2024 UK China Forum for Collaboration on Innovative Ingredients for a Sustainable Future (March 20)

Trevor Lewis has been Deputy Director, Innovation and Industry at the UK Department for Business and Trade, based at the British Consulate-General Guangzhou since October 2022. This is a China-wide role. Immediately prior to this, Trevor was Counsellor and Director for Trade and Investment at the British Embassy in Moscow from March 2019 to July 2022. Before Moscow he was Political Counsellor at the British Embassy in Baghdad. He was also Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy, Manila, from August 2011 – July 2015 and Director for Trade and Investment at the British High Commission, Kuala Lumpur from 2007-2011. Trevor has also served in London, Shanghai, Dubai, Washington DC, Accra and Brussels.

• Alastair has worked in international trade promotion for nearly 20 years. In his current role as Trade Specialist for the Chemicals sector within the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), he promotes and support the UK’s world class chemicals industry on a global stage by:
  Ensuring that UK companies in the chemicals supply chain are accessing the support available to them via DIT’s regional, overseas and sector teams
• Promoting UK expertise at overseas trade shows, conferences and with individual key customers
• Identifying new high-value markets and new opportunities for UK businesses
• Promoting UK’s expertise in formulated products across key DBT high-value sectors such as infrastructure, marine, automotive etc
• Engaging with trade associations and industry bodies to ensure that no business with the capability to trade overseas misses the opportunity to do so

Trained as a chemist, he has also worked in various R&D and product development roles with DuPont and Agfa, and has worked on technology transfer projects in USA, India and China, where he also worked for a Chinese producer of lithographic printing plates in production and quality management roles.

To Hong Chan is the Co-Founder and COO of Gravel AI. With 15 years' experience in creating data-centric platforms and a background in Materials Science, To Hong is combining cutting-edge AI and data science practices with scientific understanding to create Gravel AI's Ingredient Intelligence Platform.

A graduate in BA (Honours) Business Studies from Sheffield Hallam University, Chris has worked in the Personal Care industry since 2011. First joining Adina, a UK distributor of specialty cosmetic ingredients, as Business Manager and soon working up to the roll of Managing Director in 2013. In 2020, Chris founded The Upcycled Beauty Company, a pioneering approach to thought leadership in the upcycling space within Personal Care. The company went on to win the rising star award at In Cosmetics Global in 2023. Through collaborations and bold initiatives, he champions the company’s vision of a future where all beauty products are made from upcycled materials – from ingredients to packaging.

Marketing Director for the Asia Pacific region of the Singapore office. Focusing on social media marketing and event organization.

Huang has been engaged in the natural vegetable oil industry for more than 15 years and has professional knowledge and insights into the production, ingredients, characteristics and skin care effects of natural vegetable oils. She founded Northstar Lipids China Branch in 2018 and served as the general manager; she has worked for many domestic companies and a number of cosmetics brands and factories to conduct special technology sharing on natural plant oils.

David is entrusted with the responsibility of spearheading the business expansion and strategic positioning of the conglomerate across Europe, America, and Asia. With over 15 years of dedicated service in the field of regulatory affairs, he possesses profound insights into the ever-evolving landscape of worldwide chemical regulations, cosmetic regulations, and food regulations, as well as the impact of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors on global supply chains. His vast expertise lies in assisting industries in navigating through complex regulatory hurdles, and he excels in devising pragmatic regulatory compliance strategies based on practical experiences.

Jing is a cofounder and the Strategy Director of Aqdot. While working to complete her PhD on microfluidic droplets in the Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, she co-invented the core technology, which led to the cofounding of Aqdot. She has been shaping the company and its strategy since them, in various roles in operations, marketing, commercial, regulatory and innovation.
During her time in Cambridge University, she was the President of Cambridge University Entrepreneurs, a not-for-profit organisation aimed at promoting entrepreneurship among students. Prior to moving to Cambridge, Jing was awarded a Bachelor of Philosophy with first class honours and a University Medal from the Australian National University.

Yasmine has an MS in Toxicology, risk assessment and vigilance from the Farmacy University of Paris-Saclay. She has more than ten years of experience in the cosmetics and consumer products industries, working for companies such as L'Oréal, J&J, and Bic. She specializes in toxicology and risk assessment, as well as regulatory affairs. She is based in Paris and covers the UK and European markets.