John James Farquharson

John-James Farquharson, born in Bonn 1956, is a Scot / German citizen, studied at Oxford and Insead and worked several years in different roles (Finance, Marketing, Operations and later HR) for international companies such as BP and BASF. In 2009 he decided to go to China as an HR “foreign expert” to work for the large chinese state-owned enterprise ChemChina. John-James Farquharson, descendant of a Scottish clan and ex military, summarised his experiences in China in his book «In the Belly of the Dragon». He describes his work in China as Chief HR Officer and shows the reader a completely different world that many of us may not have been exposed to. In his book John-James Farquharson not only illuminates the entrepreneurial peculiarities in China, but also deals with the psychology and culture of the Chinese, the little tiny nuances, which he got to know and appreciate during his time in there, including Chinese food. In the interview with Xecutives.net, he answers questions about China, also about the ongoing problems in Hong Kong and Tibet, and the country’s future. His views are cautiously optimistic. China is facing great challenges. His conclusion in the interview is: „Let’s hope – also for our sake in the West – that they are successful.“