The 2021 HKMA Annual Conference was successfully held on 9 November 2021 at the JW Marriott Hotel with close to 2,000 participants joining physically and online. The Conference brought together prominent business leaders who shared with participants their invaluable insight under the theme of “New Competitive Edge to Accelerate Growth”. The Launching Ceremony of the HKMA Global Centre for ESG Education and Research as well as the HKMA Institute of Advanced Management Development Professors of Practice Presentation Ceremony also took place during the Conference.

Dr YK Pang, GBS JP Chairman of the HKMA and Deputy Managing Direct or of Jardine Matheson Ltd , said in his welcoming address that, ‘We now live in an era of risk and instability. Globalization, new technologies, geopolitical tensions, and the pandemic have combined to upend the business environment. The COVID 19 outbreak has not only led to a global health crisis and deep economic recession but also has created a climate of profound uncertainty about the future. The priorities for recovery and revival are the building blocks of a transformation towards new economic systems that combine “productivity”, “people” and “planet” targets’.

Dr Jacob Kam, Chairman of HKMA Annual Conference Organizing Committee and Chief Executive Officer of MTR Corporation Limited said in his opening remarks that, “I hope you will have a fruitful day and will develop some good ideas on how to be more adaptive, creative and resilient when dealing with complexity, uncertainty and changes, and of course on the New Competitive Edge to Accelerate Growth in this challenging time”.

Mr Peter Wong, Advis ory Board Chairman of the HKMA Global Centre for ESG Education and Research and Deputy Managing Director of The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited, pointed out during his speech at the Launching Ceremony of the Centre that, “As the designated green finance centre for the Greater Bay Area under the Outline Development Plan set by the Central Government, the city is at a tipping point with a pressing need to enhance its capacity and expertise in the field of ESG. Against this background, the HKMA Global Centre for ESG Education & Research is timely established with an aim to serve as a focal point for the much needed capacity building, experience sharing and research that would help deepen the pool of specialized talent and capabilities in Hong Kong and equip businesses of all sizes with the necessary resources to start and accelerate their own ESG journeys”.

HKMA Institute of Advanced Management Development (AMD) Professors of Practice Presentation Ceremony

Established in 2015, the HKMA Institute of Ad vanced Management Development (AMD) offers advanced management programmes for top executive development and management consulting services with a view to making significant contribution to the growth of Hong Kong’s human capital and of the economy locally and regionally. Every year, the AMD confers the title of Professor of Practice to a small number of distinguished individuals who have made significant contribution in fields that are central to the institute’s development strategies so as to recognize their achievement and engage them in supporting the further development of the AMD.

The Ceremony took place before the first Plenary Session with the three new Professors of Practice this year being:

1. Mrs Ayesha Macpherson Lau, BBS, JP, Chairman and Non Exe cutive Director, Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority, and eMPF Platform Company Limited
2. Mr Charles Li, SBS, Founder and Chairman, Micro Connect
3. Dr James E Thompson, GBS, Chairman, Crown Worldwide Group

HKMA Global Centre for ESG Education and Research

The Launching Ceremony of the HKMA Global Centre for ESG Education and Research took place in the conference. The Centre is established with an aim to serve as a focal point for capacity building, experience sharing and research in the field of ESG to help deepen the pool of specialized talent and capabilities in Hong Kong and equip businesses of all sizes with the necessary resources to start and accelerate their own ESG journeys.

Members of the HKMA Global Centre for ESG Education and Research Advisory Board include:

• Mr Peter Wong, Deputy Managing Director and Executive Director, Hong Kong and China Gas Co. Ltd.
• Mr Ricky Cheng, Director and Head of Risk Advisory, BDO Limited
• Professor Jingyan Fu, Director of the Research Institute of Resources, Environment and Sustainable Development, Jinan University
• Mr Brian Ho, Former Partner, Climate Change and Sustainability Services, Ernst & Young
• Professor Andreas Hoepner, Full Professor of Operational Risk, Banking & Finance, Smurfit Graduate Business School, University College Dublin
• Ms Grace Hui, Managing Director, Head of Green and Sustainable Finance, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited
• Professor Walter Leal, Chair of Climate Change Management, The Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
• Dr Victor Lee PhD FRSA, Executive Director, The Hong Kong Management Association
• Ms Mary Leung, Head, Advocacy, Asia Pacific, CFA Institute
• Professor Artie Ng, Academic Dean (Designate) and Centre Director for GC ESG, The Hong Kong Management Association
• Professor Ian Thomson, Director, Lloyds Banking Group Centre for Responsible Business, University of Birmingham
• Mr Pat Nie Woo, Partner, KPMG China
• Dr William Yu, Chief Executive Officer, The World Green Organization

Members of the 2021 Annual Conference Organizing Committee include:

• Dr Jacob Kam, Chief Executive Officer, MTR Corporation Limited
• Mr Edward Au, Managing Partner, Southern Region, Deloitte China
• Ms Amy Cho, CEO, Schroder Investment Management (Hong Kong) Ltd
• Dr Johnny Cheuk, Managing Director, AECOM Asia Company Limited
• Ms Grace Hui, Managing Director, Head of Green and Sustainable Finance, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited
• Mr Wilson Tang, Chief Executive, BOC Group Life Assurance Company Limited
• Mr Peter Wong, Deputy Managing Director and Executive Director, The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited
• Mr Michael Yue, General Manager, Sales & Operations, Google Hong Kong

About The Hong Kong Management Association
The Hong Kong Management Association (HKMA) was established in 1960. As a non-profit making professional organization, its vision is to be the leading professional organization advancing management excellence in Hong Kong and the Region. To nurture human capital through management education and training at all levels, the Association offers over 2,000 training programmes and activities to more than 50,000 participants annually. A diverse range of programmes are provided including Bachelor, Master and Doctoral degrees offered in partnership with prestigious universities worldwide; Diploma programmes; Certificate courses; Distance Learning courses; seminars and workshops; as well as short courses for business executives and professionals. To promote best practices in management, the Association organizes eight annual business awards, which have become the highlights of the business community. The Association also provides around 13,000 members with a platform for the exchange of ideas, networking and personal development.

Issued by The Hong Kong Management Association on 9 November 2021.