Mr. John LIU 
Principal, Strategic Business Development
Neuron Digital 

John Liu advises Neuron Digital, an ARUP spinout, on strategic business development and AI solutions for smart cities. Previously, he held roles as Head of Digital Service and Segment Lead at Schneider Electric, where he scaled AI initiatives for energy management across Asia. At HKBN, as Associate Director of Digital Transformation, he founded the IoT Department and contributed to the company’s 2021 HKSTP “Innovation Movers – Business Transformer” recognition.

John holds an MSc in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from HEC Paris and is completing an MSc in Major Programme Management at the University of Oxford. His research examines how cultural and organisational differences shape AI adoption in major energy management programmes, drawing on practitioner perspectives across six continents.

Mr. Philip MCMANUS
Director, Strategic Planning
NTT Com Asia 

Phil McManus is Director of Strategic Planning at NTT Com Asia and Chair of Innovation & Technology at the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. NTT Com Asia is part of NTT Group, the world's third-largest data centre provider, with over US$3.6 billion invested annually in R&D.

Phil holds a BBA in Global Business and Management at HKUST Business School and is also a doctoral candidate at the City University of Hong Kong, researching AI, data centres and space-based intelligence. His work spans corporate strategy, investment and innovation, with a focus on strengthening Hong Kong’s role as a leading AI and financial centre.

Mr. Shaun XUE 
Co-founder
Aulius.ai 

Shaun Xue is a co-founder of Aulius.ai, an embedded AI execution partner helping Asia’s growth and cross-border companies turn AI opportunities into real business value. Before co-founding Aulius, Shaun was an Executive Director and Head of APAC for JPMorgan Chase’s Strategic Investments team, where he led investments in early- to late-stage fintech and emerging technology companies. Earlier in his career, he was a member of J.P. Morgan’s China Investment Banking team.

Shaun holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a BA in Economics from Fudan University.

Prof. Joon Nak CHOI
Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Management
Advisor to the MSc in Business Analytics, Department of Information Systems and Operations Management
Faculty Associate, Institute for Emerging Market Studies
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Prof. Joon Nak CHOI is Adjunct Associate Professor of Management at HKUST Business School, where he advises the MSc in Business Analytics program and is a Faculty Associate at the Institute for Emerging Market Studies. His research on AI, analytics, innovation, development, and global networks appears in the Strategic Management Journal and other leading journals. He co-teaches HKUST's award-winning AI course, speaks frequently to corporate boards, executives, and industry groups, and has founded or advised various AI-related startups.

He has held academic appointments at Stanford and NYU Shanghai, and holds an AB from Brown and a PhD from Stanford.