2010 Speakers
Dr. Richard Bohr:
In the effort to enhance America's relationship with a new Asia committed to economic development and political reform, Mr Bohr took a 15-year sabbatical from college teaching to serve as President and Executive Director of the non-profit Midwest China Center, as Deputy Commissioner of Trade and Economic Development/Executive Director of the Minnesota Trade Office, and as a Director of Padilla, Speer, Beardsley International (a firm specializing in global intercultural communications) before becoming Associate Professor of History at CSB/SJU in the Fall of 1994.
Education History:
Ph.D. - University of California, Davis
M.A. - Harvard University
M.Div. - Harvard University
B.A. - University of California, Davis
Mark Kennedy
From business executive suites to the halls of Congress to engaging business, political, military and civic leaders in nearly 40 countries around the world, Mark Kennedy today brings us insights that will help you chart a path to success in a globalized world.
Kennedy is a SJU grad who has the unique combined perspectives of being a first generation college graduate who has served at the lowest and highest levels both in both business and government. Starting as a dishwasher in a bakery, Mark went on to be a senior executive with the Fortune 100 company now called Macy’s, led 20,000 teammates at ShopKo, helped Pillsbury acquire Häagen Dazs and spread it around the globe, served three terms in the U.S. Congress and then returned to the private sector in a global role with Accenture, a leading consulting firm. Today, Kennedy serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Chartwell Strategic Advisors LLC.
Kennedy has a long history of engaging with China (including two Hong Kong roommates at SJU) and recently returned from China. He will share insights on how China can play an important role in your future career.
Ross Anderson
Ross Anderson, graduated from Saint John's University in 2003, is the Director of Global Operations for Midwest Rubber Co. He has also been the President of MWR-Asia since 2008. Now this role will also include the business ventures in Europe and aligning the global operations to the growth recently experienced.
With years of experience dealing with China related business projects, Anderson will share his personal experience as the business director helping a American medium size company getting into the Chinese market. On the other hand, as a young Entrepreneur, he will also tell his inspiring and encouraging stories about his experience with China.
Linh Peters
Linh Peters is a senior marketing manager at Best Buy where she works on the development and execution of regional marketing strategy and plans. Prior to this role, since 2005, Linh has worked in a number of marketing and strategy roles at Best Buy including managing the Reward Zone program, Best Buy’s loyalty program where she was responsible for the overall strategy and marketing of the program, including: CRM infrastructure development, value proposition development, promotional and marketing communications strategy, and interactive/new media strategy.
In addition, Linh was also a category marketing manager where she worked to define marketing and customer experience strategies for the Computing Hardware category. Previous to Best Buy, Linh spent nearly a decade working in marketing, marketing communications and public relations at a number of agencies and companies such as Philip Morris, Padilla Speer Beardsley, and XIOtech.
In March she took a short term assignment to help build the marketing capability for Best Buy China in country by teaching and localizing Best Buy U.S. best marketing practices. She was instrumental in leveraging market, customer and Retail insights to refine and develop marketing strategies and plans.
Linh has both her B.A. in Advertising and Public Relations and her Masters in Business Administration in Marketing and Strategy from the University of Minnesota.
Li King Feng
Mr. Feng is the Minnesota Trade Office (MTO) international trade representative whose primary responsibility is to assist Minnesota companies in exporting to the Greater China markets. Mr. Feng helps companies by compiling product and country-specific information, conducting foreign market research, evaluating the suitability of foreign distributors, providing counseling assistance in making business contacts, and locating and dealing with foreign end-users and distributors.
Mr. Feng was born and raised in the People’s Republic of China. He graduated from Henan University with a major in English literature and a minor in Japanese. He has a Master of Arts degree in public administration from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Since starting service at the State of Minnesota in June 1985, he has served consecutively as the international trade representative for trade with the Former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries from 1989-1993. He then served as the international trade representative for Hong Kong, India, and Central Asia from 1993-1996, as well as to the People’s Republic of China.
Mr. Feng participated in organizing former Governor Arne H. Carlson’s trade mission to China in 1998, Governor Jesse Ventura’s trade mission to China in 2002 and Governor Pawlenty’s Minnesota Mission to China in 2005. Mr. Feng is a member of the MTO China Steering Committee and a lead staff member in planning and implementing the Minnesota-China Partnership, which is a comprehensive plan encompassing education, training, trade shows and missions, and specific business generating activities that further link Minnesota and China.
