Saint Martin's speaker will discuss business climate in Hong Kong, China

Oct. 25, 2005

Lacey, Wash. – Francis Iwasawa, owner of a large private accounting firm in Hong Kong, will give insights about the business climate in Hong Kong and China in an 8 a.m. Thursday lecture in Old Main 351 at the Saint Martin’s University campus, 5300 Pacific Ave. S.E. The public is invited to attend the talk.

Iwasawa, a native of Japan and a member of the Saint Martin’s University board of trustees, earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Saint Martin’s College in 1960. He worked in the oil industry – for Caltex Oil Co. (part of the Standard Oil Group) and for the Gulf Oil Corp. – in accounting, internal auditing and finance early in his career. With those firms, he was based in locations from New York and Tokyo to Geneva and Hong Kong. He left Gulf Oil as vice president for finance to join the accounting firm of Ernst and Whiney, working in offices in many of the same cities. He then spent two years in Hong Kong as a senior consultant with the accounting firm of Arthur Young. His work with both accounting firms centered on auditing, taxation and management consultation.

Iwasawa’s own accounting firm, established in 1989 in Hong Kong, helps approximately 150 Japanese investors facilitate their businesses enterprises in that city and all over China. His expertise in such areas as statutory auditing, taxation and support services for foreign entrepreneurs has led to numerous seminars for high-ranking Japanese government officials and business leaders.

For more information on the simulation, please contact Assistant Prof. of economics Riley Moore at 360-438-4511; rmoore@stmartin.edu

For more information:

Riley Moore
Assistant professor, economics and finance
(360) 438-4511; rmoore@stmartin.edu

Deanna Partlow
Media coordinator / senior editor
360-438-4541; dpartlow@stmartin.edu