Letters I hope to receive, and the ones I must decline

The most useful message I can receive comes from someone who chairs a nomination committee, serves as a board secretary or advises on board searches, and who has a seat that resembles the one described on my Board Readiness page. Tell me where the company is listed, what it sells and through which channels, which committee you have in mind and whether it has any dealings with Cuiling, our largest shareholder or our main customers, so that I can check for conflicts before we speak.

Finance directors and audit-committee members in consumer businesses are welcome to compare notes on distributor credit, refund estimates, trade-spend accounting or the case for a second listing. I also take a small number of speaking invitations from finance and governance audiences.

Please do not write about Cuiling's unpublished results, our pricing to customers, raw-milk contracts or any matter that could move our share price; I cannot discuss them. I am not considering executive roles elsewhere, and suppliers should not use this page for sales approaches. I read Chinese and English and reply myself, usually within ten days.