2024 UK China Forum for Collaboration on Innovative Ingredients for a Sustainable Future

Alastair Gardner

Trade Specialist Chemicals Trade & Investment Team at the UK's Department for Business and Trade

• Alastair has worked in international trade promotion for nearly 20 years. In his current role as Trade Specialist for the Chemicals sector within the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), he promotes and support the UK’s world class chemicals industry on a global stage by:

  Ensuring that UK companies in the chemicals supply chain are accessing the support available to them via DIT’s regional, overseas and sector teams

• Promoting UK expertise at overseas trade shows, conferences and with individual key customers

• Identifying new high-value markets and new opportunities for UK businesses

• Promoting UK’s expertise in formulated products across key DBT high-value sectors such as infrastructure, marine, automotive etc

• Engaging with trade associations and industry bodies to ensure that no business with the capability to trade overseas misses the opportunity to do so

Trained as a chemist, he has also worked in various R&D and product development roles with DuPont and Agfa, and has worked on technology transfer projects in USA, India and China, where he also worked for a Chinese producer of lithographic printing plates in production and quality management roles.

Chris Metcalfe

Founder of The   Upcycled Beauty Company

A graduate in BA (Honours) Business Studies from Sheffield Hallam University, Chris has worked in the Personal Care industry since 2011. First joining Adina, a UK distributor of specialty cosmetic ingredients, as Business Manager and soon working up to the roll of   Managing Director in 2013. In 2020, Chris founded The Upcycled Beauty Company, a pioneering approach to thought leadership in the upcycling space within Personal Care. The company went on to win the rising star award at In   Cosmetics Global in 2023. Through collaborations and bold initiatives, he champions the company’s vision of a future where all beauty products are made from upcycled materials – from ingredients to packaging.

Wendy Huang

General Manager, China   Region at Northstar Lipids (UK) Ltd

Huang has been engaged in the natural vegetable oil industry for more than 15 years and has professional knowledge and insights into the production, ingredients, characteristics and skin care   effects of natural vegetable oils. She founded Northstar Lipids China Branch in 2018 and served as the general manager; she has worked for many domestic companies and a number of cosmetics brands and factories to conduct special technology sharing on natural plant oils.

Jing Zhang

Cofounder, Strategy Director of Aqdot

Jing is a cofounder and the Strategy Director of Aqdot. While working to complete her PhD on microfluidic droplets   in the Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, she co-invented the  core technology, which led to the cofounding of Aqdot. She has been shaping the company and its strategy since them, in various roles in operations, marketing, commercial, regulatory and innovation.
During her time in Cambridge University, she was the President of Cambridge University Entrepreneurs, a not-for-profit organisation aimed at promoting   entrepreneurship among students. Prior to moving to Cambridge, Jing was awarded a Bachelor of Philosophy with first class honours and a University Medal from the Australian National University.