Grace Blue is delighted to announce it has appointed Mark Wang as its new Senior Consultant to support APAC CEO, Helen Duffy in expanding and developing further the Grace Blue business offering in China.
Based in Beijing, Wang will support Grace Blue’s clients in the market and lead new business efforts as part of Grace Blue APAC’s expansion plans and wider global strategy. Wang joins Grace Blue with a wealth of both client-side and agency experience. Most recently he was CEO of Edelman in China, and formerly the MD of Ogilvy One Beijing. Before entering the agency world, he had 17 years on the brand side in technology with HP, Dell, and IBM. Wang has now made the transition to the executive search industry with an acute understanding of what clients need in order to focus and develop their talent strategy to respond to wider market opportunities in China.
As the China market reopens with signs of economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, this signals a critical reset for many businesses. According to a recent KPMG report, China’s GDP grew 4.5% year-over-year (yoy) in 2023 Q1, up from 2.9% in Q4 2022 and higher than market expectations. China will contribute 27.6% of global growth over the next five years, totalling more than the contribution of US and India combined. China will be the global economy’s largest driver in that period. So even with uncertainty and global tensions still present, it is imperative that organisations identify the right senior leadership talent to drive business transformation and growth in this climate.
Helen Duffy, APAC CEO, Grace Blue, said: “The constant evolution of the unique digital ecosystem in China, and the skills needed for that, coupled with a greater domestic focus has meant the departure of much international talent over the past 18 months given the challenges of COVID-19. This means an increased focus on hiring the best domestic talent from within the China market. Mark’s extensive experience and authority in the market will be a huge asset in helping our clients navigate these changes in the talent landscape; and he is wonderfully placed to find the best senior talent to take advantage of the new and very different opportunities ahead.”
Mark Wang, Grace Blue, said: “China is never short of business opportunities, but it is always in need of strong leaders who can capture and convert those opportunities, especially in fast-evolving market dynamics and through present uncertainties amid global tensions. I am honoured and fortunate to join Grace Blue, helping clients across sectors to find the right leaders to drive new growth in China.”
Sarah Skinner, Global MD and CEO, EMEA, Grace Blue, added: “We are thrilled to welcome Mark and the invaluable insight that he will bring our global clients for whom China is a critical market.”