Jeanne-Marie Gescher is a barrister by profession and a curious mind by choice. Having lived in Beijing since 1989, she is particularly known for her thought-provoking advice on China and on the global order as seen through Chinese eyes. Founder of one of the earliest private advisory firms in China, cga, she became convinced that the global economy needed to know more and better: insight rather than facts, the qualities of being human as well as the quanta of economics, the importance of knowledge as consciousness as well as facts. One result was a private dialogue program for individual leaders wanting to explore the globe through conversations on the ground. Another was a virtual think tank within which she pioneered a highly visual format for delivering wide spectrum perspective with cross-cutting insight, known as a ‘landscape’. Jeanne-Marie has been honorary legal advisor to successive British Ambassadors to the PRC since 1989; she is a twice-elected chair of the British Chamber of Commerce and a longstanding advisor on China to global businesses, think-tanks and multilateral and non-governmental organisations. Prior to China, her career included professional practice with both the European Commission and Clifford Chance (European competition law), advisory work with the UN (including early work on the Grameen Bank) and teaching and research at London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies (where she created courses on law and development for an Asia which was then considered to be the ‘developing’ world – with a particular focus on China and India). In 2002, Jeanne-Marie received an OBE for her work on China-UK dialogue. She was an early advisor to Leaders Quest and is now an LQ ambassador. Jeanne-Marie has recently completed her first book, All Under Heaven, China’s Dreams of Order. She is also the author of the soul states. |
Judge rule: is the law taking over politics?
"Although 'battle' suggests destruction, these were some of the most constructive debates I've taken part in. This was civilised conflict in the best sense of both words."
Julian Baggini, author, Welcome to Everytown: A Journey into the English Mind, and The Ego Trick