Yang Hou is a proven transformational leader with strong technology industry ecosystem development capabilities as well as local insight to enable customers. He is experienced across operations, product optimization and sales leadership with a strong track record in partner and customer engagement. A combination of strategic thinking and execution discipline has helped him deliver outsized growth in his career.

Hou joined Microsoft in March 2021, where he is the Chairman and CEO of Microsoft GCR, responsible for strategic leadership of sales, marketing, services and operations across the three subsidiaries that make up one of Microsoft’s most dynamic and innovative growth regions.

Prior to Microsoft, Hou worked at Qualcomm for more than 8 years both in the US and China. His most recent role was as Senior Vice President of Qualcomm’s semiconductor business in China. During his tenure, the business experienced tremendous growth and more than tripled in revenue. He led a team which collaborated with telecom and mobile internet partners to migrate wireless technologies, deepened partnerships with leading Chinese corporations across industries from mobile to industrial to automotive and drove technology innovation together with a broad array of ecosystem partners in China. Prior to Qualcomm, he spent five years at McKinsey as a leader in their tech practice, based in the US.

Joanna Mao joined the United States Information Technology Office (USITO) in September 2015 serving as its Deputy Managing Director. Prior to that, Joanna was employed with Lenovo, Intel, A.P. Muller. Maersk, Microsoft and Ogilvy & Mather. She has 17 years of marketing, communication and partner management experience in the information technology sector, and while serving as spokeswoman, oversaw government affairs in North Asia. Joanna was once in investment banking, providing counseling for Chinese companies seeking overseas listings while serving for ING Baring.