We are thrilled to extend our heartfelt appreciation to all the speakers, attendees, and contributors who made our ESG Investing Symposium a resounding success.
Dr. Alvin Ho, CFA, President of CFA Society Hong Kong, extended a warm, all-weather greeting to all, setting the tone for an insightful and collaborative event. We deeply appreciate Mr. Paul Moody, Managing Director, Global Partnerships & Client Solutions at CFA Institute, for his enlightening remarks to highlight key aspects needed to effectively support and promote capital allocation decisions targeted at sustainable investments, as well as to counter greenwashing.
A heartfelt thank you to Ms. Glenda So, Co-Head of Markets at Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), for delivering a keynote speech that emphasized the increasing mainstream integration of ESG and sustainable finance in Hong Kong, China, and the region. She also shared the initiatives HKEX has implemented in supporting the development of a sustainable ecosystem as a regulator and market operator.
At the end of the event, Mr. Richard Mak, CFA, Immediate Past President of CFA Society Hong Kong, delivered closing remarks. He emphasized that this symposium served as a pivotal milestone, establishing a robust foundation for ongoing initiatives and remarkable advancements in the realm of sustainable finance. Our collective efforts have not only paved the way for immediate and tangible change but have also set the course for a future defined by responsible and sustainable investment practices, driving transformative action, and fostering a more sustainable financial landscape.
Thank you all for being part of this inspiring and transformational journey. We look forward to continuing our collective efforts in advancing the development of sustainable investment!
Event Details
Date: 20 April 2024 (Saturday)
Time: 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Venue: JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, 88 Queensway, Admiralty
Event Highlights
PANEL 1: Asset Owners – Key Drives of the Demand and Orientation of Sustainable Investment
A roundtable discussion among family offices, endowment funds, and institutional investors on the role of ESG Investments in their portfolio, passive investors vs active engagement, and alpha generation vs social responsibilities.
PANEL 2: Navigating ESG Investing – Bridging Perspectives Across the Value Chain
Our panel brings together diverse stakeholders representing every link in the value chain, from investors and fund managers to corporate leaders and regulatory experts. Together, we’ll explore the common challenges, emerging trends, and potential solutions in the realm of ESG investing.
PANEL 3: Actionable Insights – Putting Theory in Practice
Dive into the realm of actionable ESG investing with our exclusive panel featuring portfolio managers at the forefront of ESG. This session is laser-focused on delivering tangible ideas and strategies that investors can implement to drive meaningful change in their portfolios, with a spotlight on actionable insights.
The symposium featured an exceptional lineup of distinguished speakers. This carefully curated group of individuals represents the pinnacle of expertise and influence in their respective fields.
Each speaker brought a unique perspective, extensive knowledge, and a remarkable track record of accomplishments, making every panel discussion a must-attend for anyone seeking inspiration and valuable insights.
Light breakfast and coffee breaks were offered, presenting a unique opportunity to meet like-minded professionals and network with fellow industry practitioners and thought leaders.
Speakers
Opening Remarks
Dr. Alvin Ho, CFA
President
CFA Society Hong Kong
Dr. Alvin Ho is an experienced investment principal with a track record in private equity. He currently splits his time between managing a portfolio of private investments and institutional investing on one end, and handholding start-ups and grown-ups seeking new iterations on the other. In addition, he serves as a board member for listed companies and NGOs and is a member of investment committees for funds and platforms. Previously the legal and executive representative for the local currency funds incorporated in Beijing and Chengdu, He was the Head of China for a pan-regional private equity growth fund.
Alvin holds a Ph.D. in Finance from the Shanghai University of Economics and Finance, and master’s degrees from Tsinghua University and London Business School. He has authored three books in Chinese on the economics of sports. He is the chief editor and contributed two essays to RISE FROM CRISES, a publication of CFA Society Hong Kong.
Keynote Speech
Mr. Paul Moody
Managing Director, Global Partnerships & Client Solutions
CFA Institute
Paul directs the organization’s regional, marketing and customer experience strategy, and leads the teams who work with the 160 local CFA societies around the world. His priorities include deepening our society and institutional relationships, accelerating our B2B and B2C sales and distribution capabilities, bringing new professional educational products to market, and driving revenue growth across our product portfolio.
Prior to joining CFA Institute, Paul enjoyed a 30-year career in asset management, including more than 20 years at Aviva Investors leading strategic partnership and investment solutions for Aviva’s global businesses. He has a long track record in sustainable investment, including launching the UKs first ESG funds and developing Aviva’s pathway to net zero.
Paul holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Wolverhampton and is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA).
Ms. Glenda So
Co-Head of Markets
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX)
Glenda 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.
Glenda 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.
Glenda 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, Glenda 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, she 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.
Glenda is a member of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s Financial Services Advisory Group.
Glenda holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Baruch College in the US.
PANEL 1: Asset Owners - Key Drives of the Demand and Orientation of Sustainable Investment
Mr. Duncan Lee
Director, Investment Environmental, Social & Governance, Group Investment
AIA Group
Duncan is Director of Investment Environmental, Social & Governance for AIA’s Group Investment function, responsible for driving the ESG integration within Group Investment, as well as continuously improving the AIA Investment ESG operating model, to consistently and significantly impacting the long-term financial results of AIA and its customers by driving sustainable behaviour with world-class investment solutions expertise, industry leadership and best practices in processes, controls and systems. This aims to provide both support and leadership with respect to the commitment of AIA towards enabling Healthier, Longer, Better Lives across the Asia-Pacific region. He led AIA’s efforts to manage down investment exposure to coal mining and coal-fired generation. He partners with the Group Sustainability team for external disclosures and rating submissions and is responsible for the Sustainable Investment chapter of AIA’s annual ESG Report. Prior to taking on his current responsibilities, he was responsible for the provision of investment legal advisory, transaction, and documentation support to the AIA Investment team. Most recently, he has spearheaded AIA Investment’s net-zero efforts to establish AIA’s net-zero SBTi boundary, validated Investment near-term targets and AIA’s first Climate Transition Plan.
Prior to joining AIA, Duncan spent almost two decades working in a variety of legal roles, both in private practice and as an in-house lawyer, as well as on the Global Distribution side at Barclays, covering derivatives, structured products, capital markets and prime brokerage.
Duncan has a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the London School of Economics and Political Science and is a qualified solicitor in England and Wales. He has successfully completed and passed the CFA Institute’s Certificate in ESG Investing.
Mr. Tony Lo
Director of Finance
The University of Hong Kong
Tony is currently the Director of Finance of The University of Hong Kong (“HKU”). Before joining HKU, he spent 11 years with The Hong Kong Jockey Club (“HKJC”), his last job being Head of Corporate Accounting and Taxation, responsible for various finance functions including accounting, budgeting, statutory reporting, management reporting and controllership at different stages.
Tony also gained extensive experience in general and financial management from his career with AIG Consumer Finance Group prior to joining HKJC. he obtained his Bachelor degree in Business Administration from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Master of Science in Financial Management from The University of London. He is an associate member of The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Ms. Katy Yung
Managing Partner
SFi
Katy is Managing Partner of Sustainable Finance Initiative (SFi), a platform for Impact Investors and Experts “Where Capital Meets Purpose”. She leads the strategic direction of SFi with a vision to mainstream Impact Investing in Asia via the group’s key areas of focus: SFi Circle (memberships), SFi Hub (unlocking capital) and SFi Education (training and upskilling).
Katy has served as Director of Investment at RS Group, a HK-based family office focused on sustainability since 2010. She led the family office’s transition from a traditional investment portfolio to one that is 100% sustainably invested. She remains as consultant to RS Group.
Katy is formerly an investment banker at J.P. Morgan Securities (Asia Pacific) Limited and graduated from Duke University, NC.
Ms. Adeline Tan (moderator)
Wealth Business Leader, Hong Kong
Mercer
Adeline leads Mercer’s Wealth business in Hong Kong and is a Partner of the firm. She has 20+ years of consulting experience advising clients on pension governance, investment strategy and implementation. She joined Mercer in Hong Kong, after 12 years with Watson Wyatt (now Willis Towers Watson) in the UK.
Adeline serves a broad client base including corporations, wealth managers and public funds, and leads the team in covering the pension and investment needs of clients in Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Philippines. She is a voting member of the Asia Wealth Governance Committee and the Asia Asset Allocation Oversight Committee at Mercer. Beyond the firm, she volunteers as a member of the Finance and Investment Practice Board of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, and is a member of the FTSE Russell Asia Pacific Regional Equity Advisory Committee. She is frequent speaker at conference and events on subjects ranging from asset class specialties, sustainable investments and pensions.
Adeline is a graduate of the Business School at the University of Warwick and is a Fellow of the UK Institute of Actuaries.
PANEL 2: Navigating ESG Investing - Bridging Perspectives Across the Value Chain
Mr. Alexander Chan
Head of ESG Client Strategy Asia Pacific
Invesco
Alexander is Invesco’s Head of ESG Client Strategy Asia Pacific based in Hong Kong. He works with investment and product teams to identify investment opportunities in ESG and contributes to building ESG strategies and industry initiatives in the region. He also serves as a co-chair of HKGFA’s Sustainability-related Disclosures, Policy & Standards Working Group. Prior to joining Invesco, he was the Co-Director of Asia real estate developer Nan Fung Group’s The Mills Fabrica, a global innovation & sustainability platform focused on ESG & impact investing in consumer industries. Previously, he also worked for Hillhouse Capital, Bain & Company’s financial investors & private equity group and UK Cabinet Office’s Social Investment team.
Alexander holds a BEng from University of Hong Kong, a MPP from University of Oxford and a Masters of global affairs from Tsinghua University, where he was a Schwarzman Scholar. He holds a CFA Institute Certificate in ESG Investing and EFFAS Certified ESG Analyst® (CESGA).
Ms. Jessica Chan
Head of Sustainability
MTR Corporation Limited
Jessica is the Head of Sustainability of MTR Corporation responsible for formulating sustainability strategies and driving sustainability initiatives for the company. She has formulated a long-term decarbonization roadmap and science-based carbon reduction targets for MTR, as well as developed a set of key performance indicators to gauge and drive the company’s sustainability performance. She also provides technical support for the issuance of green bonds by the company.
Jessica is a seasoned sustainability professional with over 25 years of experience in environmental and corporate sustainability with diverse expertise in sustainability strategies and policies, sustainability communications and disclosure, regulatory compliance, and emerging sustainability issues. She is a member of various international and local sustainability-related committees including UITP’s Sustainable Development Committee, WEF’s Community of ESG Practitioners, and HKGCC’s Environment & Sustainability Committee. She is a member of the Programme Advisory Committee of a sustainability-related MSc programme offered by The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She has been a member of the Board of Examiners of HKMA’s Hong Kong Sustainability Award since 2021.
Ms. Karen Ho
APAC Head of Sustainable Finance Regulations & Integration, Market Specialist
Bloomberg L.P.
Karen leads the market strategy and contributes to the development of Bloomberg’s Sustainable Finance solutions in APAC. Specialized in sustainable finance regulations and investment integration strategy, she helps customers to navigate Bloomberg’s comprehensive suite of ESG solutions, including data, scores, estimates, analytics, news, research, index, risk management and regulatory reporting solutions.
Karen represents Bloomberg in multiple industry working groups, including Green and Sustainable Finance Cross-Agency Steering Group since 2022, SFC’s Climate Change Technical Expert Group in 2020 in Hong Kong, and is an observer for the Australian Sustainable Finance Institute Taxonomy Technical Expert Group since 2023.
Throughout her tenure at Bloomberg, Karen led various equity research and ESG data teams in Hong Kong and London for over 10 years. Prior to her current role, she was the Senior Relationship Manager for asset owners and asset managers in Hong Kong.
Karen has a Bachelor degree in Business Administration from the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology and is an EFFAS Certified ESG Analyst (CESGA)®, with assurance and auditing experiences in EY and PwC.
Ms. Elaine Ng
Associate Director, International Affairs & Sustainable Finance
Securities and Futures Commission
Elaine joined the International Affairs and Sustainable Finance team at the CEO’s Office of Securities and Futures Commission in June 2020.
Prior to joining the Commission, Elaine spent over 8 years at MSCI Hong Kong and has a total of 20 years in financial services with private sector firms. Throughout her career, she has focused on investment risk management, taking on roles ranging from product development, client consulting and client implementation. In 2015, she crossed over into the then greenfield of ESG to drive MSCI ESG Research’s business development efforts across Asia ex-Japan.
Elaine is an alumnus of both Singapore Management University (M.Sc. Applied Finance) and National University of Singapore (B.Eng. Chemical).
Mr. David von Eiff, PhD (moderator)
Director, Global Industry Standards
CFA Institute
David von Eiff joined CFA Institute in 2021 as a sustainability specialist. He has a combined 13 years of experience in environmental compliance, research, and sustainability.
David obtained his Doctor of Philosophy at the City University of Hong Kong and his Master of Science in Environmental Economics and Public Policy at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. His main research areas address the economic, sustainability and climate change issues associated with water supply management decisions.
He previously spent 8 years as regulatory specialist in Environmental, Health & Safety Management Systems, having clients across a wide range of industries to improve their environmental programs and identified methods by which they could make their operations more sustainable, including process redesign, water and energy conservation, and developing environmental management systems.
PANEL 3: Actionable Insights - Putting Theory in Practice
Dr. Jacky Tang
Chief Investment Officer, Portfolio Management Group
Goldman Sachs
Jacky is the Chief Investment Officer of the Portfolio Management Group, and co-head of the Investment Strategy Group for Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management (PWM) in Asia Pacific. He is responsible for centralized discretionary portfolio management for ultra-high net worth and institutional clients across Asia Pacific. He is also responsible for advising clients on strategic asset allocation and tactical investment strategies. He has served as co-chair of the PWM Content Council and PWM champion for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Network in Asia Pacific since 2017. Previously, he spent two years as a macro strategist in the Investment Strategy Group, covering Asia Pacific economics and macro strategy. He joined Goldman Sachs as an executive director in 2012 and was named managing director in 2019.
Prior to joining the firm, Jacky worked at Credit Suisse, where he was head of Greater China Equity Research. Prior to that, he was head of Hong Kong Equity Strategy at Merrill Lynch. Earlier in his career, he worked as an investment strategist at Brevan Howard Asset Management, managing an emerging markets hedge fund. He has served as an adjunct professor for the University of Hong Kong’s faculty of Business and Economics and has led a number of workshops in multi-asset investing, behavioral finance, sustainable finance, financial markets, asset allocation and portfolio management. He earned a PhD in Economics from the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and a master’s degree in sustainability leadership from the University of Cambridge.
Mr. Jeffrey Tse, CFA
Senior Director, Portfolio Manager
Multi Asset Group
Barings
Jeffrey is an Investment Manager in Barings’ Multi Asset Group. He joined Barings in July 2021 and is responsible for managing a range of Barings’ multi-asset strategies in Asia. He serves as the Chair of the Barings Equity Research Group and is a voting member of the Macroeconomic Research Group.
Prior to joining Barings, Jeffrey spent five years as a Portfolio Manager at Morgan Stanley, where he managed global multi-asset and fixed income discretionary strategies. He was also part of the Morgan Stanley Discretionary Portfolio Approval Committee, overseeing portfolio construction, risk management, and duration management. Before that, he worked as an analyst at HSBC Investment Banking Division, focusing on M&A and capital markets transactions in Asia ex-Japan.
Jeffrey holds a Master’s in Aeronautical Engineering from Imperial College London and is fluent in Cantonese, English, and Mandarin. He is a CFA charterholder.
Dr. Xiaofan Yu, CESGA
Index Investing Portfolio Manager
DWS Group
Dr. Yu is an Index Investing Portfolio Manager, primarily responsible for developing the passive investment platform (Xtrackers) and managing institutional mandates in the APAC region for DWS Group. Prior to that, he was a Senior Data Scientist responsible for developing DWS’s ESG investment methodology and its implementation across the globe. In addition to his current role, he teaches quantitative investment analysis and data-driven sustainable investing in two renowned German universities in Frankfurt am Main.
Dr. Yu holds a doctorate degree in Economics from Frankfurt School of Finance & Management in Germany. He has published several academic papers on economic development in international peer-reviewed journals, along with various books in the field of finance in Germany and China.
Mr. Tim Chan, CFA (moderator)
Vice Chair, Continuing Education Committee
CFA Society Hong Kong
Tim is an executive director and the Head of Sustainability Research (Asia Pacific ex Japan) at a bulge bracket investment bank. He heads the ESG pillar under the Continuing Education Committee of CFA Society Hong Kong.
Previously, Tim was a senior ESG analyst at Manulife Investment Management where he led the ESG integration, research and engagement efforts in North Asia. Before that, he worked as an advisory manager at Ernst & Young within their climate change and sustainability services team.
Tim holds a bachelor of science in molecular biotechnology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a master of science in environmental management from the University of Hong Kong. He is also a CFA charterholder, a chartered environmentalist and an EFFAS certified ESG analyst. He currently sits in the Advisory Board for Division of Environment and Sustainability, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).
Closing Remarks
Mr. Richard Mak, CFA
Immediate Past President
CFA Society Hong Kong
Richard Mak has been the Head of Product and Business Management – Asia of Pictet Wealth Management since January 2020. He is responsible for the product development and business risk management of the Asia Investment Platform. He joined Pictet in 2011 to lead the Asia Advisory Team providing investment advice to high net-worth investors. Prior to joining Pictet, he was Head of Advisory-Asia at BNP Paribas Wealth Management. He has more than 30 years’ experience in the finance industry, including 17 years in equity investments, and he has been advising private clients on global investments since 2003.
Richard is the Immediate Past President of CFA Society Hong Kong and served as the President from 2003 to 2005 and 2021 to 2022. He was the President Council Representative of the Asia Pacific Region of CFA Institute between 2004 and 2008. He received the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award from CFA Institute.
Richard has been a CFA charterholder since 1993 and achieved the CFA Certificate in ESG investing in 2022. He holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences from the University of Hong Kong.
