David Thomas
- Over 30 years of expertise in Asia Pacific business, investment and cross-cultural leadership.
- Advisor to entrepreneurs and investors navigating the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong, and China.
- Author of ten books and over 500 blogs on Asia’s business landscape and opportunities.
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- Chinese ,
- English
David Thomas's 2025 biography
David Thomas: Asia Business Expert
David Thomas is well known in the Asia Pacific region as a passionate and engaging speaker and a strong advocate of business, trade and investment collaboration in the Asia Pacific region. He has worked with SMEs across most industry sectors and is currently focused on supporting Australian Technology companies with their capital-raising and commercialisation activities in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area of China. With a 30 year career living and working in the UK, Hong Kong, Australia and the Philippines, he has provided advice, support and guidance to entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders as they navigate the cross-cultural challenges, barriers and opportunities of doing business and investing across the Asian region.
David lived in Hong Kong in the 1980s and 90s. His father, the Attorney General for Hong Kong (1983-88) was involved in the negotiations between Britain and China to design and implement the new Basic Law of Hong Kong in 1997. His step-mother was a senior political leader in Hong Kong and worked with Deng Xiaoping and Margaret Thatcher to negotiate the future of Hong Kong under Chinese sovereignty post 1997. David has had a life-long interest in Hong Kong’s role as a regional hub and China’s emergence as the financial engine of Asia. For the last 30 years, David has worked with entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders to successfully engage with their Chinese and Asian counterparts. In his keynote presentations and workshops he draws on his own personal stories, anecdotes and case studies to teach leaders how to communicate effectively across cultures.
David Thomas's 2025 talks & topics
Geopolitics - USA, China and Asia: What’s happening and why it matters?
We live in the Asian Century. In the coming years, China, India, Japan and Indonesia will become the largest economies in the world, driven by innovation, productivity and domestic consumption from their large and fast growing middle class and high net worth populations. Smaller Asian countries like South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines are also emerging as economic powers in their own right, as the World tilts towards Asia and business leaders, entrepreneurs and investors seek access to the high growth markets of the region.
Not surprisingly, this massive shift in the projection of global power, influence and leadership is causing disruption in the world, especially in the US and Europe who are threatened by the rise of powerful authoritarian countries disturbing the existing rules based world order, challenging old and well defined borders and creating conflicts in faraway places.
How should we think and react to all of this? How do we feel about China, the rising economic, military and investment super-power on our doorstep? How do we navigate the complexities of the US – China rivalry and build new relationships and create opportunities in the Asian region?
Innovation and Technology in the Asian Century: The importance and relevance of Hong Kong and Singapore
China’s major challenge is to deal with the massive deficit in its GDP caused by a traumatic, deep and far-reaching property crisis and the longer term impacts of the global pandemic. Consumer confidence is severely impacted and it would seem over-optimistic to believe that this gap can be filled by a rise in domestic consumption.
As a result, China is rapidly investing in its advanced manufacturing sector to boost domestic growth, stimulate exports and create new jobs for their highly educated and youthful workforce. Much of this innovation will come from overseas, at least in the short term. The innovative and high-tech companies of the future now need to commercialise, capitalise and scale their technology and products into the Asian region, starting with the traditional investment and logistical hubs of Hong Kong and Singapore, and moving north into southern China and south into ASEAN.
Australian entrepreneurs with access to innovative technology (especially in health, AI, fintech, food, agtech, clean energy and others) now have a unique opportunity to access early stage funding and investment in Asia.
Managing cross-cultural challenges in Asia: Crossing the Nine Bends Bridge
Despite some of Asia’s significant economic advances in recent times, their approach to doing business remains refreshingly similar to the way they’ve done business over the past one thousand years i.e. they only do business with people they know, like and trust.
Business executives, entrepreneurs and professionals need to deal with people of other Asian backgrounds to deliver successful commercial outcomes, and it’s become critical for leaders to learn how to communicate, negotiate and connect with senior decision-makers and business leaders from both sides of the cross-cultural divide.
Working with Asians can be rewarding and highly lucrative but it can also throw up cross-cultural differences and challenges which can cause frustration, stress and even conflict on both sides. Addressing, understanding and resolving areas of difference, especially when communicating and negotiating with Asian investors, entrepreneurs, partners and employees, is a skill that can be learnt and applied in high stakes situations, as well as in everyday interactions.
Bringing China to You – Do business with the Chinese without leaving home
Over 100 million Chinese people are on the move as entrepreneurs, tourists, investors and migrants, and smart ‘Asiancentric’ businesses can position themselves to take advantage of the wave of capital, people and resources that is already flooding western markets. Businesses in the retail, tourism, healthcare, education, real estate,food and other services sectors will get great value from understanding how they can do business with the Chinese without leaving home!
Diversification in the Asian Century
We live in the Asian Century and western organisations face unique challenges, threat sand opportunities. With the flow of people, capital and resources from China, India and South East Asia in to every corner of our society, now is the time for dynamic, progressive and ambitious organisations to embrace the benefits of diversification, which include:
- Boosting creativity, diversity and innovation-fresh perspectives lead to fresh ideas which leads to new revenue streams
- Doing business with Asia-presenting a multicultural ‘face’ to marketing, sales and client relationships
- Increasingproductivityandprofitability-organisationswithculturesthatpromote diversity, inclusion and collaboration get better results
A view to BRIC nations
China is at the heart of the next global economy yet there are a group of nations who, along with China, are positioning themselves for global domination. The ‘BRIC’ Nations include Brazil, Russia, India and China. These vast and growing nations collectively have ownership of an abundance of land, people and capital. All key economic inputs to drive prosperity today and into the future. How will you as a business leader, entrepreneur or investor respond to this unique opportunity to engage with a global market that has already taken flight?
In this powerful and thought-provoking presentation David Thomas presents unique insights, data and perspectives showcasing the emergence of the BRIC Nations as the main drivers of urbanisation, consumption, innovation, aspiration and globalisation. He will also identify key opportunities for organisations looking to break through local markets to establish new global business networks and markets.
Audiences will walk away from this presentation with a view to the unique business opportunities found within the BRIC Nations. David will empower them with the tools and strategies to lead, influence and drive global business opportunities that are timely, relevant and ripe for entry into new markets.
Key Outcomes:
- Future Trends
- Leadership
- Business Innovation
- Next Economies
- Globalisation
Three cups of tea – the secret to building long-term sustainable business relationships in Asia
Any organisation or association grappling with the challenges of dealing with Asian Clients, customers, partners, distributors, suppliers or even employees will get great value from this presentation as he unbundles the 3 step process to unravelling cross-cultural differences and building an ‘Asian friendly’ business.
Innovation and Consumption
There has never been a better time for foreign entrepreneurs and business leaders to consider entering the China market despite negative noise, media and commentary to keep you away.
Consider the following:
- China’s economy today is driven by domestic consumption. In the past 4 years, consumption has contributed more than 60% of China’s GDP growth.
- China invests more money in innovation than any other country in the world and is determined to become a global leader in areas like high value manufacturing, healthcare, environmental protection, technology and education.
David Thomas has spent a whole lifetime uncovering opportunities in modern China and inspiring business leaders and entrepreneurs to take their first step into the China market. He delivers unique skills, practical insights and long term experience on the ground to every present at ion, workshop and study tour. His audiences enjoy his anecdotes, case studies and stories from travelling around China for the past 30 years.
Now take that first step and listen to David empower your audience about tapping into two transforming opportunities: World Class Innovation and Domestic Consumption.
Financial Services
Despite fears of future disruption caused by Brexit and the impact of globalisation, the UK’s financial services sector continues to be a major contributor to the growth of the UK economy, contributing 10% of the UK’s GDP, 11% of all taxes and 7% of all jobs.
As a regular visitor to China over the past 20 years, David has witnessed many changes himself and is at the cutting edge of China’s transformation, particularly in the private sector. He works with Chinese entrepreneurs, investors and migrants to facilitate business and investment opportunities throughout the region and has much to say about how the Chinese think, negotiate and act. Get ready to be challenged, inspired and motivated to Think Global!
Leading with a view to China
In the next economy taking a view to China will be non-negotiable for any leader looking to disrupt, Innovate and grow market share. The reality is that China’s economic growth has just begun, and will only gain momentum in the future. The questions for leaders in the west will be whether they choose to react to the Influence of China, or instead choose to create a leadership strategy that harnesses this Influence as a growth opportunity.
In this presentation, David Thomas presents on some of the common challenges faced by leaders looking to embrace and activate a view to China. Creating a culture responsive to the Chinese market starts at the top. Having the ability to audit belief systems, In addition to developing China-centric organisational cultures will be imperative to your success. will you choose to be a leader who supports and elevates Chinese staff and clients, or are you blind in your view to China?
Leaders will walk away from this presentation with a toolkit empowering them to audit their own leadership ability with regards to navigating a new economy redefined by the influence of China. A leader’s responsibility is to culture, communication, and strategy that amplifies business growth, and taking a view to China should be at the heart of any forward-thinking leadership strategy.
Key Outcomes:
- Leadership
- Leadership Innovation
- Communication
- Culture