St. John provides counsel to Chinese and foreign companies on matters related to public affairs, issue and crisis management, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, antitrust, and long-term corporate reputation management.

He works closely with clients managing risk associated with their operations in China.

He has been based in Beijing since 1999 and through that time has worked with a wide variety of foreign companies operating in China and Chinese companies building global operations.

St. John joined Brunswick in 2008 following seven years at APCO Worldwide in Beijing where he advised foreign multinationals on investment, public affairs, government engagement, and corporate communications issues across China.

St. John is Chairman Emeritus of the British Chamber of Commerce in China and served as Chairman of the Chamber from 2019 to 2021. He continues to sit on the Executive Committee and be actively engaged in cross border matters.

A leading global expert on China’s economy and financial system, Ning has advised numerous government agencies, including the China Central Bank, China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of the People's Republic of China.

As Head of China, Ning serves as a bridge between Brunswick’s team in China and the international stage, driving the firm’s strategic direction, leading client engagement, and managing critical issues with purpose and resolve.

With over 12 years’ experience in Mainland China, Ning combines on-the-ground know-how with prodigious academic expertise to support clients seeking to expand overseas, enter markets, or evolve their global image. A trained economist, he brings a quantitative and analysis-driven approach to problem-solving, and he has been invited to speak to the boards of many Fortune 500 companies.

An educator at heart, Ning joined Brunswick from the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance, where he was Professor of Finance and Deputy Dean, and Yale University, where he was Faculty Fellow for the International Center for Finance. He is the award-winning author of China’s Guaranteed Bubble and The Investor’s Enemy, and he frequently speaks at the Davos World Economic Forum. He has previously served as a Professor of Finance and Deputy Director at the National Institute of Financial Research at Tsinghua University and is a tenured Professor of Finance at the University of California. He has a PhD in Finance from Yale University, a Master’s in Management from Cornell University, and a Bachelor of Economics in International Finance from Peking University.