Asia Society Australia is pleased to invite you to an exclusive invite-only Executive Briefing with Ben Simpfendorfer, APAC lead for Oliver Wyman. 

Asia’s economic and political landscape is changing rapidly. The region’s supply chains are rebalancing, new trade and wealth corridors are emerging, even as the region ages rapidly. What will the region look like in 2030? Where are the emerging opportunities and risks for business? 

The event is part of a series of “Asia 2030 Executive Roundtables” being held in Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, and other cities around Asia Pacific discussing the megatrends shaping the region. Ben Simpfendorfer, APAC lead for Oliver Wyman’s global think tank, will share insights from these sessions as part of a peer-level discussion on the implications for Australian business and policy makers. 

Following his remarks, participants will be invited to share their views and engage in a moderated discussion.  

Date: Thursday 24 July 2025

Time: 12:15pm arrival for a 12:30pm start. The event will conclude at 2:00pm. 

Location: Sydney CBD

This event is strictly invitation-only and invites are non-transferrable. It will be conducted under the Chatham House Rule. Registration is essential as tickets are limited. For any enquiries, please contact [email protected].

This event is in partnership with Oliver Wyman and hosted by Clayton Utz.

About our Speaker

Ben Simpfendorfer, Partner at Oliver Wyman

Ben Simpfendorfer is a Partner at Oliver Wyman based in Hong Kong. He is the APAC Head of the Oliver Wyman Forum, the firm’s senior leadership think tank, and works across a range of practices, including macro, public policy, finance and risk. He also co-leads the firm’s Asia-Middle East platform. 

Ben is the former CEO of Silk Road Associates where he advised Fortune 500 multinationals and leading Asian firms on their commercial strategies in Greater China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, as well as developing the firm’s proprietary SRA Intelligence® analytics solutions 

Ben has worked in Asia and the Middle East for 25 years. He was previously chief China economist at RBS and senior China economist at JPMorgan in Hong Kong. He started his career in Beirut in the 1990s, later working as a Middle East & North Africa senior analyst for Dun & Bradstreet in London. He has briefed CEOs and boards worldwide. 

Ben is a Mandarin and Arabic speaker, and author of The New Silk Road (2009) and The Rise of the New East (2014). He is a leading specialist on China’s Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) and was part of a Foreign Experts Committee advising the Chinese government on BRI’s implementation. He is a Member of the Hong Kong-Middle East Advisory Board for Hong Kong’s Financial Services Development Council, a former Board Member of the Pacific Basin Economic Council, and a former Exco Member and Governor of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. He is also a regular commentator on Bloomberg & CNBC.