Kenneth Wilcox: The China Business Conundrum

The China Business Conundrum: Ensure That "Win-Win" Doesn't Mean Western Companies Lose Twice describes former Silicon Valley Bank CEO Ken Wilcox's firsthand challenges he encountered in four years “on the ground” trying to establish a joint venture between SVB and the Chinese government to fund local innovation design―and what he says were Chinese Communist Party efforts to systematically sabotage the project and steal SVB's business model. His book provides actionable advice drawn from meticulous notes Wilcox took from interviews with people from all walks of Chinese life, including party and non-party members, the business elite, and domestic workers.

Describing a China he found fascinating and maddeningly complex,Wilcox explores topics including:

• Difficulties in transplanting SVB's model to China, from misunderstandings about titles and responsibilities to pitched battles over toilet design
• Ethics and practices widely adopted by Chinese businesses today and why China must be met with realistic expectations
• Wilcox's own honest missteps and the painfully learned lessons that came afterwards

Join us to hear Wilcox share his cautionary tale and offer guidance for all Western bankers, C-suite executives, consultants, and entrepreneurs seeking to do business within China.

A 30-year veteran of Silicon Valley Bank, Kenneth Wilcox was the bank’s CEO from 2001 to 2011 and vice chairman of SVB’s joint venture in Shanghai (SSVB) until 2019. He is a former member of the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

SPEAKERS

Kenneth Wilcox, Former CEO, Silicon Valley Bank; Former Vice Chairman , SVB's join venture in Shanghai; Former Member, Board of Directors, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco; Author, The China Business Conundrum: Ensure That "Win-Win" Doesn't Mean Western Companies Lose Twice

Kalidip Choudhury, Ph.D., Chair, Asia-Pacific Affairs Member-led Forum, Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California—Moderator

5 p.m. doors open & check-in
5:30–6:30 p.m. program
6:30 p.m. book signing
(all times Pacific Time)

Photo courtesy the speaker.