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Message from the CEO

 

In the past few months, I have met with a number of our Members and stakeholders to strategically review the work of the AoF. I am glad that we have received broad support for the AoF to continue its missions of serving as (i) a centre of excellence for developing financial leadership and (ii) a repository of knowledge in monetary and financial research. Taking into account the feedback and useful suggestions we have received, I am pleased to report that the Academy will focus on three areas going forward:

1. Strengthening knowledge exchange and overseas collaborations
2. Strengthening thought-leadership in macro and industry trends
3. Strengthening the pipeline of future leaders

On knowledge exchange, during the past months, we jointly organised with the HKMA and the SFC the “Conversations with Global Investors” seminar, part of the Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit. We had Mr Zhou Xiaochuan, former People’s Bank of China Governor; and Mr Al Gore, former US Vice President as our Distinguished Speakers; and we hosted our signature Annual International Conference on the Chinese Economy, attended by 120 leading economists from academia, policy institutions and market around the world. We will continue to look for opportunities to feature heavyweight speakers from overseas and Mainland China, so as to stimulate thoughts and promote knowledge exchanges going forward. Furthermore, on overseas collaborations, the HKIMR joined the ASEAN+3 Finance Think-tank Network (AFTN) as a founding member institution in September. The AFTN brings together 21 think tanks and research institutions to strengthen collaboration across the ASEAN+3 region.

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Distinguished Speakers Series – Zhou Xiaochuan, Vice Chairman of Boao Forum for Asia

 
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HKIMR joined the ASEAN+3 Finance Think-tank Network

 

On thought leadership, the HKIMR report “Advancing Talent Development in Financial Services: Emerging Global Trends and Their Impact on Hong Kong” provided a thorough understanding of the global and Hong Kong talent landscapes and proposed considerations to further enhance the development of talent within Hong Kong's financial services industry. Talent development has recently been a hot topic not just for the financial services industry, but also for the boarder society. I am glad that our report has generated quite some interest. I hope you would find it useful, and I would be keen to work with you all in promoting our research work going forward.

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HKIMR research report

 

On building a pipeline of future leaders, the 2023 Financial Leaders Programme (FLP) Graduation Ceremony was held on 4 December. The FLP is the Academy’s flagship initiative for nurturing future talents. The 2023 Cohort, which is the Academy’s second cohort, comprises 23 promising financial talents from a diverse background. Our hope is that the FLP can continue to serve as a useful initiative for financial institutions in grooming their future leaders.

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AoF Financial Leaders Programme cohorts at the Investment Summit

 

In my recent media briefing on talent development in financial services, I was asked about Hong Kong’s talent challenges. Indeed, the global financial services industry is confronted by gaps in talent, performance and skills, and Hong Kong is no exception. As such, we believe the work of the Academy in promoting financial leadership development and thought leadership research will remain useful in enhancing Hong Kong’s competitiveness as an international financial centre. I look forward to joining hands with you all in this endeavour. Lastly, may I wish you joy and peace in this festive season, and a prosperous new year ahead.

 

Enoch Fung
CEO, Hong Kong Academy of Finance
December 2023