Events

The financial services industry has for years been a pillar industry of Hong Kong and its share of Hong Kong’s GDP has increased over the years. Nonetheless, the financial services industry has been facing many challenges in recent years from multiple fronts, including competition from other financial centres in the region, geopolitical tensions, the rise of fintech, rising costs, increasing compliance burdens and ESG demands. In a world that is changing at an unprecedented pace, how could the financial services industry in Hong Kong respond through innovation and agility to the new opportunities and challenges? At this seminar co-organised by the HKU Business School and the Hong Kong Academy of Finance (AoF), four seasoned financial practitioners from banking, securities, and insurance sectors will share their first-hand experience on how to stay ahead of the game.

Speaker

Mr. KC Kwok
CEO, Hong Kong Academy of Finance 

Mr. Kwok has been an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the HKU Business School since November 2008 and is now the CEO of the Hong Kong Academy of Finance. He was the Government Economist of the Hong Kong SAR Government (2004 – 2008) and the Regional Chief Economist of Standard Chartered Bank for East Asia (1991 – 2004).

Mr. Kwok has served on numerous committees and boards in Hong Kong, covering areas such as town planning, land & housing, building & construction, trade & industry, monetary system & financial services, competition, regional economic cooperation, technology & research, education & training, civil aviation, port and maritime services, transportation and environment.

Mr. Kwok was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star in 1999 and was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 2003 by the Hong Kong SAR government, in recognition of his long and dedicated public service. He also received a HKU Faculty of Social Sciences “40 Under 40 Distinguished Alumni Award” in 2007.
Mr. Kwok got his BSocSc degree from the University of Hong Kong, an MPhil (Econ) from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and an MSocSc in Public Administration from the University of Hong Kong.

Ms. Miranda Kwok
President and Executive Director, China Construction Bank (Asia)

Ms. Kwok has been serving the Bank for over 37 years. Prior to July 2013, when China Construction Bank reorganized its Hong Kong business by integrating CCB (Asia) and the Hong Kong Branch, she had been the president and chief executive officer of the Bank. Ms. Kwok is a member of the Bank’s senior management and Executive Committee that supports the overall bank management and corporate governance.

Ms. Kwok’s banking career began in 1984 when she joined Bank of America, Hong Kong as a management trainee and had worked in diversified capacities of various divisions. In 1996, she was transferred to Bank of America (Asia) (renamed CCB (Asia) in December 2006) from Bank of America, Hong Kong Branch, and was promoted to chief credit officer and senior vice president, responsible for credit approval and portfolio review, special assets management, collection, credit policies and procedures etc. She was appointed chief risk officer in 2005 to manage credit, market and operational risk. In addition, she assumed responsibilities over compliance, internal control and the corporate secretariat. From 2008 to 2010, she assumed the role of head of Consumer Banking in charge of retail business, credit card and wealth management in Hong Kong and Macau.

Ms. Kwok is the vice president of the Hong Kong Institute of Bankers, non-executive director of Financial Reporting Council, the member of the EFAC Financial Infrastructure and Market Development Sub-Committee, Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation Advisory Board, Air Transport Licensing Authority as well as the Standing Committee on Judicial Salaries and Condition of Services.

Ms. Kwok graduated with an Honourable Bachelor of Social Sciences Degree in Economics and Management from the University of Hong Kong in 1984, and graduated with honours from the Graduate School of Retail Bank Management of the Consumer Bankers Association in the United States in July 2001.

Ms. Ding Chen
CEO, CSOP Asset Management Limited

Ms. Ding is the Chief Executive Officer of CSOP Asset Management Limited, where she took up the position in 2010 and led the company into becoming the largest RQFII manager globally. Ms. Ding was also Assistant Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of China Southern Asset Management Co. Ltd. (“CSAM”) from 2003 to 2013. During her tenor at CSAM, she successfully established its Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor (“QDII”) business to issue China’s first public QDII fund which went on to become the largest in the nation. Ms. Ding was named “CEO of the Year in Asia” in the 2013 Best of Best Awards held by Asia Asset Management.

While serving as Permanent Honorary Chairperson of the Chinese Asset Management Association of Hong Kong, promoting communication and advocating for best practices among Chinese asset managers, she is Board Member and Convenor of the Mainland Opportunities Committee of Financial Services Development Council. She also is the Co-chairperson of the International Business Committee of the Asset Management Association of China.

Mr. Jingwei Jia
CEO Greater China, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions

Mr. Jingwei Jia is the Chief Executive Officer of Swiss Re Corporate Solutions Greater China covering mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau markets. He has been with Swiss Re for more than 15 years and has taken various senior positions in different markets.

In 2013, Mr. Jia took the role in Singapore as Head of Corporate Development Asia Pacific for Swiss Re Corporate Solutions managing acquisitions and strategy across the region. He was also the project leader to acquire the entity in China for Corporate Solutions China’s establishment in 2015.

Before joining Corporate Solutions, Mr. Jia worked across various functions including underwriting and business development for Swiss Re reinsurance business unit in Armonk (USA), Beijing and London.

Mr. Jia obtained his master degree in Management and Regulation of Risk at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in 2003. He has earned the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation in 2006.

Moderator

Professor Yuk-fai Fong
Associate Dean (Taught Postgraduate)
Professor of Management and Strategy, Economics

Professor Yuk-fai Fong is a Professor of Management and Strategy, with joint appointment in Economics. Prior to HKU, he has taught at Kellogg School of Management and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Professor Fong received his BSSc and MPhil in Economics from Chinese University of Hong Kong, and PhD in Economics from Boston University.

His research interests include Industrial Organization, Competition Policy, Dynamic Games, and Applied Microeconomic Theory. He serves as an Editor for B.E. Journals of Theoretical Economics and Associate Editor for International Journal of Industrial Organization. His research has appeared at leading international journals such as Journal of Political Economy, Review of Economics Studies, RAND Journal of Economics, Journal of Economic Theory, International Economics Review, Games and Economic Behavior, Journal of Industrial Economics, and Journal of Economics and Management Strategy. He has consulted for companies such as Shell Oil Company and Platinum Guild International, and is an academic affiliate with Compass LexEcon. Professor Fong won the HKUST Franklin Prize for Teaching Excellent (MBA Required Courses) in 2017, and was a finalist for the award in 2013, 2014, and 2016.