked in government relations and China trade policy for various public and private organizations. His work included assisting in high-level, US-China bilateral trade dialogues and organizing public-private cooperation programs to promote US and foreign investment in China.
Kyle has a master's degree in economics and international trade from the University of International Business and Economics, in Beijing, and dual bachelor's degrees in economics and global affairs from George Mason University, in Washington D.C. He has also been a visiting fellow at the University of Oxford and the Beijing Language Culture University.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager
- Investment ( ODI ) Senior Manager
- Senior Manager, International Business Advisory
Luca Piccione is an Outbound Direct Investment (ODI) Senior Manager within the International Business Advisory team at Dezan Shira & Associates, based in our Hong Kong office. He specializes in providing M&A professional services to multinational corporations, overseeing the entire process from target research and identification to post-merger and acquisition activities. Luca is particularly adept in foreign direct investment and government projects, with a primary focus on promoting inbound and outbound Foreign Direct Investment.
His professional expertise is sharply honed towards key markets, including Hong Kong S.A.R., Mainland China, Singapore, Vietnam, and Japan.
Luca possesses a comprehensive educational background, holding a bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Milan. Additionally, he has earned multiple master's degrees in Business Administration from prestigious institutions such as ICN Business School (Nancy, France), Alma mater Studiorum Bologna (Bologna, Italy), and the East China University of Science and Technology (Shanghai, China).
Before joining Dezan Shira & Associates, Luca served in a significant Asia Pacific Regional role with one of the "Big4" firms.
Job Titles:
- Senior Editor
- Editor of the Vietnam Briefing
- Senior Editor, Editorial
Before joining Vietnam Briefing, Mark worked as a freelance business journalist for a broad range of publications including Al Jazeera, Tech in Asia, and The Business Times.
Mark holds a Bachelor of Journalism from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) and a Master of International Relations from the University of Melbourne.
Mark Barnes is the editor of the Vietnam Briefing and is based in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Manager, Digital Marketing
- Digital Marketing Assistant Manager
Minh Pham serves as a Digital Marketing Assistant Manager for Asia Briefing in Hanoi.
Job Titles:
- Head of Business Intelligence
- Head of the Business Intelligence Unit of Dezan Shira
Pritesh Samuel is Head of the Business Intelligence Unit of Dezan Shira & Associates (DSA), based out of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and oversees business intelligence projects in Vietnam, ASEAN as well as India, and China.
Before joining Business Intelligence, Pritesh managed and wrote on business and economic news for DSA's Vietnam Briefing. His areas of expertise include political and economic analysis, intelligence analysis, business intelligence, open-source intelligence, market entry studies, and risk assessments.
Prior to joining Dezan Shira & Associates, Pritesh worked as a Crisis Manager for a leading global investment bank in India, where he focused on political and security issues, people safety, and business continuity issues. Prior to that, Pritesh worked for a global risk consultancy, analyzing geopolitical risks and providing security assessments across the world for over 90 percent of the Fortune 100 companies and 60 percent of Fortune 500 companies. Pritesh previously worked as a consultant for a software consulting firm in Illinois, US, where he helped businesses streamline operations through enterprise resource planning software.
Pritesh holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Management from Judson University, in Illinois, the US, and is an alumnus of Kodaikanal International School in Tamil Nadu, India. Pritesh is part of the Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL) - a business-related career and technical student organization. He is a native of Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh state, India.
Job Titles:
- Manager, Media and Content
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Is the China National Tax Partner at Dezan Shira & Associates China Offices
Sabrina Zhang, CPA, is the China National Tax Partner at Dezan Shira & Associates China offices.
Sabrina is experienced in the fields of tax planning, corporate structuring, accounting and financial issues relating to foreign invested enterprises. She has over 18 years of experience in providing accounting, auditing and tax advisory services to both international businesses in China and large domestic corporations.
She joined Dezan Shira & Associates in 2001 and was made an equity partner in 2007.
Sabrina is also an in-demand speaker at international events on legal, tax and financial issues in China. She was bestowed the Star Speaker Award by Bloomberg BNA in 2014, an accreditation given only to the top 5% of speakers who present at Bloomberg's international events and conferences.
Sabrina earned her first bachelor's degree in Accounting from China, and a master's degree in Commerce at the University of New South Wales, Australia. Sabrina has been qualified as a Chinese Certified Public Accountant (CPA) since 1997, and joined CPA Australia as a CPA as well.
Job Titles:
- Marketing Lead, Indonesia
Job Titles:
- Manager of Regional Marketing at Dezan Shira
- Manager, Regional Marketing
Shanshan LIU is the Manager of Regional Marketing at Dezan Shira & Associates' Guangzhou office. She handles campaign activities and media enquiries in China along with maintaining and developing partnerships with local stakeholders. She oversees and manages the planning and execution of regional marketing strategy in all regions. Shanshan also supports Dezan Shira's German Desk with the marketing activities in DACH region.
Prior to joining Dezan Shira & Associates, Shanshan worked in Beijing and Guangzhou with various German companies and organizations for over four years. She dealt with clients and partners from various sectors such as manufacturing, F&B, real estate, trade etc., advising on their marketing projects in China such as social media, public relations, and ad campaigns, among others.
Shanshan holds a master's degree in German Language and Literature from Renmin University of China. She is also fluent in Mandarin, English, and German, and has extensive experience in intercultural communication.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner at Dezan Shira
Vivian Mao is a Partner at Dezan Shira & Associates. Vivian is in charge of East China including Shanghai office and other offices surrounding. Together with the blended team, Vivian provides foreign entities entering China with comprehensive investment and management advice, and guides investors through the process of business plan, establishment, maintenance and expansion.
Vivian joined Dezan Shira & Associates in 2015, and led the Business Advisory Service team for more than 2 years. Her work often included legal advisory on investment structure, incorporation, mergers & acquisitions, restructuring, contract drafting and review, labor law, work permits and residence permits for expatriates and intellectual property.
Prior to joining Dezan Shira & Associates, Vivian started her career with an international law firm in 2005, worked as an in-house legal counsel for a major Singapore-listed company from 2008 to 2011, and then joined a multinational consulting firm, heading the Corporate Advisory Department.
With more than 18 years of legal practice, Vivian is experienced in incorporation, corporate compliance, mergers & acquisitions, restructuring, legal due diligence, project investment, international trade, offshore investment, intellectual property, labor law, contract review and drafting, dispute settlement, arbitration and litigation. She has also led several anti-corruption investigation projects for multinational companies.
Vivian holds an MBA and has a law degree in International Economic Law from East China University of Political Science and Law. She holds the Certificate of Lawyer's Qualification and is a member of International Bar Association. Vivian also joined CPA Australia as FCPA. Apart from her strong knowledge and experiences in the legal and Human Resources fields, she possesses a comprehensive understanding of the key tax and accounting topics relating to foreign direct investment in China.
Job Titles:
- Assistant, Editorial and Research
- Editorial and Research Assistant for the China Briefing
Yi Wu is an Editorial and Research Assistant for the China Briefing. He covers China's economic, business, and regulatory environment for foreign investors and multinational corporations. Yi writes on a broad range of topics, with a primary focus on the energy and technology markets in China. He also provides business strategies by analyzing investment opportunities
Yi is a current Master of Public Policy student at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he concentrates on political and economic development. His thesis (second-year policy analysis exercise) focuses on understanding the cost drivers of energy transmission grids and explores the most effective business operation model.
Previously, Yi has worked with multiple UN entities in different regions (including China, the US, and Africa), focusing on both security and development issues. He graduated with a BA in political science and legal studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is currently based in Boston, US.