Our
Team

Over 20 years of experience in developing solutions that work

“When I started (as an intern) at Equasia, I felt immediately welcomed throughout the firm. It is a very valuable experience to work in a multi-national consulting firm, particularly away from my home country of Brazil.

Vanessa A, Senior Consultant BNLS

Hugo Muller

Director               

Zach Lichtblau

Director              

Choy Yiu Chan

Director              

Valérie Hoeks

Director EQ +

Paul van Brenkelen

Senior Consultant and Co-Founder Eqologic

Iago Camilo

Senior Intellectual Property Consultant  

Mitchell van Vuren

Business Development

Krystle Morris

Compliance Officer      

Lyndee Baloja

Accountant and Controller

Amanda Chen

Accountant          

Sherilyn Jia

Company Secretary      

Hugo Muller

Director

Corporate Advisory  |  Law
hugo.muller@equasia-group.com

Experience

Before founding Equasia, Hugo was a lawyer at two leading law firms, a manager for a retail chain, a co-founder of a management consulting firm, and the founder of a corporate advisory boutique.

Since coming to Shanghai in 2000, Hugo founded Equasia with the original aim of helping clients to enter the China market. In addition to his work supporting clients across Asia, Hugo is an active investor and stock picker.

Hugo holds an LLB and LLM from Leiden University.

Zach Lichtblau

Director

Law  |  Corporate Advisory
zach.lichtblau@equasia-group.com

Experience

Zach spent two years in Taiwan studying Mandarin Chinese and has gained some valuable experience as a business consultant there. Following the completion of his master’s degree, Zach came to Shanghai in 2005. He is a partner at Bonnard Lawson (Shanghai) and an Equasia co-founder.
Zach holds an MSc in International Management from SOAS, and a BA equivalence in East Asian studies as well as an LLB from Tel Aviv University.

Choy Yiu Chan

Director

Law  |  Corporate Advisory
choyyiu.chan@equasia-group.com

Experience

After working for a leading law firm in Rotterdam, where she qualified as a solicitor and an advocate, Choy joined Equasia in Shanghai in 2007. In 2010, she joined Bonnard Lawson as a partner. In 2018, Choy moved to Equasia’s Hong Kong office, where she is a director. Choy also has her own podcast “Choy’s Podcast – Life and Business in Asia” and the episodes can be found on choysworld.com.

Choy holds an LLB and an LLM from Rotterdam University.

Valérie Hoeks

Director EQ +

Experience

Valérie is a co-founder of the strategy firm China Inroads, which provides solutions to European companies at a crossroads with their Chinese partners. In 2023, Valérie joined Equasia Group as a director of EQ + Strategy Partners Ltd (EQ +™), a company jointly formed between Equasia Group and China Inroads to strengthen and expand our strategy consulting services across China and SE Asia.

As a seasoned Sinologist and trusted advisor, Valérie adds over 20 years of knowledge and experience in the Chinese business environment, working with MNCs, SMEs and owner-managed companies to provide strategic and business solutions.

Valérie holds a Master’s degree in Sinology from Leiden University.

Paul van Brenkelen

advisor and co-founder Eqologic

Experience

Paul specializes in ESG & corporate governance, sustainability projects, testing, inspection and certification (TIC) projects and start-up management.

Paul’s career has revolved around innovation and product development, working at leading third-party service providers for supply chain solutions. His emphasis is on consumer goods, agri-food and industrial applications. He is a builder of global solutions that reduce impact on people and the environment. Paul has acted as a project partner to businesses, industry groups and government departments in over 50 countries.

As a recognized expert and leader in his field, Paul is a co-founder of EQOLOGIC, taking up the role of senior advisor.

Paul holds a BASc in Agricultural Science from the Aeres University of Applied Sciences and an MSc in Agronomy from Wageningen Agricultural University, both in the Netherlands. He also holds post graduate diplomas on the role of non-executive directors. Paul is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) at the Swiss Business School with a thesis on corporate governance.

IAGO CAMILO

Intellectual Property Consultant

Intellectual Property
iago.camilo@equasia-group.com

Experience

Iago joined Equasia in 2024 as our Senior Intellectual Property Consultant. With a background in Intellectual Property Law and International Law, Iago’s main professional experience has been gained in Brazil as a junior attorney. In addition, he has been active in Portugal, Russia, Germany and China. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Intellectual Property at Tongji University

Iago holds an LLB from the Pontifical Catholic University of Goiás and a Specialization in International Law from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo.

Mitchell van Vuren

Project Manager EQ+

Experience

Mitchell joined Equasia Group in 2023 as Project Manager EQ+, a company jointly formed between Equasia Group and China Inroads to strengthen and expand trategy consulting services across China and SE Asia. He is responsible for marketing and research for EQ+. Next to his activities at EQ+, Mitchell is pursuing a PhD at Leiden University, the Netherlands.

Mitchell holds a Master’s degree from Leiden University.

Krystle Morris

Compliance officer

Experience

Krystle joined Equasia in 2017 and is our head of compliance. Her prior experience includes working as a client relationship manager at a financial advisory firm in Shanghai and as a credit analyst for a leasing company in Bogota, Colombia.

Krystle holds a BA in Finance and International Affairs from the Universidad Externado in Bogota, where she did her thesis in money laundering. She also studied Chinese at the Fudan University in Shanghai and has a ICA certificate in Managing Sanctions Risk.

Lyndee Baloja

Accountant and controller

Accounting & Reporting
lyndee.baloja@equasia-group.com

Experience

Lyndee joined Equasia in 2024 as a manager in the accounting team. Lyndee oversees our accounting support services in SE Asia and Hong Kong and is the controller of the Equasia Group. Before joining Equasia, Lyndee honed her skills as a general accountant at a Japanese company in the Philippines and as a remote accountant for a leading US-based firm.

Lyndee holds a BSBA in management accounting from Arellano University, a BSc in accounting from the Philippine Christian University and an MBA from the same institution. She is a member of the Philippine National Institute of Accounting Technicians.

Amanda Chen

Accountant

Accounting & Reporting | Central Services
amanda.chan@equasia-group.com

Experience

Amanda joined Equasia in 2008.

Amanda is responsible for accounting, financial reporting, banking issues and tax declarations. She also manages the invoicing of multiple entities by the admin team.

Amanda holds a BA in Business Administration from the Shanghai Maritime University.  

Sherilyn Jia

Company Secretary

Experience

Sherilyn joined Equasia in 2022 and is our Company Secretary. She has 6 years experience working in corporate administration. Sherilyn owned and operated a coding training centre in China before moving back to Hong Kong and joining Equasia. She is a student member of the Hong Kong Chartered Governance Institute and is also studying for the STEP qualification.
Sherilyn holds an MSc in Business Information Systems and a BA in Marketing, both from the City University of Hong Kong.