Running a Bank in China - Victor Shih & Ken Wilcox

Professor Victor Shih speaks with Ken Wilcox of Silicon Valley Bank on the lessons learned from running a joint-venture with a state-owned bank and how banking practices have evolved during recent financial crises in China.

Victor Shih is a leading expert in examining the intersection of China’s elite politics and the People’s Republic’s financial policies. He has written widely on the topic and teaches a course at UC San Diego on Financing the Chinese Economic Miracle. Not only does Professor Shih have an authoritative voice on the subject, he has gain a following on Twitter for his interesting takes on China’s politics and economy. You can join over 12,000 others on Twitter by following him @vshih2

Ken Wilcox is the Emeritus Chairman at Silicon Valley Bank. He previously served as CEO of SVB Financial Group. In that role, he successfully pursued a strategy of expansion into China. In 2011, he made the key decision to relocate to Shanghai to lead a joint-venture with the state-owned Shanghai Pudong Development Bank that proved to be a critical factor in SVB’s pioneering role in expanding financial services in the innovation sector, and SVB’s overall success in China.

Mr. Wilcox was on the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and he still serves on several corporate and nonprofit boards, including the Asia Society of Northern California. He is also an adjunct professor at Fudan University in Shanghai. Among many other accolades, Mr. Wilcox was honored by the Shanghai Municipal Government with the “Magnolia Silver Award”, a municipal honor given to expatriates for their outstanding contribution to the city's economic, social or cultural development.

China 21 is produced by the 21st Century China Program, at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy. This podcast features expert voices, insights and stories about China’s economy, politics, society, and the implications for international affairs. Learn more at china.ucsd.edu

This episode was recorded at UC San Diego Studio Ten300

• Host: Samuel Tsoi
• Editors: Mike Fausner, Anthony King
• Production Support: Lei Guang, Susan Shirk, Amy Robinson, Sarah Pfledderer, Michelle Fredricks
• Music: Dave Liang/Shanghai Restoration Project