Hans Henrik Pontoppidan was appointed Secretary General of DCBF in 2016, following a four-year tenure as a Board Member. Hans Henrik has more than 20 years of experience in Corporate Banking (10 of which abroad), working for Hambros Bank Plc London, Bank of America, Nordea and Svenska Handelsbanken. Hans Henrik opened Privatbanken A/S (now part of Nordea) in Beijing and headed the China operation from 1989 to 1993.

Prior to joining Danish-Chinese Business Forum (DCBF), Hans Henrik was a Partner at Deloitte Corporate Finance for 15 years and was amongst others responsible for the sale of all electricity out of Copenhagen Energy (now HOFOR) and the majority of the shares in Energi E2; basically providing Copenhagen Municipalities their part of the funding for the initial Metro project. Subsequently Hans Henrik executed the sale of 50% of the Danish gas storage and distribution system.

Hans Henrik holds an MBA from City University London and a Bachelor of Commerce in Foreign Trade. Hans Henrik also passed the Executive Board Education at CBS in 2016.

Martin Bech was appointed Deputy Secretary General of DCBF in February 2026.

Martin brings two decades of experience working with Sino-Danish relations, both from Denmark and on the ground in China.

In Denmark, Martin has most recently served in a dual capacity as researcher and co-coordinator of the EU-funded research project “China Horizons – Dealing with a Resurgent China”, while also conducting research on China’s technology diplomacy. At the same time, he held the position of Head of Partnerships and International Relations at the Danish Academy of Technical Sciences (ATV), where he worked closely with industry, research institutions, government and international partners.

In China, Martin was posted by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Innovation Attaché and Deputy Director at Innovation Centre Denmark in Shanghai, giving him first-hand insight into China’s innovation ecosystem and policy environment. Previously, he was also programme manager at the Nordic Centre at Fudan University in Shanghai.

With a BA in East Asian Studies from University of Copenhagen, an MA from RUC, and a PhD focusing on international research and innovation collaboration from Aarhus University, Martin speaks Chinese, possesses deep knowledge of technology policy and international research and innovation collaboration.

Feel free to reach out to Martin on LinkedIn as well: Martin Bech

Kasper joined Danish-Chinese Business Forum in February 2023 as Digital Communications & Project Assistant. He is currently studying for a BA in Asia Studies (China Studies) at the University of Copenhagen, as well as working with various student organizations, to raise and share interest for China and Chinese culture. As part of his studies, Kasper has been to China on multiple occasions - most recently spending half a year in Taipei. 

Noam has lived in China since 2005 where he among others has worked for the Nordic Industrial Park in Ningbo and The Trade Council in Shanghai. Today, he is the Founder of China-direct.biz in Shanghai that offers practical advice and supporting business and legal services to mostly Scandinavian companies regarding market access, company establishments and operations in China. Noam holds a M.Sc. International Business from Copenhagen Business School. He was appointed China Representative of DCBF in September 2019. 

Kevin joined DCBF in October 2024 as Communications & Marketing Assistant. He is currently pursuing a BA in Asia Studies (China Studies) at the University of Copenhagen and is complementing his focus on China with elective courses in business and economics at Copenhagen Business School. As part of his program, Kevin spent half a year on exchange in Taipei. He also frequently visits China and actively participates in China-related events to further expand his knowledge of the country.