Joel Backaler is a Director at Frontier Strategy Group, a contributing columnist for Forbes, and a member of the National Committee on United States–China Relations. Following a Fulbright Fellowship in Taiwan and advanced Mandarin study at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Backaler worked with Atos Consulting's China state-owned enterprise practice in Beijing. During his subsequent career with Frontier Strategy Group, Backaler was part of the founding team of its Asia Pacific office in Singapore.Backaler is an award-winning blogger at TheChinaObserver.com and frequent contributor to mainstream global media outlets. He has lectured at Princeton University, testified before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, and regularly speaks at international events. Backaler, a fluent Mandarin speaker, has worked and lived in Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, and Singapore. He currently lives in Washington DC with his wife Qian.