Mr Daniel Cheung JP is currently the Deputy Commissioner for Digital Policy (Digital Infrastructure) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. He supports the formulation of policies and strategic initiatives for driving the development of digital government and smart city in Hong Kong by strengthening local digital infrastructure, fostering the development of local IT industry and facilitating closer collaboration with the Mainland on the connectivity of digital infrastructures and data, with a view to laying a solid foundation for accelerating the development of digital economy. In addition, he oversees and implements policies and measures relating to project governance and cybersecurity of government IT systems. As a strong advocate for digital inclusion, Mr Cheung actively promotes wider adoption of digital technologies in the community. With over 30 years of professional experience in the field of IT, his expertise contributes significantly to the continuous advancement of Hong Kong’s digital landscape.
As the Deputy Commissioner (Data Governance), Mr. Donald Mak has been actively involved in promoting Government’s agenda for innovation, technology adoption and public services improvement. He also played a key role in the implementation of a number of digital government infrastructures (including the government cloud infrastructure, big data analytics platform, shared blockchain platform, consented data exchange gateway, iAM Smart, Digital Corporate Identity Platform) and the formulation and implementation of open data policy.
Mr. Mak joined the Government in 1989. Since then he has assumed various important duties including formulation and implementation of facilitation strategy and initiatives for ICT industry development, data centre development, digital inclusion, ICT co-operation with the Mainland and overseas economies as well as the implementation and management of various government ICT systems and services.
Mr Enoch Fung is currently the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Hong Kong Academy of Finance (AoF). In this capacity, he also serves as the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Institute for Monetary and Financial Research (HKIMR), the research arm of the AoF.
Mr Fung joined the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) in 2011, and had worked in various areas including the financial stability surveillance, market development, and international financial cooperation initiatives. Mr Fung has been on secondment from the HKMA to the AoF to take up the CEO post since July 2023. Prior to joining the HKMA, Mr Fung was a Senior Economist with Goldman Sachs (Asia), where he specialised in Asia-Pacific macroeconomic and investment research. Mr Fung holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Statistics and a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Economics from the University of Auckland, and a Master of Commerce degree in Advanced Economics from the University of New South Wales.
George Chou has been appointed as Chief Fintech Officer of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) since September 2023, with responsibilities for facilitating the healthy development of the fintech ecosystem in Hong Kong and promoting Hong Kong as a fintech hub in Asia. He joined the HKMA in 2009 and had since taken up different positions, including overseeing technology risk management of banks, and licensing and supervision of stored value facilities, before being appointed as Chief Manager of the Financial Infrastructure Development Division in 2022. Prior to joining the HKMA, Mr Chou served various roles in the private sector of financial industry for over 10 years. Mr Chou holds a Bachelor of Computer Science and Engineering degree and a Master of Business System degree from the Monash University, and a Master of Management degree in Financial Management from the Macquarie University.
Ms Elizabeth Wong is a Director and Head of Fintech unit of the Intermediaries Division of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission.
Her work involves the formulation of the Commission’s policy on fintech matters and leading and supervising the licensing application approval process for virtual asset trading platforms, robo-advisers, virtual asset fund managers and traditional securities and asset management firms. Prior to taking up this role, Ms Wong worked in the Investment Products Division and the Intermediaries Supervision Department and played a key role in Commission-wide policy initiatives including developing and enhancing Hong Kong as an international asset management centre and introducing guidelines for regulating the sale of investment products through online distribution and advisory platforms.
Ms Wong practised as a banking and finance lawyer in Hong Kong prior to joining the Commission.
As the Global Head of Financial Services, Fintech & Sustainability at InvestHK, the department of the Hong Kong SAR Government responsible for attracting Foreign Direct Investment, King’s mission is to enrich the ecosystem and contribute to raising the long term competitiveness and innovation of the financial services, fintech and sustainability sectors in Hong Kong. King achieves this goal through collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders – regulators, financial institutions, investors, fintech and sustainability companies, associations, etc. in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and other major international financial, fintech and sustainability hubs.
Prior to joining the government, King had a diverse private sector background as a serial tech entrepreneur, angel investor, fintech lecturer where his first data-related startup was established through seed investment from Credit Suisse. His startup served numerous world-renowned financial institutions in wealth management, insurance, personal finance, etc. Prior to embarking on his entrepreneurial journey, King was a management consultant at Booz Allen & Hamilton and KPMG Consulting in the US, as well as a venture capitalist at Innovate@, a technology fund jointly run by Booz Allen & Hamilton and Lehman Brothers in the US.
King received his MBA in Finance and Strategy (honors) from the University of Chicago and BSc in Mechanical Engineering (honors) from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
Alvin is the Head of Supervisory Technology at the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), responsible for implementing Supervisory Technology (Suptech) across different banking functions of the HKMA, facilitating the adoption of Regtech and Fintech in the financial services industry as well as overseeing the use of novel technologies such as Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI). His background includes roles as a management consultant at an international accounting & consultancy firm and a security strategist at one of the major cloud service providers. He holds a master’s degree in Criminal Justice and Cybersecurity.
Celina Chan heads up Sustainable Finance for OCBC Bank in Hong Kong. OCBC is the longest established Singapore bank and is one of the world’s most highly-rated banks.
OCBC, as an early mover in mobilising capital to support corporates’ sustainable transition, has recently surpassed its target of S$50 billion (~HK$300 billion) in sustainable financing by 2025. OCBC has been named Best Bank for Sustainable Finance in Hong Kong, and Best Bank for Sustainable Finance in Singapore, by Global Finance.
Celina, as a pioneer in ESG solutions, has contributed to innovative transactions including the world’s first Sustainability-
Linked Bond for a real estate developer (2021) as well as Hong Kong’s first sustainable finance in the logistics industry (2022).
Prior to joining OCBC, Celina was at HSBC as an International Manager where she was a corporate banker in Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, and the UK; and where she managed regional and global strategies for the bank. She specialised in impact finance when she was awarded a scholarship to complete an MBA at the University of Oxford.
Celina has lived in Asia, Europe, US, and Africa and is an advocate of finance for good.
Charles Bedford is Chief Impact Officer and Founder at Carbon Growth Partners (CGP), a leading global investment manager in carbon finance. He’s also a Professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Prior to CGP, he served as Regional Managing Director for The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Asia Pacific Region and in a variety of other conservation leadership positions. Based in Hong Kong, Charles has worked closely with leaders and local communities across Asia, the Pacific Islands, New Zealand and Australia to advance climate, marine, freshwater and land conservation projects that benefit people and nature. He has also focused on building the capacity amongst the region’s business and government leadership to address complicated conservation problems.
Prior to joining TNC, Charles served as director of the Colorado State Land Board, overseer of 3 million hectares of state lands, was Legal Counsel to Colorado Governor Roy Romer and practiced law with the firm of Kutak Rock. He graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and holds a JD from the University of Colorado School of Law. He is a frequent commentator in the Asian press on conservation and climate issues, as well as the author of journal articles and a book on land tenure and conservation.
Mr Charles Hung is the CEO & Executive Director of Blue Insurance Limited. He has been in this role since April 2017, and is instrumental in the launch of Blue, which is the first digital life insurer in Hong Kong and a joint venture between Aviva plc., Hillhouse Capital and Tencent Holdings Limited. Charles is responsible for leading and managing Blue’s business strategies. Previously, he was the Chief Risk Officer of Aviva Asia.
Charles has close to 30 years' experience in business development, innovation, technology & operations, and risk management spanning across insurance, asset management and banking sectors in Asia, Europe and the United States. Before joining Aviva, Charles was with HSBC Holdings where he was the Chief Risk and Administration Officer, GSWD. Prior to that, he was Chief Operating Officer, Asia for HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA.
Before venturing into the banking sector, Charles spent over a decade in the insurance industry in AIA China, PCA Japan, and Prudential Corporation Asia. He also held several senior executive roles at leading financial institutions including Peregrine Holdings, Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs.
Charles holds a master's degree in Electrical Engineering and Engineering Fellowship from Cornell University. He also completed the Executive Management Program at INSEAD in France.
Mr. Charles Song, the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Linklogis, holds a Bachelor’s degree in engineering from Huazhong Institute of Technology (currently known as Huazhong University of Science and Technology), and a Master’s degree in business administration from the University of Melbourne. He has over 30 years of experience in finance, internet, and technology related industries. Mr. Charles Song founded Linklogis in 2016. He is responsible for the overall strategic planning, business direction, and management of the Group. In April 2021, Linklogis was successfully listed on the main board of HKEX.
Mr. Charles Song has served as the finance strategic consultant at Tencent Technology, the President of China Resources Bank (“CR Bank”), and the Global Head of Corporate Trust and Loan Agency Services at HSBC. Mr. Charles Song is the founding director of China Securitization Forum, and was a member of the steering committee of The International Capital Market Association. He has also worked in JPMorgan Chase Bank and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group. Mr. Charles Song has rich experience in the capital market, asset securitization, commercial banks and transaction banking. He created the business model of “asset-light bank” in China and made many beneficial attempts in this field.
Charles is the CEO of the dYdX Foundation, leading the world's premier decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol for perpetual futures. The dYdX Chain is a fully decentralized, community-governed ecosystem.
Before joining dYdX, Charles served as Global Head of Business Development at ConsenSys, a prominent blockchain engineering firm. His diverse career includes entrepreneurial ventures, executive roles in FinTech startups, and a stint as Head of FinTech with the Hong Kong government.
Recognized as a Top-50 FinTech influencer in Asia in 2018, Charles' expertise in FinTech and blockchain has earned him widespread acclaim. In 2021, he authored "Block Kong," a book exploring the blockchain leaders shaping Hong Kong's ecosystem.
Charlotte Wong is a seasoned banking and technology professional with over 20 years of experience. She has held several key leadership positions across technology teams at global, region and market levels, in Global Markets, Securities Services, Wholesale and Personal & Wealth Banking. In her role as the Chief Information Officer Hong Kong, she takes leading role to drive technology resilience and transformation agenda.
Charlotte is very passionate in driving the diversity and inclusion agenda in technology sector. She takes a leading role in organizing the first Women-In-Tech lounge in the HK FinTech Week 2023. Outside her professional role, she volunteers as a Girl Guide/Scout commissioner and leader and is an active member in the global Girl Guiding and Scouting movement, in advocating leadership development for girls and young women. She also acts as the technology advisor of an EdTech start-up in Hong Kong, the industry advisor for the FutureGen Young Women Leader Award, and the chairperson of the FACE Club (first IT women club) of Hong Kong Computer Society.
Mr. Chen is the Chief Sustainability Officer of Ant International. He leads the international sustainability initiatives and the implementation of the sustainable development strategy of Ant International businesses. He is also responsible for International Public Policy and Government Affairs of Ant International.
Mr. Chen has been a senior executive member of Ant Group since March 2016 and served as Ant Group’s General Counsel from March 2016 to May 2020. In his day-to-day responsibilities, Mr. Chen undertakes a broad range of regulatory engagements in connection with Ant International’s business activities. Prior to joining us, Mr. Chen was a partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, a New York-based international law firm where he led the China practice and worked on a variety of equity and debt offerings. He was also responsible for mergers and acquisitions involving PRC companies, including his lead role in advising Alibaba in its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014.
Mr. Chen has extensive experience in corporate governance and regulatory matters. He is qualified to practice law in the State of New York and is a solicitor of the High Court of Hong Kong. Mr. Chen obtained a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University in Toronto, Canada.
Chen Mu is a serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and influential voice in the FinTech industry, with deep expertise in data-driven products. He currently serves as the CEO of Canopy, a WealthTech platform that specializes in investment data aggregation and analytics solutions tailored to Family Offices managing over $180 billion in Assets Under Reporting. Mu is also the founder and chairman of BigOne Lab, an alternative data company backed by S&P Global.
Driven by a strong sense of responsibility and a bold ambition to bridge China and the global market, he also serves as the co-editor of Baiguan.news, a platform committed to addressing information asymmetry in China. Through this platform, Mu seeks to enhance transparency, foster cross-border understanding, and promote impact-oriented business practices that connect China with the rest of the world.
In addition to his entrepreneurial and professional pursuits, Mu is also a guest lecturer at Tsinghua University's PBC School of Finance, where he teaches on the digitalization of business and investment. His insights and thought leadership are widely respected by global financial media and influential business leaders. Mu is also a regular speaker at prestigious corporate and industry forums.
Mu holds a Bachelor of Arts in Financial Economics and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia.
Gong Cheng is Moody’s Chief Credit Officer for Asia-Pacific (APAC). Based in Hong Kong SAR, China, Gong is also a Managing Director for the agency’s APAC Credit Strategy and Research Group. He is responsible for developing Moody’s views on emerging risks, conducting cross-sector macro research and aligning credit views across various industry sectors in the region. He chairs the APAC Credit Council and is a member of Moody’s Macroeconomic Board, which sets the agency’s global forecasts that inform rating assessments.
Prior to joining Moody’s, Gong had worked extensively in the public sector since 2010, including the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and Banque de France, the French central bank. He led policy and research work on green finance, Asian economies, crisis resolution and sovereign debt. He was a member of the Central Banks and Supervisors’ Network for Greening the Financial System and led working groups on green and transition finance and central banks’ net-zero investments. He had also served as an official representative of the ESM and BIS in the G20 International Financial Architecture Working Group, dealing with international issues such as official-sector ending, sovereign debt restructurings, global imbalances and reforms in the international monetary system.
Gong holds a PhD in economics from Sciences Po Paris and master's degrees in finance and international political economy from Sciences Po Paris and London School of Economics. He has published extensively on topics such as net zero transition, climate finance, sovereign debt restructuring and fiscal and monetary policies.
Chloe Cheung is a passionate advocate for sustainable finance, dedicated to driving positive change through impactful investments. She has originated, managed, and advised a diverse global portfolio of climate investments spanning renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and aquaculture, and construction sectors.
Previously, as a Senior Advisor at WWF, Chloe led their sustainable finance initiative and facilitated bankable nature solutions across the region.
Chloe currently serves as a Board Director at EarthCare Foundation and as Managing Director at Prosperity Impact, an ESG and impact investing advisory firm dedicated to climate change mitigation and regeneration of natural systems.
Chris is Head of Trade and Working Capital Solutions within Citi Services. Based in London, Chris supports clients with their daily commercial activities of buying and selling goods, both domestically and across borders. As the leading Trade Finance Bank, Citi offers a unique set of trade and supply chain finance solutions, across Core Trade, Supply Chain Finance, Trade Loans and Export Agency Finance to global multinationals and institutional clients.
Before his current role, Chris was Citi’s Global Head of Data, Digitalization and Strategic Projects for Securities Services and the EMEA head of the Securities Services portfolio. Around a third of Chris’ career has been spent overseas across the Citi network, including Japan, Singapore and Australia, where he ran Citi’s Australia and New Zealand Markets business between 2008 and 2014.
With over 30 years of industry experience in Markets and Securities Services, he has a track record of growth, transformation and innovation. Chris started his career at Salomon Brothers Investment Banking division in 1991, with his product experience spanning to debt capital markets and structuring.
Chris holds a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering (Dainton) from Imperial College.
Ms Ong is responsible for driving the growth of HSBC’s business banking franchise in Hong Kong, spearheading the Bank’s strategy to support the banking and financial needs of SMEs and startups through its expertise, extensive network and continuous digital innovations.
With more than 25 years of experience with HSBC, Christina has held various key management roles spanning client coverage across SMEs, mid-market segment and large corporates, strategy and propositions, as well as marketing.
In her previous role as Managing Director, Corporate, Commercial Banking in Hong Kong, Ms Ong had been instrumental in building HSBC’s industry specialty corporate coverage strategy, and in driving digital and sustainable initiatives for corporate clients. She was in charge of a diverse portfolio of corporates, such as industrials, infrastructure, capital projects, professional services, technology and consumer retail.
Ms Ong is also active promotor of diversity and inclusion culture in HSBC. She is the Founding Chairman of HSBC Women’s Network, an employee resources group that aims to support women’s professional growth.
Christoph Krieg is the Chief Strategy Officer at Peak3 (formerly ZA Tech), the leading next generation SaaS core system provider for P&C, health and life insurance. He leads strategy, corporate development and finance at Peak3, with a focus on growing the core modernisation business across APAC and EMEA. Furthermore, his team supports multiple joint ventures with digital platforms (such as Klook and Carro) active in embedded insurance.
Prior to joining Peak3, he worked in financial services, fintech and consulting, advising tier 1 insurers on their digital transformation agendas and corporate strategy. He has worked across a dozen of countries across Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Ms. Cindy Xu is J.P. Morgan’s Head of Asia Fintech and Head of China Financial Institution Group, in charge of global investment banking business for fintech clients in Asia and financial institution clients in China, across ECM, DCM, M&A and private financing. She has lead a number of landmark transactions in global capital markets for companies in payment, credit tech, digital banking, wealth tech, insurtech, financial software and digital assets; She is also very experienced in bank, securities, insurance, asset management sectors. Ms. Xu holds MBA degree from Wharton Business School of University of Pennsylvania.
Cindy Zhang is the Executive Director at Gobi GBA, a role she assumed in 2020. Before joining Gobi GBA, Cindy built a robust career in the financial sector, demonstrating her expertise and commitment across several prominent organizations.
Cindy began her professional journey at PwC, where she worked as a Senior Associate. In this capacity, she honed her skills in financial analysis, risk assessment, and strategic advisory services.
Following her time at PwC, Cindy transitioned to Guggenheim Securities in New York. Here, she served in the investment banking division, where she was involved in financial transactions, and capital raising activities. Her role at Guggenheim Securities allowed her to leverage her analytical skills and deepen her understanding of the complex dynamics of global finance.
She earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Waterloo in Canada, where she specialized in finance and economics.
In her current role at Gobi GBA, Cindy is an Executive Director on the investment team, managing investments, and driving the firm’s growth initiatives. Her leadership and strategic vision continue to propel the organization forward, making significant contributions to its success in the competitive landscape of global investment.
Additionally, Cindy leads diversity initiatives at Gobi GBA, championing efforts to create a more inclusive and equitable workplace. She is dedicated to fostering a culture that values diverse perspectives and promotes equal opportunities for all employees, reflecting her commitment to social responsibility and corporate inclusivity. Her efforts in this area have been pivotal in shaping Gobi GBA’s reputation as a forward-thinking and inclusive organization.
Ms Cissy Chan was appointed as Executive Director, Commercial of Airport Authority Hong Kong in September 2012. Ms Chan oversees the commercial development and land and property portfolio of Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). She is responsible for developing and implementing commercial strategies, which spans retail, advertising, land and property and aviation logistics including air cargo development. Ms Chan is the Chairman of Dongguan HKIA Logistics Park Investment (Dongguan) Co., Ltd.
Ms Chan has a wealth of general management experience gained from local and multinational organisations, particularly in partnership development, negotiation and managing commercial alliances. Before joining the Airport Authority, Ms Chan was the Director, Retail Portfolio & Marketing at Hysan Development Company Ltd. Prior to that, she held senior positions in multi-national companies including Reckitt Benckiser (Hong Kong / Taiwan) and Johnson & Johnson Hong Kong.
Ms Chan is a member of the Advisory Board of The Chinese University of Hong Kong MBA Programmes. She also served as a member of the Hong Kong Housing Authority and Chairman of its Audit Sub-committee.
Clara was the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) Head of Fintech Unit and Director of Licensing. She was the primary initiator, core architect, and author of Hong Kong's fintech and virtual asset (VA) regulatory framework and licensing requirements.
Clara left the SFC in 2021 and set up her consulting firm which serves major local and international clients in the financial industry. Her firm boasts an experienced team of ex-SFC senior licensing managers, lawyers and professionals, and specializes in novel licensing applications in Hong Kong, such as licences for crypto exchanges (VATP/VASP), virtual asset businesses for securities brokers, participating dealers of crypto ETFs with virtual assets in-and-out, virtual asset omnibus account business models, tokenisation projects and automated bond trading platforms. Through all her work, Clara has a vision to enhance the VA regulatory requirements, bridge the gap among the financial industry, financial regulators and the Government, and push for the robust financial market development in Hong Kong.
Clara is an appointed member of the SFC Fintech Advisory Group. She also sits on the HKSI Corporate Committee. Clara practised as a lawyer at international law firms before joining the SFC.
Clara holds a Bachelor of Laws (HKU), PCLL and Master of Laws (London).
Dr. Clara Guerra is the Director of the Office for Financial Market Innovation and Digitalisation (SFID) of the Liechtenstein Government, where she leads the charge in pioneering regulatory frameworks and driving digital transformation in the financial sector. With a focus on FinTech, blockchain, and AI, Dr. Guerra plays a pivotal role in aligning emerging technologies with robust regulatory standards, ensuring innovation is both cutting-edge and secure. As Co-Chair of the European Blockchain Association and Chair of the INATBA Governmental Advisory Board, she actively shapes global digital policy, advocating for a balanced approach to innovation and regulation. Dr. Guerra’s expertise in bridging technology with public policy has positioned her as a thought leader in the global fintech ecosystem. She regularly shares her insights through high-profile lectures and publications, offering a forward-looking perspective on the future of technology and its implications for the global financial landscape.
Mr. Clarence Wong is the Chief Economist of Peak Re. Mr. Wong is responsible for delivering strategic insights on economic, insurance and emerging risks to the company and its key stakeholders. He also oversees the development of thought-leadership content for Peak Re.
Mr. Wong is an industry veteran with more than 30 years of experience in the finance industry and an extensive research track record.
Before joining Peak Re, Mr. Wong worked at Swiss Re since 1999, where he last served as the Chief Economist, Asia. He led a team of researchers to provide Swiss Re and other stakeholders with economic and insurance insights, as well as research on emerging risk landscape in Asia. At the same time, his team contributed to Swiss Re’s sigma, the regular insurance industry report that is considered a “must-read” for anyone interested in the sector.
Prior to that, Mr. Wong spent nine years at HSBC’s economic research department, worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers in its management consulting arm, and in the R&D department of Hutchison Trading Ltd.
Mr. Wong has a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Hong Kong.
Before founding Pluang, Claudia has worked in the financial services industry in Indonesia formore than 10 years, through Celebes Capital, a leading venture capital fund focused on financial institutions. Previously she held a Bachelor of Molecular Biology from the Occidental College, LA, but finally she realized her passion is in the financial industry. Claudia continued to hold an MBA from the Harvard Business School and has the goal of levelingthe playing field for Indonesians by increasing access to investment products.
As M.B.A. classmates at Harvard Business School, Claudia Kolonas and Richard Chua launched Pluang, aiming as a multi-assets investing platform targeting first-time millennial investors in Indonesia to easily experience the thrill of investing wisely.
Claudia believes that everyone has the same opportunity to grow their wealth, and that’s what makes Pluang offer a diverse range of products in only one application including mutual funds, digital gold, crypto assets, US Stock CFD, and Micro E-Mini Index Futures, before those products only available to middle up society.
Claus Christensen is the CEO & Co-Founder of Know Your Customer, an award-winning RegTech company with offices and clients across both APAC and Europe (in 2022 Know Your Customer won the second prize at the SFF Global Fintech Awards in the ASEAN category).
As a speaker and industry expert, Claus complements his vast technical knowledge with outstanding eloquence. A regular contributor to leading industry publications, including Finextra, Regulation Asia, Silicon Republic and Fintech Futures, Claus is a recognised expert in the anti-money laundering and financial regulation space and a senior lecturer of the Centre for Finance, Technology and Entrepreneurship (CFTE)’s RegTech Course. As well as hosting RegTalks, an interview podcast dedicated to the latest RegTech trends with 30+ episodes with global experts, he has spoken across various conferences globally such as Hong Kong Fintech Week 2023 and Money 20/20 Europe 2023, 2024.
An experienced entrepreneur and executive, Claus has been active in the software industry for more than thirty years. Prior to Know Your Customer, Claus founded Servolutions GmbH, a company developing email server infrastructuresfor 60,000+ global customers, and served as Vice President of Electronics at Thielert Aircraft Engines.
Clement Lam is the Chief Executive Officer, Sun Life Hong Kong. In this role, he oversees and leads the Company’s business development and operations.
Clement has more than 18 years of experience in the insurance industry in North America and Asia. He joined Sun Life’s team in Canada in 2007 and moved to Hong Kong in 2009. Over the years, he took on pivotal roles at Sun Life’s regional office in Asia, where he led product actuary and product innovation, and spearheaded the development of Telco-Assurance business. He was a core member of the leadership team that supervised Sun Life’s business in mainland China.
In January 2017, Clement was appointed General Manager, Life and Health, Sun Life Hong Kong. Under his leadership, the Life and Health businesses achieved phenomenal growth in product development and business performance, as well as distribution to high-net- worth individuals. He has been supervising the Company’s strategic investment in Bowtie Life Insurance Company Limited, the first virtual insurer approved under the Fast Track pilot scheme of the Insurance Authority in Hong Kong and was appointed Chairman of the Board at Bowtie from May 2020 to June 2023.
Clement is the Chairman of Life Insurance Council and a Governing Commi ee Member of Hong Kong Federa on of Insurers. He was appointed a member of Product Advisory Commi ee of The Securi es and Futures Commission. He is a Member of the Governors’ Council of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.
Clement holds a Bachelor of Mathematics in Honors Mathematics (Distinction) from University of Waterloo.
As a technology brand of Ant Digital Technologies for Web3products and services, ZAN delivers ZAN Cloud to cater to the needs of Web3enterprises and integrates RWA tokenization solution for property proprietors and banking establishments.
In his previous role, Mr. Zhang functioned as the General Manager of the AI platform at MEGVII Technology, supervising the development and engineering squads engaged in the establishment and enhancement of the AI(deep learning) training platform, inference engine, vector databases, and datamining infrastructure.
Education: M.S and B.S from the Computer Science Department of Tsinghua University.
Connie Leung is the Senior Director & Regional Industry Leader - Asia of the Worldwide Financial Services Industry team. Joined in 2013, Connie has dual responsibility as Asia lead with a team of industry experts for driving high level engagement and industry spokesperson and thought leader in Asia and provides the strategic direction and leadership for all aspects of the Financial Services business as part of the Worldwide Financial Services group, including Banking, Capital Markets and Insurance. Connie has led various global initiatives including Blockchain and AI/Machine learning for corporate banking and drive digitalization, cloud adoption and customer’s industry digital transformation initiatives. Connie brings many years of diversified industry experience to this role including regulators landscape, banking & finance, insurance and vertical business segments such as payments, treasury and trade, technology & infrastructure.
Connie is also named “25 Women Leaders in Hong Kong Fintech” by InvestHK in Oct 2018. Before joining Microsoft, Connie was a Director, Payments & Trade markets, Asia Pacific at SWIFT responsible for corporate, payments and trade markets activities in Asia Pacific. Initially focusing on launching the new Trade Services Utility (ICCBPO) in the market and moved into her last position in September 2010 to develop SWIFT’s corporate, payments and trade & supply chain business in Asia Pacific. Prior to joining SWIFT, Connie held management positions with various financial information services providers including Misys, Surecomp and Fidelity Information Services, offering trade finance, core banking, treasury and payment systems to banks. Prior to that, Connie served as vice president and in other management roles for companies such as smart card management system, credit card payment terminals and internet e-commerce portals for the financial sector.
Connie has a strong track record in sales, marketing and growing new business in the financial sector, is capable of bringing innovative solutions to the market. She is a regular speaker at industry events such as Fintech Festival in Singapore/Hong Kong, Hong Kong Blockchain Week, Eurofinance, Asia Trade Finance week, Exporta, Finance Asia, APEC and Euromoney events and contributor to media and publications such as GTR, The Asian Banker, The Asset, Finance Asia and the BAFT newsletter. Connie holds an honors degree in Computer Science and is fluent in English and Chinese.
As COO, Cynthia leads investor relations and oversees global business strategies at Matrixport. Previously Investment Director at Bitmain Technologies, Cynthia focused on investments in blockchain technology and decentralized applications.
Prior to venturing into crypto, Cynthia was Vice President at Hong Kong Exchange (HKEX), responsible for derivatives product development and institutional sales. She started her career in HK as a commodities trader.
Daniel Chan is the Head of Greater Bay Area (GBA) at HSBC.
Mr Chan joined HSBC in 1988, and has extensive experience working in retail and commercial banking, including roles in strategy and proposition development, learning and development, non-financial risk and control functions. Since 2007, Mr Chan has assumed a number of leadership positions of Commercial Banking in Singapore and Hong Kong, and has become Head of Business Banking for Hong Kong in 2015.
Mr Chan was appointed Head of GBA since Apr 2021, spearheading HSBC’s strategic development in GBA, a key focus of the Bank’s Asia growth strategy. He is responsible for the overall business strategy development and implementation in GBA, across all business lines and functions to capture opportunities brought by GBA’s economic growth and policy enhancement measures. HSBC was named the Best International Bank for GBA in 2021 and 2023, as well as the 2022 Best International Bank for the Wealth Management Connect, by Asiamoney.
Mr Chan holds a Bachelor degree in Business Administration from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Mr. Daniel Hong joined Tencent in 2016 and currently serves as Vice President of Tencent Financial Technology, with a focus on overseas fintech business. He is committed to promoting the development of payment services in international markets, by leveraging Tencent's know-how in this area and creating a seamless integration with Tencent's ecosystem. Additionally, Mr. Hong is responsible for Tencent fintech business analysis and planning. He also plays a key role in fostering collaboration with external strategic partners. Before joining Tencent, Mr. Hong worked with Accenture and Bain & Company. He holds an MBA degree from the University of Chicago.
Daniel P. Harris serves as Chairman of both DPH International GmbH, a Swiss based Fintech Incubator and the Singapore based Creator 2 Business Foundation which together are striving to create an economically viable system for independent professional audio and video creators worldwide. An early digital disruptor, Mr. Harris secured the first legal downloadable movie clips from a major studio. A 7-year partnership with Microsoft Corporation ensued which resulted in launching MediaPass (sold in 2010) and becoming Microsoft's No.1 digital content supplier for 5 consecutive years along side channel partners including Yahoo and MTV before spearheading the launch campaign for Vevo (largest music video destination in the world); a JV between SonyMusic and Universal Music and funded by Abu Dhabi Group.
Routinely at the forefront of popular culture, Mr. Harris established the video identity of acclaimed global Electronic Dance Music events including Ultra Music Festival and Electric Daisy Carnival; later overseeing content production, licensing, and distribution partnerships with the most prominent independent festival producers in North America. From 2014 - 2019, Mr. Harris was Chairman & Interim COO of a regional EDM concert company that produced 1,000 concerts with the Top 100 DJ’s in the world including: Above & Beyond, Chainsmokers, David Guetta, Tiesto, Steve Aoki, Marshmello, Martin Garrix, and Deadmau 5.
Mr. Harris has extensive content licensing experience with entities including Adidas, ABC Sports, Fox Sports, SiriusXM and the 3 largest music labels in the world having executed hundreds of licensing agreements for the video catalogs of Sony Music, Universal Music, and Warner Music. This included executing promotions and being entrusted with the digital assets of Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey and Red Hot Chili Peppers. A native of Washington, DC, Mr. Harris earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing from the School of Business at Loyola University New Orleans and has been a featured speaker at industry events including: CES, Digital Music Summit, Winter Music Conference, NAB, NATPE, Media Summit, OMMA, National Copyright Conference, Venture Summit, and Los Angeles Venture Association.
Darius Sit is a Founder and Chief Investment Officer at QCP, a digital asset wealth partner that brings institutional strategies and solutions to clients. One of the first digital asset trading firms in Singapore, QCP aims to partner the new generation of investors to unlock opportunities in digital asset markets. As CIO, he shapes the company’s market leading insights and is a regularly sought after commentator by traditional and crypto media. He has also led QCP to become an active early-stage investor in the crypto and blockchain ecosystems including core trading infrastructure, data, and DeFi protocols.
Darius was formerly a trader at Dymon Asia Capital and BNP Paribas in Singapore and New York. He graduated from the National University of Singapore with First Class Honours in Finance, with a minor in Comparative Religion
David is a highly respected thought leader in financial industry technology with over 35 years of experience leading some of Wall Street’s top institutions. He has founded and invested in a number of start-ups including R3, LiquidityEdge LLC (a successful UST treasury broker), and most recently TEN. His primary focus remains on advancing R3 and the Corda ecosystem through customer engagements, partnerships and strategic investments.
David founded R3 in 2015 and, as Chief Executive Officer, he is responsible for the company’s strategic vision. R3 is a leading provider of Digital Currency, Digital Assets and Interoperability solutions, empowering regulated financial institutions to navigate the complexities of digitization. At the heart of R3 is Corda, the world’s first open, permissioned tokenization platform. Supported by leading financial institutions, R3 has a global team of approximately 300 employees across London, Dublin, Dubai, New York, Mumbai, and Singapore, serving a thriving network of 60+ customers including Central Banks, FMIs and Corporates.
David's pioneering contributions to the industry have earned him recognition as one of the top twenty most influential figures in digital assets. He has played a significant role in the global adoption of electronic trading in the OTC derivatives and securities industry, launching his first electronic trading system in 1995. He has since been involved in launching electronic trading solutions across more than 20 different asset classes worldwide. David served as CEO of Electronic Broking at ICAP Plc for ten years, overseeing the BrokerTec fixed income and EBS foreign exchange platforms. Prior to ICAP, David was co-owner and CEO (Americas) of Prebon Yamane.
David continues to influence the fintech space through multiple board memberships and is actively involved in a number of charities through the Rutter Family Charitable Trust. Notably, he is a well member of Charity Water, ensuring that 100% of donations provide clean water to those in need by covering the charity's administrative expenses.
David Lynne is the Head of Corporate Bank (CB) and chair of the CB Executive Committee.
He is responsible for the overall strategy of the business, including controls, budget planning, P&L as well as alignment with Deutsche Bank (DB) strategy and compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
Previously, David was the Head of Corporate Bank and Fixed Income & Currencies for Asia Pacific with overall responsibility for the firm’s Commercial Banking and Debt Capital Markets business in the region. He was also the Chief Country Officer for Singapore. David joined DB’s Singapore branch in May 1998, following three years as Head of European Fixed Income Options Trading, based in London. Prior to that, David worked for JP Morgan in a variety of roles in London and New York. David has 35 years of experience in banking.
David graduated in 1987 from Imperial College with a Master in Chemical Engineering.
David Ng is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of AXA Hong Kong and Macau. He is responsible for leading AXA’s operations and information technology across Life and Health, Employee Benefit and Property & Casualty business units in Hong Kong and Macau. He also oversees the digital, data & AI, marketing, customer and strategy functions of the organisation.
Dave has extensive experience in the areas of strategy, business development and digital and data transformation in the insurance industry. He has held a number of senior positions in both major insurance companies and InsurTech companies across Asia Pacific.
Dave has nearly 20 years of experience and started his career with Lincoln Financial Group in the United States. He later took up various senior positions at AIA Group where he spent 6 years, with his last role being Regional Director of Digital Strategy. Prior to joining AXA Hong Kong and Macau in December 2018, Dave co-founded an InsurTech venture with the objective of helping insurance companies develop products that dynamically reflect premiums based on lifestyle behaviours.
Dave holds a Bachelor degree from Northwestern University in the United States.
Deborah is the Innovation Lead for Carbonless with over a decade of experience working with startups and relevant public and private sector stakeholders.
She has a passion for new technologies and innovation with a track record of successfully managing award-winning programs for economic development and technology acceleration in the public sector. Deborah has managed funding programs for R&D and supported the commercialisation of new technologies through her work with the Economic Development Agency in Auckland and the Innovation Agency of New Zealand. More recently, Deborah leads the Hong Kong Green Tech Challenge to bring global best practice in green and clean technologies to Hong Kong for business and investment opportunities.
Deborah is deeply passionate about sustainability and decarbonisation and actively seeks out opportunities to contribute to a greener future through the adoption of innovation to drive positive impact. In addition to her professional work, Deborah has volunteered as a mentor and judge for Startup Weekend and Auckland University of Technology’s X Challenge.
Denis Beau was appointed Deputy Governor of the Banque de France on 1 August 2017, and was reappointed First Deputy Governor on 12 January 2024.
In this capacity, he was appointed by the Governor of the Banque de France to represent him as Chairman of the Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution (ACPR) and, with effect from 17 January 2024, he was appointed Chairman of the Observatory for the Security of Payment Means. He is also a member of the Board of the AMF and of the Supervisory Board of the European Central Bank (ECB). Since 1 January 2023, Denis Beau has been Chair of the ECB's Budget Committee (BUCOM).
His tasks as Deputy Governor include in particular the Banque de France's micro-prudential activities, the cash industry, innovation, the Bank’s branch network activities and the internal management of the institution.
As the Chief Investment Officer at YF Life, Dennis spearheads the investment team, directing key investment functions such as strategic asset allocation, portfolio management, and hedging. His responsibilities extend to overseeing a spectrum of asset classes, encompassing fixed income, equities, and alternative investments. Since joining YF Life in 2019, Dennis has revolutionized the investment process by introducing a state-of-the-art system that applying technology to optimize decision-making and drive performance. He actively shapes investment strategy in insurance products and mitigates risk through comprehensive investment and hedging solutions. With close to twenty years of experience spanning diverse financial sectors, ranging from insurance to asset management, alternative investments, and family offices, Dennis brings a deep well of expertise in multi-asset management.
Dennis Lun is the Co-founder and CEO of 10Life, a digital insurance ecosystem combining technology with compassion to drive fair products, fair sales, and fair claims, with a mission to bring fair insurance to life. Dennis is a frequent speaker in local and online media and industry events, advocating for fair insurance through big data and technology. He strives to create the next generation insurance experience for consumers while enhancing profitability for insurers.
Graduated from the Wharton School of Business (MBA), Dennis possesses 20+ years of investment banking, strategy and insurance experience. He has worked in the US, Greater China, India and SE Asia leading teams of over 200 people.
Deven Somaya is the Global Head for the Emerging Commerce Solutions team based out of Singapore. Deven leads a team that works closely with the products, sales, and geography teams and is responsible for designing and developing new client solutions and creating, incubating new business opportunities. The role has extensive focus on co-developing new commercial solutions with clients and ecosystem partners, identifying and assessing commercial opportunities in new product and service areas.
An experienced executive leader, with expertise in digital transformation, business turnaround, business development, strategic partnerships, top line growth, and corporate development.
Devere has a deep understanding of customised sales and marketing strategies and GTM motions that are developed specifically for individual verticals and needed to help companies gain traction, grow their revenue pipeline and partnership channels, and optimize their corporate structures for long-term success.
Deep multi-industry experience in building and leading successful Go-To-Market (BD, S&M), Commercial Operations, Strategy, CS and Partnerships teams, at rapid-growth fintech businesses, and digital technology organizations looking at regional expansion, and revenue scaling across APAC and globally.
With his wealth of experience and knowledge and highly transferable leadership skillset, he is able to provide targeted guidance and support to businesses in a wide range of industries, helping them navigate complex challenges and achieve their goals.
Always outcome-driven, Devere is very engaged in an influential thought leadership network and will deliver the realization of commercial continuous revenue improvement opportunities, and profitable repeatability.
As a leader, manager, and accountable officer he acts as a very strong individual GTM/Sales-Ops operator, and as required is adept in building and galvanizing leadership teams, known for operational excellence, collaboration, and long-term commitment to the success of their peers, partners, clients, and customers.
Devere holds an MS in Global Management. Believes in everyday self-improvement, and is a member of the Hong Kong FinTech Association, and a number of Artistic and Corporate Executive networks.
A U.K. national, lives in Hong Kong as a permanent resident, along with his young family.
Aerospace financier and investment banker with a legal background. Early pioneer in aircraft leasing, financing and aerospace investments in greater China during the 1980s. Over 38 years of C-Suite experience in aerospace finance, government advisory and helmed several investment banking, aviation finance & aircraft leasing firms. Five-year appointment to the Hong Kong Economic Development Commission, culminated in the ratification of a new tax law for aviation leasing and investments. Now teaching aviation finance, aviation asset management, aerospace investments, marketing, and space technology at PolyU, where he also started Space50 – university student run Space Index start-up. He is a founding partner of Anchor Venture Partners LLC, developing Spacecraft Leasing.
Hangyu is the Chief Correspondent of Yicai Media Group in Hong Kong. Her works were published on many platforms of Yicai and Shanghai Media Group. In addition to interviewing financial experts in Hong Kong, she covers Asian and international news. Her work "Walking on the New Silk Road" won the "Shanghai Radio and Television Awards", the "Media Player Award" of Shanghai Media Group, and "Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival Award". Her work “Asian Bourse Talks” won Silver Dove Awards. She was awarded “Star 20” twice in 2020 and 2022. Her works won the “Chief Editor's Pick” award several times.
Before joining Yicai, Hangyu worked as a financial editor at Phoenix Satellite TV. Hangyu graduated from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology with a bachelor's degree, and graduated from the Hong Kong Baptist University with a postgraduate degree.
Dimitrios Vourakis is the co-founder of Emrgo, an investment firm headquartered in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and specializing in financial services and technology (fintech).
Emrgo and its affiliates are working on partnerships, projects and transactions targeting the Saudi market. We enable partners with proven business models to enter the local market gradually and efficiently. This includes feasibility studies, contribution of licence coverage, establishment of JVs, application for separate licences, launch of operations, and potentially access to capital.
Dimitrios has 20+ years of experience in the intersection of finance, technology and law. A frequent speaker on fintech topics in Europe, Middle East and Asia, he is a qualified solicitor (England), holds an MBA (London Business School), LLM (King’s College, London) and LLB (University of Athens).
Mr. Ding Yaoxin is the deputy general manager of the Company. He is responsible for the program design and product promotion management of the Company. Mr. Ding joined the Group in October 2017 and was appointed as the deputy general manager of Beijing Newlink in March 2021 and the vice president of the Company in February 2023.
Drew Propson is the Head of Technology and Innovation in Financial Services at the World Economic Forum. She leads a portfolio of initiatives focused on advancing innovation while maintaining financial system stability. Current research areas include the deployment of AI and emerging technologies in financial services, technology-driven systemic risks, and fintech market trends. Drew has additionally presented and authored work on financial inclusion, regulatory dynamics, and entrepreneurship.
Drew holds MBAs from Columbia Business School and London Business School, a PhD in Spanish literature from UC Berkeley, and a BFA in Painting from the University of Washington. Her experience prior to joining the Forum includes private equity research, development finance, and international strategy and operations.
Andrew Robinson (Drew) leads Coinbase’s institutional business in APAC and EMEA.Andrew is based out of Coinbase’s London office. Prior to joining Coinbase, Andrew was a senior strategy consultant in A.T. Kearney’s Private Equity and Mergers & Acquisitions practice, advising clients across industries on value creation, exit strategies, and the due diligence process. Before A.T. Kearney, Andrew worked at several investment banks, including Lehman Brothers, Jefferies, and HSBC, in interest rate swaps trading as well as institutional equity sales. Andrew received his MBA from Columbia Business School and his Bachelor of Science in Finance from Villanova University in Pennsylvania.
Duncan has been a driving force in Hong Kong’s innovation and technology (I&T) development since early 2000. He is an active advocate of I&T policies, an experienced entrepreneur and investor, and is often regarded as the leading figure in the local I&T industry.
Duncan was elected to the 7th term on the Legislative Council in 2022. In addition to serving the industry, he frequently proposes initiatives related to I&T, financial, economic and public health affairs. The relevant authorities recognise them as contributory and specialist input in the formulation of policies and improvements to governance.
Duncan has been a key contributor to the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors of Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem. In the upstream sector, he serves as Chairman of Advisory Committee of the Department of Systems Engineering & Engineering Management of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and as a Member of Advisory Committee of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. In the midstream, he is Chairman of Steering Committee of the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme (RAISe+). In the downstream sector, he is Chairman of HKTDC Information & Communications Technology (ICT) Services Advisory Committee and Convenor of Innovate for Future, a think tank representing some of the leading startups. Furthermore, Duncan is President of Hong Kong Information Technology Joint Council, which fosters the entire ecosystem to cohere.
Besides his role in LegCo, Duncan is a professional investor, having participated in or invested in hundreds of I&T projects. He frequently shares his insights at industry forums and serves as a mentor to numerous young entrepreneurs.
Duncan was raised in a family with a long history of involvement in the entertainment and amusement park industry. He is a passionate defender of local culture and Chairman of Lai Yuen Company Limited, an entertainment platform and one of the most recognized nostalgic icons in Hong Kong.
Duncan is also dedicated to community affairs. He is a Member of Hospital Authority (HA), and Chairman of Hospital Governing Committee of Kwai Chung Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital. He plays a pivotal role in the advancement of smart hospitals by serving as Chairman of HA’s Information Technology Services Committee, which is responsible for integrating technological elements to enhance efficiency, streamline hospital operations and elevate the patient experience.
Duncan is a sports enthusiast with a particular interest in squash. He is Secretary-General of Asian Squash Federation and Chairman of Squash Association of Hong Kong, China. Under his leadership, Hong Kong squash athletes continue to maintain high world rankings and achieve notable success in both international and domestic competitions.
Eddi is the CEO of BNI Ventures, the venture capital subsidiary of PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk. with the mandate to invest in startups.
Prior to this, Eddi was CEO of Mandiri Capital Indonesia, also a state-owned corporate VC.
During his career, Eddi has invested in more than 30 startups incl. Amartha, KoinWorks, privy.id, Mekari, LinkAja, iSeller, Crowde, Cashlez, Qoala, Ayoconnect, BUKA, GoTo, Kecilin, Rukita, FishLog.
In addition to working in corporations, Eddi also has experience as an angel investor.
Eddi has working experience in financial services (at Morgan Stanley, AXA, Makara Capital), management consulting (Booz Allen Hamilton, AT Kearney), consumer goods (Procter & Gamble) whereby this experience includes working abroad incl. Singapore.
Eddi has a Bachelor of Economics degree from Universitas Gadjah Mada, an MBA from Duke University, and a Doctorate (in Strategic Management) from Universitas Indonesia.
In the academic sector, Eddi is a part-time lecturer at Binus Business School.
Eddi is a basketball enthusiast and holds a position at PERBASI (Indonesia Basketball Federation).
With over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, Edison has profound knowledge and a strong understanding of strategic planning, business development, digital transformation, and IT. Prior to joining AIA, Edison was the Vice President at YF Life, responsible for digital distribution covering product proposition, transformation, and innovation. Edison also worked for Ping An as the Chief Strategy Officer, leading the preparation for life insurance business establishment in Hong Kong, and for Chubb as the Chief Information Officer, heading IT, PMO, and digital transformation teams.
Edwin is a seasoned data professional who have worked in the data field for his entire 25+ years career. He has worked in various in-house and vendor roles in his career, having also spent 5 years in Mainland China, supporting tier-2 and tier-3 banks on their data initiatives while data warehouse and internet finance starts to become mainstream from 2012. Lately he has been leading or building data & analytics team in consulting firms like KPMG and Accenture. Edwin is currently heading the data & analytic office at Hang Seng Bank.
Ella Arwyn Jones joined Haymarket as editor of FinanceAsia and CorporateTreasurer in Spring 2021. Currently, she oversees the editorial strategy of the two brands alongside AsianInvestor as Content and Business Director. Her editorial interest focusses on unlisted fundraising and alternative assets. She began her career in London, in publishing, licensing international rights to Asia, before moving to Hong Kong in 2017 to set up a project finance research division. She has a First-Class degree in Japanese from the University of Edinburgh and spent a year at Tokyo’s Waseda University.
Over 25 years, Emmy Award-winning journalist Elliott Gotkine has reported for some of the world’s most trusted news outlets, including CNN, the BBC, and Bloomberg Television, covering the Middle East, Europe, South America, business and finance. He’s interviewed world leaders, including Hugo Chavez and Shimon Peres; billionaires, such as Sheldon Adelson and Patrick Drahi; and Nobel Laureates, like Mario Vargas Llosa. An in-demand master of ceremonies and moderator, Elliott has also hosted scores of conferences around the world. This is his fifth time emceeing at Hong Kong Fintech Week. He lives in London with his two children and his one-eyed dog, Molly.
As Chief Technology Officer of FWD Hong Kong & Macau, Elly Kwong formulates FWD’s technology strategies and spearheads digital transformation to drive business impact through customer centricity, data security and technological excellence.
Elly joined FWD Hong Kong & Macau as Vice President & Head of Information Technology (IT) in 2019. She leads highly effective teams to create innovative solutions that accelerate the technology-driven growth of the business and address the evolving needs of today’s customers, changing the way people feel about insurance through technology.
Previously, Elly was Senior Director & Head of Information Technology at Prudential for over 11 years overseeing all aspects of IT functions from governance, application system development, infrastructure to operations and IT security. With more than 25 years of IT leadership experience in the highly regulated banking and financial industry serving both local and regional roles, she had also worked at AIG, Standard Chartered Bank and Chong Hing Bank. Elly’s expertise encompasses IT organisational setup, digital transformation, process improvement, and technology standardisation and consolidation.
Elly holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of South Australia. Outside of work, she enjoys cycling, playing table tennis and watching movies, living up to FWD’s ‘Celebrate living’ spirit.
Elsa PAU is the founder and Group CEO of BlueOnion, an ESG analytic platform that exposes greenwashing behavior and promotes responsible investing by examining the stewardship practices of asset managers, insurers, pension providers, public and private companies.
PAU is a finance industry veteran focusing on sustainable, responsible, and impact investing. She advocates for investor protection and drives compelling propositions that benefit real change for the finance community. Her mission for BlueOnion is to steer financial services providers toward ethical practices to address climate change and social injustice, helping investors achieve optimal returns with the highest moral responsibilities.
Before creating BlueOnion, she was the Owner-operator of Benchmark, a 25-year-old publication, and a series of Wealth and Asset Management Awards Programs, Forums, and Quality Studies operated under the Benchmark brand.
PAU has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Florida International University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Florida.
She currently serves as an investment governor of a family office in Asia and a Committee member of the Hong Kong Council of Social Services Development Fund. AsiaWeek once named her one of Asia’s Most Influential Women.
Elvis Lau is the Director at PANONY and PANews. He is a product-oriented marketing and media executive specializing in media & GTM, digital ad product development, and publisher monetization. With extensive experience, he has played a key role in Digital & Innovation in Advertising at TVB, Hong Kong's largest TV station, and has headed Commercial at a regional programmatic ad agency. As a co-founder of Artisan Collective, he advocates for the paradigm shift to Web3 and promotes mass adoption through industry newsletters, podcasts, and event partnerships.
Emily Tan is a Senior Correspondent for CNBC International covering breaking business and financial stories on Hong Kong, China and Taiwan markets.
She joined CNBC in 2007, as the lead Hong Kong market reporter. Over the years, she has also covered major news events such as the Taiwanese Presidential elections in 2008, 2012, 2020 and 2024, Hong Kong’s Umbrella movement in 2014, the social unrest in 2019, and the impact of severe weather events such as super typhoons Mangkhut and Hato.
Emily has interviewed some of the region’s most recognisable and influential leaders including HSBC Group CEO Noel Quinn, Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Chairman Laura Cha and Chief Executive Nicolas Aguzin, Ping An Co-CEO Jessica Tan, Foxconn Chairman Young Liu, Lenovo CFO Wong Wai Ming and Hong Kong’s former Chief Executive Carrie Lam.
In addition, Emily also fronted CNBC’s travel luxury programme ‘First Class’ where she travelled to Hainan, Shanghai, Macau and Hong Kong to explore how the well-heeled experience travel in these world-class cities.
Emily has more than 20 years’ experience in TV journalism. Prior to joining CNBC, she was a member of the news team at Hong Kong’s Television Broadcasts Ltd. (TVB), anchoring nightly newscasts and covering local daily assignments as a senior reporter. She has also worked at Bloomberg and CNN.
Emily holds a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication.
Emma Zhu brings over 10 years of expertise in the finance and blockchain sectors. Currently, she is a partner at Sinohope Asset Management and serves as a Type 4 and 9 Responsible Officer.
Previously, Emma led the Greater China region for Aspen Digital, a Web 3 company linked to the Rothschild family’s investments. Before that, she was Vice President at Noah International, overseeing the selection and sales of overseas products. Her career also includes a role in investment banking at CMBC Capital Holdings Limited, where she managed and traded assets exceeding $1.5 billion.
Emma holds a Master’s degree in Social Science from The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Dr Entela Benz is CEO and founder of Intensel, a global award-winning Al-powered climate tech solutions provider. The group predicts financial risk related to extreme weather and climate change. Corporate clients in Asia include Jardine Matheson, Hang Lung Properties, CLSA and ING Bank.
Benz also serves as an adjunct associate professor at HKUST Business School's department of Finance, where she teaches a variety of subjects including investment analysis and ESG investing. For more than 15 years, Benz has been acting as an expert speaker and executive trainer on ESG and Impact investing for institutions such as Citibank, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, DBS, Daiwa etc. Previously, she worked for UBS Investment Bank in Hong Kong and a hedge fund in Geneva, Switzerland. She has several academic and industry focused publications on top tier journals.
She obtained a finance certificate postgraduate degree from Oxford University, a master's degree in international economics from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies and a doctoral degree in Financial Asset Management and Engineering from the SFI, Swiss Finance Institute, Switzerland.
Ir Eric Chan is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology of the UK. Mr. Chan is currently the Chief Public Mission Officer of Hong Kong Cyberport, responsible for building the ecosystem to nurture I&T start-ups and young entrepreneurs for Hong Kong. Mr. Chan is a veteran in the ICT industry and has held senior management positions at MNCs prior to joining Cyberport. Mr. Chan is active in public services, especially in education, industry training, professional bodies, and charitable organizations. Mr. Chan is currently the Chairman of the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework ICT Industry Training Advisory Committee, Member of the Advisory Committee on Gifted Education of the Education Bureau of the HKSAR Government, Chairman of the Knowledge Management Development Center in Hong Kong, member of university advisory committees, and IMC member of secondary schools.
Eric Or is currently the Head of Partnerships for Hong Kong Science and Technology Park. Leading the team to drive the Hong Kong I&T ecosystem through collaboration with corporate clients, channels, and system integrators.
A veteran in the IT industry, Eric has over 30 years of experience in general management, sales & Major Account Management roles.
Prior to HKSTP, Eric was Managing Director, Greater China for Jardine One Solution(HK) Limited from Jan 2015 to Jan 2020. Eric also spent over 10 years with Atos where he served as Country Managing Director for HK & Taiwan, Regional Head of Sales for Asia Pacific. Before that, Eric also worked in IBM, EMC, HP, and NCR in various sales leadership roles.
Eric holds Bachelor of Science degree at University of Toronto.
Ernest Leung is the President & Group Chief Operating Officer at WeLab, a leading pan-Asian fintech platform with over 65 million individual users in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Indonesia. It operates one of the largest digital consumer finance businesses in Asia, two digital banks and a fast-growing B2B fintech enterprise solutions business.
Leveraging game-changing technology such as proprietary risk management technology, patented privacy computing techniques, and advanced AI cap abilities, WeLab offers mobile-based financing solutions and digital banking services to retail individuals and technology solutions to enterprise customers.
Ernest has 30 years of experience in the banking and finance industry. Prior to joining WeLab, Ernest was the Singapore CEO and APAC COO at BNP Paribas Wealth Management. Ernest previously held a number of leadership roles across key Asia markets with extensive experience ranging from corporate strategy, business creation and transformation, to chief executive and board responsibilities across consumer & private banking.
Ernest holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia, Canada.
Esther Mai is a leader in the Hong Kong retail banking industry. She has rich experience in Digital, Customer Experience & Operations.
Esther joined Standard Chartered as International Graduate, and has held leadership positions in Risk Management, Operations and Digital Banking. She was the founding member and Chief Operating Officer of Mox Bank since its inception in 2018. Together with the team, she built the Bank from scratch and made it one of the top virtual banks in Hong Kong.
Esther rejoined Standard Chartered Hong Kong in early 2023, with the aspiration to transform banking via technology, innovation, and a sustainable operating model. Under her leadership, the Bank has launched its new mobile app in early 2024, and elevated the customer digital experience since. In 2024, Standard Chartered Hong Kong was named the Best Mobile Banking Service by The Asian Banker, and has taken home the EuroMoney Award for Excellence as Hong Kong’s Best Digital Bank.
Mr Chen Guang, is currently the Deputy General Manager of the Digital Currency Task Force of BOCHK and BOC Credit Card (International) Ltd, responsible for the planning studies, product innovation, implementation and promotion of Central Bank Digital Currencies in BOCHK.
Mr Chen has successively worked in the Information Technology Department and the Credit Card Department of parent company BOC. He has rich experience in technology related work and payment solutions and is good at integrating information technology with traditional banking business for digital transformation.
Mr Chen also led the BOCHK team to successfully build the BoC Pay mobile payment application, and developed more than million customers in 3 years.
Mr Chen Guang holds a master's degree in Computer Science.
Eudora Wang serves as the Deputy Editor, Greater China at DealStreetAsia, where she primarily covers the venture capital, private equity and startup ecosystem in Hong Kong and mainland China.
Eudora was previously the Chief Reporter at China Money Network, where she focused on technology innovation, smart investments, and special situations in Greater China. Prior to China Money Network, Wang worked at Bloomberg Businessweek (Beijing) in Beijing and Hunan TV Station in Changsha, China as an intern.
She holds a master’s degree in international journalism studies from Hong Kong Baptist University and a bachelor’s degree in Radio & Television from Xi’an International Studies University, China.
Eugene Cheung is the Chief Institutional Business Officer at OSL, where he oversees the development and growth of the company's institutional business. He transitioned into the crypto industry in 2021, joining Bybit as Vice President and Head of Institution. At Bybit, Eugene built and led a new department focused on addressing institutional trading requirements, playing a key role in establishing Bybit as one of the top three global crypto exchanges.
Prior to entering the crypto space, Eugene accumulated over 15 years of experience in traditional finance, specializing in exchange and OTC trading across spot, derivatives, and fixed income asset classes. He previously served as Managing Director and Head of China for Tradeweb, where he spearheaded initiatives such as Bond Connect and was responsible for driving the company’s growth strategy in China. Before his time at Tradeweb, Eugene spent nearly a decade at CME Group, leading China business development since 2012. In this role, he formed strategic partnerships with China’s four major futures exchanges and interbank markets, significantly expanding CME Group’s presence in the region.
Eugene is a frequent speaker at industry events, particularly in the crypto space, and previously in the financial markets. He has also provided advisory services to regulators and industry participants. Before his tenure at CME Group, he held roles at Cantor Fitzgerald and a Hong Kong-based private equity firm.
Eugene holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Finance from the University of Hong Kong and a Master’s degree in Finance from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He is also a certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM).
Mr Evan Auyang is the Group President of Animoca Brands, a Hong Kong-based multinational blockchain technology and investment company focused on developing the digital property rights ecosystem, including play-to-earn games, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), decentralized finance (DeFi), blockchain marketplaces, infrastructure and more.
Mr Auyang is also the Chairman of the Board of Civic Exchange, a non-partisan public policy think tank. He serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director on three boards: the Urban Renewal Authority, Sun Hung Kai & Co. Ltd., and Asia Financial Holdings Limited. He is an Advisor for Our Hong Kong Foundation, and serves on the Innovation and Technology Advisory Committee of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Transport Policy Committee of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, the Development Fund Committee of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, the Advisory Council for Institute at Brown for Environment and Society for Brown University, as well as the Board of Advisors of Hong Kong 2050 is Now. In addition, Mr. Auyang is a lecturer at the Hong Kong Academy of Politics and Public Policy.
Prior to joining Animoca Brands, Mr Auyang was the Managing Director and Head of GLG International (Gerson Lehrman Group), a technology-enabled expert insight platform where he ran and grew its business spanning Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific across 15 locations. Before GLG, Mr Auyang was the Deputy Managing Director of the Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (1933) Ltd. (“KMB”) and a board director of Transport International Holdings Limited, the parent company of KMB. Prior to joining Transport International and KMB, Mr Auyang was an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company. Before that, Mr Auyang worked at Citigroup’s Derivatives Structuring and Marketing unit.
He obtained his undergraduate degree in Economics and Political Science from Brown University and his MBA degree from the Kellogg School of Management.
Eynat Guez is a leading expert and entrepreneur in global payroll, payments, and global workforce management with over 20 years of experience. As Co-Founder and CEO of Papaya Global ($3.7B valuation), her focus is on fixing technology gaps in payroll for enterprise companies with growing global workforces. Guez is implementing her vision for modernizing payroll and payments by replacing decades-old methods with a single end-to-end embedded solution that mirrors consumer financial transactions. Fortune recently named Guez as one of the 15 most powerful women in tech, and FinTech Magazine recognized her as a Top 10 founder-CEO.
Fabian Astic serves on Moody's Ratings' Senior Leadership Team as Managing Director, Global Head of Digital Economy, and Chair of the Al Oversight Working Group. He leads the rating agency's preparedness efforts related to the digitalization of the global economy, including Digital Finance, Al Analytics, and Cyber Credit Risk.
Fabian is a recognized expert in traditional and digital finance, often contributing to industry events and conferences. He serves on the Digital Asset Markets Subcommittee of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's Global Markets Advisory Committee, and on the board of QuantCube Technology, an Al-powered predictive analytics company. Additionally, he is the Vice-Chair of the board of the Hetrick-Martin Institute,
which supports LGBTQ youth. In 2018, Fabian was named among Business Equality Magazine's "40 LGBTQ Leaders Under 40."
Prior to his current role, Fabian led quantitative analytics and innovation for the rating agency. He joined Moody's in 2006 and had various roles in the Credit Strategy & Standards and Structured Finance groups.
Fabian's academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics with a focus on Mathematical Finance, and a Master's Degree in Mathematics Applied to Economic Sciences from Université Paris Dauphine. He also holds a Master's Degree in Science and Executive Engineering from the Ecole des Mines de Paris, where he specialized in Quantitative Finance.
Fan Zhang is the Chief Financial Officer of Akulaku, a leading digital banking and financial technology company improving the quality of life in Southeast Asia through the advancement of tech-enabled financial services. Akulaku offers customers a full suite of financial products including digital banking, consumer finanking, wealth management, and insurance brokerage. Fan has more than 13 years of experience in financial services and fintech across the United States,
China, and Southeast Asia. His previous experiences include roles at PFM Group's quantitative strategies group, Citigroup's financial institutions investment banking division, and fintech startups. Fan holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from University of Pennsylvania's The Wharton School and a Master of Business Administration from New York University's Leonard N. Stern School of Business.
Fares is the head of Fintech Development at Saudi Central Bank, where he is leading the strategic initiatives aimed at developing the Fintech sector and ecosystem in the Kingdom. He also heads the Regulatory Sandbox which is playing a pivotal role in exponential growth of the Fintech sector, in alignment with the national Financial Sector Development Program under Vision 2030.
Prior to his current role, Fares held senior positions within Investment Deputyship at Saudi Central Bank, where he played an instrumental role in enhancing SAMA's Asset Allocation Strategy and Investment Policy, and also brought SAMA into compliance with the GIPS.
He also spent time in private sector with Morgan Stanley in New York, where he worked closely with their Investment Management on optimizing investment strategies.
He holds a BS degree in Financial Technology from the US, and also completed Executive Coursework from MIT Sloan School of Management. He is a subject matter expert in Fiscal and Economic Policies, Sustainable Finance and Investment Risk Management.
Farrukh Shad is the Head of Schneider Electric’s Sustainability Business for Asia Pacific, India, Middle East & Africa region (APMEA). He is currently based in Dubai, and he is responsible for managing the region’s Energy, Sustainability Services and Sustainability Consulting organization, with the mission to help large enterprises deliver climate mitigation actions and reduce carbon emissions using technological solutions. Leading the Global Team, he crafts unique strategies & solutions that help clients navigate the multitude of challenges in emerging markets in the region as they work towards meeting their and their suppliers’ renewable energy and carbon neutrality goals.
As the General Manager of Asia for Cognito, a leading specialist communications agency for finance, technology and sustainability, Felice works on building and protecting brands’ value and reputations through strategic communications across Hong Kong, Greater China and the wider APAC region. Over her career, Felice has advised and supported a wide range of multinational firms, global technology and professional services companies, as well as FinTechs (both big and small!), in raising their profiles and generating revenue through cross-channel marketing-communications strategies. Felice is also an experienced C-suite media and speaker trainer – walking the talk and putting it all into practice herself at industry events as a regular panellist.
Yenwen Feng is the co-founder of Perpetual Protocol, a decentralized perpetual contract protocol for every asset.
Perpetual Protocol was launched in December 2020, pioneering the virtual automated market maker (vAMM) model. In the past 4 years, the protocol has facilitated over $70bn in trading volume, making Perpetual Protocol one of the top decentralized derivatives exchange.
Before Perpetual Protocol, Yenwen co-founded several crypto projects, and a series of consumer apps, including messaging apps, social games, and mobile stock trading apps.
A product professional with extensive exposure and experience in retail banking products and now focus on digital payment development and reengineering so as to thrive digital transformation and innovation for both retail and commercial customers.
Florian LANG is a serial entrepreneur who founded and led the multi-awarded digital agency Kassius for over a decade before selling it to WPP, the global marketing group. He has since launched several other startups across various industries.
In 2022, Florian LANG founded LIBERTIFY along with Steve ROSENBLUM (Founder of Pixmania.com - 1B revenue) and Olivier SIBONY (Oxford University), co-author of the book "Noise" with Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman
Florian Lang is also a writer at Influencia, the leading magazine dedicated to marketing and trends in France.
Florian Spiegl is an accomplished innovator and entrepreneur at the nexus of capital markets and fintech.
As the Founder and CEO of EVIDENT Group, a fast-growing licensed investment platform for alternative assets, Florian is leading the transformation of private market access through asset tokenization on blockchain. Under his leadership, EVIDENT is developing next-generation digital market infrastructure, making private markets publicly accessible and enabling more investors to own a part of the future. By facilitating impactful investment opportunities, EVIDENT channels capital toward innovation that drives positive, lasting change.
Florian previously served as CEO and board member of a publicly listed commodities trading technology company. He also co-founded FinFabrik, a blockchain solutions startup based in Hong Kong, which was acquired in 2020.
With a strong foundation in traditional capital markets, Florian’s career includes strategy consulting at Boston Consulting Group and senior roles in global wealth and asset management across leading financial hubs such as New York, Zurich, London, and Singapore.
Driven by a commitment to the positive potential of capital, Florian actively invests in and advises ventures that blend purpose with growth. He co-founded the Hong Kong FinTech Association, taught the FinTech MBA course at Hong Kong University, and has served on the FinTech Advisory Board of the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong.
Florian holds a PhD and studied Economics and Political Science in Vienna.
Fred Ngan is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Bowtie, Hong Kong's first virtual insurance company, on a mission to make health insurance simpler and more accessible. Bowtie is a leading insurtech company and ranks first in the direct insurance channel with around 150,000 customers.
Bowtie has provided USD $10 billion in coverage and raised USD $89 million from prominent investors, including Sun Life and Mitsui & Co.
A serial entrepreneur in the insurtech space, Fred previously co-founded two startups that successfully raised USD $75 million. His understanding of the insurance industry stems from his experience as a consulting actuary at EY, where he advised clients across offices in Chicago, London, Toronto and Hong Kong.
Fred is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) and an Honorary Fellow of the Financial Technologist (FFT). He is an Honouree of the Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) HKU Chapter and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics with a double major in Actuarial Science & Statistics from the University of Waterloo.
Fred also actively contributes to shaping the future of the industry through his involvement on committees for the Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) and the Hong Kong Federation of Insurers (HKFI).
Gary Liu is the Co-Founder & CEO of Terminal 3, a company building Web3’s most powerful user identity and data oracle. Terminal 3’s decentralized data platform and zero-knowledge applications allow fully private data to be freely composable, enabling verifiable identities that remain publicly anonymous. Gary is also the Chair of Web3 Harbour, an industry association dedicated to advancing the decentralized internet and economy across Asia. As a recognized industry expert, Gary sits on the ICT Services Advisory Board for the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council and also serves on the Education, Promotion, and Talent Subcommittee of the Hong Kong Government’s Web3 Task Force. Gary is also the Founder & Board Director of Artifact Labs, a historical NFT company.
In his previous role as CEO of the South China Morning Post, Gary oversaw an extensive transformation of the century-old publishing group, expanding its global audience reach and influence, establishing new revenue channels, and cementing SCMP as Asia’s leading news media company. Previously, Gary was CEO of Digg, Head of Labs at Spotify, and has also worked at AOL and Google.
Gary is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, was the chairman of the WAN-IFRA Asia Pacific Committee and also a member of INMA’s global board. He has been featured across global news publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Business Times, Business Insider, Nikkei Asian Review, and was a Tatler Asia honouree for the region’s ‘Most Influential’ leaders.
Born in the United States, Gary grew up in Taiwan and New Zealand, before returning to America where he lived and worked for 20 years. He now resides in Hong Kong with his wife and son. Gary is an Economics graduate from Harvard University.
Gary has more than 20 years of experience as a corporate legal counsel, specialising in regulatory affairs and financial products.
Prior to joining OSL Group, Gary served as General Counsel for Yunfeng Financial Group and Asia Head of Legal and Compliance for Cantor Fitzgerald and BGC Partners.
Earlier in his career, Gary specialised in structured derivatives, private equity and managed investment products at Macquarie Group and CITIC Capital.
Gary also currently serves as General Counsel for Reorient Group.
He holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New South Wales.
Dr. Li joined Ping An of China Asset Management (HK) in 2018, in charge of multi-factor model research and Al model development. Currently he manages multiple funds including long-only/long-short funds in China A-share.
Prior to joining Ping An, Dr. Li was a quant researcher in Tor Investment Management and Nautilus Capital. In his quant role, he was responsible for the development of high-frequency factor models and market-making models, and obtained good tracking records. Dr. Li also worked in finance department of Europe's largest online flight booking company Etraveli, where he was responsible for the data science research to revolutionize their financial/pricing systems. Dr. Li used to be a European Union Marie Curie Scholar and a lecturer and a postdoctoral fellow in Linköping University and University of Skövde in Sweden.
George is a seasoned innovator and the Managing Director of Willow Ventures, tackling high-impact business challenges in the insurance and fintech landscapes. With a decade-long career, he also serves as the founder and president of InsurTech Asia Association and advises both industry giants and startups alike. A frequent speaker, author of the best-selling The Power of Play, and co-author of The InsurTECH Book, George merges tech, strategy, and community to drive meaningful change. Based in Singapore, he is a thought leader who continues to shape the future of insurance in Asia and beyond.
As the Chief Corporate Development Officer of Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, Ms Georgina Chu steers corporate planning and development by leading functions across corporate strategy development, GBA development, marketing and public affairs.
Ms Chu brings over 25 years of experiences in the telecommunications and data centre industry, and has held key strategic roles. Before joining Cyberport, Ms Chu served as Senior Director of Enterprise and Financial Markets for the APAC region at Equinix Asia-Pacific, and effectively rolled out global programmes, formulated and oversaw execution of sales strategies, and acted as the regional subject matter expert both internally and externally. In her earlier capacity as Executive Director and Country Manager of Colt Technology Services, she successfully drove business growth in the APAC region and managed corporate operations in Hong Kong, on the Mainland and Singapore.
Ms Chu holds an MBA from California Coast University in the US and a BBA from Hong Kong Baptist University.
Georgina joined Accenture as a Management Consultant in 1993 and has spent most of her career running large and complex programmes of change. She joined the technology division and worked in a range of different industries before moving into the Financial Services sector in 1997 where she was part of the team who successfully implemented SETS (the London Stock Exchange Electronic Trading System).
Georgina joined HSBC in 2004 (as a consultant) and worked as part of the Global Markets Management Office for 4 years. She joined the Bank as a permanent member of staff in 2006. In July 2009 she became the Global Programme Director, Equity Prime Services leading the build out of this new business for the bank Globally. In March 2012 she took on the role of Global Head of Business Transformation, Global Banking and Markets leading the transformation of the business and its infrastructure front to back. In October 2015 she moved to take on the role of Head of Transformation, Global HR where she led two pioneering HR flagship programmes, building the HSBC University and leading “True North”, the wholesale transformation of the Bank’s HR function putting the platform into the cloud across 64 countries and 285,000 staff Globally. This was one of the biggest ever undertakings of its type, and certainly the only one ever delivered in the Financial Services industry at this scale. In September 2019 Georgina went on to lead the Transformation, Digital and Innovation team for the Group’s Private Banking business. The portfolio covered regulation, Business growth and cost reduction initiatives as well as the pivot to digitalisation.
In September 2022 Georgina began a new role as Managing Director, Head of FinTech and Digitalisation for ICMA, leading the development and implementation of the Association’s FinTech and Digitisation strategy, cross-cutting all fixed income market segments where ICMA has a presence. Encompassing all elements of market electronification, automation, standardisation and data management and commercialisation and actively leading the engagement with ICMA’s FinTech Advisory Committee (FinAC).
Georgina holds a BSc Honours degree in Ergonomics and an MSc in Information Technology. She is a fully qualified NED and has held several school Governor and trustee positions.
Georgina Lee has been a financial journalist for 20 years, having worked for newswires including Dow Jones, Reuters, publications such as Asia Risk, Asian Investor, and the SCMP. She has also spent a few years writing thematic research on structured finance for Moody's, and is a certified ESG analyst (CESGA).
Gilbert Leung is the visionary CEO and Founder of Novo AI, a cutting-edge startup revolutionizing the insurance industry through advanced AI technologies. With a strong technical background, Gilbert was one of the pioneering members of Google's Applied Machine Intelligence team in the United States, where he honed his expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
At Novo AI, Gilbert leads a talented team in developing innovative solutions that leverage Large Language Models (LLMs) to transform traditional insurance processes. His company's groundbreaking work includes automating claims processing, enhancing fraud detection, and streamlining cost control measures for major insurers across Asia.
Gilbert's unique blend of technical prowess and entrepreneurial spirit has positioned him at the forefront of the insurtech revolution. His experience in applying AI to financial services, particularly in the insurance sector, offers valuable insights into the future of fintech.
A passionate advocate for digital transformation in century-old industries, Gilbert is committed to creating a more efficient, transparent, and customer-centric insurance ecosystem. His work at Novo AI exemplifies the potential of AI to drive significant change in traditional financial services.
Glenda So is Co-Head of Markets at HKEX and is responsible for leading the Group’s market development in equities, fixed income and currency (FIC) and emerging business.
Ms. So is a member of the Management Committee at HKEX. She also serves as the Chief Executive of both subsidiaries at HKEX, the SEHK Options Clearing House Limited and OTC Clearing Hong Kong Limited. Additionally, she is a Board Director at Bond Connect Company Limited.
Ms. So joined HKEX in 2020 and has been instrumental in the establishment of HKEX’s international carbon marketplace, Core Climate. She has also led various enhancements to the Connect programme. These include the introduction of Swap Connect, the first derivatives market access link between Mainland China and Hong Kong that allows international investors to trade and clear onshore RMB interest rate swaps, as well as HKEX Synapse, a post-trade settlement acceleration platform for Northbound Stock Connect.
With nearly 30 years of experience in the global financial industry, Ms. So has held senior roles at various international banking and investment firms. Before joining HKEX, she spent four years as Chief Operating Officer of a macro hedge fund in Singapore. Prior to that, Ms. So had a 23-year career with Goldman Sachs in New York, and Hong Kong where she was a Managing Director responsible for Asia Ex-Japan Operations, Global Listed Derivatives and OTC Clearing Operations, as well as Asia Securities and Clearing Operations. She also spent three years in Currency Options Trading and Listed Derivatives Business Development.
Ms. So is a member of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s Financial Services Advisory Group.
Ms. So holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Baruch College in the US.
Gregg is a connector, investor, and operator in Asia. He is the Convenor of the International Council of OASA, or the Orion Astropreneur Space Academy. Educated as a systems engineer and architect, Gregg has over four decades of experience investing in and building regional companies and future leaders. Having worked with, personally coached, and mentored high-flyers with global players while with Aon, American Express, Citibank, Protiviti, and PWC, he now spends his time investing in NewSpace start-ups and their astropreneurs.
Dr. Li has also been engaging in public service since his return to Hong Kong in the 90’s. He has served on the boards of Cyberport (2017 – 2019) and the Urban Renewal Authority (2015 – 2019). As an advisor, he has advised Our Hong Kong Foundation, the Privacy Commissioner on Personal Data, the Lab for Space Research at HKU (since 2020); the Tech London Advocates in London (since 2013), the Asian American MultiTech Association in PRD (since 2021).
Over the past 20 years, time permitting, he has shared his know-how as an adjunct professor at the University of Hong Kong, PolyU, CUHK, and HKUST in Hong Kong, teaching esoteric subjects like Applied Corporate Governance for Family Businesses, the Management of Technologies and Transformation, and Space Entrepreneurship. Dr Li is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, UCLA, HKU, and Warwick University.
Hakan is an Advisor for Technology & Innovation at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub in Hong Kong with a focus on Open Finance, Digital Currencies and Payments. Before joining the BIS, he was the Global Open Banking & Open Data Practice Lead at Mastercard, based in Zurich. Hakan is an expert for open data ecosystems, open banking & open finance regulation, API standardization, instant and cross-border payments.
He is an internationally recognized thought leader in his area of expertise, and member of various international working groups. He brings more than 14+ years of technology & strategy consulting and product development experience at Mastercard, Accenture and Infosys – in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia Pacific.
Hampton serves as Investment Manager at New Heritage Investments Limited and Programme Manager at C.F. & Nancy Tao Family Foundation. He is responsible for managing a multi-strategy digital asset portfolio. He is also passionate about harnessing technology for social impact and actively backing crypto-native, impact-oriented founders at the earliest stages of their journey. Previously, he served as an Associate at Creative Ventures, a deep tech venture capital firm and grew a Hong Kong e-commerce startup that eventually exited to the largest TV network in Hong Kong. Hampton holds a Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Cambridge and graduated from St. Paul's Co-educational College.
Hannah holds over 10 years of event management, startup engagement, and government relations experience. Having organised over 300+ business seminars, workshops and conferences in Asia and Europe, Hannah has supported HKFTW since 2018. Hannah runs the Global Fast Track Programme, supporting scaling fintechs to expand into the Hong Kong market.
Hay is the Chief Strategy Officer and Chief of Staff of FundPark. Educated as a scientist, trained as a banker, and now combining the best of both worlds to build platforms for a new era of digital finance.
Hay has over 15 years commercial banking experience across Europe and Asia, having spent his formative years studying in UK and began his career as a management trainee based in London for HSBC. He has experience managing multinational corporate relationships across UK & Asia.
After returning to Hong Kong, he spent over 8 years in a regional leadership role driving business growth initiatives, scaling teams and leading transformation programs across HSBC’s Asia Pacific Commercial Banking business.
Since joining FundPark, Hay has been instrumental in devising and executing the strategic growth roadmap that has accelerated the business’ significant growth as it transitions from Start-up to Scale-up.
Hay holds a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Bristol.
Mr. Chuan He is a Managing Director and the Head of Fintech Investment Banking for Asia Pacific at HSBC.
Mr. He has more than 18 years of investment banking experience across Asia and U.S., and currently leading HSBC’s financial technology investment banking franchise in APAC, advising clients in the region with capital raising, M&As and strategic initiatives. Mr. He began his investment bank career at J.P. Morgan IBD in New York in 2006 and worked in J.P. Morgan HK, Credit Suisse, and UBS before joining HSBC in 2019.
Mr. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Columbia University.
Heather Ng is a business journalist covering property and casualty (P&C) specialty reinsurance and broking markets across Asia Pacific. Based in Hong Kong, she reports on the latest strategies and restructures of carriers, brokers, loss adjusters, and risk advisers, regional regulatory changes, climate risks, and the impact of cyber threats. Since joining the publication, she has identified and covered significant trends such as generative artificial intelligence, global geopolitical tensions, and the rise of impact insurers and parametric programs, and risk pools. Heather has also covered significant events such as billion-dollar losses from civil unrest in New Caledonia, riots in Bangladesh, global IT Outage, and oil spills in Singapore.
Helen Chen is a senior executive in traditional and digital finance with many years of experience in both fields. Her expertise includes licensing business, brand promotion, marketing, fundraising and investor relations, payment solutions, and strategic partnership building. Helen also has 8 years of experience in financial auditing and consulting, including regulatory consulting, risk management, and tax consulting. He has provided auditing and consulting services to banks, asset management companies, public and private equity, MPF, and hedge funds, and has experience in taxation and listing of cross-border enterprises.
Helen Krause is Head of Global Data Insights with over 25 years of industry experience. In her current role, she and her team have researched into the latest trends in the investment industry, how alternative data, AI/ML and data science could help investors and corporates address current challenges in ESG/climate assessments, supply chain disruptions and natural language processing applications in thematic investing. Prior to this, she was a Senior Quant Researcher in Citi Research and initiated big data research within the team. She was also responsible for new alpha idea generation, thematic research, industry-specific factor research and macro risk modelling. Before Citi, she spent close to 10 years on the buyside as a Senior Portfolio Manager/Researcher at Morgan Stanley, BGI/Blackrock and Goldman Sachs Asset Management. She started her career at Citi Private Bank and Schroders Salomon Smith Barney.
As Head of Sustainable Finance and Investment, Asia Pacific, Helena is responsible for the London Stock Exchange Group’s sustainable finance and investment strategy across the Asia Pacific region. A core part of her role is client and industry engagement on a comprehensive range of products and data and analytics solutions to support the integration of sustainability into investment and financing decisions. Working with research and leadership teams, she has a responsibility for developing the London Stock Exchange’s Asia Pacific sustainable finance and investment product strategy and expansion in the region.
Helena’s experience prior to joining LSEG includes ESG integration, equity analysis and advising on philanthropy for asset managers, institutional clients and family offices. She has been working as an expert in ESG and sustainable investment since 2008, including providing advisory research on stewardship implementation for pension funds and family office clients, drafting responsible investment policies and integrating sustainability considerations into both active and passive portfolios. Helena relocated to Hong Kong in 2014 from London – a key hub for ESG investments, where she worked for the responsible investment arm of Hermes Investment Management, enabling pension funds and asset managers to integrate sustainability criteria into passive and active portfolios.
Henri Arslanian is the co-founder and managing partner of Nine Blocks Capital Management, an institutional-grade hedge fund focused exclusively on digital assets, with a market-neutral crypto fund focused on generating alpha from inefficiencies in crypto markets using relative value, arbitrage, and quantitative strategies.
Henri was previously a partner and global crypto leader at PwC. In that role, he advised many of the world’s leading crypto exchanges, investors, financial institutions, and tech firms on their crypto initiatives, as well as numerous governments, regulators, and central banks on crypto regulatory and policy matters.
With over 500,000 LinkedIn followers, Henri is a TEDx and global keynote speaker, a best-selling published author, and is regularly featured in global media, including Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, BBC, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and the Financial Times.
Henri was named by LinkedIn as one of the 2022 global Top Voices in Finance and is the host of the CryptoCapsules™ social media video series as well as The Future of Money podcast and newsletter.
Henri was named by Onalytica as the #1 most influential individual on Finance globally on LinkedIn out of 50k+ individuals working at the top professional services and management consulting firms in the world.
Chambers Global named Henri the “highest profile FinTech consultant in Hong Kong,” Blockchain Asset Review named him the “Most Influential Crypto and Blockchain Thought Leader in Asia,” and Asian Private Banker awarded him the “FinTech Changemaker of the Year” award.
Henri is the author of numerous best-selling crypto and fintech-related books, including “The Book of Crypto” (Palgrave, 2022), which became a global top 10 best-seller in financial services, and “The Future of Finance” (Palgrave 2019, Palgrave), which became not only a global top 10 best-seller in financial services but was also recognized as one of the “Best FinTech Books of All Time” by Bookauthority.Henri was elected as the first Chairman of the FinTech Association of Hong Kong. He is also an appointed member of Hong Kong securities regulator SFC FinTech Advisory Group, the Hong Kong central bank’s Institute for Monetary and Financial Research council of advisers, and the Dubai DIFC innovation panel. He is also an Ad-junct Professor at the University of Hong Kong, where he teaches the first FinTech university course globally.
Henri started his career as a financial markets and funds lawyer in Canada and Hong Kong before joining UBS Investment Bank’s prime brokerage capital consult-ing team.
Henri speaks five languages, including English, French, Armenian, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese.
He holds a Master’s in Chinese Law from Tsinghua University; a joint Global Ex-ecutive MBA from Columbia Business School, London Business School, and Hong Kong University; a Bachelor of Law from the University of Montreal (Dean’s List of Excellence), and a Master’s in Transnational Law from the University of Sherbrooke, where he was awarded the Governor General of Canada Gold Medal for Academic Excellence for having graduated with the highest grades of the university.
Dr Henry C. B. Chan received the B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Cambridge, U.K., and the Ph.D. degree from the University of Bri>sh Columbia, Canada. He conducted various research projects and co-authored research papers published in a variety of journals. He is currently an Associate Professor and an Associate Head of the Department of Computing,The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). His research interests include networking/communications, Internet technologies, and computing education. Dr Chan is currently an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies. He was the Chair (2012) of the IEEE Hong Kong Section and the Chair (2008–2009) of the IEEE Hong Kong Section Computer Society Chapter. He was the General Chair of the IEEE International Conference on Teaching, Assessment, and Learning for Engineering (TALE) 2012. He was the recipient of the 2022 IEEE Education Society's William E. Sayle II Award for Achievement in Education and of the 2015 IEEE Computer Society's Computer Science and Engineering Undergraduate Teaching Award. At PolyU, he was the recipient of four President's Awards. Under his supervision/guidance, his students received many awards.
Herbin Koh is the Head of Gaw Capital’s Growth Equity Platform and most recently as Deputy Head of Infrastructure, Head of Climate Technology. Since the beginning, Herbin has helped to build up the growth business at Gaw Capital, deploying over $800M in equity commitment across Asia Pacific in the last 8 years. Themes that he focuses on include circular economy, battery storage, Proptech, gridtech, e-mobility and various other sustainability linked tech solutions that are synergistic to Gaw’s wider hard asset business globally.
Honnus is an experienced financial leader and TMT (tech, media & telecom) start-up expert with a successful 20-year career in building multi-billion-dollar corporate businesses in Asia. Currently, she serves as the Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of On-us Group, a fintech company in Asia. Honnus is an Independent Non-Executive Director of two Hong Kong-listed companies . She also serves as a mentor at Cyberport, she1K (a SEA female Angel investment network in SEA), and as a visiting lecturer at Hong Kong Polytechnic University and University of Hong Kong.
Honnus kick-started her TMT career at Travelzoo and Yahoo, where she played a key executive role in scaling both enterprises from zero to multi-billion-dollar companies in the Asia-Pacific region. She was a founding executive for both companies in Asia. Prior to that, she held various professional positions at American Standard Inc and PwC.
Honnus holds a bachelor's degree in commerce from the University of Queensland, Australia, and an EMBA from Kellogg School of Management and HKUST. In 2023, she won the Deloitte Technology Fast Outstanding Female Entrepreneur Award.