Victor Gao Keynote Speaker

Vice President of Centre for China and Globalization (CCG)
Former Senior Vice President, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC)
Former diplomat and English language interpreter for China’s Paramount Leader Deng Xiaoping

Victor Gao's Biography

Victor Chao is a Chinese business leader, lawyer and media commentator. He has extensive experience in government, diplomacy, securities regulation, legal, investment banking, PE, corporate management and media

He has a chaired professorship on international relations at Soochow University. Victor is also Vice President of Centre for China and Globalization (CCG), Chairman of China Energy Security Institute; Vice Chairman of China Beidou Industrial Promotion Organization, Chairman of OBOR Group of Hong Kong, a member of the Beijing Energy Club, a Member of the Global Counsel of Asia Society in New York City, a member of the International Advisory Board of the Energy Intelligence Group in London; an advisor to Saudi Aramco and a member of the Board of Directors of several listed companies in Hong Kong.

Formerly a senior Chinese Foreign Service officer, Victor was an English interpreter in the 1980s for Deng Xiaoping and other top Chinese leaders. He later served as China Policy Advisor at the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission. Victor’s prior investment banking experience includes senior positions with Morgan Stanley, CICC and Daiwa Securities.

His corporate management experience includes senior positions with CNOOC Limited, where he was Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Company Secretary, member of the Investment Committee, and Director of CNOOC International.

Between 2002 and 2008, Victor was an Independent Director of the Board of Directors of Chongqing Changan Automobile, the fourth largest automaker in China. In 2009, he was the only PRC expert in a panel of four experts chosen by Ford Motors in their in-depth study and forecast of the PRC automobile market. Victor is also a leading expert (from a PE perspective) in the Chinese e-car industry.

Victor writes for newspapers and magazines in China and overseas and is regularly interviewed by major news organisations, including the BBC, Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal.

He brings rare first-hand authority from senior roles in Chinese diplomacy, global finance and state-owned enterprise leadership, offering leaders an insider’s view of how China’s political and economic systems really operate.
He translates complex dynamics across China’s foreign policy, energy security, capital markets and industrial strategy into clear implications for boards, policymakers and multinational executives.
He combines experience at institutions such as CNOOC, Morgan Stanley and the China Securities and Futures Commission with deep policy insight to help organisations assess risk and opportunity in China-linked decisions.
He is a highly sought-after international commentator and keynote speaker whose briefings equip senior audiences to navigate geopolitical tension, regulatory complexity and long-term China strategy with confidence.