From Compliance to Competitiveness: Building Practical Due Diligence Systems for Business Success

John Poon joined amfori in May 2024 as the Advocacy & Engagement Advisor for Asia Pacific. His role is to implement amfori’s advocacy and stakeholder engagement plans and actions in sustainable trade, responsible supply chains and ESG related priority issues in the APAC region that is aligned with amfori’s global strategy of supporting businesses to pursue responsible supply chains across APAC.

With over 7 years of experience in public policy and public affairs, John has worked extensively in roles that involve public policy analysis, advocacy and stakeholders engagement. Prior to amfori, he was the Public Affairs Manager at Tencent and Assistant Manager, Business Policy of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. John holds a Master of Public Policy from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore and a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Communication – Journalism from Hong Kong Baptist University.

Jimmy Po is the Divisional Vice President of Quality Management and Sustainability at OBI Group Sourcing Hong Kong Limited, which serves as the group’s sourcing hub in Asia. He brings over 30 years of executive leadership in global sourcing, quality management, and supply chain sustainability, while also managing internal corporate governance and compliance across the region. Prior to his current role, he held key leadership positions across major European retail sourcing organizations in Asia, building extensive expertise in end-to-end quality systems, regulatory compliance, risk mitigation, and manufacturer collaboration across the Asia-Pacific region.

Throughout his career, he has focused on elevating product quality standards while driving transparent, resilient supply chain operations. In his present capacity, Jimmy actively leads the strategic integration of environmental, social, and governance standards into daily sourcing workflows alongside maintaining internal governance frameworks. He specializes in helping organizations navigate complex international due diligence frameworks, such as evolving European Union regulations and directives, turning regulatory obligations into commercial advantages for supplier networks across Asia.

Jimmy holds an Executive MBA and a BEng in Manufacturing Engineering, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Engineering Management at City University of Hong Kong. A passionate advocate for continuous learning, he frequently delivers university guest lectures and speaks at commercial chambers in Hong Kong, sharing actionable insights that bridge regulatory requirements, commercial readiness, and operational excellence.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

1. Enhance Regulatory Agility for Regional SMEs:

Equip Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area suppliers with actionable frameworks to navigate and overcome pressing EU compliance challenges, including Ecodesign (ESPR) and supply chain due diligence rules, swiftly and efficiently.

2. Drive Competitive & Resilient Supply Chain Growth:

Enable local manufacturers to convert regulatory compliance into a strategic market differentiator, securing Hong Kong and GBA as preferred, resilient sourcing partners for European and global supply chains.