Timothy Beardson founded, majority-owned and ran Crosby, which became the largest independent investment bank in Asia.
At its height, Crosby employed 650 staff in 24 offices in 17 cities in 13 countries from New York to Beijing. It had an annual transaction volume of $US 20 billion. It was the first international investment bank to open in China, Thailand and Malaysia. It was the only foreign bank invited to participate in the working party to set up the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Crosby was active in the stock markets and had presences in China, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It also had sales operations in Japan, Switzerland, Britain and the United States. It advised governments, corporations and financial institutions on political, strategic, economic and investment issues regarding Asia and the global economy.
Tim sold the bank in stages between 1996 and 1999. Based on the scale of the bank’s operations and the valuation on sale, he was described in the media as “the leading English entrepreneur in Hong Kong during the latter part of the twentieth century”.
Tim speaks on political, economic and strategic issues at events such as the World Economic Forum at Davos and has frequently been invited to lecture to Chinese governmental organisations on economics, finance and other subjects. He has spoken, inter alia, at or for the Global India Business Meeting, the former Institute of Marxism-Leninism, the Shanghai Municipal Government, the Global Russia Business Meeting and the Beijing International Finance Forum. He also lectures at universities and business schools such as Oxford, Yale and Beijing and briefs central banks and corporate boards.
In Stumbling Giant: The Threats to China's Future, Tim draws on extensive research and experience living and working in Asia over the last 35 years to highlight China's situation and the threats that will inevitably challenge the popular opinion that it will become the world's "Number One power". His book was nominated for the Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction.
Tim is an active investor, he is also interested in coaching young entrepreneurs and is engaged in charitable work including being Chairman of the China Oxford Scholarship Fund.
