David Hathaway is a Principal for China at The Asia Group, where he is a key leader for the firm in helping clients handle the complex challenges and opportunities of the China market. He works with clients to navigate the commercial, political, and regulatory landscape in China, and adapt strategies to emerging geopolitical changes.
David has three decades of experience as an advisor and consultant to commercial and non-profit institutions, government agencies, and multilateral development institutions in China and across Asia. He has spent 13 years based in-country in China, and also brings on-the-ground experience in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. David also serves as a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub.
Prior to joining The Asia Group, David served for eight years as a Senior Vice President with the Albright Stonebridge Group, where he led client engagements for the firm’s China practice. In this capacity, he helped clients navigate issues at the intersection of business and government, including reevaluating strategic positioning in the market based on the evolving geopolitical and business landscape, market entry, decision making around new policies and regulation, intellectual property rights, managing partnerships, planning and implementing localization strategies, and building support for clients’ presence in the China market with key stakeholders. He has supported clients across a wide range of sectors, including energy, clean technology, aviation and aerospace, financial services and investment, product and manufacturing standards, agriculture, healthcare, retail, autonomous and alternative energy vehicles, and environmental conservation. David also helped lead business development for the practice.
Prior to the Albright Stonebridge Group, David served as an advisor to the Stephen A. Schwarzman Education Foundation, supporting efforts to launch the Schwarzman Scholars Program in Beijing.
Prior to this, David spent 20 years at ICF International, where he helped launch and then lead the firm’s China practice. While at ICF, David led client support for numerous U.S. government and multilateral development institutions in developing and implementing programs of collaboration in China and other Southeast Asian countries in areas including clean technology and climate policy. David also led the launch and management of ICF’s Beijing operations. As Vice President and Managing Director of ICF’s China office, David opened the firm’s legal business entity in Beijing, hired and managed staff, and built multiple lines of commercial business across the clean energy and aviation sectors. David also led the development and launch of ICF’s support for a Bangkok-based $22 million five-year program with USAID to strengthen climate policy capacity across 11 countries in Asia, as well as a Beijing-based $6 million three-year program with the European Commission to build capacity for developing and implementing China’s emerging carbon emissions trading regime. David also coordinated ICF’s Asia-Pacific business development, working with offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Manila, and New Delhi.
David received his Master of Science in Public Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and his Bachelor of Arts in Chinese History from the University of California at Santa Cruz. He also received a diploma in Chinese Studies from the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, and studied at Beijing University and National Chengchi University in Taipei. David is fluent in Chinese.
A native of Washington, DC, David is an avid local history buff, and an amateur chef. He lives in Bethesda, MD with his wife and daughter.