CEO roundtable plays key role

"There is just so much to learn about this vast country... particularly for CEOs," said Peter Bowie, CEO of Deloitte China.

The company first came to China in 1917, and now has 11 offices and 3,500 employees China-wide. But even with almost 90 years of experience in the country, Deloitte is still learning. "Coming to a country with such a long history, a vast size, and huge population is very different from anything else. You have to learn local cultures, languages and practices," Bowie said.

"You can never learn enough about China."

The chief of Deloitte China has been to many CEO conferences and forums. "But as I see it, the China Daily CEO Roundtable is probably the most relevant and effective. It is a small group, closed door, not televised, issue-specific, focused and open. It is a rare opportunity and a strategic decision for Deloitte to team up with China Daily on such a much needed service for CEOs at large in China. I think China Daily has really initiated something of great value for CEOs."

"These are all very knowledgeable people whom I enjoy meeting with and learning from," echoed Charles Yen, Deloitte's regional managing partner for Northern China.

"It is critically important for CEOs to be able to learn and share information on fast developing sectors or industries such as the telecoms, media and technology," Yen added.

Deloitte sees huge potential in China since its accession to the World Trade Organization.

But "the key is local talent," Bowie said, adding that his firm has launched several initiatives to better the training of its local workforce.

"CEOs should grasp every opportunity to learn from each other. The China Daily CEO Roundtable is an excellent platform for CEOs to do so," Bowie said.

The China Daily CEO Roundtable is a service provided for the global business community. Delegates are CEOs of multinational companies in charge of their respective China arms.

Source: China Daily