Hua Foley

Managing Director, Upstream China

Hua has 20 years of government, corporate, consultancy experience and is now considered one of China’s most prominent communications experts.

Hua has worked in both the PR agency head and top in-house communications roles. Most recently, Hua acted as Executive Vice President of a Beijing-based public relations agency, serving clients of key China government agencies, multinational companies, and top Chinese enterprises. Previously, Hua co-founded Panorama Media China, a venture that subsequently created and produced successful TV programs for Star TV, MTV and China Central Television. Hua also was China head for five years for a Hong Kong based public relations firm running its China operation which was selected as one of the top-20 PR agencies by Marketing China in 2004. Prior to this she spent three years working as a consultant for Monitor Company, a U.S. based management consultancy, developing business strategy for Fortune 500 companies. Earlier she co-founded and managed the first private opinion research company in China. Hua also worked as an analyst at a “think tank” to the Premier. She was an associate professor at the People’s University of China, where she established the first university course in public relations in China. Hua started her working career as a journalist.

Hua holds a Masters degree from Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a Masters degree in mass communications from the People's University of China.