Institute for China Studies

Faculty – Udo Looser

Faculty & Experts

Udo Looser, Dipl.-Ing.

Expert Contributor in China Operations

China manufacturing executive, turnaround specialist and greenfield market entry expert with extensive experience in general management, organizational transformation and P&L leadership.

Faculty & Experts

Areas of Expertise

Where Expertise Meets Insight.

About Udo

From greenfield establishment to turnaround leadership and organizational transformation.

Udo Looser is a results-driven German senior executive with over 15 years of General Management and CEO experience in China, specializing in leading manufacturing and engineering companies to new levels of performance and growth.

Udo’s executive profile is characterized by a strong focus on organizational transformation and greenfield market entry. Key career accomplishments include leading the complete greenfield establishment of Willi Elbe Steering Systems in Nanjing, from site selection and negotiation to full-scale mass production, resulting in a 145-employee operation generating annual sales of RMB 150 million. As CEO of Frech (Shanghai) and Interim General Manager for Denios Environmental Protection, he successfully executed major turnaround and restructuring initiatives, reorganizing sales, operations, and company structures while implementing robust data management and transparent processes.

About Richard

From greenfield establishment to turnaround leadership and organizational transformation.

Udo held full P&L responsibility for organizations with turnovers of up to RMB 200 million, overseeing all key functions including Sales, Production, Quality, HR, and Finance. He combines native-level English with professional working proficiency in Chinese to bridge cross-cultural collaboration between European headquarters and APAC operations, supported by an in-depth understanding of local legal and regulatory frameworks.

Udo holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from KIT Karlsruhe and has furthered his education with a Fulbright Scholarship at UC Santa Barbara and Chinese language studies at Nanjing Normal University. He is a recipient of the Nanjing “Parasol Tree Award” for business elites and a former President of the Rotary Club Nanjing. He was Board Member European Union Chamber of Commerce Nanjing Chapter EUCCC from 2013 to 2016.

Credentials

Advanced qualifications in mechanical engineering and cross-cultural business.

Experience

A Career Across Greenfield Establishment, Turnaround Management, and Manufacturing Leadership.

"Industrial leadership is about taking responsibility for the entire chain, from the first investment decision to the people on the shop floor and ultimately the customer. My experience in China has been about building that connection and turning complex situations into businesses that are structured, competitive, and profitable."
Udo Looser, Dipl.-Ing.
Expert Contributor in China Operations

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