Raphaël le Masne de Chermont

Executive Chairman, Shanghai Tang

Mr. Raphael le Masne de Chermont, Executive Chairman of Shanghai Tang since September 2001, is the driving force behind the brand’s global expansion and positioning as the first Chinese luxury lifestyle brand.

Having graduated with a Master’s Degree from the AUDENCIA School of Management in France, he started his career with Cartier in London and then held several senior Management positions in the luxury watch industry in Belgium and Asia (Piaget, Beaume & Mercier and Panerai) within the Richemont Group.

After 20 years in Asia, Raphael champions the belief that Chinese culture brings richness, beauty and energy to the world. With the rise of the new Chinese pride in China, complemented by a growing intrigue and appetite for Chinese culture globally, Shanghai Tang plays an important role as the global curator of products and experiences that embody the modern Chinese aesthetic.

Raphael is also the founder of the Mandarin Collar Society, a global network of opinion leaders who champion a modern approach to life that liberates men from the neck tie by adopting the alternative Eastern elegance of the mandarin collar.

Benjamin Lee

Founder & CEO, Sugar

Mr Benjamin Ze-Min Lee is a serial entrepreneur with extensive experience, having founded 5 companies and overseen 2 successful exits in diverse industries and markets – including events and conferences, publishing, digital media, services and technology. Since 2013, he has been the CEO of Sugar, a fast-growing mobile internet startup whose mission is to help users re-discover hidden gems in their city.

A lawyer by training, Ben holds a LLB (Hons) degree from University College London and a MSc in Management from King’s College London. In addition to his entrepreneurial experience, he has also served as a strategy consultant to the Royal Bank of Scotland Group as well as a Foreign Direct Investment advisor to a fast-growing frontier municipality in China. He was also a Partner at Uyuni Group, a boutique venture capital firm focusing on early-stage tech investments in China. He has also dedicated a large portion of his time to pro bono work, having served as a constituency advisor in Singapore, a microfinance worker in Peru, and a social enterprise trainer in Indonesia.

A leading advocate for entrepreneurship, he has delivered more than 100 seminars and workshops at educational institutions including Columbia University, INSEAD, the London Business School, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the Singapore Management University and the National University of Singapore. Originally from Singapore, Ben has lived in 7 different countries and has travelled to more than 60.