Asian Century Summit 2024

The inaugural “Asian Century Summit 2024: Asian Regional Focus, Asian Global Leadership, Asian Century Industry” is co-hosted by the MBA Programmes (“MBA“) and MBA in Finance Programme (“FMBA”), of the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Business School (“CUHK Business School”), the pioneering institution in Asia for MBA education.

Event Details:

• Theme: Asian Century Leadership and Entrepreneurship, Asian Regional Issues, Asian Century Future
• Focuses:
  Focus 1 | Asian Regional Issues
  Focus 2 | Asian Century Sustainability, Technology and Business Future
  Focus 3 | CUHK MBA Alumni Townhall
• Date: Saturday, 10 August 2024
• Registration: 09:15 AM
• Summit Time: 09:45 AM – 05:00 PM
• Venue: Cheng Yu Tung Building, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), 12 Chak Cheung Street, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China

Event Features:

• 09:45 – 11:00 Opening Keynote | Language/Mode: English/Face-to-Face
  • 09:45 – 09:50 Summit Welcome from CUHK Business School
    
    • Speaker: Professor Lin Zhou, Dean of CUHK Business School
      
      
      Prof. Lin Zhou is the Dean of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School and Choh-Ming Li Professor of Economics. He has a distinguished academic career of more than 30 years. He was an assistant and associate professor at Yale from 1989 to 1996, a tenured associate professor at Duke from 1996 to 2001, a WP Carey professor at Arizona State University (ASU) from 2001 to 2008, and a university chair professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) from 2008 to 2019. During his years at SJTU, he first participated in the founding of Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (2009-2010), and then led the development of Antai College of Economics and management as dean for two consecutive terms (2010-2018).Prof. Zhou’s research interests cover some fundamental areas of micro-economic theory, including game theory, mechanism design, social choice and welfare. Much of his original work was published in leading economics journals, including Econometrica, Review of Economic Studies, Journal of Economic Theory, Games and Economic Behavior, etc. In 1993, he was awarded the prestigious Sloan Research Fellowship in economics. In 2009 he became the first Econometric Society Fellow elected from the Greater China region.At ASU Prof. Zhou was the co-director of PhD programme in economics. After he joined SJTU, he became more involved in administrative affairs, leading the modernisation of the business education at SJTU. He was the Dean of Antai College of Economics and Management for two terms from April 2010 to July 2018. Under his leadership, Antai has transformed from a domestic player into a global player in business education. When he completed his terms as dean, SJTU was ranked by QS among the world top 50 in business and management, accounting and finance, and statistics and operations. Antai’s MBA, EMBA, Masters in Management, and Exec Ed programmes were also ranked highly by the Financial Times.Prof. Zhou is passionate about management education and he has been active in the community of business educators. He was a member of the Board of AACSB from 2015 to 2019 and chaired its Asia-Pacific Advisory Council from 2015 to 2018. He is currently on its task force on the revision of the accreditation standards. He has also been a member of the EQUIS Accreditation Board of EFMD since 2014. He has chaired or joined the peer review teams of AACSB and EQUIS to various business schools around the world for more than a dozen of times. Owing to his experiences and knowledge, Prof. Zhou serves on the international advisory boards for several business schools in Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, France, and Portugal.In his early years as a professor, Prof. Zhou travelled to many institutions around the world. He visited several universities in Australia, Belgium, China, Japan, Spain for one month or longer. He also spent half a year at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 1995 and two years at City University of Hong Kong from 1999 to 2001.Prof. Zhou grew up in Shanghai and obtained a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Fudan in 1982. He went to Princeton in 1985 to study economics after placing first on a national examination jointly administered by the Chinese MOE and American Economic Association. He stayed in US after receiving his PhD degree from Princeton until 2008 when he returned to Shanghai and joined SJTU, the alma mater of his parents and his maternal grandfather.
  • 09:50 – 10:15 Opening Address: Why Asian Century?
    
    • Speaker 1: Professor Wan Wongsunwai, Director of MBA Programmes, CUHK Business School and Exco Member of CUHK MBA Advisory Board
      
      
      Professor Wan Wongsunwai is an Associate Professor of Accounting and Associate Dean of MBA Programmes at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. His research interests include financial reporting quality, corporate governance, entrepreneurship and private equity. He is a native of the island of Mauritius and earned his undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics at Imperial College, London. He later received his Doctor of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School. Prior to obtaining his doctoral degree, he worked as an equity analyst with ABN AMRO Bank in Hong Kong, and he was ranked by Reuters as one of the top 10 analysts in Hong Kong and China covering software and information technology. Prior to that, he worked with KPMG in London followed by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Hong Kong, where he had responsibility for professional staff recruitment, training, deployment, and promotion, and where he also managed his own portfolio of audit and due diligence clients.
      
    
    
    • Speaker 2: Professor Zhaoyang Gu, Programme Director of MBA in Finance, CUHK Business School
      
      
      Professor Zhaoyang Gu is Professor of Accountancy and Outstanding Fellow of Faculty of Business Administration at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). Previously he was an Assistant and Associate Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and an Associate Professor and Honeywell Professor in Accounting at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, where he was also the Accounting PhD Coordinator. Professor Gu has published a number of papers in the top accounting journals and has taught financial and management accounting at the undergraduate, MBA, EMBA and PhD levels. Professor Gu finished his BA in English from Tsinghua University (1988) and MA in International Management from Renmin University of China (1991), before he went to the US to obtain his MA in Economics and PhD in Accounting from Tulane University (1999). He is a CPA (non-practicing) in the US.
      
  • 10:15 – 10:35 Keynote I: Hong Kong as an IFC: Its Unique Role in Asia, and between Asia & the World
    
    • Keynote Speaker: Mr Wilfred Yiu, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Co-Chief Operating Officer & Co-Head of Markets, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), CUHK FMBA Global Advisory Board Member
      
      
      Wilfred Yiu was appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited on 1 March 2024. In addition to this role, Mr Yiu acts as Co-Chief Operating Officer and Co-Head of Markets, with oversight of HKEX’s Markets and IT divisions. He is also Chief Executive of HKEX’s wholly-owned subsidiaries, The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited and Hong Kong Futures Exchange Limited. Mr Yiu joined HKEX in 2019 as Head of Markets and was named Co-Chief Operating Officer in 2023. Since joining the Group, he has played a leading role in strengthening HKEX’s market infrastructure and diversifying its product and service ecosystem. He oversaw the launch of major initiatives including significant expansion to the Connect Programme, enhancement of Hong Kong’s role as Asia’s ETF marketplace, the rollout of the HKD-RMB Dual Counter Model and Derivatives Holiday Trading, providing investors with greater opportunities and wider cross-border market accessibility. Mr Yiu has nearly 30 years of experience in international capital markets and has worked at global banks in the US, Mainland China, and Hong Kong. Prior to joining HKEX, he had a 20-year career with Goldman Sachs, where he was last Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Beijing Gao Hua Securities Company, a joint venture of Goldman Sachs in Mainland China, and was responsible for the company’s China sales and trading businesses. Previously, Mr Yiu was Head of Credit Structured Products for Asia at Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong. Mr Yiu is a member of the Supervisory Committee for the Tracker Fund of Hong Kong and a member of the Advisory Committee for the Securities and Futures Commission. He is also a member of the Hong Kong Academy of Finance, an advisory board member of Research Institute for Business, and a Professional Fellow of the Honours Academy of The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong. He served as a governor for the board of the Dalian Commodity Exchange in China from 2015 to 2017. Mr Yiu holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Stanford University and an MBA in Finance from the Stern School of Business at New York University.
      
  • 10:35 – 11:05 Keynote II: Asian Thought Leadership in Technology, Business, and Education
    
    • Keynote Speaker : Mr Albert Wong (MBA 1994), Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks and Chairperson, CUHK MBA Advisory Board
      
      
      Mr Wong, as CEO of HKSTP, leads the mission of supporting tech startups and enterprises in their pursuit of innovation and growth. Under his guidance, HKSTP has become Hong Kong’s premier hub for unicorns and the largest R&D center, boasting over 12,000 research professionals and 1,200 tech companies. With over 30 years of experience in commercial, industrial, and leadership roles, Mr Wong has gained valuable insights into the China and Asia-Pacific markets, company building, investment networks, and addressing market needs. Prior to HKSTP, he held significant positions at GE, including CEO of GE Oil & Gas China and CEO of GE Industrial Solutions Asia Pacific. Mr Wong holds an Engineering Degree from the University of Hong Kong and an MBA from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Beyond his professional endeavors, he is an avid runner, actively participating in marathons worldwide.
      
    
    Co-Moderators: Ms Angie So, Head of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Team, CUHK MBA and Ms Nancy Liang, Manager, Marketing & Stakeholder Engagement Team, CUHK FMBA
• 11:15 – 12:30 Appreciation Ceremony for “The 1st CUHK MBA Strategic Partnership Scheme” & “Industry Masters Scheme 2024-25 – Mainland China” | Language/ Mode: Chinese and English/ Face to Face | iFlytrans (Simultaneous Interpretation System) powered by iFLYTEK
  
  • 11:15 – 11:30 Opening Remarks: Why LEAP@BEAM in CUHK MBA?
    The Office of MBA Programmes, CUHK Business School
  • 11:30-12:00  Appreciation Ceremony for “The 1st CUHK MBA Strategic Partnership Scheme” and “Industry Masters Scheme 2024-25 – Mainland China”
  • 12:00-12:15 Representative Address by Strategic Partnership Scheme – Mainland China
    
    • Speaker: Mr Miao Zhao, Assistant to the Chairman, General Manager of Strategic Operations and Chairman’s Office, General Manager of Human Resources, Liby Group Co., Ltd, CUHK MBA Industry Master
      
      
      Mr Zhao is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in strategic management and brand promotion. Currently serving as the Assistant to the Chairman, General Manager of Strategic Operations and Chairman’s Office, General Manager of Human Resources at Liby Group Co., Ltd since May 2021, Mr Zhao is responsible for coordinating strategic management efforts, including the planning and development of annual operational and long-term strategic plans. With a focus on industries such as household cleaning, healthcare, finance, and real estate, Mr Zhao aims to build competitive advantages and support the overall development of the industrial system. Additionally, Mr Zhao oversees operation management, strategic implementation, and strategic research and training, developing a systematic model to foster a learning organization and enhance the company’s competitive edge. Prior to this role, Mr Zhao held positions as the Director of Strategic Management and Brand Promotion at RIFENG Enterprise Group Co., Ltd. and as the Senior Assistant of Marketing GM & Brand Manager (Detergent) at Guangzhou Liby Group Co., Ltd, where Mr Zhao successfully led strategic planning and brand positioning initiatives, as well as product line planning and integrated marketing efforts. With a strong track record in strategic management and brand development, Zhao brings valuable expertise to drive growth and success in the organisations Mr Zhao has been a part of.
      
    
    Moderator: Dr. Tony Koo, Administrative Director, CUHK MBA Programmes, and Exco Member of CUHK MBA Advisory Board; and Ms Tyra Tai, Assistant Manager, Communications and Stakeholder Engagement, CUHK MBA
• 11:15 – 12:30 FMBA Panel | Strengthening Hong Kong’s Role as an International Financial Centre and facilitating Chinese Enterprises in Going Global | Language/Mode: Chinese/Face to Face
  • 11:15 – 11:20 Welcome Remarks by the Host
    Host: Dr Pan Cong, Administrative Director of MBA in Finance Programme, CUHK Business School
  • 11:20 – 11:40 Panel Keynote
    Keynote Speaker: Professor Ding Anhua, Former Chief Economist of China Merchants Bank and Chief Economist of CMB International, Former Chairman of China Merchants Bank (Europe) Co., Ltd., and Member of the Global Advisory Board, MBA in Finance Programme, CUHK
  • 11:40 – 12:10 Roundtable Discussion
    Panel Moderator: Mr Zhu Liwei, Deputy General Manager of China Merchants Finance Holdings
    Panelist 1: Ms Liu Hui, General Manager of China Merchants Finance Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Panelist 2: Mr Liu Jun, CEO of China Merchants Wing Lung Bank Limited, President of China Merchants Bank Hong Kong Branch
    Panelist 3: Mr Wang Mingxiang, General Manager of the Cross-Border Finance Department, China Merchants Bank
    Panelist 4: Professor Shu Tao, Fung King Hey Professor of Finance, Chairman of Finance Department, CUHK Business School
  • 12:10 – 12:30 Q&A Session
• 13:45 – 15:15 Breakout Panels
  • Breakout Panel I: Asian Issues Focus | Language/ Mode: English/ Face to Face
    1. Exploring the macro-level opportunities and challenges in East Asia, Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
    2. Discussing strategies for fostering cross-border partnerships, knowledge exchange, and talent mobility within the region.
    • 13:45 – 14:15 Panel Keynote: Bridging Borders & Powering Growth
      
      • Keynote Speaker: Dr Anna Yip (BBA 1991), Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Telecommunications Limited, and Board Member of CUHK MBA Advisory Board
        
        
        Anna is a senior business leader with more than a decade of experience leading and scaling business in the technology sector. She has built a track record of driving ‘intrapreneurship’ and successfully building new businesses across markets. A committed people leader, Anna is passionate about mentoring young talent and supporting more women in tech. Currently, Anna serves as the Deputy CEO Singapore and CEO of Business Development for Singtel. Under her leadership, Singtel Singapore became one of the first markets to successfully roll out 5G SA nationwide, with robust migration of customers to the latest mobile technology. Singtel continues to play an instrumental role in empowering people-centric digital lifestyles as Singapore advances as a smart nation. She has also been appointed a Board of Commissioner member of Telkomsel in Indonesia since June 1, 2021. Before joining Singtel, Anna was the CEO and Executive Director of Smartone, a leading telecommunications company headquartered in Hong Kong. Under her leadership, Smartone was named the Best Mobile Carrier by the Communication Association of Hong Kong in 2019. In 2017 Smartone launched Birdie Mobile, which has grown to become one of the best-known full digital brands serving the Millennial and tech-savvy market. Prior to her role at Smartone, Anna headed up Mastercard’s operations in Hong Kong and Macau. During her tenure, she launched several new digital products including Contactless, Apple Pay, Android Pay and Masterpass. Previously, she was a global partner with McKinsey & Company where she was a co-leader of the Financial Institutional Group and payments practice in Asia. Anna holds a DPhil (PhD) from University of Oxford and a First-Class Honours degree in Business Administration from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
        
    • 14:15 – 15:15 Panel Discussion Topic: Cross-border Partnerships, Knowledge Exchange, and Talent Mobility in Asia
      
      • Panel Moderator: Professor Seen Meng Chew, Associate Director of MBA Programmes, CUHK Business School
        
        
        Prof. Seen-Meng Chew is an Associate Professor of Practice in Finance and the Associate Dean for International Relations at CUHK Business School. He currently serves as the Asia Chair for the Partnership in International Management (PIM) network – a consortium of 66 prominent business schools in the world. Before joining CUHK in 2018, Prof. Chew was a Vice President at J.P. Morgan in Hong Kong, where he worked with the Vice Chairman of Asia Pacific to market China’s investment opportunities to senior international clients. Before Hong Kong, he worked as an economist at the Singapore offices of International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Morgan Stanley, analysing the economic policy and outlook of South East Asian countries. And prior to returning to Asia, he was a consultant at a prominent consulting firm, NERA Economic Consulting, in Chicago, where he advised multinational corporations on their international pricing strategies. Passionate about higher education, Prof. Chew strives to incorporate his industry knowledge and experience into the classroom at CUHK, where he teaches current fintech trends, mergers and acquisitions, and global macroeconomic strategy. To maintain industry ties, he currently serves as an executive committee member of the Asia Pacific Structured Finance Association (APSA), and a non-executive Director at Actelligent Capital, an asset management firm. His written work has been published in well-known business journals such as the Asia Asset Management Journal, The CAPCO Institute Journal of Financial Transformation, Financial Times, and the International Tax Review. He also has substantial lecturing experience at universities in the US, Hong Kong and Singapore, in economics and finance courses. Prof. Chew received a PhD in economics from the University of Chicago in 2007, where one of his thesis advisors was Prof. Gary Becker – the 1992 Nobel Laureate in economics. He also holds an MPhil in economics from the University of Cambridge, and a BSc in economics from the London School of Economics.
        
      
      
      • Panellist 1: Malaysia: Mr Liow Zen Pin, EY Asia Pacific Managed Services and Managed Services AI Leader, Vice Chairman & Head of the Trade & Services sub-committee at Malaysian Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong & Macau
        
        
        Liow, Zen Pin (or Zen) is a Partner with EY Asia Pacific Managed Services and Managed Services APAC AI Leader based in Hong Kong. He is also a member of EY APAC AI Steering Committee to help drive AI development and implementation in APAC Zen has deep experience building and managing successful technology-enabled shared services and service outsourcing businesses in the areas of Finance, Customer Experience, Digital Experience, Business Analytics, Platform as a Services, Tax, Legal, Corporate Secretarial, Cybersecurity, Third Party Risk Assessment, HR/Payroll, Procurement, Automation etc. across multiple industries in APAC. Prior to EY, Zen held senior regional leadership roles for IBM Greater China shared services and outsourcing business and for Concentrix Greater China and Southeast Asia Zen volunteers at Malaysian Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong & Macau (MAYCHAM) as the Vice Chairman & Head of the Trade & Services sub-committee, Coach at EY Global Transform program for Impact Enterprises and Mentor at Hong Kong Science Park and Cyberport.
        
      
      
      • Panellist 2: Singapore: Mr Basil Hwang, Vice-Chairman, Singapore Chamber of Commerce (Hong Kong)
        
        
        Mr. Basil Hwang is the Managing Partner of Hauzen LLP.He is also the Vice-Chairperson of The Singapore Chamber of Commerce (Hong Kong).Basil was formerly the founding and managing partner of Dechert LLP in Hong Kong.He has also held board or supervisory positions in a number of public companies, including the following:

        • Joint Company Secretary and General Counsel of China Shandong Hi-Speed Financial Group Limited, a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (stock code:412)
        • Executive Director, Company Secretary, General Counsel and Head of Development and Investments, Daohe Global Group Limited, a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (stock code:915)
        • Independent Non-Executive Director of First Sponsor Group Limited, a company listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange (stock code: ADN)Basil has over 25 years’ experience in law, corporate governance, entrepreneurship and fund-raising, and is extensively connected with the business community in Hong Kong, Singapore and Mainland China. He is regularly referred as the ‘go-to’ expert for financial services regulations and investigations and his practical and actionable advice. Educational qualifications
          • International Baccalaureate – Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific, 1991
          • Bachelor of Laws – National University of Singapore, 1997
          • Master of Science in Global Finance – The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and New York University, 2013

           

          Professional memberships

          • Advocate and Solicitor, Singapore
          • Solicitor, England and Wales
          • Solicitor, Hong Kong

           

          Website: https://hauzen.hk/people/basil-hwang

      
      
      • Panellist 3: Dubai, Middle East: Ms Aneri Merchant (MBA 2018), Lead – Ecosystem Ventures, XVC Tech

        
        Aneri has over 9+ experience in Corporate Finance, Venture Capital, and Investment Banking working across Hong Kong, Dubai and India with Citibank, Deloitte, BDO, CLSA & XVC Tech. Currently, Aneri is Lead – Ecosystem Ventures at XVC Tech and evaluates Web3 companies for potential investment and manages the existing portfolio. Aneri is a graduate from CUHK MBA, Class of 2018.
        

      
      
      • Panellist 4: Japan, Northeast Asia: Mr Norihisa Wada, Chairman, Global EdTech Acceleration Committee, Japan
        
        
        Norihisa has 20+ years of experience in aptitude assessment, artificial intelligence and education gamification. He has led IPOs as a Senior Director of Advanced Media Inc. and as CMO at EduLab, Inc, on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Furthermore, he is currently an Advisor at Kyoto University & Adjunct Professor at University of Tokyo and serves as a CEO Council for Association of Test Publishers.
        
      
      MC: Ms Angie So, Head of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Team, and Secretary of CUHK MBA Advisory Board, CUHK MBA
• Breakout Panel II: Asian Century Sustainability, Technology and Business Future | Language/ Mode: English and Chinese/ Face-to-Face
  1. Exploring the impact of digital technologies on business, education, society, and the future of work.
  2. Redefining the intersections of technology, business, and education and the importance of collaboration between industry and academia.
  • 13:45 – 14:15 Panel Keynote: Enhancing Sustainability in the APAC Region: Diverse Sectors’ Crucial Contributions to a Sustainable Future
    
    • Keynote Speaker: Mr Alan To (MBA 2005), Group Chief Executive Officer, Climate Finance Asia
      
      
      Alan is the Chief Executive Officer of Climate Finance Asia (previously known as Carbon Care Asia), an Asian sustainable finance consultancy established in 2008 with offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan.He has been leading global and regional sustainability & ESG strategic marketing functions in various global companies including S&P Global, ERM, Lloyd’s Register & Bayer for around 2 decades, from strategic planning to successful implementation, contributing to the growth of the business. In his role with S&P Global as Regional ESG Marketing Director: Asia, Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Alan has led the company to win 3 Best ESG Awards, namely ESG Disclosure & Regulatory Reporting Solution, Best ESG Data & Analytics Solution, ESG Initiative of the Year, which are the company’s 1st ever awards in the region. In his global campaign “Are you ready for TCFD?”, which generated over 20 times ROI.  During 2011 -2012, Alan relocated to Shanghai to manage Bayer’s sustainability investment (~US$100M), eco-commercial plants in China.Alan is the co-founder of a social enterprise, Yum Cha Together (得閒去飲茶), with the mission to inherit care and love to the communities through yum cha dim sum culture and events. He has a strong passion to serve local communities and has been nominated the Spirit of Hong Kong Award 2020.In addition, Alan is a weekend farmer and starting up another social venture called Aromafunapy (香FUN喜園), aims to bring essential elements of nature to foster human sustainable wellbeing, and also provides resources to companies and financial institutions to fulfill their ESG and nature strategy.For over 15 years, Alan has nourished the young generation by devoting his time to help promote social enterprise education and development. He is a judge, trainer, and mentor for various social entrepreneur programs in Hong Kong, and a guest speaker invited by various universities to share insights on social innovation, ESG, and sustainability.  He is also on the vetting panel of The Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund (SIE Fund) of HKSAR Government.Alan holds a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science degree from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and is a Chartered Marketer from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK). He is also a certified clinical Aromatherapist.
  • 14:15 – 15:15 Panel Discussion Topic: The Convergence of Future Technology, Business and Education
    
    • Panel Moderator: Mr Raymond Lo, Founder and Principal, Cavendish Investment Corp. and CUHK MBA Advisory Board Member
      
      
      Mr Raymond Lo is the Founder and Principal of Cavendish Investment Corp. (CIC), a Family Office for direct investments and advisory. He is also a Responsible Officer (under HKSFC) of Amasse Capital Limited, a corporate finance advisory entity in Hong Kong. With a diverse academic background, including a degree in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, qualifications as a Chartered Accountant, and post-graduate studies in law, real estate, and sustainability leadership from various institutions, Mr Lo brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his roles. He is a fellow member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, actively involved in academic engagements, and serves on various committees and advisory positions related to green business and sustainability initiatives.
      
    
    
    • Panellist 1: Ms Clarie Ku, Director, Hong Kong Institute of Business Ethics and Sustainability
      
      
      Ms Ku is the Co-founder of YiWealth Management Ltd. which assists companies and individuals in wealth management. She is also the Founder of Global Dynamic Consultants Ltd. which advises and facilitates Chinese companies to invest and trade overseas. During the period from July 2021 to June 2024, she is an executive Director and the Vice Chairman of the Board of USPACE Technology Group Limited (formerly known as Hong Kong Aerospace Technology Group Limited). The company involves with satellite manufacturing and operations, as well as data communications in the Middle East and Hong Kong. She was the former Deputy Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury of the HKSAR government. During her public service tenure, she had taken up various senior positions dealing with trade, industry & technology development, energy, housing and drug issues. During 2001 and 2002, Ms Ku was selected and represented Hong Kong as the global President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Anti-money Laundering. After the September 11 attacks, she steered and led the FATF member jurisdictions, as well as other international organizations such as the IMF, World Bank, UN Security Council, Basel Committee to formulate policies on counter terrorist financing. In 2007, Ms Ku assisted the Honourable Tung Chee Hwa to form the China-United States Exchange Foundation as its Founding CEO and remains a Counsellor of the Foundation thereafter. Ms Ku has also taken up various senior positions in commercial banking, finTech and luxury retail sectors. The Chief Executive of HKSAR awarded Ms Ku the Chief Executive’s Commendation for Public Service. Ms Ku was an official Justice of Peace. In 1998, she was appointed as a board member of the Singapore National Council Against Drug Abuse and received a special award from the Singapore Minister for Home Affairs in 2003. Ms Ku is currently the Co-Chair of the Belt & Road Culture Exchange Foundation for Women; Chairman of the LumiVoce Foundation for the education of young people to appreciate nature and life; Chairman of the Professional Alliance for the Prevention of Drug Abuse; Co-Chair of the Alliance on Financial Stability using Information Technology, and immediate past President of the International Women’s Forum, Hong Kong. She advises on ESG and gender diversity issues at the Board level. Ms Ku holds Master of Laws from University of London; Master of Science in Management from Stanford University; Postgraduate Diploma in English & Hong Kong Law from Manchester Metropolitan University and Bachelor of Business Administration from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She also completed graduate programs at Oxford University, Tsinghua University, Harvard Business School and Chinese National Academy of Governance.
      
    
    
    • Panellist 2: Mr Tommie Lo, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Preface
      
      
      Tommie is the Founder and CEO of Preface, a tech-enabling company that empowers enterprises and individuals worldwide to stay ahead in today’s tech-driven world through the production of technology content and training.Preface operates globally across Hong Kong, London, Singapore, and Tokyo. Their AI- powered training programmes provide fast and relevant content to help learners future-proof their businesses and careers.Tommie has always aspired to be a disruptor of traditional education. Throughout the years, he has led Preface to re-engineer tech and coding education, and re-design the classroom experience through a decentralised learning model. He also demonstrated his bold approach in Preface Coffee & Wine, a unique space that promotes lifestyle learning and aims to become the go-to place for the latest tech knowledge and edutainment experiences. Tommie’s innovative and inspirational approach has touched the hearts of many, from aspiring kid coders and curious learners, to digital- transforming enterprises and educational institutions.
      Achievement & Background Highlights:
      • Global Panel, MIT Technology Review
      • Advisory Council, Harvard Business Review
      • UNESCO and TedX Talk Speaker UCLA – Undergrad Economics and Mathematics
      • LSE – PhD dropout in Economics
      
    
    
    • Panellist 3: Mr Arthur Shek, Managing Partner of Hong Kong Office, McKinsey & Company
      
      
      Arthur Shek is the Managing Partner of McKinsey’s Hong Kong Office. Arthur extensively serves financial institutions, investors, as well as conglomerates and family-owned businesses in the Greater China region on topic including strategy, transformation, and organization. He also leads McKinsey’s fintech work in Hong Kong. Outside of McKinsey, Arthur plays an active role in the Hong Kong business community, engages in various youth programs, and mentors startups. He sits on the Board of Junior Achievement Hong Kong, is a Co-Founder of The Melo Program, and is a Past President of the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Hong Kong. Arthur graduated from Cambridge with a BA in Economics.
      
    
    
    • Panellist 4: Mr Venkata Ramachander Poodipeddi (MBA 2015), Director of Public Affairs, Xiaomi India and Global Alumni Ambassador , CUHK Business School
      
      
      Ramachander is the Director of Public Affairs at Xiaomi India. Previously, he worked for the Government of India’s Make in India program in the states such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. Ram is best known for building India’s best Investment Promotion Agencies in top performing states – FDI attraction. Ram has been responsible for attracting FDI in the Manufacturing, Semiconductor, Electronics System Design and Manufacturing and Emerging Technologies sectors with specific focus on India and APAC regions. Prior to joining Xiaomi, Ram was a visiting fellow at St Cross College at Oxford University, where he studied innovation, research and the influence of government on innovation and technology development. An MBA graduate and Global Alumni Ambassador of CUHK Business School, Ramachander is known to develop and nurture networks and long-term relationships with CEOs and policy makers in APAC region. Ram delivers guest lectures at business schools and pens columns in leading publications. Ram passionately enjoys Indian classical music, literature, philosophy, creative writing and reading (non-fiction) – trade, history, polity, economy of Asia in general, China and Taiwan in particular.
      
    
    MC: Ms Roanne Law, Assistant Director, CUHK MBA

*Programme and schedule are subject to change without prior notice.

Registration and Inquiries:

For inquiries and registration, please contact the Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Team, CUHK MBA Programmes.

• Email: mba-cse@cuhk.edu.hk

The Asian Century Focus

The Asian Century emerges as a transformative force that is reshaping and redefining the very fabric of the global economic and societal landscape in the 21st century. As the world’s economic and cultural epicenter gravitates towards Asia, business and community leaders in the region should meet regularly to understand and harness its immense potential for growth from the rapidly changing global and regional dynamics and opportunities. It is within this context that we proudly present the inaugural Asian Century Summit 2024, an unprecedented gathering that encapsulates the essence of this transformative era.

Don’t miss your chance to be part of this historic event. Register now and join the thought leaders, industry experts, and visionaries at the Asian Century Summit 2024.