WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2008

CORPORATE PROGRAM: FOCUS ON CHINA

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Talent Management: Finding the Right People in China

Richard Stephens, Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Administration, The Boeing Company
Stefanie Cross-Wilson, Copresident of Recruitment and Talent Management, Hudson North America

Multinational corporations have flooded to China in order to leverage the largest and least expensive labor pool in the world. Yet, China, a country of 1.3 billion people, now faces a major labor and skills shortage of qualified personnel across a wide range of activities from manufacturing to professional services. The Economist noted in August 2007 “In a recent survey, 600 chief executives of multinational companies with businesses across Asia said a shortage of qualified staff ranked as their biggest concern in China.” This dearth of skilled labor is leading to poaching of employees between Chinese and multinational firms. Skill shortages in middle and senior management and other key areas have combined with rising labor costs to restrain potential future growth and erode China's low cost advantage. How are companies addressing this talent crunch and rising price of labor worldwide? What policies can the Chinese government implement to address this constraint on economic growth?

Richard Stephens is senior vice president, Human Resources and Administration for The Boeing Company, and a member of the Boeing Executive Council. A 28-year Boeing veteran, Stephens oversees all leadership development, training, employee relations, compensation, benefits, global corporate citizenship, and diversity initiatives at the Chicago-based, $61.5 billion, 158,000-person commercial airplane and defense company. Mr. Stephens was appointed to lead companywide Human Resources and Administration in September, 2005. He previously served as senior vice president of Internal Services and president, Shared Services Group.

Stefanie Cross-Wilson is the former chief executive officer of Hudson Asia and current copresident of Recruitment and Talent Management, Hudson North America, which is a leading provider of permanent recruitment, contract professionals and talent management solutions worldwide. She is recognized as one of the industry’s leading experts on international recruitment and human resources trends, having worked in Asia for more than twenty years to bring extensive hands-on recruitment experience to numerous blue chip multinational employers in China, including Standard Chartered Bank, Unilever, Coca Cola, and Whirlpool. Ms. Cross-Wilson helped build the Hudson Asia business from the ground up, driving Hudson’s growth in mid-senior level recruitment throughout the region, particularly China, where Hudson enjoys market leader status.

Focus on China series is generously supported by:

The Fairmont Chicago
200 North Columbus Drive
Chicago, IL 60601

5:30 p.m. Registration
6:00 p.m. Presentation and Q & A
7:15 p.m. Adjournment

Young Professional Members $10
Members $20
Nonmembers $30
President’s Circle, Corporate Members, and Student Members complimentary

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