News

We are most pleased to announce the latest appointments of two new trustees of Mulan Foundation Network: Sally Maier-Yip and Tracy Hon, bringing different skills and expertise to help realise our missions. 

Sally Maier-Yip is a trusted China communications advisor and thought leader, with almost 20 years of solid experience and proven records in strategising and delivering award-winning campaigns for multinational and national companies in China, Hong Kong, across Asia, and globally. Sally is currently the Founder and Managing Director of a fast-growing, UK’s leading China strategic communications consultancy, 11K Consulting. In 2023, Sally received "Highly Commended" recognition in the Business category at the Mulan's annual Awards ceremony.

Tracy Hon is a qualified solicitor with almost 20 years’ experience in all aspects of property law. She has spent many years travelling in South East Asia for business, developing relationships, and providing legal advice to clients seeking investment opportunities in the UK. Tracy is currently working at Forsters LLP, contributing to the firm’s Asia business development. 

Led by Co-Chairs, Lady Katy Blair MBE and Luise Schafer OBE, Mulan Foundation Network (charity registration number: 1147252) aims to recognise and honour the achievements of women of Chinese heritage, in the UK and the diaspora, through mentoring, learning events and the Annual Awards.

Mulan is building up a global network of successful women through networking, career mentoring, mutual support and by contributing to the wider community.

Follow us on the Mulan website and LinkedIn to find out more about our foundation.

2023 Annual Gala Awards were held on 19^th October, with VIP guest and keynote speaker, Lady Cherie Blair CBE KC. 

Winners in Award Categories were

• Qun Yang - Contribution to Business or a Profession (eg: accountancy or law)
• Flora Man - Contribution to the Community
• Professor Xiaolan Fu - Contribution to Science, Technology or Engineering
• Xiaolu Guo - Contribution to the Arts, Culture or Sport
• Jing Wang -Contribution to Education
• Yintong Betser - Unsung Heroine

Highly Commended were: 

• Ting Zhang and Sally Maier-Yip  - Contribution to Business,
• Susan Fang, Contribution to Education and
• Helena Zeng- Unsung Heroine

For more information on nominating a woman of Chinese heritage in 2024 email: [email protected]

Meisim Lai OBE DL

Earlier this year our long-standing friend and Chair of Mulan, Meisim Lai OBE DL, decided to step down from this operational role, after more than a decade of unstinting service, leading Mulan from a fledgling charity to an organisation with wide connections and a worthy profile. Meisim has long been a staunch supporter of young women as they progress in their careers, and has helped many of them with numerous networking and learning opportunities at Mulan events. We are all so grateful to her for her leadership. Happily,  Mulan will continue to benefit from her continued support, as she has kindly agreed to take on the position of Honorary President. 

Sonny Leong CBE

Co-Founder of Mulan Foundation Network, and long time Trustee, Sonny Leong CBE, also stepped away from an executive role on the Mulan Board late last year, as he was elevated to the House of Lords, as a Labour Peer and now Frontbench spokesperson. Now time poor for all his former community and voluntary roles, it is natural that he must concentrate on his new and exciting work. However, we are honoured that he has kindly agreed to accept the position of Mulan Patron, which demonstrates his support for our mission to encourage and celebrate women of Chinese heritage, and inspire others in the British Chinese diaspora to reach similar heights in public service.

New Co-Chairs

We are delighted that Mulan Co-Founder, Lady Katy Blair MBE, and long-standing Mulan Trustee, Luise Schafer OBE have agreed to take on joint responsibility for the executive leadership of the charity, as Co-Chairs. With the support of the Board of Trustees, they are looking forward to building on earlier work, and taking Mulan in new and dynamic directions, with a number of projects currently being developed which will help women of Chinese heritage reach their full potential in the UK.

The Mulan Foundation Network very successfully celebrated International Woman’s Day on 9 March 2023 with a networking drinks and canapés reception and a talk/discussion, on how to be both a successful career woman, either for a global corporate or by running your own business, as well as being a mother.

Our speakers were banker, Lin Yue, and luxury PR specialist, Sally Maier-Yip.

The talk was chaired by Mulan’s new honorary President, MeiSim Lai.

The event was sponsored by Marks & Clerk, International Intellectual Property firm.

The networking was exceptional and the talks, not just insightful but also stimulating and encouraging.

This talk was the first in our series of ‘Aspire, Achieve, and Advance’ events.

Date: Thursday 9 March,

Venue: Marks & Clerk, 4th Floor 15 Fetter Lane, London EC4A 1BW

A fabulous time was had by all. Our Guest speakers, Lin Yue and Sally Maier-Yip inspired the audience with how they took on the challenges of working in very competitive environments, faced discrimination, started their own business and juggled being a mother and the unconditonal demands of young children. Meisim Lai made an excellent Chair to the discussion that followed. 

New Leadership: Luise Schafer and Katy Tse were anounced as new joint Chairs and 

Sonny Leong, who is now a new member of the House of Lords, and MeiSim Lai made an honourary Presidents

Kindly sponsored by: MARKS & CLERK Intellectual Property Firm

Website: https://www.marks-clerk.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marks-&-clerk/

Twitter: @marksandclerk

Instagram @marksandclerk

Monday, 13 June 2022 | Time: 18:00-20:30 | Venue: Grimmond Room, Portcullis House, Houses of Parliament, 1 Victoria Embankment, London SW1A 2JR

To celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, Mulan Foundation Network is pleased to host this Jubilee Lecture with the Hon Sarah Owen MP, Shadow Minister for Homelessness, Rough Sleeping & Faith

Sarah Owen was elected as the Member of Parliament for Luton North in December 2019.

Sarah is a campaigning MP and was appointed Shadow Minister for homelessness, rough sleeping, and faith in December 2021.

Sarah is a member of the Health and Social Care Committee, Vice-Chair of the APPG on Hate Crime, and is leading legislation through the House on regulations for fireworks and providing bereavement leave for parents following baby loss.

Sarah is also the first female MP of South East Asian descent and is the Chair of East and South East Asians for Labour.

Registration

Attendance at the event is strictly by invitation only and early booking is essential as the number of places is very limited.

To avoid disappointment, please RESERVE your place now on Eventbrite HERE.

Download flyer HERE

There will be a drinks reception after this event at The Farmers Club, 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL. This will be a paid for event which is £50 per person. Those interested in attending, please email Mei Sim Lai OBE, DL on [email protected]

Special Screening of Golden Gate Girls:the untold stories of the first Chinese female film director in America

Released on April 20 in the “Hong Kong, Reimagined” programme as part of the ongoing  (2013) tells a story about the first Chinese film and fashion icon in Hollywood.

GOLDEN GATE GIRLS

dir. Louisa Wei | 2013 | 90 mins | Documentary | Cantonese, English | Hong Kong SAR

Available between April 20 – May 12

#ChooseToChallenge

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2021

Online Panel Discussion

Thursday 4 March 2021 at 16.30 to 18.00

Booking link:

https://www.iod.com/events-community/events/event-details/eventdateid/31384

( No charge to attend and all are welcome )

IoD City is pleased once again to be leading again on this year’s Celebration of International Women’s Day with our panel discussion on Thursday 45 March 2020 This event is opened to all ( men and women ) who would like to attend. We are delighted that the following groups have been to join us:

• Women in the Livery, a section of City Livery Club
• Women Icebreakers of The 48 Group Club
• The British Malaysian Society
• PAWA ( Pan Asian Women’s Association ( Charity No 1148405)
• Mulan Foundation Network ( Charity No 1147252)
• tve ( Television for the Environment Charity No 326585)

It was our absolute pleasure to host our first ever webinar panel on the topic of "Women as Inclusive Leaders: perspectives from media, business, politics and medicine". The panel was chaired by Dame Fiona Woolf, DBE DStJ DL, Lord Mayor of London 2013-2014, who has long championed diversity during her distinguished career. Our panellists Ching-He Huang, Suwei Jiang, Sarah Owen MP, and Sharon Heng MBBS discussed the opportunities and challenges of building the 'new normal', the importance of sustainability + cultivating new talent, and ways to support women to express their natural leadership capabilities. We also enjoyed a dance performance by Sy Naet Nin of the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, and a presentation from jewellery designer Pauline Wong. The funds raised will go to support the work of the Mulan Foundation in 2021.

Date : Thursday 10 December 2020

Time: 17.00 to 19.00 GMT

Mei Sim Lai OBE DL, Chair and the Trustees of Mulan charity are delighted to invite you to join us for our online Panel Discussion event on:

" Women as Inclusive Leaders” Some perspectives from the world of media, business, politics and medicine.

We are delighted that Dame Fiona Woolf DBE DStJ DL, Lord Mayor of London 2013-2014 and a woman of a long list of significant achievements has agreed to chair this panel discussion for us. Following her speech to set the scene on her work on leadership, diversity & inclusion in all its forms, she will invite each panel member to share their journey to success with and discuss their views on the theme.

Three of our panel members apart from Sarah Owen MP are Past Mulan Award Winners

There will be a Q&A and time for the audience to contribute to the discussion.

Due to the pandemic this event is in place of the Annual Mulan Awards and fundraising Dinner. There is a donation of £20 per person to attend. Booking is via Eventbrite https://womenleadersasinclusiveleaders.eventbrite.co.uk or you can email Mei Sim on [email protected] to secure your place and pay by bank transfer to Mulan's bank account.