53rd Annual Membership Meeting

Sean Stein, President, US-China Business Council

With the US-China trade relationship entering a new phase, a persistently sluggish Chinese economy, and an increasingly complex regulatory environment, US businesses operating in China are facing a different set of challenges than even a year ago. This panel of practitioners from USCBC member companies will draw on firsthand experience to discuss how companies are adapting their operations, managing exposure to volatile tariffs and retaliatory measures, and holding their own against increasingly capable Chinese competitors. They’ll also address how shifting industrial policy, supply chain restructuring, and market access challenges are reshaping business decisions—and what strategies are working for companies committed to staying in the market.

Speakers:

• Jude Barbin, General Manager, Intralox China
• Bing Li, President, PerkinElmer Asia Pacific
• Jeff Zhu, Executive Vice President and President, Carbon & Silica Technologies, Battery Materials and Asia Pacific Region, Cabot Corporation

Moderator:

• Kyle Sullivan, Vice President, Business Advisory Services, USCBC

American brands in China are under pressure—from geopolitical tensions that have made “foreign brands” appear less reliable in some contexts, to increasingly capable domestic competitors and rising costs of localized customer services. At the same time, Chinese consumers are spending again but more selectively than before. This panel of experts will discuss how American brands can strategically allocate business and operational resources to manage reputations in a politically sensitive environment, compete with sophisticated local players, and adapt marketing and product strategies to meet the evolving expectations of Chinese consumers.

Speakers:

• Caroline Berson, Vice President, Global Government Relations, PepsiCo
• Nancy Liu, Partner, Retail & Consumer Markets, PwC
• Jennifer Yue, Senior Vice President, Tapestry & Coach Strategy & Consumer Insights, Coach Collaborations and Coachtopia

Moderator:

• Banny Wang, Senior Manager, Business Advisory Services, USCBC

The US-China policy environment in Washington has rarely been more fluid. Tariffs, export controls, and a steady stream of China-focused legislation are keeping government affairs teams stretched, while planned meetings between the two presidents may further dictate where the relationship is headed—and what this means for American business. This panel of veteran government affairs experts will share how companies are navigating Capitol Hill and the administration right now, identifying leverage points, and positioning themselves to influence outcomes in an environment where everything is changing.

Speakers:

• Tim Fenton, Vice President, Global Government Relations, Thermo Fisher Scientific
• Matthew Lavoie, Director, Government Affairs, DHL Express
• Jason Rodriguez, Minority Staff Director, House Select Committee on US-China Competition
   

Moderator: 

• Francisco Bencosme, Director, Government Affairs, USCBC

Jonathan Fritz, former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the US Department of State, will join USCBC President Sean Stein for a keynote fireside chat.

David Thomas, Senior Vice President, USCBC

Jude Barbin is a senior executive with over 30 years of leadership experience at Intralox, a global leader in conveyance and material handling solutions. Since joining Intralox in 1994, he has been a longstanding member of Intralox’s global leadership team, driving commercial growth, operational excellence, and organizational development across multiple disciplines and geographies. In 2024, Jude assumed his current role as General Manager of Intralox China.

Jude has lived in Shanghai, China since 2007, following a relocation to assume leadership of commercial operations across the Asia Pacific region. Under his leadership, Intralox established a dedicated business unit in Shanghai focused on automation equipment and extended its regional footprint with the opening of new offices in Melbourne, Australia. These milestones reflect his ability to build scalable operations and enter new markets with lasting impact.

Throughout his career, Jude has held senior positions spanning product development, services, sales, and operations — giving him a uniquely integrated perspective on the full customer value chain. He is recognized for his ability to build high-performing teams and cultivate the talent and organizational structures necessary to support sustained, significant growth.

Jude holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Orleans.

As PepsiCo’s Vice President, Global Government Relations, Caroline Berson represents our international markets from Washington, DC – overseeing diplomatic engagement in the United States, geopolitical analysis and advisory, global thought leadership, and trade policy.

Prior to joining PepsiCo, she served in two Presidential administrations at the White House National Security Council and National Economic Council as Senior Advisor for International Economics. In that role, she helped coordinate US policy related to international finance, trade, investment, energy and environmental issues, and advised the President’s representative to the G-7, G-20 and APEC.

She previously served as the national security briefer to the office of the US Vice President, where she was responsible for providing daily updates on a wide range of global issues. Prior to that, Caroline served as an analyst at the Department of the Treasury, where she was a subject matter expert on Iran and several other countries across the Middle East and Africa, writing frequently on sanctions, banking, energy and transportation issues for the US President and senior US policymakers.

Caroline began her career in journalism, with her work appearing in Slate Magazine, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the New Haven Independent. Caroline earned her M.A. in Government from Johns Hopkins University and her B.A. in English from Yale University.

Tim Fenton is Vice President, Global Government Relations at Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. He is responsible for building and protecting the company’s reputation in complex geopolitical situations. He joined the company in 2009 to grow its influence on Capitol Hill and now leads a team based in the world’s fastest-growing markets.

During 2019, Tim was based in Shanghai as a member of the company’s China leadership team. While leading the China government affairs team, he worked with China and US officials to continue to grow the company’s business there, resolve export and trade issues, and mitigate frictions.

Tim has also worked in London, Brussels, Budapest, Prague, Vilnius, Mexico City, Ottawa and New Delhi to solve issues, drive investment and increase commercial opportunities.

He has been a champion of the company’s inclusion and diversity efforts, as well as the initiator and sponsor of a high school science & technology intern program. He previously chaired the board of Seeding Labs, a non-profit that equips scientists to make cutting-edge discoveries. He also served on the executive committee of the Friends of Patients at the NIH which supports patients in clinical trials.

He worked for US Senator John H. Chafee of Rhode Island.

Jonathan Fritz retired from the State Department in April 2026 after a 32-year career as a US diplomat. He most recently served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (2025–2026), the Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment (2021–2025), and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs covering China, Mongolia, and Taiwan (2019–2021). Before that, he had been the Director for Bilateral and Regional Affairs in the Economic and Business Affairs Bureau’s Office of International Communications and Information Policy.

Prior to returning to Washington, Jonathan had been posted at the US Embassy in Beijing, where he served alternately as Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs, Chief of Staff to the Ambassador, acting Deputy Chief of Mission, and Chargé d’Affaires. From 2010–2014, Jonathan headed the economic sections of the US embassies in Canberra and Kabul. Before that, he worked on trade, investment, and IPR issues in Beijing, Mexico City, and Hong Kong. He also served in Washington as a Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary, as a trade negotiator in the Office of the US Trade Representative, and as a desk officer in the State Department’s Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs.

Jonathan began his Foreign Service career with consular tours in China and Ecuador. He spent two years at the US Air Force Academy and graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. and an M.A. in East Asian studies. He is married to Foreign Service officer Nancy Chen. They have three children.

Matt Lavoie is Director of Government Affairs at DHL Express. Originally from Massachusetts, Lavoie is a 20-year-plus veteran of pro-growth, pro-business policy advocacy in Washington, DC. He has worked for four members of Congress, including a future Vice President, Speaker of the House, Secretary of the Army, and Ranking Member on Ways and Means. From there, he was recruited by a major trade association and three Fortune 50 companies to oversee public affairs and federal policy focusing on international trade. Outside of political life, he is a thriller novelist and his first book, MAIN STREET FRINGE, releases on 9/1/26.

Mr. Bing Li is President of PerkinElmer Asia Pacific.

Before joining PerkinElmer, Li was Vice President of Thermo Fisher China for its life science and bioproduction businesses.

Before Joining Thermo Fisher, he served as Operating Partner at Hillhouse Investment in 2022.

Between 2013 to 2021, Li worked for Danaher Corporation for nine years, including as President of China Life Sciences from 2019 to 2021, as Vice President and General Manager for Pall Corporation from 2016 to 2019, and as Growth and Innovation Director from 2013 to 2016.

In his earlier career, Li spent 10 years at Hilti Corporation in product management, sales and marketing in Switzerland, the US, and China.

Li earned an MBA degree from IMD in Switzerland, his Master of Science in finance from Boston College, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Sun Yat-Sen University.

Nancy Liu is a Partner in PwC’s Commercial Service & Excellence practice with more than 18 years of experience in retail and consumer market strategy and operations advisory. She has led strategic growth and transformation programs with a focus on building digital and direct-to-consumer capabilities in product creation and merchandising and planning.

Nancy has worked extensively with retailers, global brands and brand portfolio companies in fashion and luxury sectors and has lived and worked in Europe and Asia.

Prior to consulting, Nancy worked in corporate strategy at J.Crew and in merchandising at Hermès. She has also worked at JPMorgan Chase in mergers and acquisitions, industrial coverage and corporate treasury.

Jason Rodriguez serves as Minority Staff Director for the House Select Committee on US-China Competition, in which capacity he oversees strategic policy development, manages committee operations, and coordinates policy initiatives addressing America’s most critical bilateral relationship.

Previously, as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of Commerce, Rodriguez played a central role in implementing export controls policy during the Russia-Ukraine crisis, coordinated interagency meetings on US-China competition, and led a departmental review of Commerce’s approach to China policy across sixteen bureaus. His deep Capitol Hill experience includes serving as Chief of Staff to multiple members of the House, including a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, where he managed complex legislative portfolios including trade policy issues.

He holds degrees from Northeastern University and the London School of Economics.

Jennifer (Jen) Yue is Senior Vice President of Tapestry & Coach Strategy & Consumer Insights, Coach Collaborations and Coachtopia. Jen has been an influential leader since joining Coach in 2014, having held roles across many areas of the business, including global merchandising, strategy, licensing, and launching Coach on Amazon. She has been instrumental in identifying and better understanding Coach’s target consumer, the “timeless Gen Z,” evolving the brand’s “expressive luxury” strategy, and building strong external partnerships with licensed partners and Amazon.

Prior to joining Coach, Jen held positions across merchandising and strategy at Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, Chanel, and Gap after starting her career in investment banking. Jen is known for inspiring teams with clear vision, driving significant outcomes, and being a strong voice for the Tapestry and Coach consumer.

 Jeff Zhu is Executive Vice President and President, Carbon & Silica Technologies, Battery Materials and Asia Pacific Region of Cabot Corporation. In his role, Jeff has executive oversight for the battery materials product line as well as carbon and silica technologies, which includes specialty carbons, specialty compounds, fumed metal oxides and aerogel product lines.

Prior to joining Cabot, he spent 18 years with Rhodia (and its predecessor Rhône-Poulenc) where he served in a variety of regional and global business leadership roles, including Asia Pacific Regional Commercial Director, Regional Vice President and General Manager of Novecare, and Vice President and Global Director of Electronics and Catalysis. He served as the Chairman and a board director of the Association of International Chemical Manufacturers (AICM).

Jeff’s most recent experience before joining Cabot was with Asia Pacific Resources International Holding Limited (APRIL), a multibillion-dollar privately owned global paper and pulp company, where he served as head of global sales.

Jeff earned his M.Sc. in Chemistry from the National University of Singapore and an MBA with distinction from the University of Hull, UK.