Stephen Phillips OBE

Founder and Chief Executive, CC Global Horizons Limited

Stephen Phillips OBE brings a rare combination of experience across China and ASEAN, government, investment promotion, financial services and international business.

His career has been focused on Asia since 1989. He has advised companies entering and operating in Asian markets, led one of the most established international business organisations in China, and represented a government competing globally for investment.

Stephen began his career with Barclays Capital and Deutsche Bank, advising on infrastructure, public-private partnerships and capital-markets transactions across Asia.

He subsequently served for eleven years as Chief Executive of the China-Britain Business Council. During that period, he worked extensively with Chinese central, provincial and municipal governments, Chinese and international companies, financial institutions and business organisations, helping to develop commercial relationships and investment between China, the United Kingdom and wider international markets.  He chaired the EU China Business Association throughout, an umbrella organization of China-focussed member state organistaions.

As Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong, he led the Hong Kong SAR Government’s global inward-investment strategy and an international network covering more than 30 markets in every continent. He engaged at senior levels across government, business and finance and promoted Hong Kong’s role as a platform connecting Mainland China with global markets.

He is a Non-Executive Director of the international arm of the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and has advised financial institutions, governments, companies and institutional partners on investment, market strategy and international partnerships.

What this means for clients

• First-hand understanding of how Chinese and ASEAN government and business institutions operate
• Experience interpreting China and ASEAN to international decision-makers — and international markets to Chinese counterparts
• A practical understanding of how investors assess locations and how governments compete for investment
• Senior relationships globally across government, business, finance and institutions
• The ability to connect strategy, policy, commercial reality and execution

Stephen was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to international trade and investment.