FOUNDING TEAM
Lola Woetzel
Managing Partner
Dr. Lola Woetzel is an expert on urban development, economic master planning and sustainability. She has worked with local and national governments in Asia, Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Americas to improve productivity, attract domestic and foreign investment, and deliver on environmental and social goals for more than 40 years. As a Director of the McKinsey Global Institute, she led research on productivity, urbanization, infrastructure, inequality and regional economies. She has extensive experience in real estate, particularly affordable housing, commercial revitalization, and sustainable infrastructure. Dr. Woetzel holds a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Southern California. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a recipient of the Silver Magnolia Award from the Shanghai City Government and of Consulting Magazine’s 50 Most Influential Consultants award. She is currently a Visiting Professor of Global China Studies and Business at New York University in Shanghai, and lectures at Peking University’s Guanghua School of Business, Tsinghua University’s Schwarzman College, and the China-Europe International Business School. She is also a member of the Board of Project Drawdown, the Chair of Delterra, and an Advisor to the Tianjin Juilliard School. She is fluent in Mandarin, Spanish and German and has written five Amazon bestsellers.
ADVISORS
Michael Anderson, AIA, NOMA
Michael Anderson has more than 35 years of diverse experience in architecture, urban planning, transit and community development. He has been design principal for projects in aviation, transit, civic administration, education, and commercial, residential, and municipal infrastructures. “As an architect, my purpose is to advocate for, design, and seek funding for projects that benefit the greater public needs, including economic and redevelopment strategies within challenged communities. My belief is we can utilize the city’s diversity of culture and income to create memorable and beautiful communities that support positive living for every person while producing new revenue for local government.
Marco Breu
Marco is an entrepreneur, investor and Senior Advisor to McKinsey & Company. He is currently the Chairman and Founder of Orionis Capital, a privately owned venture capital and advisory firm, investing in a range of early-stage startups in Vietnam, Southeast Asia and beyond. He is also a Founder and Managing Partner of Alchemy Capital Solutions, a global investment company that provides financial strategies and capital solutions for both public market access and private credit. He has spent over 20 years in Asia, holding various roles including Partner and co-leader of the Financial Institutions Practice for Southeast Asia, Managing Partner in Thailand, and the Founding Partner and CEO of McKinsey Vietnam. From 2010 to 2024 he worked extensively with the Government of Vietnam on Provincial Economic Development Plans and investment attraction. He graduated from the University of Bern, Switzerland, and the University of Strathclyde, UK with a master’s degree in Economics
Bill Corrigan
Bill brings over two decades of leadership in AI, IoT, and connected urban infrastructure, spanning executive roles at McKinsey, Living PlanIT, and BMC Software. As a former Expert Associate Partner at McKinsey, he led dozens of Smart City and Building Automation engagements across the Americas and Europe, helping cities and developers unlock value through advanced connectivity, ESG platforms, and AI-driven infrastructure. At Living PlanIT, he spearheaded strategy for one of the first urban operating systems, partnering with global giants like Hitachi, Philips, and Cisco — and delivering Europe’s first connected airport operations at London City Airport. Most recently at BMC, he guided AI and edge innovation strategy, extending enterprise IT management into the built environment. Bill is known for shaping future-ready technology strategies that turn complex urban systems into intelligent, scalable platforms.
Janamitra Devan
Janamitra (Dev) Devan, a US National, mostly recently served as the CSO and Head of Economic Development of the NEOM Company in Saudi Arabia. Prior to that, Dev was the Joint Vice-President of the World Bank and the IFC and serving in their Senior Management Team and overseeing its Financial & Private Sector Development arm (2009-2013). Dev was also a Director of Practice Management of McKinsey’s Global Strategy Practice and Sr. Fellow of its Think-Tank, the McKinsey Global Institute. Significant accomplishments in his 35 year career included leading Malaysia’s 2nd Industrial Development Plan in the 1990s, overseeing the World Bank’s response during the Financial Crisis, and contributing to numerous knowledge initiatives at McKinsey covering Strategy, Corporate Performance, and significantly work on Chinese Urbanization. Dev was a member of the Financial Stability Board in Basel, Chair of CGAP of the World Bank Group, and a member of the Board of Mary Washington Hospital in Virginia. He obtained his PhD in Economics and International Business from Indiana University.
Bert Hofman
Bert Hofman, a Dutch national, is Adjunct Professor at the East Asian Institute (EAI) at National University of Singapore (NUS). He was Director of EAI and Professor of Practice at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy from June 2019 to December 2023. Before joining NUS, he was with the World Bank for 27 years, 22 of which in Asia, and 12 of which on China. Professor Hofman was the World Bank Country Director for China 2014-2019, the Country Economist 2004-2008, and the Chief Economist for the World Bank in the East Asia and Pacific region 2011-2014. He also worked on Indonesia, the Philippines, Korea and Mongolia. He has extensive experience in advising governments around the region on a wide range of development issues, and published on fiscal policy, debt issues, and China’s and Indonesia’s recent economic history.
Stefano Negri
Stefano is an advisor to companies and governments onstrategy and economic development. Stefano brings 10+ years at the World Bank, where he managed its US$ 3Bln portfolio on competitiveness and innovation; he founded the Competitive Cities Service Line; and he led strategic programs for the CEO. Previously, Stefano worked for 10 years at McKinsey & Co. in Italy and China, where he advised firms in the manufacturing, airline and telecom industries, and governments on urbanization and public sector reform. Stefano is co-author of “Competitive Cities for Jobs and Growth” (World Bank, 2015) and of “Preparing for China’s Urban Billion” (McKinsey Global Institute, 2009). He featured as speaker in events organized by the World Bank, the EU, the WTO, Harvard Business School, CEIBS Shanghai and others. Stefano holds a MSc in Environmental and Land Planning Engineering from Politecnico di Milano and an MBA from INSEAD Singapore.
Guy Perry
Guy Perry is an architect, urban designer and developer with global experience in conceiving and realizing market-leading environments that foster sustainable human well-being. For over three decades, Guy has set new standards for development and urban design in a wide range of urban settings around the globe, receiving top accolades from ULI, ISOCARP, International Academy of Health and Design and the SOM Foundation. He combines design and development expertise to create economically viable, environmentally sustainable, human focused environments.
Kishore Rao
Kishore Rao is a global strategy and operations leader with over 30 years of experience in
sustainability, digital transformation, infrastructure, urban and smart cities, regional integration, innovation, and private sector growth. With senior executive roles and a proven track record of projects across 50+ countries, he has advised governments, DFIs, investors, and businesses designing and implementing transformational initiatives—building strategies, aligning stakeholders, and implementing large-scale, projects, focusing on public-private collaboration and investment mobilization, and technology- and innovation-driven development.
Stephen Wolfe
Stephen Wolfe is an experienced advisor and former senior executive with a long-standing background in commodities, energy markets, and financial structuring. His work spans more than three decades and includes substantial engagement in product flow, finance and infrastructure-related domains—particularly where energy systems, logistics, and resource flows intersect with long-term investment planning. His background includes leadership roles in both growth-phase and mature environments, including responsibility for business development, regulatory engagement, and global team management across the USA, India, Middle East, South America, Europe, China, and Australia.
SENIOR CLIENT ADVISOR - CHINA
Charleen Luo
Charleen is an experienced senior advisor who has shaped large-scale urban development and regional economic strategies across the Yangtze River Delta, the Greater Bay Area, and the Chengdu–Chongqing economic circle. During her 12 years at McKinsey, she led flagship engagements including Shanghai’s 14th Five-Year Plan, the post-CIIE strategy for the Hongqiao CBD, top-level planning for Chengdu’s Tianfu New Area, Hangzhou’s future-community innovation framework, and strategic repositioning for Suzhou Industrial Park and Nanjing Jiangbei New Area. Her work integrates economic strategy, innovation
ecosystems, cultural-heritage redevelopment, and urban-renewal design to help cities build future-ready growth platformsSENIOR STRATEGIC ADVISOR - INDIA
Aditya Sharma
Aditya is an accomplished and dynamic global leader – with 35+ years of rich professional experience; and a proven track record of leading teams that have delivered significant business value. During his first 15 years of career, Aditya served in senior global leadership responsibilities in companies such as McKinsey & Company, JP Morgan Chase, Capital One and Xerox – based in New York and Chicago. The next 15 years of his career have been entrepreneurial; serving as a co-founder or in senior executive leadership in 3 private equity-led companies (Williams Lea, CENTRL and Born Group) – 2 of which have been successfully acquired. He has also served in the Government of India’s Steering Committee for technology startups. Aditya holds an MBA from the William E. Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester, New York (receiving the Karl Brunner Award for outstanding academic excellence), an MS in Computer & Systems Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York (where he was awarded full tuition scholarship and research / teaching assistantship) and a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from the University of Mumbai, India (where he was awarded the JN Tata National Scholarship).
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
Deadra Henderson
Deadra Henderson is an operations leader with more than two decades of experience managing people strategy, finance, professional development, and firmwide operations in complex, global environments. As Chief Administrative Officer at Global6, she oversees the firm’s internal operations, talent infrastructure, and organizational effectiveness—ensuring the systems and people behind the work are aligned to deliver high-impact results for cities and urban leaders. Prior to joining Global6, Deadra served for over 20 years as the Global Manager of Professional Development and Operations at the McKinsey Global Institute, the research arm of McKinsey & Company. There, she led talent, performance development, finance, and global staffing operations—partnering closely with senior executives to shape strategy, support leadership transitions, and build high-performing teams across continents.A trusted advisor to senior executives, Deadra brings a values-driven, collaborative approach and is known for her ability to drive operational excellence, champion inclusive practices, and cultivate environments where people and systems thrive together.
