James B. Heimowitz President & CEO, North Asia

As President and CEO of the region, James is responsible for overall strategy and for ensuring the full complement of Hill and Knowlton's systemwide capabilities are delivered to our clients.
 
James brings to H&K 20 years experience in providing strategic counsel to companies and governments doing business and operating in Asia.

James started his career as a media consultant with Hill and Knowlton Singapore in 1985. Prior to re-joining H&K this year, and drawing on his 20 years experience in Asia, James established the JBH Consulting Group in New York in 2000 to advise companies and governments dealing with Asia. Before that, he was President of China Online Inc.; Managing Director for corporate strategy for Bankers Trust/Deutsche Bank, and Manager of the worldwide Asia team for the Boston Consulting Group where he worked extensively with Japanese keiretsu and Korean chaebol.  In the early 90's, he was responsible for Chase Manhattan Bank's successful re-entry to China, when as Vice President of Corporate Development, he opened the bank's representative office in Shanghai and its first branch since 1949 in Tianjin

James is a well-known speaker and author on the subject of business and investment in China, and his articles have appeared in The Economist, The Far Eastern Economic Review, Business Traveller Magazine, and the Canada-China Business Review.  He is currently a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is on its Independent Economic Task Force on China which is charged with delivering policy advice to the Bush Administration.  He is also a member of the National Committee on US-China Relations and sits on several company boards in the media and China sectors.
 
James went to China as a student before it opened to the West, and was the first American Fulbright Scholar at the National University of Singapore.  He holds an MBA from The Wharton School as well as an MA in International Relations and a BA in Oriental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. He is fluent in Mandarin, French and English and speaks conversational Cantonese, Japanese and Malay.