Australian Fiona Lawrie grew up in Singapore, from whence her love of all things Chinese began. In 2005 Fiona was the recipient of the Australia China Council’s Year in China Program scholarship to study Mandarin at Liaoning University, Shenyang. A BA in Mandarin and International Relations followed, combining her two passions. In 2008 Fiona was selected to participate in the Brightest Young Minds Summit, held in Australia. And in 2007 she was invited to participate in the inaugural Australian young leaders delegation invited to China by Premier Wen Jiabao. Fiona is frequently invited to emcee a variety of business and community events both in Australia and China. Most recently she has presented at TEDx Beijing: Ability of Youth to Make a Sustainable Difference. Currently residing in Beijing, Fiona is the Chief Operating Officer at Thirst.