Lola Woetzel

As an expert on urban development, economic master planning and sustainability, Lola has worked with local and national governments in Asia, Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Americas to improve productivity, attract domestic and foreign investment, and deliver on environmental and social goals for more than 40 years. Based in China since 1986, she has conducted more than 100 projects for local governments throughout China and the Middle East to support economic development and transformation. As a Director of the McKinsey Global Institute [MGI] she led MGI research on productivity, urbanization, infrastructure, inequality and regional economies. Lola works in the private sector as well, and has extensive experience in real estate, particularly affordable housing and commercial revitalization, and has advised on sustainable energy investment strategies among other topics Dr. Woetzel holds a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Southern California. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and actively participates in international forums including the World Economic Forum and the Bloomberg New Economy Forum. She is a recipient of the Silver Magnolia Award from the Shanghai City Government and of Consulting Magazine’s 50 Most Influential Consultants award. She has guest lectured at Peking University’s Guanghua School of Business, Tsinghua University’s Schwarzman College, and the China-Europe International Business School since 2008. She is a member of the Board of Project Drawdown, the Chair of Delterra, and an Advisor to the Tianjin Juilliard School. She is fluent in Mandarin, Spanish and German and has written five Amazon bestsellers including Capitalist China: Strategies for a Revolutionized Economy; Operation China; 1 Hour China and No Ordinary Disruption