2024 Main Conference Speakers

Mr. Eric Jing is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ant Group. He joined Alibaba Group in 2007 and became the President of Ant Group in June 2015. Eric was appointed as the CEO of Ant Group in October 2016, and assumed the additional role of Chairman in April 2018.

Under his leadership, Ant Group's strategy focuses on inclusiveness, sustainability, and globalization to bring small but meaningful changes to the world. Ant Group aims to support digital transformation with partners worldwide, enabling access to financial and technological services for consumers and small businesses.

In addition to his role at Ant Group, Mr. Jing serves as a senior advisor to the World Bank's Identification for Development (ID4D) Initiative and the Centre for Digital ID, Trade and Economy of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). He is also a foundation board member of the Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Furthermore, Mr. Jing is an active member of both the Patrons for Nature of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Champions for Nature of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Previously, he served as a senior advisor for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Comprehensive Surveillance Review and as a member of the UN Secretary-General's Task Force on Digital Financing of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mr. Jing received his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the College of Economics & Management at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 1994. In 2005, he obtained his Master's degree in Business Administration after completing the EMBA program at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, U.S.

Tom serves as Chief Executive Officer of Bullish, responsible for creating, planning, and implementing the company's strategic direction. Previously, Tom served as CEO, President and Chairman of Far Peak Acquisition Corporation, and Far Point Acquisition Corporation. Tom also serves as Chairman of Global Blue Group Holding AG (NYSE: GB).

Tom brings many years of executive leadership in the finance industry, including serving as President of the NYSE Group of Intercontinental Exchange Inc., or ICE, from 2014 to 2018. Tom led all operations for the NYSE and managed a diverse range of equity and equity options exchanges, comprising the largest equities listing and securities trading venue in the world. In this role, Tom spearheaded the NYSE through a significant strategic and operational transition, revitalizing an iconic business and brand. Tom also presided over a series of operational improvements which led to the tripling of profits, the doubling of pre-acquisition operating margin, the reduction of annual costs by US$550 million, and the modernization of NYSE technology. Prior to joining the NYSE, Tom served as the SVP of Financial Markets at ICE, where he oversaw a variety of modernization efforts, strategic acquisitions, and exchange consolidations. Prior to joining ICE, Tom was President of SunGard Kiodex, after serving as its CFO and COO.

Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of WeBank.

As a member of WeBank executive management team, Henry oversees the IT strategic planning and management, fintech innovation at WeBank.

Prior to WeBank, Henry has served as General Manager at Ping An Technology Co., Ltd. Prior to that, Henry had lived and worked in Silicon Valley for more than 10 years. Henry has received his Bachelor of Science degree with Highest Honors from UC Berkeley and a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from Stanford University. With years of professional studies and working experience, he has successfully led teams in in various renowned companies to in-house design and implement multiple groundbreaking fintech infrastructures and applications.

Luanne Lim was appointed Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong, HSBC, in 2022, having previously served as Chief Operating Officer, Hong Kong, HSBC, a role that she has held since 2017.

Ms Lim has more than 25 years of banking industry experience. Since joining HSBC in Singapore in 1999, she has held leadership roles and spearheaded strategic initiatives across HSBC’s key markets, including Mainland China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. She is currently a board member of HSBC Bank (Vietnam) Ltd.

She is the Chairperson of the Hong Kong Association of Banks, and sits on the Banking Advisory Committee and Financial Infrastructure and Market Development Sub-Committee of Hong Kong Monetary Authority. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Financial Services Development Council, council member of Treasury Markets Association and member of the Academy of Finance. She is also the Chairperson of Financial Services Advisory Committee and the Asian Financial Forum Steering Committee of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

She currently serves as a board member and executive committee member of The Community Chest. In July 2024, Ms Lim was awarded a Medal of Honour by the HKSAR Government in recognition to her services to the community.

John Lindfors is the Cofounder and Managing Partner of DST Global, which backs exceptional category-leading internet and software companies led by visionary founders. Previously, John was the Head of European Tech and a Partner of Goldman Sachs in London

Mr. Lin oversees Tencent’s overall fintech business, including payment, wealth management, securities and other fintech services. Previously he was the Managing Partner at Tencent Investment, where he was responsible for Tencent’s equity investment in various areas, such as e-commerce, Internet Finance, Online to Offline and digital contents etc. Notable deals including JD.com, China Literature, Tencent Music, Meituan, PDD, Bilibili etc. Prior to joining Tencent, Mr. Lin held various senior positions in finance, strategy, and operating management at Microsoft and Nokia.

Forest Lin holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Bachelor of Engineering from Zhejiang University.

Jeremy is responsible for strategy, vision and operating execution at Circle. He brings more than two decades of experience building and leading global internet software platforms, including founder and CEO of Brightcove, technologist and entrepreneur in residence at General Catalyst, CTO of Macromedia, and co-founder and CTO of Allaire Corporation. Jeremy has provided expert testimony on digital assets and monetary policy before the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Government Affairs, US Senate Banking Committee and the House Financial Services Committee. He has also been named to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) High-Level Advisory Group on FinTech.

Laura is currently a Director in Temasek’s Blockchain team, which focuses on venture building and investment opportunities in the space.

She is a sponsor of Temasek’s venture studio, Menyala, supporting the development and growth of startups. Laura is also part of the founding venture teams of various start-ups initiated by Temasek –Partior, a joint venture with JP Morgan and DBS to setup a multi-currency payments network to enhance cross-border clearing and settlements as well as Affinidi, a start-up that uses decentralised technologies to develop data and self-sovereign identity solutions.

Laura joined Temasek in 2007, before her current role she was involved in originating and evaluating investments across various sectors at Temasek. Her expertise spans B2B, B2B2C and B2C industries such as Consumer Tech, Industrials, Specialty Chemicals, Offshore Marine, Transportation, and Logistics.

Prior to joining Temasek, Laura had worked at Ernst & Young, followed by General Electric (“GE”) invarious finance roles pertaining to GE’s Financial Management Program and CAS Programs, which spanned several geographies including US, China, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia.

Laura is a Fellow of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (FCCA) and holds a BA(Hons) in Accounting and Finance from Sheffield Hallam University, UK. Additionally, she represents Temasek on the Advisory Committee of Elevandi and as Board Observer of Partior. Laura has also been recognized as a Singapore 100 Women in Tech (SG100WIT) 2023 honoree and a 2022 Fintech65 Leader.

Mike Xu (DBA) is currently a Global Partner at Fosun, serving as Co-Chairman and CEO of Fosun Capital, where he oversees global private equity investments and industry buyouts. He has led investments in several pioneering companies listed on the SSE STAR Market, including Espressif Systems (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., and CCT, a leading business networking and big data AI company in China. In 2024, Mike spearheaded investments in Saifen Technology, the first company approved for listing on the SSE STAR Market, as well as Calterah, the world’s leading millimeter wave radar chip provider.

Additionally, Mike has led investments in cutting-edge technology companies such as ArrayComm, Angstrong, BTD Technology, JueFX Technology, and Tetramem. Through a joint venture between Chinese and American consortia, Mike successfully completed an investment and IPO for Delhivery, India’s largest e-commerce logistics company. His honors and awards include ‘Best Technology Investor of the Year’ by Jiazi Guangnian and ‘Outstanding Innovator in Private Equity’ by Financing China.

Ben was appointed Standard Chartered’s President, International in April 2024. He sits on the Group’s Management Team and is the Chairman of both Standard Chartered Bank (China) Limited and Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore) Limited.

Ben joined Standard Chartered in 1992 and has held a number of senior management positions spanning corporate, commercial and retail banking. Prior to his current role, he was CEO, Asia, overseeing the Bank’s presence in 21 Asian markets.

Ben is a member of the Hong Kong Chief Executive’s Council of Advisers, Exchange Fund Advisory Committee and the General Committee of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. He is the Co-Chair of B20’s Trade and Investment Taskforce.  He also serves as an economic advisor at the International Consultative Conference on the Future Economic Development of Guangdong Province, Mainland China. He was previously the chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Banks, a member of the Financial Services Development Council, a board member of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, the Hong Kong Airport Authority and the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, and a Council Member of the University of Hong Kong.

Yuval is a visionary leader at the intersection of finance and technology.

Yuval co-founded Digital Asset in 2014 to fill a gap in the blockchain space, ultimately taking the technology beyond cryptocurrencies to reduce risk and bring greater efficiency for major financial institutions such as BNP Paribas, Broadridge, Goldman Sachs, HKEX, HSBC, and Nasdaq, among others.

Yuval is a member of the Digital Asset Markets subcommittee of the U.S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Global Market Advisory Committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Global Blockchain Business Council, a leading global industry association for the blockchain technology ecosystem.  

Prior to Digital Asset, Yuval held positions at Citadel and DRW Trading, where he managed an algorithmic trading desk and helped launch DRW Venture Capital.

Lily Liu is an entrepreneur and investor focused on the cryptocurrency industry. She has abackground as a CFO and operating executive in the US, China, and throughout emergingmarkets.
Lily is the Co Founder of Anagram; the President of the Solana Foundation; on the foundingteam of Osmosis, and an advisor to Brave.

Previously, Lily co-founded Earn.com which was acquired by Coinbase in 2018. She wasalso the CFO of the Chinaco Healthcare Corporation, where she built a 500-bed privatehospital in China. Lily also worked at KKR in New York as well as McKinsey in New York andBeijing.

Lily received a BA in Economics and International Relations from Stanford, and studied EastAsian Studies at Harvard.

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Dr Norman Chan previously served as Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Deputy Director of the Office of the Exchange Fund of Hong Kong, Director of the Chief Executive of the HKSAR’s Office and Vice Chairman of Standard Chartered Bank.  

Dr Chan received a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from the CUHK, an Honorary Fellowship from the CUHK, an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration from the City University, Lingnan University and Shue Yan University, an Honorary Doctoral Degree of Social Science from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Dr Chan currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Chung Chi College of CUHK, Vice Chairman of CUHK Council, Chairman of the Board of Directors of RD Wallet Technologies Ltd, RD ezLink Limited, Chairman of the Hong Kong Acquisition Corporation and Founding Chairman of Hong Kong Institute of Web3.0.

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Mr. Xu Bing is the Co-founder of SenseTime who is passionate about building AI innovations for a better tomorrow. Before founding SenseTime, Bing was a PhD candidate conducting research on deep learning and computer vision at the Multimedia Lab of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the first Chinese team to focus on deep learning and computer vision research.

Bing, together with several Co-founders from the same university lab, founded SenseTime in 2014 and cultivated it into the world’s leading AI company. Bing is a key executive of the company, primarily managing corporate development strategies and overseeing fundraising activities. Bing was named one of the most promising Innovators Under 35 in China by the MIT Technology Review and is featured on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia List.

Bing holds two bachelor’s degrees in Information Engineering and in Mathematics from The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Christina is a Managing Principal, Global Head of Capital Markets and Co-Chair of Alternative Investments at Gaw Capital Partners. She works closely with limited partners relating to capital raising and new product developments. Gaw Capital is a real estate private equity firm and has raised seven commingled funds targeting the APAC region since 2005. The firm also manages value-add/opportunistic funds in the US, a Pan-Asia hospitality fund, a European hospitality fund, a growth equity fund and it also provides services for credit investments and separate account direct investments globally. The firm has over US$35.4 billion in AUM as of Q1 2024. She also serves as Executive Director of Pioneer Global Group (0224.HK) and Independent Non-Executive Director and Member of the Sustainability Committee of CLP Holdings Limited (0002.HK).

Ms. Gaw was named Global PERE’s Rainmaker 30 and one of the Top 10 PERE’s Women of Influence in 2021.

Prior to joining Gaw Capital, Christina had an investment banking career with Goldman Sachs and UBS as Managing Director for over 15 years, with responsibilities as Head of Asia Equities Distribution and as Head of APAC Capital Introduction team within Prime Brokerage. She has deep experience in covering the largest institutional investors globally.

Christina is also active in community and educational sector capacity work in Hong Kong. She is currently an honorary advisor of Hong Kong PropTech Association, a board member of InspiringHK Sports Foundation, a committee member of Urban Land Institute (ULI) Hong Kong CEO Forum, a member of International Advisory Council at Stanford University, an advisor of Teach for Hong Kong and Time Auction, a finance committee member and board member of Hong Kong International School, a board member of Stellart International School of Arts, a corporate member of the Cheltenham Ladies College UK, a school supervisor for TWGHs S. C. Gaw Memorial College and the council member of Lingnan University, Hong Kong. She has also served as the board member of The Women’s Foundation for over 10 years from 2009 to 2019 and the board treasurer of The Hong Kong Ballet Group from 2010 to 2017.

Christina received her B.S in Business Administration from the University of San Francisco, California.

Mr. Zhu has served as the CEO of Du Xiaoman Technology (formerly Baidu Finance) since April 2018, when Baidu completed its spin-off of the Financial Service Group (FSG) with investors led by TPG and Carlyle. Mr. Zhu led the team to establish Baidu’s FSG in December 2015. Prior to this, Mr. Zhu held the position of Senior Vice President at Baidu, where he was responsible for various roles including public relations, government affairs, and Baidu News.

Mr. Zhu graduated from Xi'an Jiaotong University and joined Baidu in 2008. Prior to that, he worked at Lenovo Group for ten years.

Elwin Yuan boasts an extensive 13-year tenure in the venture capital sector, bringing a wealth of experience and insight to the table. Since his arrival at 5Y Capital in 2011, his strategic vision and leadership have been pivotal, culminating in his promotion to Partner in 2017. Elwin's expertise lies at the intersection of digital/social media, AI, and enterprise services, where he has spearheaded investments in industry-defining companies such as Kuaishou (HK: 01024), the trailblazing Musical.ly (acquired by ByteDance), the health and fitness platform Keep (HK: 03650), as well as innovative ventures like Moonshot and Soul.

Elwin's journey to 5Y Capital included a formative three-year stint at KPMG, where he sharpened his financial and analytical skills, complemented by a year of hands-on startup experience. His academic credentials include a Bachelor of Science degree from the esteemed Nanjing University.

His remarkable track record has not gone unnoticed, with Forbes acknowledging Elwin's success by featuring him on the prestigious Midas List, an accolade that places him among the top 100 venture capitalists globally. To delve deeper into Elwin's professional narrative and his influence within the industry, visit his Forbes Profile.

Jack Zhang is a technology entrepreneur redefining financial services for the digital economy. As CEO and Co-founder of Airwallex, he has built a successful company with a vision to become the global economic infrastructure to empower modern businesses of all sizes to grow beyond borders.

Established in Melbourne in 2015, Airwallex has raised over US$900 million in funding and is currently valued at over US$5.6 billion, supported by Sequoia, Lone Pine, Greenoaks, DST Global, Tencent, Hillhouse, Salesforce Ventures and MasterCard.

Jack has been recognised as Outstanding Leader of the Year by Fintech Australia and one of Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneurs of the Year. An engineer by trade, Jack was also awarded the Kernot Memorial Medal, one of Australia’s most prestigious engineering awards, by the University of Melbourne.

Deeply passionate about fueling the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators, Jack launched Capital49, a venture capital fund focused on early-stage investment in high-growth tech-enabled companies. Airwallex is also working to build pathways to entrepreneurship through its AU$3 million scholarship and mentoring partnership with the University of Melbourne and its founding partner sponsorship of Build Club, Australia's first dedicated AI residency, campus and accelerator.

Martha Sazon is the President & CEO of Mynt, the holding company of GCash, the #1Finance App in the Philippines. Appointed as CEO in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, her focus on customer-centricity has propelled GCash into a lifeline to many Filipinos. With Martha at the helm, GCash is now the Philippines' first and only $5B unicorn with millions of registered users. As a result, GCash is now a household name and is being used as a verb in the country.

Prior to GCash, Martha had 20 years of experience in various industries like food, OTC drugs, personal care, and telco. Martha spent 12 years at Globe Telecom during which she pioneered many breakthroughs and achievements for a wide array of products and headed the Broadband business. Martha has also worked as a Marketing Director and Category Leader for Asia at GlaxoSmithKline and as a Senior Product Manager for Del Monte.

Martha has attended and finished executive programs at IMD, INSEAD and Harvard Business School, and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Accounting (Cum Laude), from the University of the Philippines, Diliman.

Sergey Nazarov is the co-founder of Chainlink, the leading decentralized oracle network used by global enterprises and leading Web3 projects at the forefront of the blockchain industry. Chainlink oracle networks enable smart contracts on any blockchain to reliably connect to any external API and leverage secure off-chain computations for building feature-rich applications. Chainlink currently secures tens of billions of dollars in value for smart contracts across decentralized finance (DeFi), insurance, gaming, and other major industries. Contributing to building an industry-standard oracle solution used by leading banks, insurance companies, and large technology firms has given Nazarov a unique perspective on what is required to drive the mainstream adoption of blockchain technology and build a world based on cryptographic truth.

Esther is the founder and CIO of 3Capital Investment, an Al-focused VC targeting global opportunities.The firm has a dedicated vision: we believe Al is at the dawn of a multi year breakthrough, and we have chosen to focus on infrastructure and foundational technologies that will be the building blocks of this revolution.

Prior to founding 3Capital, Esther was a founding member of SenseTime, one of China's largest Al software companies. She initiated the company's strategic investment and capital markets team, raising over USD 5 billion and leading investments and collaborations with strategic partners both domestically and internationally.

In addition to her successful startup experience, Esther has over 20 years of experience in finance and banking, holding leadership roles at Cazenove (now JP Morgan), CICC, Barclays, and Bocom.

Esther holds an Executive MBA from The University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. She is dedicated to youth development and serves as a board member of the Greater Bay. Youth Committee and Junior Achievement Hong Kong.

Rob Schimek is the Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of bolttech. He leads the bolttech team across our operations globally, spanning more than 35 markets across 4 continents.

With more than 35 years’ experience in the financial services industry, Rob has previously held senior leadership roles in insurance, including Managing Director &Group Chief Operating Officer for FWD Group, President and CEO of AIG’s commercial insurance businesses worldwide and Chief Executive Officer of the Americas for AIG. Prior to that, Rob served as President and Chief Executive Officer of EMEA for AIG and was the Chief Financial Officer of AIG’s global property and casualty insurance business.

Rob was also a partner at Deloitte & Touche L.L.P. where, for 18 years, he used his public accounting experience to serve global financial institution clients, including MetLife, The Prudential Insurance Company of America, and Merrill Lynch.

Rob is a C.P.A. He earned his M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds an undergraduate degree from Rider University in New Jersey.

Outside of work, Rob can be found in the gym or competing in some of the world’s toughest endurance competitions such as the Ironman World Championships, and the Antarctic Ice Marathon

Alain Lam, aged 50, graduated from University of Oxford with a master's degree in Engineering in August 1998. He is a Vice President and the CFO of the Xiaomi Corporation, and the Chairman of Airstar Digital Technology.

Alain joined the Group in 2020. Prior to joining the Group, Alain worked at Credit Suisse (Hong Kong) as Managing Director and Head of the Asian Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) Group of the Investment Banking division from January 2016 to October 2020. From July 1997 to December 2015, he worked at Morgan Stanley in the London, New York, Menlo Park and Hong Kong offices. Alain was responsible for leading many US IPO projects including those of Kingsoft Cloud, XPeng Motors and Pinduoduo, as well as Hong Kong IPO projects including those of Alibaba, Xiaomi, and NetEase.

Thomas G. Tsao co-founded Gobi Partners in 2002. Gobi’s regional platform supports entrepreneurs from the early to growth stages and has expanded to 13 locations across Asia.

In China, Tom and his partners were first-round investors into Airwallex, Dianwoda, Teambition, Tuniu, UR, and WaveOptics. He was named to the Forbes List of China’s Top VCs from 2013 – 2017. For two years, he served as CEO for DMG and created the world’s first subway soap opera starring Huang Xiaoming. Tom also leads the team that manages the Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund, which has invested in companies like AutoX, DayDayCook, GoGoX, Prenetics, and WeLab.

In 2015, Tom relocated to Kuala Lumpur where he set up several funds with MAVCAP, Malaysia’s largest VC firm. Gobi has invested in over 65 companies in Southeast Asia, including Aerodyne, Carsome, EasyParcel, iStoreiSend, Kumu, and Synagie. Tom is now building Gobi’s TaqwaTech investment practice focused on innovative startups serving Muslim communities such as Airlift, Sastaticket, and UmrahMe.

Tom graduated from Harvard University with a BA in Economics and was the inspiration for Seinfeld’s ‘Movie Phone’ episode. In 2006, he founded SEO China, a non-profit organization, which has provided hundreds of internships for underserved college students. He also serves as Chair of the Presidential Scholars Foundation, which cultivates, connects, and celebrates U.S. Presidential Scholars (161 of the nation’s top high school seniors who are selected annually and honored by the White House).

Max is Head of Digital Assets for Asia Pacific at Goldman Sachs. Based in Hong Kong Max is focused across the firms crypto, tokenization and Digital Asset investment initiatives.

Max serves as an observer on the boards of BitGo and Blockdaemon, two of Goldman Sachs’ portfolio companies.

Naveen Mallela is the global co-head of Onyx, which is a division within J.P. Morgan focused on digital assets and digital currencies. He has been one of the founding members of Onyx and builder of cornerstone products like JPM Coin, Programmable Payments and Partior.

Keen enthusiast of all things digital currencies, Naveen has authored white papers on CBDCs, Shared Ledgers and Deposit Tokens and has been part of multiple industry initiatives shaping the landscape of digital money.

Naveen prior to founding Onyx had held several roles at J.P. Morgan including APAC Head of Digital, Payments.

Naveen is a graduate from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore and a CFA Charter holder.

As the Head of Authorisation within the Financial Services Regulatory Authority, Wai Lum oversees the licensing of financial services firms in the banking, insurance, payments and capital markets sector.

With digital transformation at the forefront of global regulators’ agenda, Wai Lum also spearheads ADGM’s regulatory strategy in financial technology and innovation.  He has been instrumental in shaping the fintech landscape in the UAE, pioneering several first-in-the-region regulatory initiatives.  Wai Lum formulated the Regulatory Sandbox for fintech innovation, the Venture Capital Framework for investment managers, and the Private Financing Framework to improve access to alternative financing for ventures and SMEs in the private markets.  He was also instrumental in shaping ADGM’s regulatory frameworks for digital assets.

Prior to joining ADGM, Wai Lum was with the Monetary Authority of Singapore.  Before that, he was with the Singapore Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment working on environmental policies including climate-rated issues.

Wai Lum graduated from Imperial College, London with a Master of Engineering and holds a Master of Science in Applied Finance from the National University of Singapore.

Andrea is the Co-founder and CEO of Aspire, the all-in-one finance software for businesses across Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, Aspire has over 450+ employees across five countries and is backed by global top tier VCs, including Sequoia, Lightspeed, Y-Combinator, Tencent and Paypal.

Prior to Aspire, Andrea Baronchelli was part of Lazada’s founding team and spent 6 years building the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia based out of Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. He held several leadership roles within Lazada across the region including CMO, Commercial director, and CEO Vietnam. Andrea is a Y-Combinator and Rocket Internet Alum.

Matt has had a high profile career spanning more than 20 years in the technology domain. His leadership has significantly contributed to building trust in technology transformations and the protection of digital assets. As a senior partner and the head of the Cybersecurity practice at PwC, he oversaw its expansion to over 150 specialists and played a foundational role in VARA's establishment before accepting the role of CEO. An alumnus of the University of Bath and the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, his academic credentials reflect the success of his professional journey.

Matt is not just confined to the corporate world. He is a co-founder of two startups: 'decent', a platform seeking to revolutionise charitable giving, and 'Clubbie', a niche social network for amateur sports enthusiasts. He is frequently sought after as a public speaker - his insights and expertise make him a valuable voice in helping to make this complex subject more accessible to everyone.

Daniela Barbosa serves as General Manager of Decentralized Technologies at the Linux Foundation and Executive Director of LF Decentralized Trust. She has overall strategic and operational responsibility for staff, programs, expansion, and execution of LF Decentralized Trust’s mission. Previously, she spent seven years in leadership roles at Hyperledger Foundation, driving the collaborative development of enterprise-grade blockchain and identity technologies by a global community. She is a leading voice for the power of openly developed decentralized technologies to optimize critical infrastructure for efficiency, privacy, and inclusivity.

Daniela has more than 20 years technology experience growing companies and communities and advancing adoption of business-critical software. She started her career at Dow Jones where she worked with the top global brands across various sectors, including finance, consumer and energy, to architect and deliver enterprise systems, ontologies and semantic web solutions. In the early 2000s, Daniela became involved in the early web 2.0 community helping to advance the concept of digital identity and data portability as the pathway for people to reuse their data across interoperable applications.

Dong HE is Deputy Director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department (MCM) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He has oversight responsibility for MCM’s work on digital currencies and fintech. He joined MCM in October 2014 and led MCM’s work on global financial stability analysis, monetary and macroprudential policies, and technical assistance on central bank operations.

Dong holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Cambridge. He started his career in 1993 when he joined the World Bank through the Young Professionals Program. He was a staff member of the World Bank during 1993-1998, of the IMF during 1998-2004, and of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) during 2004-2014. At the HKMA, he was Executive Director responsible for directing research and policy advice on issues relating to the maintenance of monetary and financial stability and the development of financial markets. He was also Director of the Hong Kong Institute for Monetary Research. He has published extensively on macroeconomic and financial market issues.

Ms. Poman Lo is the Vice Chairman and Executive Director of Century City International Holdings Limited and Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Regal Hotels International Holdings Limited. Century City Group comprises a total of five listed entities in Hong Kong, including Century City International Holdings Limited (investment holding), Paliburg Holdings Limited (property development and investment), Regal Hotels International Holdings Limited (hotel operation and management), Regal Real Estate Investment Trust (first hotel REIT in Hong Kong), and Cosmopolitan International Holdings Limited (China real estate and investment).

Poman is the Founding Managing Partner of AlphaTrio Capital, an Asia-focused sustainable technology fund empowering the next wave of green tech unicorns to provide disruptive solutions for the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.

Poman serves as an Adjunct Professor teaching sustainable business management and impact investing at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and The University of Hong Kong. She founded the non-profit Institute of Sustainability and Technology with a mission to nurture the next generation of ESG talent through executive education and advance the sustainability agenda through interdisciplinary research and international conferences. Poman Lo founded the One Earth Summit and One Earth Alliance to unite the most influential leaders in connecting capital to sustainable innovations and kickstarting the global impact revolution. To foster holistic well-being and positive values in children and youths, Poman established Bodhi Love Foundation to provide mindfulness-based training to educators and parents through its SEED (social emotional ethical development) program.

Poman has been officially appointed as Member of Chief Executive’s Policy Unit Expert Group, Member of the Green Technology and Finance Development Committee, Council Member of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Foundation Member of Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Member of the Advisory Board of the Hong Kong Academy for Wealth Legacy, Member of the Curriculum Development Council Standing Committee on Values Education, and also serves as the Honorary President of Hong Kong Federation of Women. As a global champion of sustainable development, Poman takes an active leadership role at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). She was appointed Co-Chair of the ESBN Finance Task Force and member of the Executive Committee of ESBN, and serves as Chair of the Asia Pacific Business Forum Organizing Committee and Chair of Asia Pacific Green Deal for Business Committee.

Poman was awarded the Angier B. Duke Scholarship at 15 and graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Psychology from Duke University at 19. She is the only person in Hong Kong history to receive both the “Outstanding Young Person of the World Award” and the “Hong Kong Outstanding Students Award”. She is also the first and only female Asian recipient of the “Oslo Business for Peace Award” by the Business for Peace Foundation in Norway, selected by an independent committee of Nobel Prize Laureates in Peace and Economics. In 2023, she was awarded the “Business Person of the Year Award” at the DHL/SCMP Hong Kong Business Awards.

Mohammed AlSarrani is the Deputy Director General of the Financial Sector Development Program (FSDP), which plays a crucial role in shaping the future of Saudi Arabia's financial sector by promoting income diversification, boost savings, and offer various financing and investment opportunities.

Prior to joining FSDP, Mohammed was the Country Head of Saudi Arabia at MSCI, leading the company’s strategic and commercial interests within the Saudi Market across various product lines. With over 15 years of financial and banking industry experience, he held senior positions in Banque Saudi Fransi and Saudi British Bank in their Treasury and Global markets divisions.

Mohammed has a bachelor’s degree in industrial and systems engineering from King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM).

Mr. MU Changchun is appointed Director-General of the Digital Currency Institute, People’s Bank of China in July, 2019. Mr. Mu joined the People’s Bank of China in 1995 and was appointed as the Deputy Director-General of Payment & Settlement Department in 2017. Mr. MU is a member of CPMI, a member of FSB Financial Innovation Network, and also a member of IMF High-level Advisory Group on Finance and Technology.

茹⽴云，博⼠，毕业于清华⼤学计算机系，⼈⼯智能⽅向连续创业者，百川智能联合创始⼈。

1998 年以浙江省⾼考理科总分第⼀的成绩进⼊清华⼤学计算机系学习，获学⼠、硕⼠、博⼠学位，⻓江商学院 EMBA。曾任搜狗公司 COO，清华⼤学天⼯智能计算研究院副院⻓。2018 年，创⽴⼈⼯智能教育公司葡萄智学。2023年 4⽉，与王⼩川联合创⽴通⽤⼈⼯智能公司⸺百川智能。

Ms. Myriam Mwizerwa is the Head of Office for the International Organization for Migration (UN IOM) in Hong Kong SAR, China where she leads a dynamic team committed to supporting migrant populations. Ms. Mwizerwa’s current strategic priorities include climate action, driving sustainable solutions, and engagement with public and private sector to realize the many positive benefits of migration. She works with partners across the government, civil societies and the private sector to collaboratively design and deliver innovative programs and solutions to address the impact of climate change on communities.  

Ms. Mwizerwa’s work is grounded in global and technical expertise across Asia, Europe, Africa and the USA. She holds degrees in Policial Science and French from the University of Richmond and Belmont University.

Zeng Xudong is the Head of Baidu AI Technology Ecosystem Operations in South China. He is responsible for the regional and international promotion and ecosystem cooperation of Baidu's deep learning platform, PaddlePaddle, and the Wenxin large model, among other AI platform products. He has over 10 years of experience in ecosystem development and operations at leading high-tech companies (Huawei and Tencent). He currently serves as a member of the Shenzhen Smart City and Digital Government Standardization Technical Committee and as a mentor for the Chinese team in the Network Systems Management (NSM) project at the 45th WorldSkills Competition. In the field of intelligent manufacturing, he has obtained 4 patents and 1 software copyright.

Mr. Zheng Xuanle founded Lighthouse Capital in 2014, transforming it into a leading new-generation investment bank in China.Lighthouse Capital  offers a comprehensive range of services including financing, mergers & acquisitions, securities underwriting, asset management, and more. Over the past decade, Lighthouse Capital has been dedicated to identifying exceptional innovative enterprises, providing a full suite of financial services and ecosystem support to foster industrial innovation and development. The company aims to build a long-term, trustworthy investment banking and asset management platform for global entrepreneurs and investors. Today, Lighthouse Capital is recognized as one of China’s most influential new-type investment banks, consistently ranked first in the “Financial Advisors in China” and “China’s Best New-Type Investment Bank”. Since its inception, Lighthouse Capital has facilitated over 500 private equity financing transactions for more than 300 innovative companies, with a cumulative transaction amount exceeding RMB 280 billion. Among the companies served by Lighthouse Capital, over 50 have become unicorns in their respective fields. (Data as of Q1 2024)

In 2021, Mr. Zheng was named one of the “Top 100 Young Scholars in Chinese Industry Research” by the Research Institute of Machinery Industry Economic & Management. He was also honored  as the “Most Influential Young Investor in China 2020-2021” by 21st Century Business Herald and “One of the 36 Most Remarkable Investors Under 36” by 36Kr.

Prior to founding Lighthouse Capital, Mr. Zheng gained extensive experience in corporate financing and mergers & acquisitions, holding key positions at Ernst & Young, SinoChem International, and Zero2IPO Capital.

Driven by a deep understanding of technological disruption and its impact on industries, Mr.Zheng has honed his ability to uncover hidden value. By developing proprietary frameworks, he accurately predicts and capitalizes on pivotal moments in a company’s growth trajectory. His support has been instrumental in the growth of leading innovative companies such as Kuaishou (HKEX: 01024), Bilibili (NASDAQ: BILI), Lalamove, Poizon, Eswin, Zhihu (NYSE: ZH), and Baichuan Intelligent. Additionally, he has forged close “capital + innovation” strategic partnerships with major industry groups such as SANY Group, GCL-Poly Energy Holdings, Geely Holding Group, Chint Group, and Bull Group. These collaborations have contributed to building effective synergy between industries, universities, and research institutes, thereby fostering innovation through industry-academia collabrations.

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Mr Mohamed Alzarooni serves  as the Director of Foreign Investments Department  at the Ministry of Investment. In  his current capacity,  he  works  toward  promoting  and  enhancing  the  UAE’s  status  as  a  global  investment  hub  by  collaborating  with stakeholders locally and internationally.

Previously,  Mohamed  was  a  diplomat  at  the  Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs  of  the  UAE  servicing  as  the  Head  of  Economic,  Political and Media Affairs section at the UAE Embassy in Singapore, where he engaged with Emirati and Foreign Investors, stakeholders, companies and diplomats.

Mohamed  holds  a  Bachelor  Degree  in  Mechanical  Engineering  from  Cardiff  University,  a  Master  of  Science  in  Mechanical Engineering/Engineering Management from the University of Southern California, and a Masters in International Law, International Relations and Diplomacy from Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi.

Adam Dai is the Head of Hong Kong at Safeheron, a pioneering open-source self-custody platform in the crypto asset space. With a strong background in technology and business development, Adam is focused on enhancing security solutions for the web3 ecosystem.

Since joining Safeheron, Adam has been instrumental in implementing innovative technologies such as Multi-Party Computation and hardware isolation. His efforts focus on eliminating single points of failure and ensuring that customers maintain full control over their digital assets. Adam believes in the importance of empowering clients with comprehensive solutions that enhance their confidence in managing their assets.

Under Adam's leadership, Safeheron has formed strategic partnerships with leading institutions and security firms, bolstering the company’s position in the market. He is committed to fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation, enabling Safeheron to address the evolving needs of its customers.

Passionate about driving growth in the web3 sector, Adam is focused on making digital asset management seamless and secure for institutions. Through his work, he aims to contribute to the broader adoption of web3 technologies and to help shape the future of digital asset custody.

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Ahmed Faragallah is a Senior Financial Sector  Specialist at the World Bank, working for the Payment Systems Development Group (PSDG).

He holds a Certificate in Fintech from Harvard University.

He has an MBA from Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA.

He graduated from the faculty of Engineering, ASU, Egypt.  

Before joining the WB, Ahmed managed the Payment Systems Department in the Central Bank of Egypt for twelve years and worked for IBM for seven years.

Ahmed led several WB projects in Sudan, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Egypt, Yemen, Morocco, and Tajikistan; and co-chaired the electronic payment acceptance global initiative.  

He worked with market Infrastructure projects, such as RTGS, CSD, cards switch, fast payment system, and ACH; fintech initiatives such as CBDC, and digital assets and stablecoins regulations; financial inclusion, including regulations of mobile wallets and interoperability.  

Ahmed co-authored or participated in a number of CBDC reports including the WB “CBDC, A Payments Aspect”, the WB/BIS report “CBDC and financial inclusion”, the G7 “Public Policy Principles for CBDC”, and two G20 reports on “Cross-border CBDC”. Two more reports are under publication, “FPS and CBDC Interoperability”, and “Wholesale CBDC, positioning wCBDC within the NPS”.

Ahmed contributed to capacity building sessions addressing different aspects of CBDC with more than ten central banks.

Ahmed is contributing or contributed to developing CBDC proof of concepts with five central banks in five different proof of concepts addressing different CBDC use cases, such as CBDC issuance, banks on boarding, clients onboarding, p2p transfers, p2m transfers, bulk payments for g2p transfers, and developing cross-border hub connecting two CBDC domestic systems, adding to that an internal (WB) PoC for interoperability of FPS with rCBDC and wCBDC systems.

Ahmed represented the WB in a large number of conferences as a speaker or panelist for different payment systems topics. Ahmed represents the WB at the CPMI committees on CBDC, Future of Payments (FOP), Community of Practice for central banks (COPS), and cross-border payments interoperability and extension (PIE) task force.

Ajay Mathur is Managing Director and Head of Consumer Banking Group & Wealth Management, of DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited. He joined the bank in December 2017.

Ajay is responsible for leading DBS HK’s consumer banking and wealth management business. He has more than 25 years of extensive retail and wealth exposure in Indonesia, Singapore and India.

Ajay holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and earned his Master of Business Administration from the University of Mumbai in India.

Akina Ho, is the Co-Founder of the AllStarsWomen DAO, Co-Founder and Advisor for Hong Kong Proptech Alliance, and an Adjunct Professor for HKUST (Hong Kong University of Science & Technology).  She is a thought leader in the innovative tech like AI and Web3 space covering NFTs, Metaverse, blockchain, GameFi, DeFi, and DAOs.  She is also an Advisor for Pi Labs, one of the world’s largest PropTech VC firm, as their Venture Partner for Asia along with other Boards and Advisory roles for Web2, Web3, and AI companies.  She was one of the Executives that helped a built a Unicorn in Hong Kong in 2017 with investors from FoxConn and Softbank. Akina has over 20 years of experience in change management, digital transformation, innovative technology, corporate strategy consulting, marketing strategy, finance, hospitality, and global sales operations management experience starting from the Silicon Valley to worldwide.   She also built the VC arm at Great Eagle and was part of the Investment Committee focusing on cutting-edge technology and disruptive business model across different industries. Akina is an Adjunct Professor for HKUST (Hong Kong University of Science & Technology) teaching EBMA & MBA classes like transformative mindset, innovative leadership and using the Art of War for Change Management and Business Transformation.  She is a respected guest professor, global guest speaker and panelist on HK Fintech Forum 2023, Collision 2024, Huawei AI Summits (2024) and has notable media appearances on  Bloomberg and Fox International about innovative technologies. 

A veteran business executive and visionary strategist, Alan Chan serves as Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer at The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited (Towngas). Revered for his investment acumen and his commitment to championing impact, Alan is also Founding Investor in a diverse portfolio of green-economy ventures, including EcoCeres, EnerVenue, StarFive and Towngas Lifestyle. Upholding the ethos of “Doing well by doing good”, he actively seeks out and incubates solutions and technologies at the forefront of the green energy sector. His insatiable passion for innovation and sustainability has continued to drive change and advance progress towards a greener future.

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Dr Alan Cheung is the Chief Director of the Artificial Intelligence and Trust Technologies division at ASTRI. He leads the division in driving ASTRI’s initiatives, particularly in FinTech and Smart City, through Generative AI, multimedia data analytics, Federated Learning, Blockchain, Cybersecurity, and privacy-enhancing applications. The division has won numerous local and overseas innovation awards. His collaboration partners comprise both the public and private sectors. They include government departments and regulators such as the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, as well as financial institutions and corporations. He has over 25 years of rich R&D and management experience and is also the owner of multiple US patents.

Alan Li is the blockchain investment lead and director at Da Wan Asset Management and one of the institutional investors focused on blockchain companies and protocols, especially infrastructure, blockchain layers, and decentralized finance. A hedge fund veteran turned blockchain investor, he is a firm believer that blockchain can disrupt the world and that decentralized finance will continue to boom in the next 3-5 years.

Dr. Albert Yip is the Chairman of Syndicate Capital Group, which is the Investor Champion and Corporate Champion of Global Fast Track. Currently, Dr. Yip is appointed as the Chief Ambassador of OMFIF as well as the Global Ambassador of Cyberport. He is also the Vice Chairman of Hong Kong ICT Fintech Awards.

Dr. Yip has been named by Linkedin as the “10 CEOs in Hong Kong You Should Follow in 2022”. During the past three decades, Dr. Yip has been playing different C-Suite roles as CEO, CFO and CAE in Fortune 500 leaders, such as State Street Bank, SSGA, Manulife Financial and Westpac Bank. Dr. Yip is the former SVP and APAC Regional Head of Corporate Audit at State Street Corporation and the MIC (Governance) at SSGA, managing the Tracker Fund of Hong Kong (“TraHK”).

Among his public duties in professional bodies, Dr. Yip is serving as the Chairman of WealthTech Committee at IFTA as well as the Chairman of Investment Committee at IESGB. Dr. Yip was the Board Governor and the Chairman of Professional Development Committee of the IIA Hong Kong (2016-19), and the Chairman of the Financial Services Committee of CPA Australia, Greater China (2015-18).

For community services, Dr. Yip has been recognized with awards such as the PolyU Department of Computing Outstanding Alumni Award in Entrepreneurial Achievement and the global WACE award, the first honoree in Asia. Since 2019, Dr. Yip has been appointed to the Task Forces of Sustainable & Inclusive Finance of United Nations ESCAP ESBN.

Aleck is the CFO of First Digital Trust. Apart from leading its finance team based in different jurisdictions to overview all of the Group's financial and accounting activities, Aleck is also involved in FDT’s fundraising and restructuring. Prior to joining FDT, Aleck was the Asia CFO of a Sweden-listed private equity group with dental prosthetics manufacturing arms in Mainland China and Southeast Asia. He gained unprecedented experience delivering crisis management solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aleck was a British Chevening Scholar and obtained his MSc in Economics and Strategy from Imperial College London. Upon his graduation, he worked in Big4 and accumulated experience in M&A, value creation and audit before working in-house since 2019. Aleck is a member of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accoutants (HKICPA).

Alex Wong assumed the role of Head of Business Banking at Hang Seng Bank in August 2023.  He is a seasoned banker with a wealth of expertise in corporate financing, cash management, credit risk control and diverse commercial banking services.  Prior to his current appointment, he held several senior positions in the bank and has over 20 years of business experience in the markets of Mainland China and Hong Kong.  It is worth mentioning that he embarked on his banking journey as a Management Trainee at Hang Seng Bank.  Alex oversees the SME banking segment in Hang Seng Bank.  He is passionate in the growth of the SME market, as well as the startup sector, and the Greater Bay Area market.  He actively fosters connections with customers and professionals from various business fields to drive digital transformation for enterprises.  Moreover, he consistently advocates for innovative business models and expansion strategies within the bank, with the ultimate goal of supporting SME development and facilitating mutual growth.

Alex Zhang is the Founder & CEO of Pharos, a full-stack parallel blockchain designed to enable a decentralized real-time payment network for billions of users.

With a strong commitment to advancing blockchain technology, Alex has contributed numerous innovations in consensus algorithms, blockchain storage, and data privacy.

He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Southern California and has served as Vice Chair for the IEEE Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Standard Committee.

Alex started his career at John Swire & Sons working in the United States, China & Hong Kong. Since 2004 he has been an entrepreneur in many different areas of the real estate investment space, co-founding a serviced apartment business, Kush Serviced Apartments, a boutique neighbourhood retail brand called Warehouses on West and a real estate investment and asset management business, District15. District15 co invested with large real estate institutions and funds and was responsible for repositioning, asset managing and exiting these real estate assets and portfolios.

Alex also has a long history of mentoring and investing in start ups and technology companies in the proptech and real estate space and has sat on a number of committees and boards in this space including the ULI Technology Committee, the Proptech HK POC Committee, the Negawatt Sustainability Committee, the Gentian Board and the Spacious Advisory Committee.

He is a co-founder and managing partner of Undivided Ventures which invests in companies looking to solve for sustainability challenges in the built environment. The establishment of the platform is, he sees, as the culmination of the years of experience he has had investing in real estate and related technologies.

Partner at Truffle Capital, an European based Fintech VC, Alexis is a successful entrepreneur with over 6 years' experience as a bank Chief Innovation Officer and board member in the Tech industry. He has strong entrepreneurial skills and significant experience in venture capital, digital strategy, AI, blockchain and digital assets. Very involved in the development of the web3 ecosystem in France, he is also an early-stage investor in projects around decentralized finance and other verticals. Alexis is a graduate of ESCP and the University of Venice.

Alfian is a senior technology and operations professional with experience in implementing large group-wide programs and projects and for defining technology and operations road maps and strategies for financial organisations.

Experienced in building high performing teams of technologists and operations professionals who operate well in high pressure situations delivering the operational backbone of the bank.

Experienced in leading large operations and technology teams to deliver end to end, highly scalable technology and operations digital platforms in the area of financial services.

Alfian is also actively involved in charity activities and regularly participates in activities with charity organisations helping various initiatives around Asia.

Alfian is currently based in Hong Kong since 2019. Prior to Hong Kong, Alfian spent 3 years in Mumbai and 16 years in Singapore with DBS.

Alfred Cheung is currently working in BOC Group Life Assurance Company Limited (BOC Life) as Deputy Chief Executive, responsible for overall business development of the company.  He is leading all distribution channels including bancassurance, tied agency, brokerage as well as business partnership.  Prior to that, Alfred was Appointed Actuary of BOC Life, responsible for product pricing and valuation, asset and liability management, and risk management related to actuarial and financials.

Alfred is serving the Life Insurance Council of the Hong Kong Federation of Insurers (HKFI) as Chairman of InsurTech Task force. He is appointed as a Mentor of Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation to provide professional advice and guidance.  Alfred graduated from the University of Hong Kong in Actuarial Science and he received an EMBA degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Dr. Alfred Shang is the Founder and CEO of BitRock Capital, a venture capital firm that focuses on Fintech, Web3 and digitalization investments globally.

Before founding BitRock, Alfred was a partner of Bain & Company and Head of the firm’s Financial Services Practice in Greater China. He advised leading multinational and Chinese financial institutions and investment firms on a wide range of topics including asset and wealth management, strategy, digitalization, business model design, organization and operational improvement.

At BitRock, Alfred led investments in several leading Fintech startups including Linklogis (9959.HK), OneDegree, Sygnum, Fen Bei Tong, and Lingxi Technologies, etc.

Alfred received his Ph.D. degree in Economics with focus on Finance from Harvard University. His research focuses on the interaction between market inefficiency and corporate governance. He also obtained a joint B.A. / M.A. degree in Economics from the University of Chicago.

Alger Fung is Chief Executive Officer for AIA Hong Kong & Macau since 2021. Alger is passionate about driving leading customer experience and has led AIA Hong Kong to achieve 10 market share No. 1 in the 2023 Provisional Statistics on Hong Kong Long Term Insurance Business1, whilst AIA Hong Kong & Macau delivered exceptional business performance with growth on multiple fronts, making it the largest contributor to AIA Group’s Value of New Business (VONB) in 20232.

Prior to this role, Alger was Chief Executive Officer of AIA Thailand. He led the AIA Thailand team to significantly expand its protection propositions and strengthen its unit-linked business, while continuing to raise the productivity of the agency force. The partnership with Bangkok Bank was also strengthened with sustained new business growth and increased productivity of the banca sales force.

Before leading the AIA Thailand business, Alger was the General Manager of Guangdong Branch, AIA China, where he transformed the agency business into a full-time, professional agency model that delivered significant VONB growth, contributing towards AIA China’s overall outstanding track record of success.

Alger brings with him a wealth of experience with over 25 years in the life insurance industry. Throughout his career, he has served in a wide range of leadership roles with an exceptional track record of success. He is a Governing Committee Member of The Hong Kong Federation of Insurers, and an Executive Committee Member of the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand.

Alice Suen is the Managing Director, Head of Sustainable Finance and Investment, HSBC Hong Kong. She engages with Hong Kong’s broad sustainable finance ecosystem on behalf of HSBC Hong Kong, looking for opportunities to leverage HSBC’s capabilities and market position in Hong Kong to support sustainable market development and deliver new solutions to address Local, Regional and Global needs.

Having worked in the financial services industry for almost 20 years, Alice has a wealth of experience across frontline relationship management, business strategy, and people management. She has a dedicated focus on Greater China Business, and she has previously worked in Shanghai and the Greater Bay Area.

Outside of her professional career, Alice is an enthusiast in ESG-related volunteering activities. She has also run full marathons for charity and completed a trek in Indian Himalayas to raise fund for social and environmental causes. She is a mentor in HKSAR’s Strive and Rise Mentoring Programme supporting junior secondary students from under-privileged family for two consecutive years.

Alice graduated from University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management, with a Bachelor Degree in Commerce.

Alison is a Qualified Chartered Accountant (SAICA) and CFA Charterholder with extensive experience in Finance. She was previously COO at Valiance Asset Management, COO at Lafayette Investment Management, and worked at Goldman Sachs in both Hong Kong and London. Fluent in English and Afrikaans, she was raised in South Africa and holds a degree and honours in accounting from the University of Stellenbosch.

Aliya Grig is a renowned entrepreneur and AGI researcher, pioneering in creating empathetic AI.

She is the founder of Evolwe AI startup, which focuses on building empathetic AI technology and the founder of Kosmos Foundation creating a new generation of anthropomorphic robots for manufacturing and deep space exploration, and The Cosmos City - an innovation hub for space tech startups in Los Angeles.

With 15 years of global experience in launching tech startups, including a successful space tech venture and collaborations with giants like Boeing, NASA, and Lexus, Aliya has made significant contributions to technology and space exploration. Her work, merging insights from neuroscience, cognitive science, and consciousness studies, has earned her accolades from ESA, CDL, and Starburst, as well as recognition as a Top 100 women entrepreneur in AI in 2021 and a Forbes Europe Young Entrepreneur nominee in 2018.

A regular speaker at international forums and a mentor for programs like Women in Tech, Aliya continues to influence the fields of deep space exploration and advanced artificial intelligence.

Aliya Grig is a renowned entrepreneur and AGI researcher, pioneering the development of empathetic AI.

She is the founder of Evolwe AI, a startup focusing on building empathetic AI technology, the Kosmos Foundation, which creates a new generation of anthropomorphic robots for manufacturing and deep space exploration, and The Cosmos City, an innovation hub for space tech startups in Los Angeles.

With over 15 years of global experience in launching tech startups, including three international hardware tech ventures (fuel cells, launch vehicle, and 3D printer) with two successful exits, and collaborations with giants like NASA, Boeing, AWS, NVIDIA, Middlesex University, and Stanford University, Aliya has made significant contributions to technology and space exploration. Her work, which merges insights from neuroscience, cognitive science, and consciousness studies, has earned her accolades from ESA, CDL, and Starburst. She has also been recognized as one of the Top 100 women entrepreneurs in AI by Leta Capital and was listed among the top 30 young entrepreneurs by Forbes Europe and the 23 most influential women in tech by Startups Magazine.

She also serves as an Advisory Board Member for the Arizona Astrobiology Center and is a Fellow of the Karman Space Foundation. Currently, she is completing a PhD in Neuroscience, researching Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), and contributing to Forbes and YFS Magazine.

Allen leads the Markets & Security Services Digital Solutions group globally and is also the Global Head of eRisk for FX Options. He is a member of Global FX, EM Rates & Commodities and Chief Digital & Data Office executive committees.

Allen started his career as an intern with DCM in 2009, subsequently joined the 2010 graduate program, and placing permanently with the FXO Trading desk in 2011. Allen is a strong advocate of innovation being the driving force of business success and a competitive advantage that each of us can drive forward. He believes that people sit at the heart of innovation and is passionate about creating an environment that enables everyone to innovate, deliver value, and create efficiency.

Allen has a BA in Engineering from Downing College, University of Cambridge. He is a keen runner and was the Singapore national high school champion in 400m-hurdle. He was based in London until 2021 before moving to Hong Kong. He has 3 kids.

Allen is a Partner at Deloitte who leads the Deloitte Consulting and the Digital practice in Hong Kong and Southern China.  Allen also leads up the APAC Digital Customer Solution Practice at Deloitte. He has extensive knowledge and experience in working with executives in the formation of digital transformation with a human centric approach. His expertise includes digital strategy, operating model design, to large scale project implementation of CRM, digital marketing platforms, data solutions, service management and organization change management.​

Alphae has over 20 years of experience in financial PR and media, investor relations, branding and marketing, as well as cross-border strategic counseling for both Chinese and international companies. She has a deep understanding of how the interests of corporate, financial, political and societal audiences intersect to compete and cooperate in the global context, and how best to create value through communications, marketing and branding. Alphae has global communications experience in capital market transactions, litigation, reputation management, government and regulatory affairs, crisis and issues management, and ESG programs, specializes in the financial services sector.

Alphae has long-term experiences from both corporate in-house and consultancy. Prior to joining DBS Bank, she was Managing Director and Head of China at Citigate Dewe Rogerson. She previously served as Assistant Vice President in China at Citibank and spent her early career years at Ogilvy Public Relations.

At DBS Bank, Alphae oversees the overall marketing and communications for the Bank in Hong Kong and Mainland China, encompassing branding, PR & Media, business marketing as well as DBS Foundation initiatives locally. She provides communications advisory and insights for the Group’s strategic priorities in China and particularly in the Greater Bay Area. As a member of DBS China Management Committee, she is the gatekeeper for all communications to key stakeholders including government and associations, media and general public, clients and business partners as well as internal staff, to ensure the safeguarding of the Bank’s reputation. She also chairs DBS Bank’s Location Sustainability Council in China that acts as the enabler platform to coordinate DBS Bank’s efforts in Responsible Banking, Responsible Business Practice and Creating Impact Beyond Banking.

In her previous consultancy tenures, she advised leading companies, NGOs and government organizations on stakeholder engagement and communications strategy in China and internationally. Key client experiences included China Construction Bank, Bank of Communications, China Life, Morgan Stanley, Blackstone, Standard Chartered, Manulife-Sinochem, Oaktree and Julius Baer etc.

Amanda Cassatt is the founder and CEO of Serotonin. Amanda previously served as Chief Marketing Officer of ConsenSys from 2016 through 2019. Joining one year after the launch of Ethereum, Amanda played a crucial role in defining, creating, and growing the narrative for ConsenSys, Ethereum, and blockchain overall.

Amanda stewarded the ConsenSys brand through its global expansion across enterprises, governments, developers, and consumers. She created and scaled the marketing team to over 50 people, serving both the ConsenSys brand and 50+ portfolio companies such as MetaMask, Infura, Truffle, and Gitcoin; managing teams in product marketing, growth, design, content, community, events, email, analytics and SEO. Amanda’s contributions to some of the most successful product launches, token sales and fundraises landed her on Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2016. Amanda is the author of the world's first web3 marketing book, "Web3 Marketing: A Handbook for the Next Internet Revolution".

With over ten years of dedicated experience in Technology & Business operations, Amy is passionate about bridging the gap between technological leapfrog and traditional business practices. In 2020, Amy has founded Ariaa Company Limited, a digital content and partnership consultancy in Hong Kong.

Ariaa focuses on helping businesses with a tailored, sustainable digital solution that drives growth amidst the ever-changing global business environment.

With an EMBA from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, she was a Risk analyst at Citibank Hong Kong before becoming the co-founding COO of AQ Talent Lab, a career development mobile app with blockchain infrastructure.

Andy Bruce is Chief Information Officer for Hong Kong and Macau, Manulife (International) Limited. As a member of Manulife Hong Kong’s senior management team, Mr. Bruce is responsible for leading the company's digital transformation initiatives, driving innovation, delivering information technology programs to meet business goals, and ensuring the stability and reliability of systems to enhance the experience of customers and distributors.

Mr. Bruce is a seasoned digital, data, and technology leader with over 25 years of technology transformation and leadership experience across Europe, North America, and Asia, spanning infrastructure, applications, cloud and enterprise architecture. He has a proven track record of bringing people together to foster change within diverse markets and achieving results in complex environments.

Mr. Bruce joined Manulife from AIA Group, where he served as the Regional Chief Technology Officer, providing vision and leadership to design and deliver technological, digital, and customer-centric transformational programs. Before joining the insurance industry, he held leading roles in the investment banking and telecommunications sectors.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Brighton.

Andy has two decades of experience in the accident compensation, general and health insurance industries in both the consulting and corporate environment.

Andy previously worked for one of the largest insurance advisory consulting teams in Asia Pacific. He had also the pleasure of developing the advisory practice market for Hong Kong and China Markets. During his previous time in the corporate world, he has worked for several insurance companies covering a wide range of roles including actuarial, underwriting and portfolio management, with the latest role being the Head of Personal and SME package division for Asia Pacific under Allied World before the Hong Kong Country Head role appointment.

As the Country Head for Hong Kong, Andy strives to set strategic directions and make operational improvements while delivering value for Allied World stakeholders. Andy leads a team of highly professional and dedicated managers who provide the Hong Kong market with a range of products to businesses and individuals to transfer risks. His responsibilities include providing strategic, financial and operational leadership for the branch, creating and implementing initiatives that will deliver transformational change to the Hong Kong and regional operations, maintaining awareness of the competitive market landscape and exploring business opportunities, and ensuring the branch maintains high social responsibility while conducting business in Hong Kong.

Mr. Wang is the head of FinTech and Retail Business at Huatai Financial Holdings （Hong Kong）Limited, focusing on building and expanding Huatai’s retail business in Hong Kong and overseas. Before he took this position, he was the head of Strategy and Corporate Development in Huatai (Hong Kong).

Mr. Wang has almost 20 years of experience in the capital market, predominantly financial service industry. Prior to Huatai (Hong Kong), he was with one of the largest Chinese Insurance Groups, responsible for the company's insurance fund management. He led the financing and investment business in the overseas market with a total portfolio size of over USD 1billion across multiple areas, including Australia, Mainland and Hong Kong SAR, China. He was previously an investment banker from HSBC, specialized in IPO, financing, and M&A for financial institutions and FinTech companies, where total transaction value exceeded USD 5 billion.

Mr. Wang holds a Bachelor's degree in Actuarial Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science, as well as a Master's degree in Applied Statistics from the University of Oxford.

Angel Chia is the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Academy for Wealth Legacy.

Angel has accumulated 20+ years of experience in the financial industry, ranging from equity sales & trading to asset & wealth management in Taipei, New York, Hong Kong and Singapore. Prior to joining the Academy, Angel was the Chair of the Family Office Association Hong Kong.

Angel holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Institute of Global Asset Management, National Sun-Yat-Sen University in Taiwan.

Angela is Director of Legal Services and Company Secretary at eMPF Platform Company Limited (eMPF Company).

Angela leads the legal team at eMPF Company responsible for delivering the online platform solution to Hong Kong’s MPF industry, a flagship project of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR.   Her role covers both legal and corporate governance aspects of the business, ranging from laying the legal risk management framework to advising on legal and regulatory compliance, and requires constructive engagement with the industry regulator (Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority), pension trustees, Government stakeholders and external service providers.  Angela is part of the eMPF Company Senior Management team.

Angela has more than twenty years’ experience in the APAC financial services market, with a specialism in the insurance sector.  Prior to joining eMPF Company, Angela worked at the global reinsurer Swiss Re, and led the legal team responsible for delivering insurtech solutions to the markets in Mainland China and Australia.

Angela is a dual qualified solicitor (Hong Kong and England & Wales) and a fellow of the Life Management Institute.

Angelina is Senior Advisor to IMC Asia Pacific, a leading global market making and proprietary trading firm. She has previously held Senior Management and Directorate positions with international digital asset exchanges, HKEX, Cantor Fitzgerald, the SFC, and other global financial services companies. She is also the Managing Director of Stratford Finance Limited, a consulting company focused on dealing with regulatory and operational issues in the financial services and digital assets sectors and advises brokerages, fund managers, and technology providers.Angelina is currently the Chair of The Women’s Foundation and serves on a number of Hong Kong Government appointed Boards and charities, including the New Business Committee of the Financial Services Development Council, Hong Kong Securities and Investment Institute, the Ebenezer School for the Blind, the University of Wollongong and is an Honorary Adjunct Professor of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, School of Accounting and Finance. Angelina is a Certified Public Accountant in the United States, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand and is a graduate of the University of Southern California. Her MBA is from Pepperdine University, LLB from HKU/Manchester Metropolitan University, and LLM from Harvard Law School.

Ankit is the CEO and Co-Founder of Planto, a profitable, venture-backed fintech company based in Hong Kong, established in 2018. Planto leads the way in developing innovative use cases for Open Banking and Digital Banking, offering AI-powered technology solutions and services that empower retail and SME-focused banks to thrive in the Open Banking era.

Planto's clients include global banks, wealth management firms, virtual banks, and fintech lenders, and the company has been recognized by the HKMA's FSS 3.1 program, Cyberport, and Accenture's FinTech Innovation Lab.

Ankit began his career at HSBC in Hong Kong, where he focused on leveraging banking data to create personalized digital experiences before moving onto a listed fintech ideating, implementing and creating value from one of Asia’s first Open Banking integration.

Ankit has lived and worked across Asia Pacific region such India, Australia, Indonesia, and Hong Kong & holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Hong Kong. He also serves as co-chair of the Digital Banking & Payments Committee at the Fintech Association of Hong Kong.

Ankur is the Group President of JULO, where he works with Julo Board and Management to build Julo into a leading financial institution across S.E Asia.

Ankur has over 20 years of experience in finance and in building new businesses across Asia, North America, and Europe. He joined Grab at an early stage in 2016 and founded multiple Fintech businesses at Grab, including its lending and insure-tech businesses, and grew them to over 1.5 B in asset size.

Ankur spent 7 years at Grab, during which time he served as CEO of its Lending JV, Board member of its Insurance JV, and Director of multiple fintech subsidiaries across SG, PH and VN.

Prior to Grab Ankur was the founder of a food-tech startup, a banker in Standard Chartered Bank and also spent nearly a decade at the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC.

He represented Grab as a speaker in multiple events such Money 20/20 (Hangzhou ‘18 and Las Vegas ‘19 ), SFF, HK FF, G20 Financial Stability Forum and IFC SME Finance Forum to name a few.

Anna is a celebrated entrepreneur and technology leader, recognized forher expertise in building and pioneering enterprise software solutions across Silicon Valley and Asia Pacific. As the Founder and CEO of Perx Technologies, she leads a cutting-edge loyalty engagement and behavioral intelligence platform, catering to a diverse client base in over 15 markets. With a rich history of leadership roles, including at Wily Technology—a pioneer in application performance monitoring, which later was acquired by CA Technologies for close to US$400M. Anna has distinguished herself as a visionary in the tech industry. Dubbed the "turnaround girl," she made history as CA Technologies' youngest female leader to spearhead cloud computing initiatives.

Anna's accolades include being named Singapore's Top Women in Tech and receiving recognition as an Award-Winning Entrepreneur. Her influence extends beyond business as aTEDx speaker and a prominent figure on the global keynote circuit. She also invests her expertise in shaping the future of tech, holding advisory and board positions at Duke University Corporate Education and Genius Group (NYSE: GNS), and contributing as a mentor in notable forums like Google Startup Accelerator and the Unreasonable Group. A dedicated community builder, Anna supports founders and aspiring entrepreneurs worldwide and is a proud member of the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO).

Anson is the CEO and a Co-Founder of FundPark. He was the amongst the first generation of cross-border eCommerce merchants 13 years ago, gaining firsthand experience of the sector.

Anson started his professional career in HSBC Commercial Banking as a management trainee, focusing on SME lending and global trade finance, providing customized working capital solutions to clients ranging from SME traders to conglomerates in the commodities sector.

Under Anson’s leadership, FundPark has become the largest independent digital lending platform to eCommerce merchants in Asia.

Anson holds a bachelor’s degree in Quantitative Finance from the University of Hong Kong and is a Certified Financial Analyst.

Anthony Lin is the Head of Transaction Banking Hong Kong, Greater China and North Asia and Global Head of Market Management.

Before March 2024, Anthony was the GBA CEO of Standard Chartered Bank from 2020 and was responsible for the Bank’s business in the GBA. Prior to that, he has served as the CEO of Standard Chartered Bank (Taiwan) Limited from March 2017. Anthony was also the President of Bank of America, N.A. China ("BANA China") and Head of Corporate Banking ("CBK") where he was responsible for overall management of BANA China in terms of governance, strategy setting and franchise development. Anthony has also worked for Deutsche Bank (China) Co. Ltd. as Executive Vice President, Head of Corporate Banking Coverage ("CBC") and Head of Trade Finance and Cash Management Corporate ("TFCMC"). Anthony has over 25 years of solid experience in banking industry.

Anthony was selected as the “Leading Talent in Shanghai” in 2012 by the Organisation Department of Shanghai Municipal Party Committee and received the "Elite Foreign Bank Trade Finance Manager Award" from the Credit Rating Centre, Ministry of Commerce and the "Economy Magazine".

Anthony holds a Bachelor Degree of Computer Science and MBA Degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Anthony leads the organization of the Asia's flagship event - Hong Kong FinTech Week, attracting over 35,000 global attendees annually. Since 2015, Finoverse has also orchestrated over 80 FinTech and Web3 conferences across Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. With an MBA focused on entrepreneurship and innovation, Anthony has developed Finoverse into a leading platform for connecting FinTech and Web3 industry leaders from over 130 countries. Anthony also co-founded THE VERSE, a private members community, and FTBL, a FinTech basketball league, to foster community engagement in Hong Kong.

April is a marketing professional in the crypto space with over five years of experience spanning both DeFi and CeFi. She has been with Sushi for over a year, contributing to its growth as one of the most innovative multi-chain decentralized exchanges (DEX). Prior to Sushi, April worked at Bancor, one of the original decentralized exchanges, spent six months with HashKey, and spent three years at Crypto.com. Her diverse background provides a deep understanding of the evolving crypto landscape, and she’s passionate about driving DeFi forward.

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Currently overseeing all wealth and retail products of personal banking in Hong Kong across ultra high net worth individuals, affluents, mass retail and business banking clients. He also has regional oversight of product management across 9 Southeast Asia countries.

He started his career in Morgan Stanley (Asia) with expertise in HK and mainland investment markets. Prior to joining Bank of China (Hong Kong), he had held various senior executive positions in distribution, products and strategy in HK and mainland China of HSBC Group.

Ashutosh is the founder of CEO of xalts, a financial technology firm providing enterprise grade, real time connectivity between financial services & businesses by leveraging modern technology stack including APIs, Blockchains & Orchestration layers to automate complex workflows. Xalts is backed by Accel and Citi Ventures and has a presence in Singapore, Hong Kong, India, UAE and UK.

Prior to founding xalts in 2022, Ashutosh spent over 15yrs working with major banks including Nomura & HSBC, in several roles including managing bank treasury and fixed income trading.

With over 14 years of experience in AI, Blockchain and Finance, Baghdad is currently heading the development of a newly established Technology focus Corporate Venture Studio based in UAE and Hong-Kong, MH# Holding. He is also Venture Partner at Antler MENAP, Chief Data Officer at Medad Holding, Chief Product Officer at Al Hail Holding and Board member of Allied Investment Partner and XBTO. Al Hail and Medad Holding portfolio of companies include Zand Bank, Transguard, CBRE MENA, Dalma Mall, AIP, Index Exchange but also various real estate and infrastructure assets.

Baghdad lead strategic projects in AI, blockchain and digital assets, driving innovation and creating new opportunities for the group. Previously, he was Head of Data Science and AI at Zand, Data Science and AI Practice Head for a French Consulting firm working with institutions such Google, Booz Allen Hamilton, DU, MAF, Axa, UAE Prime Minister Office, RTA, etc...

He also served as an adjunct professor at IE Business School and RIT Dubai, delivering impactful lectures on data science for MSc programs. Additionally, he was appointed as a Google Developer Expert AI and Google MENA Accelerator Mentor, contributing to the community building and knowledge sharing in AI to the region.

Mr. Banco Yiu currently serves as the Assistant General Manager of the Personal Digital Banking Products Department at Bank of China (Hong Kong). In this capacity, he oversees the strategy and development of securities and structured investment products for the retail client segment. His leadership is instrumental in driving innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of customers in a competitive financial landscape.

With over 20 years of extensive experience in various roles within wealth management, Mr. Yiu has cultivated deep expertise across securities, investment funds, foreign exchange, commodities, and structured products. His comprehensive understanding of these areas has enabled him to successfully navigate the complexities of financial markets, delivering value to both clients and his organization.

Throughout his career, Mr. Yiu has demonstrated a commitment to excellence and a passion for enhancing the client experience through digital banking initiatives. His strategic vision and dedication to professional development continue to position him as a key player in the financial services industry.

As CEO of Mox, Barbaros is driving to bring a brand new banking experience to Hong Kong. His extensive international banking experience guides the bank as it empowers Hong Kong people to grow and unlock possibilities through digital and personalised banking. Barbaros is a proven leader with over 26 years of banking experience spanning business management and strategy, marketing, product development, and digital transformation. He joins Mox with a solid international track record in establishing digital banks and leading them to sustainable profitability.

Before joining Mox more than two years ago, Barbaros held senior leadership positions at ING Bank Austria, ING Bank Turkey, and Garanti Bank BBVA, where he led their respective digital initiatives. As the CEO of ING Bank Austria, he transformed the bank from one focused on savings into a full-service digital bank with retail and wholesale banking. At ING Bank Turkey, he transformed and digitalised the retail business for sustainable profitability and grew its profit base materially. He further established a full-service digital bank within the bank at Garanti Bank BBVA to expand its customer base exponentially.

Barbaros is recognised as the CEO of the year in the IDC Future Enterprise Awards 2024 for Hong Kong and is also conferred as the 2023 Honorary Certified Banker under The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers. He has a Certificate in Business Excellence (CIBE) from Columbia Business School and an MBA from Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, Turkey, and holds a Master’s of Science in Industrial Engineering from Marmara University. He is also a strong advocate of digital transformation in the retail and payments industries.

Ben A Jelloun is the founding and managing partner of GCCVest, which is an investment platform bridging capital from the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) to leading tech champions in Asia. Ben is a distinguished deal advisory professional with more than 25years of global experience providing M&A Strategy and Advisory services to Fortune 500 clients and PE firms in North America, Europe, Middle East, and Greater China. Ben helps companies across the deal cycle, including synergy planning, post-deal value creation, cross-border growth and expansion, etc. His M&A and corporate strategy advisory background are supplemented by investment banking and private equity experience in Europe, the Middle East, North America, and since 2016, Asia.

Ben also has experience leading a PE platform in the Middle East focused on investing in filmed entertainment. Prior to founding GCCVest, Ben was a Partner in KPMG and led the private equity advisory services for the Global Strategy Group at KPMG China for 4 years. He led the creation of the private equity value creation offering for private equity clients and also the fund-in-a-box services for emerging fund managers. He also led the creation of the fund due diligence offering for limited partners (LPs) in Asian Funds.

Prior to joining KPMG USA in 2014 and subsequently KPMG China in 2016, Ben served as a Senior Manager with Deloitte’s M&A Advisory practice in New York City, helping global clients align their business models with global priorities through the disposal or integration of multiple business units. His work in Deloitte also included performing operational and commercial due diligence for leading PE firms like KKR. While in Deloitte, Ben was the Lead Deal Advisor on the historic 2014 Gas Sales Purchase Agreement (GSPA) between two Middle Eastern countries for the supply of $10 billion of natural gas over 15 years.

Throughout his career, his focus has been M&A in corporate and private equity entities and restructuring, both at HSBC investment bank in London and Dubai and in Accenture’s integration/separation practice in North America.

Ben has also served as a VP and fund manager of international investments and portfolio restructuring for a leading global investment house in Kuwait and has led the creation of the first-of-its-kind filmed entertainment PE platform in the Middle East (MENA MEDIA CAPITAL).

Benjamin Mosk is a Senior Financial Sector Expert at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in the Global Markets Analysis Division of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department. He has recently led the IMF's analytical work on the impact of AI on capital markets. This work features in a chapter of the October 2024 Global Financial Stability Report. Mr. Mosk is also a lead editor of the IMF’s Global Markets Monitor. He specializes in the role of non-bank financial institutions in financial markets. Before joining the IMF, Mr. Mosk held various positions at the European Central Bank, and was a Research Fellow at Stanford University. He holds a PhD in Theoretical Physics from the University of Amsterdam, and a Master’s in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge. Mr. Mosk is also a CFA charterholder.

Benjamin Quinlan is the CEO and Managing Partner of Quinlan & Associates.

Benjamin is the former Chairman of the FinTech Association of Hong Kong and is a Board Member and Chair of the Innovation & Technology Committee at the Australian Chamber of Commerce.

Benjamin is an Adjunct Professor at the AIT School of Management, a Conference Ambassador for the Hong Kong Tourism Board, and sits on various Advisory/Steering Committees and Working Groups for HKSTP, HKTDC, FSDC, and HKGCC. He is also the Co-Founder of Nevermind Post-Quantum, Chairman of krip and Divit, Board Advisor at Fusang, Senior Advisor at several FinTech startups, Mentor for PingAn’s CloudAccelerator, and Guest Contributor for eFinancialCareers and Regulation Asia. He is recognised as one of Asia’s leading FinTech influencers.

Benjamin has an extensive track record advising governments and leading multinational companies, financial services organisations, SMEs, and start-ups on a variety of high profile strategic engagements. He is quoted extensively in the global financial press and is frequently interviewed by leading media outlets. He is also a regular keynote speaker at major industry conferences across the globe.

Prior to founding Quinlan & Associates, Benjamin was the Head of Strategy for Deutsche Bank’s Equities business in Asia Pacific and its Investment Bank in Greater China. Before Deutsche Bank, Benjamin worked as a Management Consultant at Oliver Wyman. He also worked in the Asia Pacific Client Coverage and Group Strategy departments at UBS and in M&A and Capital Markets Advisory at PwC.

Electrification, Decarbonization, and Sustainability are the three main themes that Bernard immerses himself in his work for his clients at Schneider Electric's Sustainability Business.

Bernard's current work stems around guiding his clients to strategize, digitize, and decarbonize their operations, in their journey to Net-Zero and a more sustainable future.

His experience spans over 10 years within Canada, and Hong Kong. His roles have spanned from carbon accounting to energy procurement advisory and now consulting; serving a multitude of clients ranging from financial service companies, hospitality companies, heavy industries, hospitals, educational boards, and municipal corporations.

Bernard believes that a sustainable future is a more valuable future. His career mission is to support the advancement of the green energy transition, and to make the topic of energy more exciting for everyone.

Bill Deng, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of XTransfer. Has over 10 years of experience in the global payments business. Before founding XTransfer in 2017, joined Visa in 2007 and served for three years. In 2010, joined Alipay and served for seven years. Expert in export business in China, small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) exporters' needs for global financial services and their pain points. Has in-depth knowledge of innovative fintech services in various markets. Has designed cross-border business-to-business payment solutions for global SME importers and exporters, including payments and fund collection, remittance, FX conversion, artificial intelligence (AI) anti-money laundering and related risk management.

Bojan is the Chief Digital Officer at HSBC Hong Kong and a part of the HSBC Hong Kong executive leadership team. He is responsible for developing and executing HSBC's cohesive digital banking strategy, with a focus on digital assets and currencies, FinTech ecosystem partnerships, new economy development in Hong Kong and emerging tech innovation.

Bosco Fung is a seasoned leader in business development at Alibaba Cloud Hong Kong, specializing in the financial and telecommunications sectors. With a focus on bridging cutting-edge technology and local market needs, Bosco has been instrumental in introducing Alibaba Cloud's innovative solutions, including the latest advancements in Generative AI.

His extensive experience spans several vital areas of the technology industry, including artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain, cloud computing, and digital transformation. This diverse expertise enables him to craft tailored strategies that drive growth and efficiency for businesses navigating today's digital landscape.

Bosco is also holding a Master of Science degree with a concentration in Financial Technology and Data Analytics receiving the prestigious HKU-SCF Scholarship in Financial Technology.

Brad Jones is the Chief Executive Officer of PayMe, the leading digital wallet in Hong Kong owned by HSBC. Prior to this appointment, Brad has spent over fifteen years in digital payments and fintech in Asia. This has included establishing successful digital payments businesses in two markets in Southeast Asia, as well as leading mobile innovation in Asia Pacific for Visa. Brad has also consulted to IFC(World Bank) in a variety of markets, including Indonesia, Bangladesh and China, advising their portfolio companies on digital payments strategy. Brad has a Bachelor of Commerce from Griffith University in Australia, post graduate business qualifications from the University of Queensland, and is currently completing a Masters of Fintech at University of New South Wales.

Brian Hui is Managing Director and Head of Customer Propositions and Marketing, Wealth and Personal Banking Hong Kong, HSBC. In his current role, Brian manages retail and Global Private Banking customer propositions, customer experience, marketing and Hong Kong brand.

Before his role in HSBC, Brian has held global management roles in Faraday Future, LeEco and Amazon based in the U.S. and Mainland China, where he took the helm of a wide range of functions including sales and marketing, user growth, digital, product development and customer experience. Earlier in his career, Brian worked for Citibank and Standard Chartered Bank across Hong Kong, China and the U.K. in the areas of digital banking and transformation.

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BRIAN W TANG is founding executive director of Law, Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship Lab, the award-winning interdisciplinary and experiential programme at University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Law (LITE Lab@HKU), and is part of the vanguard of educators incorporating generative AI into teaching future talent and upskilling working professionals,

Brian also leads a climate contracting initiative which co-ordinates law firms and companies from Hong Kong, Singapore and now Malaysia through working groups on green loans, green capital markets, green investment funds, green building & construction and carbon markets, and contributed to the creation of the Hong Kong Green Fintech Map 2024.

Brian has authored chapters in Wiley’s The FinTech Book, The RegTech Book , The AI Book and The LegalTech Book and most recently Artificial Intelligence in Finance: Challenges, Opportunities and Regulatory Developments, and his current wide-ranging research areas cover AI governance, emerging capital markets for tokenized securities and carbon markets, sustainable financing and the role and impact of technology on the future delivery of legal services and education.

Brian is co-chair of the Asia Pacific Legal Innovation and Technology Association (ALITA), APAC Regional board member of Global Alliance of Impact Lawyers (GAIL), and board member of the Fintech Association of Hong Kong.

Brian previously spent nearly 20 years at global investment bank Credit Suisse in Hong Kong, and at law firms Sullivan & Cromwell in New York and California and Mallesons in Perth, Australia.

Bénédicte is the Head of the BIS Innovation Hub, Hong Kong Centre. Prior to this appointment, she was a managing director at SC Ventures, the innovation arm of Standard Chartered Bank that leads a series of new ventures across digital banking, banking as a service, SME finance and blockchain. From 2018-2019, she was the Vice President of International Government Relations at Circle, involved in the evolution of blockchain and digital assets. From 2012-2018, she was the Head of Risk & Strategy of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), and in that capacity also acting as the Vice Chair of the Committee on Emerging Risks and the Fintech research lead for the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). From 2007-2012, she was a managing director at Credit Suisse and before that from 1997-2007 she was an associate and executive director at Goldman Sachs. Originally from Belgium, she holds LL.M. and M.B.A. degrees from the University of Chicago and the University of Leuven. She is admitted to the New York Bar since 1999. In 2016, she was a recipient of the China Daily Asian Women Leadership Awards for her efforts related to entrepreneurship, innovation and charity.

Calvin Ng is a distinguished cybersecurity professional with deep expertise in Identity Access Management (IAM), Endpoint Security, and Network Security.

With extensive experience in global and regional cybersecurity services, he excels in solution selling and integrating Chinese and foreign brands to comply with Hong Kong's regulations. Since joining CMI in 2022, Calvin has led successful projects in IAM and Network Security, significantly enhancing security frameworks for banking clients.

In Endpoint Security, he has pioneered projects using advanced EDR and XDR technologies integrated with Threat Intelligence, significantly strengthening defenses against sophisticated cyber threats and protecting client data across multiple touchpoints.

Calvin Ng is Alternate Chief Executive and Executive Director of ZA Bank, Hong Kong’s first and largest digital bank established by ZA Global, the international arm of ZhongAn Online P&C Insurance Co., Ltd. (HKEX Stock code: 6060).

As one of the founding members of ZA Bank, Calvin has contributed his broad banking experience in formulating the innovation and digital strategy and product roadmap, as well as enhancing customer journeys, to the development of the bank. He played a key role in the bank’s major milestones, from licence application, official launch, to growing as a leading Hong Kong digital bank in terms of personal deposits balance with over 800,000 users today. Calvin currently manages the retail business for the bank, including strategic planning, product roadmap and go-to-market strategies.

Prior to joining ZA Bank in 2018, Calvin spent 11 years at DBS Bank (Hong Kong) with extensive experience across digital banking, credit card, payment and marketing.

Camilla Bullock, CEO of EPA Asia, is an entrepreneur, connector and influencer in the global payments industry. Leveraging her extensive background in data and sales gained at Thomson Reuters, she founded EPA Asia in 2018. Since its inception, Camilla has emerged as a strong voice for the APAC Payments industry. She leads critical discussions in EPAA-curated rooms, speaks at Industry Events and represents EPAA members on global platforms. Under her leadership, EPA Asia has cultivated a robust community dedicated to enhancing interoperability and harmonisation of regulation. Through her work, she connects vital industry players and encourages collaboration while amplifying innovation opportunities and business growth for members. Camilla, with her team, customers and community, is reshaping the future of payments across the APAC region and beyond.

Carmen joined Standard Chartered in 2020 as the Greater China & North Asia Trade and Working Capital Head, a role that incorporates formulating the Bank’s regional product strategy as well as overseeing the commercialization and end-to-end delivery of trade, supply chain finance and short-term lending solution offerings in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Japan. With more than 20 years in the global trade finance, Carmen has extensive experience in managing a rapidly growing client portfolio across a spectrum of industries.

During 2010 to 2020, Carmen had held various senior Trade Finance and Cash Management positions in Deutsche Bank, including 4+ years as Head of Financial Supply Chain for Asia Pacific. In 2018, she took over the role of Trade Finance & Lending Head for Greater China, where she oversaw the region’s fast growing Trade, Supply Chain Financing, as well as Working Capital Lending businesses. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, Carmen had also spent more than a decade at Bank of America Merrill Lynch managing are gional portfolio of multinational and local corporate clients with trade and supply chain finance requirements across Asia Pacific.

Carmen holds an MBA Degree from University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong, and is International Cash Management certified at Association of Corporate Treasurers, UK.

Caroline serves as the Marketing Director for APAC at Serotonin, a global web3 services firm dedicated to bringing breakthrough technologies to market. In addition, she co-chairs the Web3 & Blockchain Committee for the Fintech Association of Hong Kong. At Serotonin, Caroline develops and implements diverse go-to-market strategies that drive growth in the Web3 sector and accelerate the adoption of decentralized technologies.

Before joining Serotonin, she was the Director of Marketing at Gusto Collective, an innovative BrandTech Group, and the Head of Corporate Communications and PR at AQUMON. In these roles, she championed initiatives aimed at enhancing public financial literacy and promoting the adoption of progressive Fintech and web3 solutions.

With a strong background in MarCom and branding, Caroline is passionate about leveraging technology to create impactful change in the financial landscape. Her expertise in navigating complex markets and fostering collaboration among stakeholders positions her as a key voice in the rapidly evolving world of web3 and blockchain.

Cecilia Skingsley became Head of the BIS Innovation Hub in September 2022. She is a member of the BIS's Executive Committee. Previously, she held the position of First Deputy Governor of the Riksbank since November 2019.

Most recently she chaired the BIS's Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures Future of Payments Working Group, was the Governor of the Riksbank’s alternate on the General Council of the ECB and member of the Advisory Technical Committee (ATC) of the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB).

Prior to holding the position of Deputy Governor of the Riksbank from May 2013 to November 2019, Ms Skingsley held various roles including Head of FX and Fixed Income Research and Chief Economist at Swedbank (2007-2013); financial journalist and Head of Financial Market Section at Dagens Industri (2000-2007); Macro Analyst, ABN Amro Bank (1998-2000).

Ms Skingsley holds a degree in economics and political science from Stockholm University. She received a financial analyst degree from SSE Executive Education at Stockholm School of Economics (formerly IFL at Stockholm School of Economics) and studied journalism at Poppius School of Journalism in Stockholm.