
An early advisor to China's Internet founders including Jack Ma, Duncan's 2016 book 'Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built' chronicled the rise of China's Internet sector and entrepreneurial class and was named Book of the Year by The Economist and short-listed for Business Book of the Year by the Financial Times/McKinsey.
In Japan, Duncan serves on the Advisory Board of Japan Activation Capital, is Adjunct Researcher at the newly established Institute of Japan in the Global Economy (JGE) at Waseda University and serves on the Board of Councilors of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST).
Duncan is an early-stage investor in Silicon Valley ventures including Story Protocol (invested by a16z) bringing programmable IP to a world being transformed by AI.
Duncan is a Global Trustee of the Asia Society, Co-Chair and Founding Trustee of Asia Society France and founding member of Asia Society Japan.
A Graduate of the London School of Economics, Duncan has also served as Visiting Fellow at the LSE and as Visiting Scholar for three years at Stanford University. Duncan in 2013 was awarded an OBE for services to UK-China trade. Raised in the UK, US and France, Duncan is fluent in French, Chinese and conversant in Spanish and Japanese.



Lei Shi holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronic Engineering from Tsinghua University.