Talk of The LexBlog Network: Malcolm Riddell of China Debate

Developing a strong reputation and growing a following in a new location is no easy feat, but international investment banker and lawyer Malcolm Riddell is using the recently-launched China Debate to build a strong network in the United States.

As president of RiddellTseng, a successful boutique investment bank and advisory firm, Riddell spent the last 15 years living and working in China and Taiwan, but is now back in his native Sarasota, Florida and utilizing contacts from his days at Harvard University to expand his network and spark debate about issues surrounding China.

"I didn’t have a strong network in the U.S. so when I came back I started looking (for) ways to be better known here," Riddell said.

Getting active in the Harvard community through researching, lecturing and writing, Riddell found himself gaining credibility as an expert on China issues, but still lacked the exposure necessary to drive business—largely due to never having to market himself at RiddellTseng.  Having launched his firm with a big first-mover advantage in 1988, Riddell was the go-to investor in Taiwan and China then and has maintained clients in this expanding market.

"I never learned to market because I knew everybody I needed to know," said Riddell, "so coming back here was a real shock. I had to learn to market."

Riddell found social media to be the missing link to convey his thoughts to a larger audience.

"I had been fascinated by social media as a concept and the impact it was having on the world so I was thinking maybe this is the way to do it," Riddell said.

Looking to make an impact, Riddell created China Debate as a neutral platform that features insight and commentary on policy and business in China from some of the foremost China issue thought leaders in America. 

"I need to look bigger than one person," Riddell said. "This would show the kinds of fellows I associate with and would be a reflection of their accomplishments."

Business development efforts aside, the goal of China Debate as a publication is to get various communities of enthusiasts and thought leaders from around the world to develop a better sense of clarity on China issues through the site’s facilitation of more acute topic-based discussions.

"When I pull all of this together I feel that I can take any given issue and bring many dimensions to a discussion," Riddell said. "There is a lot more to any one issue than meets the eyes from a narrow discipline’s point of view."

With over 30 years of experience dealing in China issues, Riddell brings a unique voice to this publication— one that is both conversational and authoritative. Like many good bloggers, he is not only concerned with the content he is putting out, but also focusing on listening and curating the perspectives around him.

"There are many excellent resources out there and I depend on them," said Riddell, "and the one advantage I have personally is my experience (because) I take an integrated view of any issue."

Riddell has been very receptive to feedback from China Debate. Responses to the content and contributors have been positive, but the self-proclaimed "frustrated graphic designer" takes a lot of pride in responses to the blog’s design, which has been called "professional" on many accounts.

There is a lot of work still to be done as China Debate is just in its infancy but Riddell hopes the publication will establish him as one of the premier thought leaders on China issues, stateside and beyond.

"One of the things I would like to come out of China Debate is a way for me to sharpen my sense of what the key issues are currently regarding China to see whether or not my thoughts on these issues are valuable."