Kobus Van Der Wath

Founder & CEO Axis Group International

Kobus is the Founder and CEO of Axis Group International. He has been working in Asia for over 25 years and is currently based in Dubai and Shanghai. Axis Group solves complex global value chains – by driving ‘cost-down’ in inbound supply chains, enhancing international revenue growth in outbound supply chains and managing cross-border complexities. At the core of Axis Group’s solutions are deep capabilities, experience and track record in global sourcing and procurement; international logistics and supply chain management; and route-to-market management and distribution. In 2019 Axis Group was acquired and became part of Imperial.

Before founding Axis Group and The Beijing Axis, he was Head of Investment Strategy and Global Market Research for Asia Pacific for Standard Chartered Bank Plc. Prior to that, he was a Senior Strategy Consultant with the Boston Consulting Group in Asia. In his early career, he was an Emerging Market Investment Strategist in London; a Treasury Economist with Standard Merchant Bank in Johannesburg; and an Economist with the South African Reserve Bank in Pretoria.

He holds an MBA from INSEAD in France, a Master of Business (I.T.) from Curtin University in Australia and BCom Honours degrees in Finance/Investments and Economics, respectively from UJ and Unisa in South Africa. He is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, teaching ‘Doing Business in China and Asia’. He is also a Fellow at the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute for Business Science, in the Centre for African Management and Markets.

He is well published and has received numerous invitations to present as a keynote speaker in over 25 countries. He is regarded as a thought leader on the topic of China cross-border business and Global Procurement.