Speakers and panellists

Keynote speaker

Professor K C CHAN

Professor K C CHAN

Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China

Professor Chan, 57, was Dean of Business and Management in the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) before he was appointed Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury in July 2007. Prior to joining the HKUST Business School in 1993, Professor Chan had spent nine years teaching at Ohio State University in the United States.

Professor Chan received his bachelor's degree in economics from Wesleyan University and his M.B.A. and Ph.D. in finance from the University of Chicago. He specialised in assets pricing, evaluation of trading strategies and market efficiency and has published numerous articles on these topics.

Before joining the Government, Professor Chan held a number of public service positions including Chairman of the Consumer Council, Director of the Hong Kong Futures Exchange, and Member of the Commission on Strategic Development, Commission on Poverty, the Exchange Fund Advisory Committee, the Hang Seng Index Advisory Committee, and the Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation. He was former President of the Asian Finance Association and President of Association of Asia Pacific Business Schools.


Speakers

(Biographies are arranged according to the sequence of the programme sessions)
Professor CHENG Kwok Hon, Leonard

Professor CHENG Kwok Hon, Leonard

Chairman of the Investor Education Centre and President of Lingnan University

Professor Cheng is Chairman of the Investor Education Centre, a Non-Executive Director of the Securities and Futures Commission, a member of the Competition Commission and Economic Development Commission of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and President of Lingnan University in Hong Kong.

Prior to joining Lingnan University, Professor Cheng was Dean of the School of Business and Management of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology from 2009 to 2013. He has published papers in many leading academic journals in economics, and served as an associate editor of the Journal of International Economics and Pacific Economic Review.

Mr David KNEEBONE

Mr David KNEEBONE

General Manager
Investor Education Centre

David Kneebone is General Manager and Executive Committee member of the Investor Education Centre. Prior to taking up the role of General Manager at the Investor Education Centre, Mr Kneebone worked for eight years at the Commission for Financial Literacy and Retirement Income (CFLRI) in New Zealand. From 2010, Mr Kneebone was the Executive Director of the CFLRI. He has managed a wide range of programmes including workplace financial education, community pilots and the Sorted programme, which features an award winning website that over one third of the NZ population has used to manage their money. Internationally, Mr Kneebone is actively involved in sharing his experiences and insights on retirement income issues and financial education. He is a member of various OECD and IOSCO committees focused on developing financial literacy initiatives and research. His background experience includes marketing, advertising, telecommunications and banking.

Mr Olaf SIMONSE

Mr Olaf SIMONSE

Ministry of Finance
The Netherlands

Olaf Simonse leads the Money Wise Platform and – in this role – is responsible for executing the National Strategy for Financial Education in the Netherlands.

The Money Wise Platform was initiated by the Ministry of Finance in order to coordinate financial education efforts. In the platform, partners from the financial sector, government, public information and consumer organisations, and the field of science pool their resources to advance responsible financial behavior of consumers. Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands is Honorary Chair of the Money Wise platform.

The Money Wise Platform launched the revised edition of the National Strategy for Financial Education in 2014. The following five strategic starting points plot the course of the platform's programmes, activities and projects for the next five years:

  • Advancing responsible financial behaviour in the Netherlands is the key focus area.
  • Focusing on specific life events and related target groups.
  • More impact by pooling strengths.
  • More impact through professional development.
  • More impact through innovation

The pooling of strengths is done in joint projects and programmes, such as the National Money Week, the Pension3day, research and a consumer website that guides consumers in issues related to their personal financial situation.

Mr WAN Chi Yiu, Andrew

Mr WAN Chi Yiu, Andrew

Chief Financial Officer and Senior Director (Corporate Affairs)
Securities and Futures Commission, and
Executive Committee Member
Investor Education Centre

As the Chief Financial Officer and Senior Director (Corporate Affairs) of Securities and Futures Commission, Mr Wan oversees the function of finance and administration, information technology, corporate planning, human resources and external relations; and is responsible for driving and executing corporate strategies of the Commission in improving its business capability and effectiveness.

Mr Wan possesses over 25 years of financial and business experience through working at leading professional firms and serving as chief financial officer of listed companies in Hong Kong and Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a MBA. He is a member of Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants and a Certified Public Accountant (Practising) in Hong Kong.

Mr CHAN Tze Ching, Ignatius

Mr CHAN Tze Ching, Ignatius

Senior Advisor
The Bank of East Asia, and
Executive Committee Member
Investor Education Centre

As a veteran banker, Mr Chan started his career with Citibank in Hong Kong in 1980. Before his retirement from Citibank in 2007, he had held various senior management positions in Asia Pacific, including Country Officer for Hong Kong, Country Officer for Taiwan and Head of Corporate and Investment Banking for Greater China.

Mr Chan currently is Senior Advisor to The Bank of East Asia Limited and CVC Capital Partners. He is also actively involved in community and public services, serving as member of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service, Hong Kong Red Cross Council and Deputy Chairman of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Mr Chan also sits on the Boards of several public listed companies including the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited.

Ms CHU Lap Kiu, Carmen

Ms CHU Lap Kiu, Carmen

Executive Director (Banking Conduct)
Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and
Executive Committee Member
Investor Education Centre

Carmen Chu is responsible for the supervision and development of business conduct of authorised institutions, licensing matters, financial consumer education, and oversight of financial market infrastructures. She joined the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) in 1994 as a Manager Trainee, and has taken up different responsibilities in the HKMA, including research and monetary operations. She was seconded to the World Bank Office in Beijing from 1998 to 1999. Since then she has mainly been involved in international and regional financial cooperation initiatives as well as renminbi business development in Hong Kong. She was appointed as Executive Director (External) in April 2010 and took up her current position in September 2014.

Dr YOONG Su-Yin, Joanne

Dr YOONG Su-Yin, Joanne

Senior Economist of the University of Southern California's Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR) and
Director of CESR's US East Coast office and Assistant Professor of the National University of Singapore's Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health

Joanne Yoong is a Senior Economist at the University of Southern California's Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR), and Director of CESR's US East Coast office. She also holds appointments as Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore's Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, honorary Senior Lectureship at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and adjunct Economist at the RAND Corporation. Dr Yoong is an investigator on multiple studies related to social and economic development, particularly in Africa, South Asia and vulnerable populations in the US, and is the lead author of a Toolkit for the Evaluation of Financial Capability Programs in Low and Middle Income Countries recently published by the World Bank. Her research has been supported by the World Bank Group, the US National Institutes of Health, the UK Department for International Development, the OECD, the US Department of Labor, the US Social Security Administration and the US Department of the Treasury. Dr Yoong obtained a PhD in Economics from Stanford University and an AB in Economics summa cum laude from Princeton, with a minor in Applied and Computational Mathematics. Prior to attending Stanford, she worked as an analyst at Goldman Sachs in New York and London.

Mr LEE Sha Lun, Sheridan

Mr LEE Sha Lun, Sheridan

Principal Education Officer (Curriculum Development)
Education Bureau
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, and
Executive Committee Member
Investor Education Centre

Mr Lee is Principal Education Officer (Curriculum Development) of the Education Bureau in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Mr Lee joined the government in 1984 as a school inspector. Over the years, he has been in leading positions covering English language education, curriculum development, educational television, quality assurance as well as the certification and professional development of teachers and principals. Mr Lee is currently the Chairman of the School Management Committee of three government schools. He is committed to bringing about the betterment of education in Hong Kong.

Ms KWOK Lai Yin, Jeanette

Ms KWOK Lai Yin, Jeanette

Senior Manager
Investor Education Centre

Ms Jeanette Kwok is responsible for corporate communications, website and interactive tool development, research and strategy planning work at the Investor Education Centre to improve financial capability for the general public in Hong Kong.

Prior to joining the IEC in 2013, Ms Kwok was Senior Vice-President at HSBC to lead strategies for corporate sustainability communications, branding, stakeholder engagement, research, diversity and inclusion as well as community investment flagship programmes. Internationally, her communications management work in corporate sustainability and website development won acclaim as good practices in the industry. She also led corporate stakeholder dialogue on sustainability in Hong Kong and coordinated global consumer research project “HSBC Climate Confidence Monitor” revealing global trends and implications for roles to be taken by governments, businesses, NGOs and individuals worldwide. She had also participated in cross-sectoral think tank in Hong Kong to inspire actions on climate change.

Before joining the financial industry, Ms Kwok was a journalist and producer of NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation in charge of the programmes relating to the transfer of sovereignty in Hong Kong and Macau SAR.

Mr Damian YIP

Mr Damian YIP

Senior Manager
Investor Education Centre

Damian joined the Investor Education Centre in 2013 where he oversees the financial literacy education programmes targeted at specific groups within the community which includes the work with schools and collaboration with external stakeholders. Prior to joining IEC his work in the education sector includes being the director for higher education at Kaplan and the director for the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), overseeing the financial education programmes in Hong Kong.

Damian is currently a member of the Curriculum Development Council - HKEAA Committee on Business, Accounting and Financial Studies and a Steering Committee member of the Financial Literacy and Employability Programme for Marginalised Women at The Women's Foundation. He has also been a member of various academic committees at the Hong Kong University, School of Professional and Continuing Education (HKU SPACE). Damian graduated with a Masters degree in Engineering and Management from the University of Birmingham and holds a MBA from the University Strathclyde Business School.

Ms LAM Yuk Wah, Christine

Ms LAM Yuk Wah, Christine

Country Business Manager
Citibank Global Consumer Banking

Ms Christine Lam is the Country Business Manager, Citibank Global Consumer Banking, Hong Kong.

In her role as Country Business Manager, Christine heads the consumer banking business of Citibank in Hong Kong and Macau, and is responsible for the growth and development of Citibank's consumer banking operations for the two markets, covering business segments including retail banking, wealth management, mortgage, insurance, credit cards and consumer lending.

Christine joined Citi in 1983 as a Management Associate and since then has held numerous and diverse management positions in Hong Kong, Canada and Asia Pacific regional roles. Prior to assuming her current position, Christine was the Deputy Country Business Manager and Head of Retail Banking for the Global Consumer in Hong Kong. Prior to that, she was the Operations and technology Head for the Citi Hong Kong franchise.

In the early 1990s, she spearheaded Citi's securities services business ventures in the China B-Share market before she moved on to run the Citi Transaction Services business in Hong Kong

Christine spent 10 years in the regional management office running CitiService and Quality for the Corporate and Investment Bank in Asia Pacific at one point. She subsequently became the Chief of Staff to the regional CEO of the Corporate and Investment Bank and was Chief Operating Officer for Asia Pacific Corporate Banking and Commercial Banking for five years.

Christine holds an LL.B. (Hons) degree from the University of Leeds.

Diocesan Girls' School

Diocesan Girls' School, a local grammar school with an international outlook, was founded in 1860 by the Anglican (Episcopalian) Church to provide an excellent all-round secondary education for girls in Hong Kong. The School is governed by the Council of the Diocesan Girls' School, a group comprised of capable administrators who ensure that the school is well-managed and that it adheres to the School Mission. Having run as a grant-aided school since it was founded; the School commenced operation in the Direct Subsidy Scheme mode starting with Secondary One classes in September 2005.

Building on a legacy of distinction, it is the school's mission to serve as a model for effective teaching and learning in a dynamic educational environment where students achieve their maximum potential and gain a love of lifelong learning, and teachers excel in pedagogy, stimulating young minds and encouraging them to extend excellence beyond the classroom.

Mr CHENG Yan-Chee

Mr CHENG Yan-Chee

Chief Corporate Affairs Officer and Executive Director
Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority, and
Executive Committee Member
Investor Education Centre

Mr Cheng joined the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) in April 2013 as Chief Corporate Affairs Officer and Executive Director. He oversees the corporate affairs and development functions of the MPFA, covering the work of the Corporate Services, Information Technology and External Affairs Divisions as well as the Liaison Unit.

Mr Cheng has rich experience in public administration. He was a member of the Administrative Service of the Hong Kong Government from 1986 to 2013, serving as Administrative Officer up to Deputy Secretary in various government bureaux and departments on different areas of work including financial services, education, information technology services and welfare.

Mr CHIU Siu Po, Steve

Mr CHIU Siu Po, Steve

Former Chairman
Institute of Financial Planners of Hong Kong

Steve has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry and extensive knowledge of wealth management products. He is currently Vice President, Investment Funds, of Manulife (International) Limited, responsible for the wealth management business. Before joining Manulife Steve was Managing Director of Bosera Asset Management (International) and AIA Wealth Management, and also Head of Retail Business, Asia ex Japan of Invesco Asset Management. Between 1991 and 2006 Steve was Associate Director of HSBC Asset Management and Senior Manager Investment Services of HSBC Retail Bank.

Steve graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a B.Sc. degree. In 1995 he also attained Master of Business Administration degree from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He was awarded qualifications of Chartered Financial Analyst in 1999 and being a CFP (Hong Kong and China) 2001 and 2011 respectively.

Ms KO Yuk Kwai, Cecilia

Ms KO Yuk Kwai, Cecilia

Deputy General Manager
Investor Education Centre

As the Deputy General Manager of the Investor Education Centre, Ms Ko oversees the financial education campaigns and programmes delivered through the mass media. She possesses over 20 years of financial communication experience through working at Hang Seng Bank on corporate communications as well as investor relations and at the Securities and Futures Commission on investor education prior to the establishment of the IEC. Prior to joining the financial industry, Ms Ko worked for Hong Kong Trade Development Council and was a financial journalist at the South China Morning Post and Hong Kong Economic Journal. With an academic qualification of communication, she holds a Master Degree of International and Public Affairs from The University of Hong Kong. She is a member of the Treasury Markets Association and a Steering Committee member of the Hong Kong Public Relations Professionals' Association.

Mr CHAN Sun Hung

Mr CHAN Sun Hung

Acting Assistant Commissioner of Insurance (Policy and Development)
Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, and
Executive Committee Member
Investor Education Centre

Mr Chan has joined the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) for over 20 years and is now Acting Assistant Commissioner of Insurance of the Policy and Development Division. Mr Chan has been involved in the supervision of Hong Kong's insurance companies, both life and non-life, in different positions of OCI. The scope of his experience has spanned all aspects of insurance regulation, including prudential supervision of insurers, formulation and promulgation of regulatory policies on the insurance industry, as well as liaison with international and Mainland regulatory authorities.