Coming to its 12th year, the Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) HKU Chapter has inducted 110 undergraduate and postgraduate students at the ceremony held on 19 April 2023. Esteemed business leader, Ms Christina Wong, the Manging Director of Strategy & Consulting Accenture of Greater China was conferred the BGS HKU Chapter Honoree.

Professor Hongbin Cai, Dean of the HKU Business School, welcomed the guests and expressed his congratulations to students inducted into the Beta Gama Sigma, “This prestigious life-time membership serves not only represents a recognition of your excellent academic performance, but also a ticket for you to gain access to this exclusive international platform and learn from business elites around the world, to harness the skills and knowledge required to excel in your future career and to lead your own way of success.”

At the ceremony, Ms Christina Wong also hared her career journey at Accenture and the secret of success for being a recognised leader in the company and the market. In particular, Ms Wong has motivated all students and graduates from the following perspectives:

• Belief in your values: A strong belief in yourself and a positive environment gives you the confidence to unleash your potential and give you the energy to move closer to your aspirations.
• Give and Take Equilibrium: Put ourselves in other shoes, knowing when to “give” to pave the way for a longer-term relationship
• Sleep with innovation and let there be change: In the new era, everybody must learn earnestly and embrace changes around us continuously.

For the video of the Honorees’ speeches and event highlights, please click here.

About Beta Gamma Sigma

Established in 1907 in the U.S., Beta Gamma Sigma is the international honor society serving business programmes accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Membership in Beta Gamma Sigma is the highest recognition a business student anywhere in the world can receive. Since 1913, Beta Gamma Sigma has inducted more than 700,000 outstanding students in more than 160 countries around the world.

About BGS HKU Chapter

The BGS HKU Chapter was installed in 2012. Since its inception, over 900 students were inducted. The lifelong membership conveys academic excellence, a commitment to high principle and superior achievement. Eligible students must attain CGPA of at least 3.60 and simultaneously be on the Dean’s Honour List and be on the top 10% of their respective undergraduate or postgraduate programme.

Ms. Christina Wong is presented the BGS HKU Chapter Honoree by Professor Hongbin Cai

We are pleased to announce the successful completion of the HKU-SaSa Joint University Case Competition (JUCC) 2023 and the winning of 1^st Runner-up and Best Presenter of our HKU Team.

JUCC is the annual signature event of HKU International Case Society (HICS), a student-run organization supported by the School which aims to provide a platform for students to hone their case cracking, analytical and presentation skills. 16 teams of elite students from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The City University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and The University of Hong Kong take part in the 48-hour real-world business case challenge and present their solutions to the panel judges in HKU Campus every year.

This year, SaSa International Holdings Limited (SaSa) has partnered with the HKU Business School to present a retail case to the participating universities. Before the competition, participating students joined an industry workshop on retail on April 1, 2023. Mr. Danny Ho, Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of SaSa, shared his experiences in business management and views on the development opportunities of the retail industry with the students. Students enjoyed the workshop and gained in-depth understanding of the retail industry which better prepared them for the case cracking after two weeks.

Two rounds of competition were held on April 16, 2023. During the Division Round in the morning, all teams were divided into four divisions and presented to the judges who are graduate representatives from each of the participating universities currently working in various large corporations. The top scoring team in each division advanced to the Grand Final in the afternoon to compete for the Championship. The judging panel for the Grand Final included

• Winnie LEUNG, Assistant Dean (Undergraduate), HKU Business School
• Danny HO, Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer, Sa Sa International Holdings Limited
• Fred KU, Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies), Director of Studies in Undergraduate Studies in Business; Co-director, Integrated BBA Programme, CUHK Business School
• Tat Koon KOH, Associate Professor, Department of Information Systems, Business Statistics and Operations Management; Program Director of Global Business Program, HKUST Business School
• Wei Thoo YUE, Professor of Management Information Systems, Department of Information System, City University of Hong Kong

Students presented their case solutions to the judges by showcasing their innovative ideas and responded to penetrating questions from the judges in the Q&A session. After due deliberation, the Grand Final judges identified the Champion, 1^st Runner-up, 2^nd Runner-up and the Best Presenter. They are:

Champion: BCSS (from The Chinese University of Hong Kong)

1^st Runner-up: SECA Research (from The University of Hong Kong)

2^nd Runner-up: Nexus (from The Chinese University of Hong Kong)

Best Presenter: Miss Hasegawa Emi (from The University of Hong Kong)

The competition provided the participating students with valuable insights into case cracking and business competitions, and students from the Champion team and the best presenter were offered internship opportunities at SaSa.

Website / Image URL: https://ug.hkubs.hku.hk/student-enrichment/student-run-organizations/hku-international-case-society/hku-sasa-joint-university-case-competition-2023

Case Competition Judging Panel – (from left to right) Dr. Winnie Leung (HKU Business School), Prof. Wei Thoo Yue (CityU), Dr. Fred Ku (CUHK Business School), Mr. Danny Ho (Sa Sa International Holdings Ltd.), and Dr. Tat Koon Koh (HKUST Business School)

Case Presentation by one of the finalist team

Mr. Danny Ho (left) and Dr. Winnie Leung (right) with Ms. Hasegawa Emi (middle), The Best Presenter of JUCC 2023

Mr. Danny Ho (left) and Dr. Winnie Leung (right) with the Champion Team – BCSS

Prof. Wei Thoo Yue (1^st from the left), Dr. Fred Ku (2^nd from the left) and Dr. Tat Koon Koh (1^st from the right) with the 1^st Runner Up Team – SECA Research

Prof. Wei Thoo Yue (1^st from the left), Dr. Fred Ku (2^nd from the left) and Dr. Tat Koon Koh (1^st from the right) with the 2^nd Runner Up Team – Nexus

Everyone gave a “thumbs-up” after the competition

Background:

The 33^rd Scotiabank International Case Competition welcomed 12 teams from top-ranked undergraduate schools across the globe to Canada from March 22 – 25, 2023 for the real world business case on Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). With the event motto “Work Hard, Play Hard”, teams also joined series of international networking and fun social activities, which gave all participants the opportunity to grow their personal and professional networks.

SICC is organized and managed entirely by team of students from Ivey Business School, Western University. As one of the most respected international case competitions, SICC provides an unique opportunity to share ideas with peers who have diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

Website / Image URL: 

https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/news/news-ivey/2023/march/students-from-around-the-world-take-part-in-scotiabank-international-case-competition/

https://www.ivey-sicc.com/

https://www.instagram.com/iveysicc_official/

Award: Winner

Team List:

Miss Xu Meiyi, BBA(Law)&LLB, Year 4

Miss Fung Regan, BBA(IBGM), Year 2

Miss Pangestu Karine, BBA(IBGM), Year 2

Miss Kirti Harkirat Kaur, BEcon&Fin, Year 2

Faculty Advisor:

Mr. Jeroen Van Den Berg

Students Sharing:

“It was truly a lifetime experience to participate in the SICC at Ivey Business School where I went through all the ups and downs, exhausting yet fruitful moments with my lovely teammates Regan, Kirti, and Karine. We had a hard time cracking the case and questioned ourselves with millions of risks and what-ifs, but we definitely thrived maximally during those days and strived for a breakthrough in coming up with the final solution. Furthermore, I was grateful that we got the opportunity to meet teams from all over the world, have meaningful conversations, and build long-lasting friendships with them. Being able to experience these wonderful moments would undoubtedly become an unremovable and unforgettable part of my life.

I am also truly thankful to Dr Winnie Leung (Assistant Dean (Undergraduate)), Mr Jeroen Van Den Berg (Faculty Advisor for SICC 2023), and Ms Pipin Tasdyata (Case Competition Coach) for organizing all training and feedback sessions, helping us discover our strengths and weaknesses, and directing us to figure out some of most effective ways to ace case competitions.”

– Xu Meiyi, BBA(Law)&LLB

“Competing at SICC hosted by the Ivey Business School was a once in a life-time experience. While our team was there, we followed a “Work Hard, Play Hard” motto. It was extremely insightful talking to the founders of the company the case on, as we could learn about blockchain from an insider perspective. We also had a blast meeting new people from university case teams around the world, including Georgetown University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and BI Norwegian Business School, whom we went to hockey games with and tried out local establishments with during socials. SICC would certainly be a defining moment as I look back at my university years.”

–  Fung Regan, BBA(IBGM)

“I’m thrilled to share that our team recently won the 33^rd SICC in London, Ontario! The case was about NFTs, and it required us to step out of our comfort zone and really immerse ourselves in the mindset of a CEO to propose strategies for a successful launch. It was a challenging experience, but it was also incredibly rewarding to see our hard work pay off.

The three-day competition was intense, but it was also a lot of fun. We got to participate in social events like the Spirit Cup, watch ice hockey, and even experience the nightlife. Ivey Business School really lived up to their “Work Hard, Play Hard” mantra, and it made the whole experience even better.

One of the best parts of the trip was meeting people from different roots and cultures. It was amazing to learn about their perspectives on business and life in general. The memories we made together will always be irreplaceable.

Overall, I would definitely do this again in a heartbeat. It was an incredible opportunity to visit a country halfway across the world and represent our school on a global stage. I’m so grateful for this experience, and I’m excited to see what other opportunities lie ahead for us as students.”

– Pangestu Karine, BBA(IBGM)

“I am grateful for the chance to represent The HKU Business School at the SICC.

It was challenging to create and present a compelling presentation that persuaded a group of judges to embrace our ideas and suggestions within the time constraint. I was especially concerned because our case involved NFTs, cryptocurrencies, and blockchain technology, all of which have quickly-evolving landscapes with ongoing new advancements and innovations.

However, this was, in and of itself, a learning experience because we were able to network and interact with the founders of Scarcity Labs, whose company the case study was centered on, and have them share with us their journey of developing and expanding in the NFT ecosystem. Personally, I found this to be incredibly motivating as someone who aspires to pursue entrepreneurship in the future.

After this worthwhile experience, I can say with confidence that I returned home with the insightful discussions I had with other competitors who come from as varied cultural and linguistic backgrounds as Mexico, Norway, and Australia, each of whom had their own strategies and perspectives for solving the cases.”

– Kirti Harkirat Kaur, BEcon&Fin

Background:
The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual equity research competition organized by CFA Society Hong Kong for university students to gain hands-on mentoring and financial analysis training. Each team was assigned a professional industry mentor from the CFA Society as well as a faculty advisor from their respective university. Students gained real-world experience by acting as research analysts and being judged on their ability to value a stock, write a research report, and present their recommendations.

Competing against peers from the universities around the world, the top 6 teams with the highest written report scores advanced to give an in-person presentation to a panel of judges. The top 2 teams of the Hong Kong Final advanced to the virtual Sub-Regional competition and competed against top 5 to 6 teams in the sub-regional round of the Asia Pacific Regional Final of the Challenge. Throughout the competition, teams are evaluated based on the thoroughness of their financial analysis, presentation skills, and ability to respond to questions.

Faculty advisor: Mr. Jimmy Woo

Website / Image URL:
https://www.cfainstitute.org/en/societies/challenge
https://cfasocietyhongkong.org/cfa-institute-research-challenge-hong-kong-local-final-2022-23/

Award(s):
2^nd Runner-up

Awards and awardees:
Mr. Ho Tsz Chiu, BSc(QFin), Year 5
Ms. Lu Tingyi, BEcon&Fin, Year 4
Ms. Huang Yanchen, BEcon&Fin, Year 4

From left to right: Mr. Richard Mak (President of CFA Society Hong Kong), Ms. Lu Tingyi, Ms. Huang Yanchen and Mr. Ho Tsz Chiu

Students Sharing:

“The CFA Institute Research Challenge was a rewarding experience for me to assess my fundamental research skills. Being offered the chance to formally analyze a listed company and present our ideas in both report and in-person presentation formats, I learnt to think practically as a research analyst and formulate a true investment thesis. The challenging questions asked by the judges also allowed us to review what we had missed to arrive at a comprehensive analysis. The overall competition is a precious opportunity that hones my abilities to generate tenable investment ideas.

Lastly, I would like to thank our industry mentor Anne Kao and faculty advisor Jimmy Woo for their support and advice, as well as my teammates for their efforts throughout the tough period of preparation.”

(By HO Tsz Chiu)

“The Challenge was a rewarding journey for me to go deep into an industry and a company’s fundamentals/valuation. The charm of research is that: it needs a combination of inspiration and accumulation of knowledge, which motivates us to gain insights from multiple channels and stay “active learning”.

Again, I want to thank our mentor Anne, who always gave us detailed and structured feedback; our faculty advisor Jimmy who considerately underlined points to focus on; my supportive teammates: without you, I could not have proceeded to the final stage and achieved this. Finally, it is great to have CFA Society HK provide such an opportunity to meet outstanding peers and experienced judges. Q&A sessions and deep face-to-face conversations are inspiring!”

(By LU Tingyi)

“The CFA Research Challenge has been a truly enriching experience, where we practiced thinking critically on the real-world situation, honed our research and analytical skills, and collaborated as a team in both report drafting and presenting. While many obstacles and challenges developed during the process, I would like to thank our faculty advisor Jimmy Woo and industry advisor Anne Kao for assisting us to tackle them all during the process. Lastly, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the organizers and sponsors of the competition, the professionals who volunteered their time and expertise to mentor us, and my fellow teammates who worked hard to achieve this impressive result as a second runner-up.”

(By Yanchen Huang)

Background:
The Venture Capital on Campus (VCOC) Investment Challenge 2023 is a case competition organized by HKSTP (Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation) Capital and Hong Kong Federation of Business Students (HKFBS). The competition aimed to provide university students with an opportunity to explore the world of venture capital by evaluating and analyzing tech startups. The competition comprised of three rounds. The first round required participants to analyze and conduct due diligence on a tech startup. 20 teams were shortlisted for the semi-finals, where they pitched their analysis to a panel of venture capitalists. In the final round, 8 finalist teams pitched to a panel of industry experts who declared the winner of the competition.

Website / Image URL:
https://retailbank.hsbc.com.hk/ins/en/innovation-competition/home/

Award(s):
Winner Team

Awards and awardees:
Mr. Gandhi Devansh, BBA, Year 2
Ms. Dong Fangyu Janet, BBA(IS), Year 2
Ms. So Ki Suki, BFin(AMPB), Year 3
Mr. Taparia Anant, BEcon&Fin, Year 2

From left to right: Mr. Taparia Anant, Mr. Gandhi Devansh, Mr. Sammi Wong (Founding Leader, HKSTP Capital), Ms. Dong Fangyu Janet, Dr. Yana Tong (Executive Director, CMB International)

Students Sharing:

“Participating in the VCOC Investment Challenge 2023 has been an enriching and rewarding experience. Throughout the competition, I had the chance to work closely with my talented teammates, Anant Taparia, Janet Dong, and Suki So, who contributed significantly to our success.  

Throughout the Challenge, I gained valuable insights into the process of evaluating and analyzing tech startups, which deepened my understanding of the venture capital industry. I was able to leverage the skills I learned from pitching my startup to investors in the past to use in the context of an investment proposal. The competition also honed my skills in due diligence, valuation, and pitching, which are essential in the world of venture capital.”

(By GANDHI Devansh)

“This competition allowed me to put my knowledge into practice and enabled me to dive deeper into fundamental analysis and valuation to assess the company. My past work experience in a VC firm helped me in conducting due diligence and analyzing the metrics while coming up with a sophisticated valuation model. This Challenge gave me the opportunity to interact and network with like-minded students, venture capitalists and industry professionals. It was an enriching experience which helped me to further my interests in the venture capital space. It was a pleasure to lead a great team with team members Devansh, Janet and Suki who came with different sets of skills and knowledge!”

(By TAPARIA Anant)

“Participating in the VCOC Challenge enriched me with hands-on experience in evaluating investment opportunities as well as developing communication and presentation skills. During the process, I gained a lot of insight into cutting-edge technology while being really fascinated by the future of lifestyle changes and how the interaction between business and technology has helped the industry flourish. By getting exposed to the venture capital industry and the broader startup ecosystem, I was able to apply theoretical concepts to real-world situations and gain insights into current market trends and industry best practices. Additionally, the pitch challenge also provided us with networking opportunities and promoted smoother teamwork in the future.”

(By DONG Fangyu Janet)

“Participating in this venture capital pitch competition has been an incredible learning opportunity, allowing me to gain invaluable insights into the venture capital industry in Hong Kong. Through the competition, I was able to deepen my understanding of how to evaluate startups from various perspectives and sharpen my investment analysis skills. Moreover, it provided a platform to network with experienced VC practitioners. I was able to leverage this opportunity to learn from their experiences and build new connections in the industry.

Success cannot be achieved without my teammates, who brought unique perspectives and skill sets to the final pitch. Working collaboratively with them was a remarkable experience!”

(By SO Ki Suki)

Congratulations to Dr Hailing Chen, Associate Professor in Innovation and Information Management, for winning the Faculty Outstanding Researcher Award 2022-23.

The Faculty Outstanding Researcher Award aims to honour and reward faculty members for having done excellent research and achieved international recognition in the field of business and economics. The recognition of Dr Hailing Chen’s advancement was evidenced by having five articles published in “A” journals over the past five years, including Information Systems Research; Journal of Financial Economics; Journal of Management Information Systems and Management Science.

About Dr Hailiang Chen

Dr Hailiang Chen is a prolific young scholar consistently publishes outstanding research outputs. His research is interdisciplinary and primarily focuses on social media and FINTech. His work has appeared in both Information Systems and Finance top tier journals including Journal of Management Information Systems (JMIS), Journal of Financial Economics and Management Science.

Dr Hailiang Chen is highly motivated to raise his own research standard through bidding external grants with novel research ideas. He has four projects awarded for the General Research Fund with a total amount of over HK$2.8M since he joined HKU in early 2019. In addition, he is active in serving the academic community, and his research excellence has received international recognition. He served as associate editor of a few special issues of Information Systems Research, MIS Quarterly and JMIS covering emerging topics of FinTech and AI. As a rising star in the Information Systems area, Dr Hailiang Chen has gained considerable visibility in the Information Systems area. The Association for Information System presented him the AIS Early Career Award in 2019 to recognise his remarkable research achievements as a young scholar. 

Background:

The CBS Case Competition (CCC), one of the world’s most recognized undergraduate case competitions, aims to strengthen internationalization and create lifetime experiences through elevating both social and professional student. It is organized and hosted entirely by highly dedicated students from Copenhagen Business School.

The eight-day case competition took place from February 25 – March 4, 2023 connects talented business students from 12 selected business schools across the world for the ultimate case challenge, in a setting of challenging real-life case-solving and social networking. The business case of this year focused on challenges and opportunities for a global leading renewable energy company. In addition to the challenging case preparation and presentations, the team got the opportunity to experience Danish culture and build friendship with liked-minded peers with various social activities.

Website / Image URL:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/case-competition_cbs-case-competition-invitational-finale-activity-7037391589727424513-1UhU?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpcg42AMMOb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.facebook.com/casecompetition/

Award: 1^st Place

Team List:

Mr. Chan Yin Tsung Lawrence, BBA(IBGM), Year 4

Miss Chen Ying Hei Helena, BBA(IBGM), Year 4

Mr. Sheung Chi Long, BBA(IBGM), Year 4

Miss Tsao Wing Sze, BBA(IBGM), Year 4

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Jing Li

Students Sharing:

“Participating in the CBS case competition as a representative of HKU Business School in Copenhagen was an unforgettable experience. I am incredibly proud of my team for winning the championship, and it was a fantastic way to wrap up my undergraduate studies on a high note.

Our team had to work on a market entry pitch for Vestas, a global leader in renewable wind turbines, for their entrance into the Power to X or green hydrogen value chain. It was a challenging case to tackle as renewable energy businesses are not as prominent in Asia as they are in Europe. The market we were entering was also nascent and undeveloped, making it a more technical case. Additionally, we had only 22 hours to complete the case, which added time pressure to an already difficult situation.

The last few times I represented the school were all virtual competitions due to the pandemic, so attending a physical one was truly a humbling and life-changing experience. I had the opportunity to meet clever and driven competitors from around the world, each with their own perspective and expertise. The judges were all seasoned professionals in relevant industries or even in management of the case company, ensuring that the questions asked were challenging but thought-provoking. The organizing team worked tirelessly to ensure the entire week went smoothly and kept us on our toes to ensure we were having fun.

Working with my teammates taught me so much about teamwork and effective communication under time pressure and stress, skills that will be invaluable in my future career. We also learned a lot about the technical industries involved in the cases, which are high-growth industries that will be at the forefront of the future. I am truly honored and grateful for this opportunity, and I am excited to see how the case team of HKUBS continues to develop and become one of the best case teams worldwide.”

– Chan Yin Tsung Lawrence, BBA(IBGM)

“It is my honour to have represented HKU and Hong Kong along with Lawrence, Sunny and Theresa in the CBS Case Competition 2023. Winning the championship would not have been possible without the support from my fellow teammates, our case coach Ms Pipin Tasdyata, as well as resources provided by HKUBS. Through the one-week competition, not only have I gained valuable insights from the presentations made by other competing teams, but also made lifelong connections through creating lifetime experiences and immersing in the Danish culture with fellow competitors, who are now friends, from around the world. The experience was truly an eye-opening and life-changing one that I will forever cherish and adore.”

– Chen Ying Hei Helena, BBA(IBGM)

“Being able to join CBS Case Competition Invitational is like a dream come true for me. It was an intellectually challenging and intense week and would undoubtedly be one of the highlights of my university life. Exchanging ideas with other teams coming from different background and training has been a very rewarding experience. On the other hand, working on a wind energy related case, which I have very limited understanding of, within 22 hours, has also proven to be very difficult but exciting.”

– Sheung Chi Long, BBA(IBGM)

“The CBS Case Competition week has been a lifetime experience for me. It was more than just an ordinary inter-school competition – we were provided with diverse and ample opportunities to explore the local community and culture, connect with other international participants who are all from top institutions, and learn from industry experts.

The most unforgettable activity is no doubt the 22 hours of case cracking during which we were given a challenging real-world case focusing on the energy sector, a topic I found very unfamiliar with. It was a tough and intense time since we had to not only understand the sector but also identify the key problems and identify a viable and comprehensive resolution within limited time. Nonetheless, the entire experience was proven rewarding and fruitful. Beyond our championship in the competition, I had fun during the team building activities, and other social events and gained in-depth insights into the industry thanks to the case solving and mentors. Most importantly, I am tremendously grateful to have spent these moments with my teammates, who have always been supportive of each other. The friendship we built along the way would be invaluable to me.”

– Tsao Wing Sze, BBA(IBGM)

We are pleased to announce the successful completion of the HKU-Accenture Business Consulting Programme (BCP) 2022-23, which was held on March 4, 2023. This is the fifth year of the programme, which aims to equip students with industrial knowledge, exposure and the necessary skill sets in the business consulting industry, and putting theories they learnt at university into practice.

30 students from HKU Business School were selected and divided into six teams of five to participate in 4 master class lectures curated by Accenture Managing Directors (covering Introduction to Consulting, Design Thinking, Storytelling and Effective Presentation Skills). The classes are supplemented with coaching sessions by Accenture Managers to help students solidify their learning. The programme equipped students with core consulting skills and rounded off with a case competition as a platform for students to apply their learning in a simulated business environment and compete for the Championship and the Best Presenter Award The efforts and innovative ideas showcased by the students were remarkable. It’s evident that this experience has paved the way for their consulting and business career in the future.

“Throughout this programme, we have acquired invaluable consulting expertise, honed our problem-solving abilities through tackling real-world business scenarios, and expanded our professional network by engaging with esteemed individuals from Accenture.” – Ace Consulting, the Champion Team

The Best Presenter, Mr. Rohan Bajaj, who is ready final year BBA programme student, added that “the programme is a very unique and distinctive programme that invites students on an intellectually stimulating journey and gives them a very good exposure of the business consulting industry.”

The key to success for this programme is HKU’s long-standing partnership with Accenture, who brings in not only industry-proven consulting expertise but also dedicated consulting professionals who commit to the University’s and Business School’s shared goal of nurturing future business talents.

“It was a great opportunity to partner with HKU on this programme to help give back to the community and offer students a chance to learn practical business consulting and communication skills and apply that to real world business problems. I had a lot of fun teaching and talking with the students and was amazed by the innovative ideas they were able to come up with.” –  Mr. Luca Fong, Accenture Managing Director (Judge and Speaker)

Ms. Maggie Wong, Accenture Coach for the Champion Team, shared that she valued the “deep engagement with every coachee to provide timely support tailored to their different learning and career needs.”

Last but not least, Ms Carrie Chan, Accenture Manager and BCP Programme Organizing member, who is also an HKU alumni, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to give back to her alma mater and inspire the next generations of talents with all the amazing learning that a consulting career can offer.

The University values whole-person development through which students’ soft skills are developed. This collaboration between the HKU Business School and Accenture successfully blend the learning with knowledge and insightful sharing from industry experts. The University looks forward to a continuous collaboration with Accenture in the years to come. Congratulations to all the participants of the HKU-Accenture Business Consulting Programme 2022-23!

Case Competition Judging Panel – (from left to right) Mr. Milton Fung, Mr. Luca Fong, Ms. Christina Wong (Accenture), Dr. Olivia Leung and
Dr. Winnie Leung (HKU Business School)

Team members:
Mr. Ethan Leung (Team Leader – 2nd from the left)
Ms. Andra Cheng (1st from the left)
Ms. Lingky Lee (1st from the right)
Mr. Ming Yien Theaw (2nd from the right)
Mr. Stephen Wang (3rd from the left)

Case Presentation by The Champion Team

Ms Christina Wong, Accenture Managing Director (3rd from the left) and Ms. Maggie Wong, Accenture Coach (3rd from the right) with
the Champion Team

Mr. Luca Fong, Accenture Managing Director (left) with Mr. Rohan Bajaj (right), The Best Presenter of the Case Competition

Everyone gave a “thumbs-up” during the Lunch Celebration

The Debriefing Session after the Closing Ceremony

Long-standing Partnership and Support from Accenture Programme Organizing members, Judges and Coaches

Background:

The HSBC Life Insurance Innovation Competition was launched in 2019 to encourage young talent to come up with innovative ideas for the future of the insurance industry. The competition aims to provide a platform for participants to interact with senior HSBC Life executives and gain insights on the new trends of insurance product propositions, especially knowledge related to customer-centric innovation. Themed “Inspire ‧ Innovate ‧ Influence”, teams of non-final year undergraduates from local universities were invited to submit insurance design proposals for judges review. Top 8 teams from the first round were advanced to the final round pitching on March 3, 2023. HKU Business School students who won the 1^st Runner-up received the opportunity to be fast tracked to the final round interview for the HSBC Hong Kong Student Work Placement.

Website / Image URL:

https://retailbank.hsbc.com.hk/ins/en/innovation-competition/home/

Award(s):

1^st Runner-up, Best Use of Technology Award

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Winnie Leung

Awards and awardees:

Ms. Yan Yu, BEcon&Fin, Year 2 (Team Leader)

Ms. Shum Wa Ching, BBA(Acc&Fin), Year 1

Ms. He Ye, BBA(Acc&Fin), Year 1

Mr. Wong Yin Ki, BBA(Acc&Fin), Year 2

From left to right (Mr. Wong Yin Ki, Ms. Yan Yu, Ms. Shum Wa Ching, Ms. He Ye)

Students Sharing:

“As a team, we have all made great efforts and dedicated ourselves to perfecting our proposal, presentation deck, and final presentation. We are honoured to clinch the 1^st Runner-up and Best Use of Technology Award in the HSBC Life Insurance Innovative Competition 2023 after rounds of competition. As the team leader, I have also accumulated more experience in being the facilitator who managed the process of every group meeting and organized the information, as well as the idea developer who provided/further developed ideas and directions.

I have been inspired by the process of competition and communication with other top students from world-leading universities. Immensely impressed by all those other innovative ideas presented by the participants and the insightful comments provided by the judging panel, my enthusiasm and motivation to proceed have been further ignited. More importantly, I am grateful for all the support we have received from HKU Business School. Those opportunities have enabled me to develop as an all-rounded individual and to realize my rigorous academic and extra-curriculum pursuits.”

(by YAN Yu)

“Participating in the HSBC Life Insurance Innovation Competition was such a precious opportunity for us to learn and progress. To tackle the challenge of providing new insight for the industry leader, HSBC Life, in a creative yet feasible manner, we were encouraged to challenge ourselves, explore new possibilities, and develop a more solid understanding of business knowledge. It indeed drilled our skills of implementing the knowledge we acquired into actual use. I learned so much from all the other elite teams’ brilliant ideas and was deeply inspired by the insightful feedback from the judging panels formed by respectable scholars and industry insiders to always be eager learners and create a sustainable impact on society. Kudos to my excellent teammates and all who have supported us throughout our way. It is our honor to share the joy with you.”

(by SHUM Wa Ching)

“Through the HSBC Life Insurance Innovation Competition, we learned a lot of knowledge related to emerging technologies and applied these digital products with untapped potential in the Web 3.0 era to the insurance design proposal for HSBC Life. This knowledge closely related to the trend of digital development not only expands our vision but also fully stimulates our imagination and creativity, which greatly benefits us.”

(by HE Ye)

“If I can use only two words to summarize my experience in HSBC Innovation Competition, they would be – inspiring and rewarding. After numerous case studies, several market researches, numerous sleepless nights, and rounds of demo preparations, we came up with our own innovative strategy that successfully helped us to win the 1^st Runner-up of the competition. Huge thanks to my amazing teammates, who are extremely supportive and collaborative throughout the process, and assistance provided by the HKU Business School. Our achievements would not be possible without your presence. Winning this competition does not mark an end but a brand-new start for my future chapters. I will keep on putting my best efforts into every future endeavor.”

(by WONG Yin Ki)

“Family Office” is becoming a hot topic for Hong Kong.  Not just the HKSAR Government and the asset and wealth management industry are keen to promote Hong Kong as a “Family Office Hub”, we at the HKU Business School is closely following the trend and preparing our students to understand the industry dynamics.

Other than having our “Family Office” course FINA 3336, which covers basic concept and value of family office in the bigger picture of asset and wealth management, the AMPB Programme also brings industry practitioners to meet with our students to help them to understand the trend as well as career opportunities in the family office space.

Two events were held for our HKU Business School students:

(1) In February 2023, Mr. Grant Ko, Co-founder and Chairman of Wisdom Asset Management Limited (a key multi-family office) and a Board of Director of Family Office Association Hong Kong (FOAHK) joined us at the FINA3336 lecture to share his 25+ years of experience in the family office and private banking industry.  Mr Ko highlighted the positioning of Hong Kong in attracting ultra-high-networth-individuals to set up their family offices here.

Mr Grant Ko, second on the right together with the course instructors Edmond Lau, first on the right and Janet Li second on the left.

(2) In November 2022, Ms Angel Chia, Chair of the FOAHK and the Chief Strategy Officer of Fountainhead Partners (another key multi-family office), joined the monthly AMPB “Meeting the Practitioner Series”.  Ms Chia shared with us her personal story of converting her 20 years+ experience in securities and asset management in major financial institutions to managing a multi-family office and servicing ultra-high-networth-individuals.

Ms Angel Chia on the left and Prof Anna Wong on the right, with the AMPB students behind them.

Our students learnt a lot from the industry experts who shared with us insights about the growth of wealth in the region and Family Office development in Hong Kong.