Alex was born in Shropshire, a sleepy county on the border of England and Wales. From a young age he was an extreme introvert, even going so far as to escape out of the window when called to meet visiting friends. When he was 15 years old his family moved to New Zealand and he decided enough was enough. From that day on he worked hard to become more sociable and outgoing, pushing himself to go out there and meet more friends. It wasn’t always easy, but little by little he shed his shyness and became a people person.

In 2005 Alex came to Shanghai and soon after became known as “Mr Networking” for his sociability and networking skills. Now he helps others overcome the same challenges he did by coaching them in business and social networking, including increasing confidence, making small talk, building rapport and following up. Through Shanghai Networking News, his blog and email newsletter, he has already helped hundreds of locals and expats in Shanghai become better networkers and has been featured on the BBC, Shanghai Daily and International Channel Shanghai.