Impact Stage

Blind Spots At The Top – Why Homogenous Leadership Fails

11 Sep (Fri) Day 2 : 14:50 – 15:40

How diversity in senior leadership is a business imperative, and how broader perspectives inform boardroom conversations and improve business outcomes.

The panel will include senior female leaders, male allies and diversity champions across business to facilitate a full and holistic discussion of the topic including case studies that illustrate the benefits of diverse leadership.

Session Learnings:

  • The current business landscape and leadership demographics
  • Why homogenous leadership results in failure
  • Where businesses have purposefully diversified their leadership team and the benefits realised.
  • Personal stories, advice and inspiration from the panellists

Post-Event Actions:

  • Take a look at your team and the succession strategy – does your planning allow for more diverse backgrounds, experience and thinking from gender to ethnicity to neurodiversity?
  • Look at the organisations and sources that can enable you on the journey e.g. The Women’s Foundation, Chambers of Commerce.
  • Be informed, and be aware of what is happening in your sector and beyond.

Speakers

Olivia Wong

MTR Corporation

General Manager Environmental & Social Responsibility

Olivia Wong is the General Manager – Environmental & Social Responsibility at MTR Corporation Ltd and is responsible for formulating and implementing clear and effective strategies in achieving MTR’s social and environmental objectives and in championing the corporation’s ESG efforts and commitments.
Prior to joining MTR, Olivia spent her entire professional career with the Swire group in different business units including Cathay Pacific and Swire Properties. Her last role in John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Ltd was the Group Head of Diversity & Inclusion where she developed a coherent diversity and inclusion (“D&I”) strategy and aligned D&I initiatives across the Swire Group.

At Swire Properties Ltd. she was the Director HR & Administration and prior to that she was General Manager – Leadership Development at John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Ltd with responsibility for recruiting and fostering talent for the Swire Group. She started her career in Cathay Pacific and held leadership roles in Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and Europe.

Olivia graduated with a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree from the University of California, Berkeley and has an MBA from the University of Michigan. She is a resolute volunteer with Habitat for Humanity since 2005 and recently stepped down as Chair of Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong after serving on the board for nine years. She continues to serve as a director on Habitat for Humanity International board. She has joined the board of ImpactHK in September 2025.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

My personal hope for Hong Kong in 2026 and beyond is that sustainability becomes understood and practised as an inseparable balance between environmental and social impact. We need to move beyond recognising this relationship in theory, and embed it in the way decisions are made, partnerships are formed, and progress is measured. I also hope Hong Kong will embrace the opportunities of AI responsibly — ensuring this powerful technology accelerates climate and sustainability solutions while helping to build a more equitable society where everyone can benefit. Above all, I hope to see deeper and more genuine partnership across civil society, with government, corporates, educational institutions and NGOs working together with shared purpose to build a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient Hong Kong.

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