With an early passion for music, Tony kickstarted his career as a marketing guy for Sony and Virgin. It wasn’t long though before he discovered another passion, bringing people together to drive positive change. Over ten years in Indonesia he built a leading marketing communications firm and worked with clients, NGOs and government to address poverty and climate change. After short stints with advertising giants Leo Burnett and Ogilvy, he then founded Global Initiatives which grew to convene some of the world’s most impactful sustainability forums in over 20 countries. Always connecting world leaders, investors, companies and international agencies to commit to a better future. Tony still listens to a lot of music, a soundtrack for positive impact.
Leni has recently joined the Impact X team to manage the IX Summit agenda and coordinate the speakers. Leni is a published scientific writer and climate researcher. She has recently written a report for Greenpeace Australia Pacific about solutions to the climate crisis, addressing the critical technologies required to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors. Leni has a background in Earth Sciences and a PhD in Paleoceanography/Paleoclimatology. During her PhD project, she used marine sediment and microfossil archives to reconstruct past climate and ocean conditions and was able to detect past glacial meltwater fluxes and access their impact on ocean circulation and atmospheric temperature. Her extensive knowledge and understanding of past climatic variability and climate-ocean interactions is foundational for her understanding of the potential risks related to current climate change.
Brendan Kavanagh
Director, Sales & Partnerships
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James Zheng
Managing Director, Impact X China
With more than 30 years’ experience in the events management and travel &tourism marketing industry, James is a highly motivated, proactive, positive and progress-focused person with an eye for details. Graduated from Shanghai International Studies University with Bachelor of Arts in English literature, James is also equipped with the designation of a Certified Meeting Planner(CMP)and Global Certificate in Meetings and Business Events by the Meeting Professionals International (MPI). Believing in theteachings of Buddhism, James is willing to help and feel grateful in everyday life.
Early in his career Michael spent three years working in New Zealand, where he discovered a passion for fine food, coffee and wine! A lawyer by training, Michael returned to China and entered the convention and exhibition industry in 2009. His entrepreneurial nature enabled him to quickly grasp the scale of opportunity in mega cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzen. Later relocating to Hainan, where the exhibition and events industry was growing exponentially in unison with the governments free trade zone policy, Michael quickly established himself as an industry visionary. A natural team leader with a passion for sustainable development Michael is excited to be part of the shift to a more sustainable world.
Life can take you to surprising places. And sometimes, when you look back, you can’t help but think, How did I get here from there? Tony Boatman grew up on a small farm in Australia. He used to milk a cow before school. The first in his family to attend university, Tony went on to lead marketing for Nokia, Asia Pacific. At Nokia he launched the world’s first smart phone. Later as Head of Marketing at Microsoft he brought the Xbox 360 to millions of users. After leaving the corporate world, Tony co founded a Swiss health tech company, a social enterprise called Bicycle Barista and in 2012 was named Global top 100 Sustainability Leader for his work with Al Gore's Climate Project. Tony is an authentic leader and proven team builder who strives to disrupt the traditional idea of a job. “I get up each day feeling grateful for what I have and motivated to make a positive impact. Experiences excite me, things don’t.”
Chloe Ren
Associate Director, Impact X China
Chloe’s sense of adventure kicked in early. Shortly after high school she moved to the United States to study architecture, where she focused on green buildings and sustainable urban development. Upon returning home, Chloe joined the booming exhibition industry where she fell in love with the buzz and excitement that comes with convening large international events with up to 100,000 participants. A natural collaborator, Chloe has built strong partnerships with government which have become foundational to the Impact X business in China. Chloe enjoys the beach, travel and the company of good friends.
Alicia was born in Xinjiang, China and has lived, studied and worked in Qingdao, Beijing, Tianjin and Hong Kong. She holds a Bachelors degree in Exhibition, Economics and Management from Beijing International Studies University. After graduating from University, Alicia joined the Reed Exhibitions International Sales Group, working in Energy, Environmental Protection, Security, Medical, Building Exhibitions Management for the past 4 years. Alicia is a self-motivated problem solver, eternal optimist and naturally curious with a zest to travel the world and learn about other people and places. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and watching movies. Alicia is now directing her passion and boundless energy to helping Impact X scale globally.