HONG KONG’S BEST ATTENDED AND MOST AMBITIOUS BUSINESS EVENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT #OnlyWayForward

People & Purpose Theatre

People & Purpose Theatre

Day 1 – Thursday 12 Sept AM

 

Rethinking Shared Value is an interactive learning experience presented by Shared Value Initiative Hong Kong. Participants will deepen their understanding of shared value, a business strategy that reinvents value creation and aligns profit and purpose. We will explore how social and environmental impact can drive financial value, and how partnerships across private, public, and civil sectors play a key role in creating shared value. Get ready to challenge business as usual and unlock new possibilities for changemakers across sectors to amplify their impact.

In partnership with

11:00 – 11:05

Opening Welcome: Rethinking Shared Value

11:00 – 11:05

Speakers

Virginie Ostrowski

Shared Value Initiative Hong Kong

Chief Executive Officer

Virginie has dedicated her career to purpose-driven organisations, fostering collaboration between corporations, government, and civil society to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.

Originally a journalist, Virginie turned to communications to leverage her professional skills in addressing society’s needs. From e-health to sustainable development, she helped raise awareness and drive change on critical issues as a Communications and Marketing professional. Before joining SVIHK, she played a pivotal role in fostering a shared value cluster that brings together academics, public bodies, and private companies to spearhead sustainability initiatives in transport and energy infrastructure.

Passionate about impact and innovation, Virginie brings her strategic and operational expertise to Shared Value Initiative.

Supported by

11:05 – 11:55

Beyond Boundaries: Catalysing Cross-Sector Collaboration for Sustainable Change

11:05 – 11:55

This session aims to delve into the emerging trends of sustainable partnerships and collaborative innovation in the corporate world. It will provide insights into the importance of cross-sector collaboration, the benefits of unlikely partnerships, and the role of individuals in driving sustainable change.

Learnings:

  • What is the importance of sustainable partnerships in addressing sustainability challenges?
  • What are some examples of unlikely partnerships between local NGOs and MNCs in the context of sustainability?
  • How can non-profits, grassroots social enterprises, startups and big companies cross-fertilise to ensure effective collaborations?

Post-event Actions:

  • Know better and engage with your company’s stakeholders – the community within you operate; the organisations who intersects with your business.
  • Foster a culture of curiosity and openness to allow partnerships beyond the usual company’s ecosystem
  • Connect with organisations or platforms that nurture a vivid ecosystem of partners

Speakers

Jenny Leung

World Kitchen Club

Co-Founder

Jenny Leung started to offer cultural tourism in Mexico in 2009 and is now the co-founder of a global culinary cultural-sharing platform – World Kitchen Club. The company offers live, global food & beverage events and virtual food tours, featuring chefs and mixologists, to foodies from all over the world. World Kitchen Club was founded for foodies during the 2020 at-home lockdowns. It currently advances Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by hosting educational food workshops for NGOs, corporates, schools and universities.

She embraces and delivers on sustainability. She has been a voluntary “Development Director” for the NGO “The Hummingfish Foundation”. Together, with the late founder Daniel Groshong, they used their creativity and relentless effort to help the people at Timor-Leste maintain sustainable well-being without damaging the environment. She also works on spreading the SDGs message through TEDx talks, SDG programs, and interactive sustainable culinary experiences. She is now a lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and external advisor for Hong Kong Metropolitan University.

My Sustainability Goals for 2024:

  • Increase social awareness of SDG 12 (Responsible Production and Consumption) in Hong Kong.
  • Promote diversity and inclusion through the exchange of culinary cultures globally, in support of SDG 5: Gender Equality and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

Matt Friedman

The Mekong Club

CEO/The Mekong Club

Matt Friedman is an international human trafficking expert with more than 30 years’ experience. He is CEO of The Mekong Club, an organization of Hong Kong’s leading businesses which have joined forces to help end all forms of modern slavery. Mr. Friedman previously worked for USAID and the United Nations in over 40 countries. Mr. Friedman offers technical advice to numerous governments, banks and corporations working to eliminate all forms of modern slavery and is the author of fifteen books. In 2017, Mr. Friedman won Asia’s prestigious “Communicator of the Year” Gold Award.

Andy Russell

JEB Group

Group Strategy & Growth Director

Strategic Growth & Sustainability Advocate

Having spent 25 years in the office furniture industry in the United Kingdom, Andy has recently joined the team at JEB Group, where he will based at the head office in Hong Kong office.

Andy is a passionate advocate for transformative change in the office interiors sector, consistently developing business strategies that align purpose with profits. Whilst his expertise primarily revolves around commercial furniture projects – delivering some of the UK’s flagship installations – he has also pioneered innovative solutions to promote sustainability within the built environment.

Andy developed a bespoke SaaS platform that tracked embodied carbon and its movement, whilst establishing a comprehensive circular furniture recycling facility that housed over 20000 items of second-hand office furniture. These initiatives were designed to simplify the adoption of circular practices, providing meaningful data insights to customers and highlighting the positive impacts of choosing circularity over traditional linear procurement models.

In addition to his professional achievements, Andy holds executive certifications in Business Sustainability Management from the University of Cambridge and Strategic Leadership from INSEAD.

My Sustainability Goals for 2024:

  • Circularity – Emphasise design for disassembly and the principles of the circular economy through keeping products and materials in use and regenerating natural systems.
  • Fostering a culture of sustainability – Education is at the heart of sustainable change. Increase exposure to climate related topics across the built environment sector so that we can shift mindsets to thinking differently about decisions we make.
  • Improve waste management – with a focus on circularity, reuse. We need to make a ‘circular shift’ to focusing on reusing products and materials. Identifying what we really need at the outset, with regard to, what we already have.

Johnny Wei

OCBC

Head, Wholesale Banking, OCBC Hong Kong

Johnny Wei is the Head of Wholesale Banking for OCBC Hong Kong, overseeing the Bank’s corporate and commercial banking as well as financial institutions business franchise.
In 2016, Johnny joined OCBC Bank as Head of Corporate Banking. Following the management integration of OCBC Hong Kong Branch and OCBC Wing Hang Bank in 2021, Johnny was appointed as Head of Wholesale Banking for OCBC Hong Kong; and has further expanded his role as General Manager of OCBC Hong Kong Branch and Alternate Chief Executive Officer of OCBC Hong Kong in 2023.
A seasoned banker with over 30 years of experience in the financial industry, Johnny’s career includes a spell of over 20 years with Standard Chartered Bank; holding various senior positions including Managing Director & Head of Commercial Clients.
Johnny holds an MBA degree from Monash University, Australia, and a Bachelor of Social Science degree (majored in Economics) from University of Hong Kong and is a CPA Australia.
My Sustainability Goals for 2024:
For greater collaboration in Hong Kong to allow much needed capital to help sectors most in need with their transition to a sustainable low-carbon world.

 

Natalie Wu

Hongkong Land

Head of Corporate Social Responsibility

Natalie Wu has joined Hongkong Land Limited since 2020. As the Head of Corporate Social Responisbility, she is responsible for the development and implementation of the Company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy and policy.

A seasoned CSR practitioner, Ms Wu has more than 25 years’ experience in managing CSR and communications functions at multinational firms in the APAC region. Prior to joining the Company, she was APAC Head of Global Inclusion and Corporate Citizenship at State Street, overseeing grantmaking, volunteering and community sponsorship programmes. Before then, she held senior positions in UBS’s Community Affairs team and at AIA where she managed the company’s corporate communications function and charitable foundation.

Supported by

With thanks to

11:55 – 12:45

CSV Showcase: Unlocking the Power of Shared Value

11:55 – 12:45

Are you eager to align profit with purpose, but you don’t know where to start? Wondering how to mobilise your organisation and overcome roadblocks to turn your ideas into concrete impact? Join us for an enlightening session where business case presenters unveil the behind-the-scenes from initiatives that have successfully embraced shared value principles in Hong Kong. This is your chance to gain practical knowledge and inspiration from real-life examples of the transformative power of shared value. Join us as we explore innovative strategies and approaches that empower you to make a lasting difference.

Learnings:

  • What are the key factors that enable shared value success?
  • What are the challenges on the shared value journey and how to overcome those?

Post-event Actions:

  • Be able to identify and seize opportunities at the intersection of your business expertise and user needs
  • Articulate the business case, and craft compelling pilot programs
  • Learn the art of building strong and collaborative partner networks that ensure sustainability and long-term impact

Speakers

Virginie Ostrowski

Shared Value Initiative Hong Kong

Chief Executive Officer

Virginie has dedicated her career to purpose-driven organisations, fostering collaboration between corporations, government, and civil society to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.

Originally a journalist, Virginie turned to communications to leverage her professional skills in addressing society’s needs. From e-health to sustainable development, she helped raise awareness and drive change on critical issues as a Communications and Marketing professional. Before joining SVIHK, she played a pivotal role in fostering a shared value cluster that brings together academics, public bodies, and private companies to spearhead sustainability initiatives in transport and energy infrastructure.

Passionate about impact and innovation, Virginie brings her strategic and operational expertise to Shared Value Initiative.

Francois-Xavier Guiot

HSBC

Head of Strategic Growth, Collaboration, and Sustainability

Francois-Xavier is Head of Strategic Growth, Collaboration, and Sustainability for HSBC Wealth and Personal Banking in Hong Kong. He is driving the ESG ambition in HK, which is to partner and equip with the local communities to create a sustainable impact.

My Sustainability Goals for 2024:

To raise customer awareness on the sustainability agenda and to help them to understand their sustainability impacts.

Amy Lam

HACTL

Chief Sustainability Officer

Amy has worked at Jardine Matheson Group companies for more than 30 years; she has held a variety of senior finance positions, mainly in the logistics sector. Amy Lam joined Hactl in 2015 as its Finance Director, and was promoted to Chief Financial Officer and an Executive Director in September 2021. After stepping down from these roles at the end of 2023, Amy was appointed Chief Sustainability Officer from January 2024, in which role she continues to head the company’s sustainability drive.

Hactl is a world-renowned cargo handling agent. Based in the single largest cargo handling facility in the world, the company is Hong Kong’s foremost independent handler – providing service to 100 of the world’s best-known airlines together with over 1000 of their freight agent customers.

Hactl is an acknowledged global leader in the handling sector, noted for driving excellence, best practice and innovation. It employs more than 2,000 staff.

Amy is a CPA in Hong Kong, a fellow member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (UK), and a non-practising member of the Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Emily Li

Nan Fung Group

Manager – Sustainability and Shared Value, SEWIT Department

Emily drives corporate sustainability, communications strategies and implementations for Nan Fung Group. She advocates for Creating Shared Value (CSV) in the Group’s business lines.

Prior to joining Nan Fung Group, she was Assistant Manager, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability at The Coca-Cola Company. She supported corporate sustainability strategies and plans; led policy responses and executed engagement programs with partners, NGOs, industry leaders and other stakeholders to deliver sustainability goals.

From tackling the single-use plastics crisis to achieving net-zero, Emily has a passion for working with cross-industry players to embed corporate sustainability in the core of the business and contribute to the community.

My Sustainability Goals for 2024:

– Driving meaningful impact with tenants through the Group’s tenant-landlord engagement initiative Net Positive Lease

– Formulating “Sustainability as-a-service” model to our tenants and community partners

– Connecting with like-minded industry players to continuously exchange new ideas and collaborations

Mei Sze Tsang

TMS.SITE Limited

CEO & Founder

Mei Sze, an entrepreneur and performance wear designer from Hong Kong, founded TMS.SITE in 2021. Growing up in a blue-collar family with her father working in construction, she deeply understands the challenges faced by the heavy duty workers.

TMS.SITE is a human-centered business that improves workers’ lives by providing high-performance, sustainable workwear designed for hot conditions. Their globally available products have been tested and proven effective.

Mei Sze earned her menswear MA from the prestigious Royal College of Art and has researched PPE and workwear markets in China and the UK since 2016. She is internationally recognized for her work on workers’ safety and has been interviewed by IOSH, WWD, Vogue Business, Hypebeast and others.

Since 2023, Mei Sze’s team has conducted interviews and created videos featuring Hong Kong industrial workers, showcasing their diverse stories. These interviews have gained more than 270,000 views, turning TMS.SITE into a platform representing Hong Kong’s workforce.

Through innovative designs and a strong commitment to sustainability, Mei Sze is leading a workwear industry revolution while empowering workers worldwide.

My Sustainability Goals for 2024:

Here are two key changes I would hope to see in Hong Kong:
Sustainability:

Goal: Implement a Circular PPE Economy One change I would hope to see is the implementation of a circular PPE economy in Hong Kong. This would involve:
Establishing PPE take-back and refurbishment programs to enable the reuse and recycling of PPE materials.

Collaborating with manufacturers to design PPE products that are easily disassembled, repaired, and recycled at the end of their useful life.
Investing in the necessary collection and processing infrastructure to effectively recover and reprocess PPE waste.

Incentivizing the use of recycled and renewable materials in the production of new PPE.
Educating workers on proper PPE care, maintenance, and responsible disposal to support the circular economy.

By transitioning to a circular PPE economy, Hong Kong can significantly reduce waste, conserve resources, and minimize the environmental impact of PPE throughout its lifecycle.

Inclusive Workwear to Empower Workers:
Goal: Develop Ergonomic and Inclusive PPE Designs Another change I would hope to see is the development of ergonomic and inclusive PPE designs that empower workers. This would involve:
Conducting comprehensive user needs assessments to understand the unique requirements, preferences, and pain points of diverse workers across industries.

Incorporating ergonomic design principles to create PPE that is lightweight, comfortable, and minimizes fatigue and strain on the human body.
Providing adjustable features, modular components, and customization options to accommodate individual differences in physical characteristics and abilities.
Involving workers with disabilities and underrepresented groups in the design process to ensure their needs are adequately addressed.

Establishing inclusive design guidelines and evaluation criteria to ensure PPE designs are accessible and promote equitable access.

By prioritizing the development of ergonomic and inclusive PPE, Hong Kong can empower all workers, regardless of their physical characteristics or abilities, to work safely and comfortably, thereby enhancing their overall well-being and productivity.

Supported by

With thanks to

12:45 – 13:35

Reality Check: Exploring the Practical Side of Sustainability

12:45 – 13:35

Sustainably leading an organisation or a project requires a delicate balance: it entails aligning financial viability with ecological and social stewardship, while harmonising today’s needs with tomorrow’s imperatives. Success hinges on the deep comprehension of our roles—what they entail and how we should fulfill them. In this session, our speakers explore the practical side of sustainability and demonstrate how the actual experience of sustainability differs from official linear stories.

Learnings:

  • How can embracing the power of purpose convert vision into tangible outcomes and align teams across the company?
  • What are the systems thinking approach, and how does it contribute to a deeper understanding of the interdependencies and trade-offs involved in sustainability decision-making?

Post-event Actions:

  • Transform corporate purpose into a sustainability key driver
  • Create a culture fostering a sustainability mindset
  • Change the perspective from cost to opportunity by adopting a shared value strategy

Speakers

Ada Yip

Second Stage

Botanist

Ada is currently a Project Principal at Second Stage, a newly formed social venture building company which invests financial and human capital in early stage companies with specific intention to make a positive impact to society and communities. She is also one of the Founding Directors of WYNG 43 Social Investment. Ada acted as CEO in one of its invested companies, Urban Spring, from 2015- 2022. She is a Certified ESG Analyst under EFFAs. Beyond her day job, her volunteer roles include being the co-chair of the board of Social Value International (a UK registered charity), one of a leading global network that pioneers in establishing impact measurement standards and trainings and a board member of Social Value Hong Kong (formerly The Hong Kong Institute of Social Impact Analysts), as well as a member of the Advisory Committee on Enhancing Employment of People with Disabilities under the Social Welfare Department of the Hong Kong Government. Prior to the above engagements, she was the Programme Director of the i2i (incubation to investment) program at SOW Asia. In her early career, Ada worked at a number of international financial institutions in Toronto, Tokyo, and Hong Kong with regional management responsibilities for over 15 years.

My Sustainability Goals for 2024:

Invest in 3 impact businesses and worked closely with them to scale their business model

David Bishop

HKU Business School

Associate Professor of Teaching

Mr. Bishop is a Principal Lecturer at the University of Hong Kong and the International MBA Program at Fudan University, Shanghai. He has broad legal experience in the United States and across Asia, particularly China. Mr. Bishop has worked on major real estate, private equity, financing, and M&A deals, and participated in numerous negotiations in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. He has also acted as outside counsel in connection with various corporate, technology, life sciences and commercial matters for MNCs operating in Asia.

In addition to a robust private legal experience, Mr. Bishop focuses significant time on activities and programs providing direct benefit to the community. He consults companies about their ethics, CSR, pro bono, and social entrepreneurship initiatives, and is founder and director of multiple non-profit companies. He and his students are constantly looking for commercial solutions to complex societal problems.

Mr. Bishop adopts a multicultural approach to teaching, aiming to broaden the students’ perspectives and help them to apply complex analysis to real-world legal, ethical, and business problems.

Mr. Bishop won the Outstanding Teacher Award for his postgraduate teaching for the 2011-2012 academic year.

Wilson Chan

UNIFi3D

Digital customer success lead

I currently serve as the Digital Customer Success Lead at Unifi3d, where I play a pivotal role in driving digital transformation for various fashion brands. With a focus on sustainability and efficiency, I support clients in integrating cutting-edge digital workflows that enhance operational performance and reduce environmental impact.

With over 25 years of extensive experience in the fashion industry, I bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise across multiple facets of the garment sector. I have held significant roles in renowned fashion brands, garment factories, textile mills, and trading companies, providing me with a comprehensive understanding of the industry’s intricacies.

Ada Ng

Rosewood Hong Kong

Director of Social Impact

Driven by a profound sense of purpose, Ada strives to inspire, enrich, and positively impact both people and the planet. As the Director of Social Impact at Rosewood Hong Kong, Ada is deeply committed to empowering individuals across the hotel’s entire ecosystem and embracing a sustainability approach that puts circular hospitality at the core of the business.

Ada builds strategic partnerships with the government, local communities, and diverse stakeholders to optimize the scale and impact of Rosewood’s multifaceted social impact initiatives. These programs span opportunity employment, inclusive hiring, sustainable sourcing, and environmental efforts under the Rosewood Empowers and Rosewood Sustains pillars.

Prior to joining Rosewood, Ada held social impact roles at Microsoft, CLP Power, AIA International, and Samsung Electronics, amassing over 15 years of experience in stakeholder engagement and cross-sector collaboration. She has worked extensively with the government, academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations to drive meaningful change.

Ada holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science (Psychology) from the University of Hong Kong and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from The University of Adelaide. She is also a part-time instructor at the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where she shares her expertise and passion for sustainable business practices.

Denise Wong

Barclays PLC

Managing Director, Co-Head of Sustainable Banking Group – Asia Pacific

Denise Wong is a Managing Director and co-head of the Sustainable Banking Group – Asia Pacific at Barclays based in Hong Kong. In this capacity, she focuses on understanding and supporting clients on their sustainability journey, providing holistic and strategic advice as they navigate the transition to a low carbon economy.

Denise has over 20 years of finance experience, most of which has been with Barclays in Hong Kong and New York. She was most recently a venture partner at a Silicon Valley-based venture capital fund and chief financial officer at one of Asia’s emerging alternative protein companies. Prior to that, Denise was with Barclays for 12 years, her last position being Head of Consumer & Retail, Asia Pacific ex-Japan Investment Banking.

Denise is a passionate advocate and champion for sustainability, diversity and inclusion, social entrepreneurship, and citizenship. She serves as senior sponsor for the Reach and Environmental networks at Barclays, held board and senior advisory positions at non-profit organisations and social enterprises, and spearheaded numerous successful shared value collaborations between corporates and NGOs in Hong Kong. Denise also volunteered her time as a mentor for Unreasonable Impact, Hong Kong University’s Lead for Life Character Leadership Programme, and Hong Kong University’s Entrepreneur Society.

Denise graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics.

Supported by

With thanks to

Day 1 – Thursday 12 Sept PM

 

In today’s business world, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has power far beyond buzzwords. In addition to being the right thing to do from a moral perspective, there is also a compelling business case for launching DEI programmes in our workplace.

Key discussions in Rethinking Workforce Transformation will address DEI as a business and communication strategy, and why creating a culture of respect and belonging in which all employees feel empowered to contribute their best will only serve to benefit our organisations in the long term.

We will also explore the sustainability skills gap as it relates to competence greenwashing.

In partnership with

14:35 – 14:40

Opening Welcome: Rethinking Workforce Transformation

14:35 – 14:40

Speakers

Jeremy Sheldon

The British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong

Chair

Jeremy Sheldon, FRICS, HKIS (Managing Director, Leasing and Client Partnerships, APAC, JLL)
Jeremy has been at JLL for 34 years, starting in HK in 1990, before which he was based in the UK from 1986, with a former company. He is presently in charge of Office Leasing, transaction management and Client partnerships for APAC. He sits on the APAC board, the global IT SteerCo, and the Global Leasing Executive.
Over that time he has worked in various different roles, from Tenant representation in HK, then through APAC, to becoming the Business Development Director for all corporate clients, and then moving to NYC to start an International BD function in 2006 working for the global CEO. In 2009, he moved back to HK. He is responsible for Office Leasing and corporate client management for APAC, reporting to the APAC CEO. He has been focused on a series of business transformation initiatives that have included: Data Center leasing, a single APAC operating platform and Database system for the 14 country region, different operating leasing structures in India, China and SEA as well as sponsoring various standalone technology roll-outs.

In addition to his role as the Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, former Chair of the RE committee, he is also an ex-officio member of the HK Association Committee, a former RICS examination member, a non-executive board member of a HK design company and sits on a variety of HK based business forums. He is just starting to mentor tech companies as part of the HKSTPI mentor program.

Supported by

14:40 – 15:30

Creating a Safer and More Inclusive Working Environment

14:40 – 15:30

This panel aims to unpack strategies for creating safety and inclusivity in the workplace, addressing key challenges and sharing actionable insights. Our expert speakers will discuss the importance of diverse representation, equitable policies, and proactive measures to mitigate discrimination and harassment. Attendees will gain practical guidance on cultivating a culture of respect and support within their organisations.

 

Speakers

Kirti Lad

Meraki Executive Search & Consulting

Founder & Executive Director

Kirti is Founder and Executive Director of Meraki Executive Search & Consulting Limited.
Meraki has a very clear strategy and purpose, to increase and improve female participation in the workforce at the most senior levels.

Kirti’s expertise is in leadership hiring and development of both Non-Executives and Executives across the Asia Pacific region. Kirti is a Physics & Chemistry graduate from University College London and has worked in Executive Search and Leadership Consulting for over 20 years.
Kirti is the pioneer behind the Women’s Directorship Programme, a joint-venture with The University of Hong Kong Business School. Kirti also leads the Meraki Network, an Executive Women’s network in the region, is a regular speaker and contributor to conferences and media relating to gender diversity in Asia and is an active member of the Women in Business Committee at the British Chamber in Hong Kong.
Kirti was named as one of the Global Top 50 Diversity Professionals in Industry by the Economist Magazine over multiple years and awarded AmCham’s Women of Influence, Champion for Women award in 2024.
Kirti is the mother to two amazing children who have also found their purpose at such a young age by representing HK at the Children’s General Assembly in Billund.

My Sustainability Goals for 2024:

Hong Kong has an opportunity to lead in Asia in terms of Women on Boards. The HKEX is the only exchange in the world to mandate the removal of all male boards.

HK issuers who choose to hire more than the required one female INED will benefit significantly from the amazing and diverse female talents we have in Hong Kong. In the UK for example, “one and done” appointment of female INED’s had a negligible impact on company performance. In the UK, companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15% more likely to outperform their industry peers. This research also evidenced that average employee productivity growth is higher for companies that employ three or more women at board level, compared to those that have just a single female director or none at all.

This demonstrates companies with greater female representation at board level are not only able to generate higher levels of productivity and profits, as measured by returns on equity, but also higher dividend payouts to investors. Perfect reason to hire more women on boards.

Donna Buckland

Prudential plc

Senior Director, Sustainability

Donna is Senior Director, Sustainability Strategy & Operation, having appointed on 1 April 2024. Donna is part of the Prudential plc’s Sustainability team where her key responsibilities include strategic transformation of the Group’s sustainability priorities.

With over 20 years of experience, Donna joined Prudential in 2014 with focus on transformation & governance. Since 2022, she serves as a Member of the Board and Audit Committee Member for Prudential Laos.

Prior to joining Prudential, she spent over a decade in various finance management positions in major Australasian financial service companies. Donna is a Chartered Accountant where she is the Vice Chair for Hong Kong Council of Chartered Accountant Australia & New Zealand, and also Co-Chair of its ESG Committee. She is also the Strategy Chair for UNESCO Hong Kong Association GPC since 2019 and appointed as a member of the Business Advisory committee for Hong Kong Baptist University in 2022.

Donna holds a Global MBA from the University of Manchester and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Auckland and University of Otago. She received further executive education from the Oxford Saïd Business School and Cambridge Judge Business School.

Sonal Chugani

Cathay Pacific

Diversity & Inclusion Lead

Sonal Chugani is the Diversity and Inclusion Lead at Cathay Pacific. She is responsible for creating and managing Cathay’s overall Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) strategy, framework, processes and programs with the aim to build a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. Before joining Cathay Pacific, she was the Group Diversity & Inclusion Manager at John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Limited. She is a passionate advocate for D&I attending and speaking at various conferences and events. Prior to entering the field, Sonal worked in strategy and change management at major global retailers, and in marketing and business development in the legal industry.

 

Ulrike Klemm

JLL

Head of Transaction Management, Hong Kong | DEI Chair, Hong Kong | Work Dynamics Geo Chair, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan

Ulrike is a part of JLL’s APAC Transaction Management Leadership in Asia Pacific. She is based in Hong Kong, leading a growing team of Transaction Managers. She focuses on service quality to all JLL’s TM clients in Hong Kong, development of each team member and new client relationships.

She also chairs JLL’s Work Dynamics Geo Hong Kong, Korea, and Taiwan, working closely with the Executive team to define and deliver geo-specific strategic growth priorities and champion local product and marketing strategies.

Ulrike has in depth experience with large MNC’s across Asia, Pacific, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. She understands the corporate organization and how to manage both internal and external stakeholders to achieve their real estate goals. She has worked to create robust and efficient process and build integrated and highly motivated teams.

Throughout her career, Ulrike has successfully managed many types and levels of complexity of portfolios, strategies, and transactions. She also has successfully led Portfolio Optimization programs with ambitious glidepath savings for her clients and has participated in M&A and Divestiture programs across 3 continents.

My Sustainability Goals for 2024:

  • Reduce single use plastics in personal life/ situations
  • Use public transportation as often as possible
  • Pass on unused clothes

David Lee

University of Hong Kong Business School

Associate Professor

David S. Lee is an award-winning teacher at HKU Business School active in the areas of ethics, fintech, leadership, and corporate governance.

Prior to joining HKU, David worked in finance and also has experience as a lawyer, in consulting, and working with entrepreneurial ventures. He routinely engages, advises, and works with global organizations, start-ups, and government entities. He is currently engaged in a variety of book and research projects, and his commentary and writing regularly appear in a variety of publications, including the Harvard Business Review.

David earned his J.D. from UCLA School of Law, master’s degrees from the London School of Economics and Political Science and Harvard University, completed post-graduate training at Cambridge, and his B.A. from Brigham Young University.

My Sustainability Goals for 2024:

  • Meaningful goals and clear, effective policies related to waste management, recycling, and reuse policies
  • Greater commitment to decarbonization, especially in the area of green transport, and overall improvements to more efficient and community friendly transportation management

Supported by

With thanks to

15:30 – 16:20

Competence Greenwashing: Contributing to Today’s Workforce Skills Gap

15:30 – 16:20

According to a Reuters study in 2022, the number of Chief Sustainability Officers has more than tripled since 2021. And here in APAC, the number of green jobs has risen by over 30% in the last five years. Unfortunately, the skills and personnel needed to do these key jobs has not kept pace with demand, and we are experiencing global shortage of ESG talent and skills available globally to deliver on the green transition needed. This is leading to more executive playing up their knowledge, skills and experience on ESG and sustainability, a practice coined as “competence greenwashing.

Learnings:

  • Why competence greenwashing is a problem.
  • Which industries are fudging ESG skills?
  • What skills and competencies do people working in ESG need?
  • What is the future of ESG talent in Asia and in Hong Kong?

Speakers

Ivo Spreeuwenberg

The British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong

Vice Chair ESG Committee

Ivo is currently Vice-Chair of the ESG Committee at the British Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Sustainable Living Environment Committee at the Business Environment Council. He leads the development of corporate strategy at CLP Group in Hong Kong, reporting to the Chief Strategy, Sustainability and Governance Officer.

Ivo comes to the topic of ESG through his over 20 years of experience in the energy industry and passion for helping drive the transition to net-zero carbon emissions, which has led to roles across the UK, Europe, US and Hong Kong.

He is a Chartered Engineer and holds a Masters degree in Power Systems Engineering and Economics.

My Sustainability Goals for 2024:

1) Continued progress towards the city’s 2035 decarbonisation targets
2) An acceleration of the city’s recovery as a destination for international talent (incl. ESG talent)
3) Progress on approach to waste and recycling

Paddy Balfour

Acre

Managing Director, APAC

Paddy has spent 20 years in the executive search and recruitment sectors with experience of working across multiple markets in the APAC region. At Acre he has overall responsibility for the growth of APAC business. He has relationships across the finance and commercial sectors, and has a specific focus on sustainable and impact investment. This includes working with banks, insurers, pension funds, investment managers, private debt, equity & real asset funds, family offices and foundations.

The changes I would hope to see in Hong Kong for 2024-2025 include:

1. Enhancing corporate governance for sustainability by ensuring that at least 70% of major corporations in Hong Kong adopt comprehensive sustainability reporting and set clear goals for 2025.
2. Investing in people and talent to embed sustainability into every business function, driving impactful change and equipping businesses with the knowledge and skills needed to transform their operations.
3. Reducing carbon emissions by implementing stringent policies around the use of renewable energy sources by promoting energy efficiency in buildings and supporting the transition to electric vehicles.

Haily Chan

Swire Pacific

Manager, Sustainable Development

Haily has extensive experience in the field of corporate sustainability, including disclosures, strategy development, and stakeholder engagement. At Swire, she advises on key policies and developments related to sustainability and supports the implementation of the Group’s sustainability strategy, SwireTHRIVE, with a focus on managing water and supply chain impacts. She also manages the Group’s capacity building programmes and engagement strategy to further embed sustainability within the business.

My sustainability goals for 2024:

Enhance organisational sustainability fluency and literacy in support of SwireTHRIVE objectives.

Mark Cheung

Network of Environmental Student Societies

Co-Founder

Mark is a recent graduate from the University of Hong Kong and now leverages his knowledge and experience as a sustainability analyst. Beyond the corporate world, he served as a youth delegate at various UN conferences, participated in an Antarctica Climate Change expedition, and currently holds the position of UN Asia Pacific Youth Advisor on Environmental and Climate Justice.

He co-founded NESS, a youth-led climate organization focused on raising awareness and building capacity for climate action. Through NESS, Mark hopes to empower youth to become advocates for sustainability and foster young changemakers in our community.

My Sustainability Goals for 2024:

I hope to bridge the gap between youth and companies in the green job market amidst the rising demand for green talents and to raise youth awareness with my experience through impact-driven initiatives, sharing, and more.

Celina Kwong

LinkedIn

Account Director & GoGreen Lead

Celina is an Account Director at LinkedIn with over a decade of experience consulting businesses in Hong Kong on talent planning, attraction, and development strategies. Three years ago, she took on the role of LinkedIn Hong Kong’s GoGreen Lead, sparking her passion for sustainability.

Drawing on her experience as LinkedIn’s internal sustainability advocate and utilizing the platform’s data and insights on the Green Skills and Economy, Celina is committed to expanding LinkedIn’s impact on creating a more sustainable and equitable future for both the environment and the workforce. She is particularly focused on driving conversations around the development of green skills, emphasizing the importance of professional and corporate capabilities in the transition towards a green economy.

My Sustainability Goals for 2024:

1. I hope to see “Sustainability” deeply integrated into all aspects of business operations, creating a ripple effect of Green-Related job opportunities across various levels and functions.

2.Employers to prioritize upskilling their workforce, not only in Sustainability principles but also in acquiring new skills essential for adapting to the evolving job requirements in the transition to a green economy.

3. An expanded perception and definition of “Green Jobs” to encompass a wider range of roles and industries, fostering a more inclusive and diverse workforce in sustainability efforts.

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