Bringing Together Finance and Business Leaders

The 2026 Sino-Foreign Controlling Forum, hosted by DUSA European Association Suzhou and Corporate Performance One, has successfully concluded. The event brought together nearly 90 industry professionals on-site, including senior executives and industry specialists from foreign companies operating in China, covering the core sectors of finance, corporate controlling, strategy, taxation, and digital transformation.

In the morning, Mr. Florian Weihard, Chairman of DUSA European Association Suzhou, delivered the opening remarks.

Following that, two insightful keynote speeches were delivered. Mr. Christian Sommer, CEO and Chairman of German Center Shanghai & Taicang, spoke on the topic “Squaring the Circle: China and Europe Between Facts and Perception.”

Mr. Terry Wang, CFO of TRUMPF China, spoke on the topic “The Imperative of Business Partnering in the Age of Hypercompetition.”

Many attendees actively participated in interactive Q&A sessions and asked thoughtful questions after each guest’s presentation.

The event featured six workshops during the second session, allowing attendees to freely choose and participate in the sessions that aligned with their professional interests and business needs.

Dr. Karen Froitzheim, Head of Geopolitics at Covestro China, gave a presentation titled “Geopolitics in Practice: Turning Global Shocks into Better Decisions and Closer Collaboration.”

Ms. Linna Gao, Director of Divisional Controlling for E-Mobility in the Greater China Region, and Mr. Zou Tao, Director of Division Controlling, from Schaeffler Greater China, spoke on the topic of “Sales Controlling and Forecasting in a Highly Competitive Market: Practices in Schaeffler Greater China’s Automotive Business.”

Ms. Fang Liu, Tax Controversy Partner, and Ms. Rong Liu, Tax Technology and Innovation Lead Partner at PwC China, also offered practical insights on “Under Investigation – China Tax Audits & Technology.”

After the lunch break, the second round of workshops began. Mr. Matthias Mross, Asia CFO of the KOSTAL Group, presented “AI @KOASIA – From Experiences to Business Impacts.”

Mr. Zhengping Xu, Senior Financial Consultant at Lucanet China, spoke on the topic “Optimizing Financial Controlling in the Age of Hyper-Competition: From Trusted Numbers to Sharper Business Insight.”

Ms. Yiting Wu, IT Product Owner at Schaeffler Holding (China), spoke on the topic “Digitalization, AI, and Its Application: Turning Emerging Technologies into Business Value.”

After all the workshops, Mr. Michael Kappes, a partner at Horváth Management Consulting, gave an online presentation from Germany on the topic “NextGen@Planning—What Will Planning and Forecasting Look Like in the Future?”

Dr. Zhen Huang, management consultant and trainer at Corporate Performance One GmbH, then presented the key findings of the 2026 China Controlling Survey.

The highlight of the forum was a panel discussion focusing on “Real-World Applications of AI in Business and the Role of Controllers.”

We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to all the invited moderators for their strong support and dedicated contributions to this event.

Ms. Lily Wu, Former Chief Financial Officer at Ruhlamat Automation Technologies (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.

Mr. Alexander Prautzsch, National Chair of the Finance & Taxation Working Group at the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China / Tax Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers Consultants (Shenzhen) Limited, Shanghai Branch.

Mr. Julien Boussu, Regional Financial Controller at Knorr Bremse China.

Mr. Christian Kalkbrenner, Finance & Administration Director of Zapp Precision Metals (Taicang) Co., Ltd.

By combining insights into macro trends with practical operational expertise, the forum created an effective platform for communication and networking among European companies operating in China. Participants gained valuable market insights and opportunities for cooperation through in-depth knowledge sharing.

We sincerely thank our sponsor, Lucanet, and all our supporting partners for their generous support, which made this event a highly productive industry gathering.

 

 

Scan the QR code to see more photos

Password: dusa

See you next year.

Dr. Zhen Huang