From Pilot to Planet Impact – Scaling AI Sustainability Projects Without Massive Investment

Jacqueline Chong is AWS’s Specialist for AI Innovation & Adoption in Hong Kong. She is accountable for end-to-end delivery of enterprise AI adoption programs — from C-suite alignment and commercial scoping through to production deployment and sustained organizational capability. Her Hong Kong track record spans 200+ executive engagements, 10,000+ professionals activated, 63 validated use cases, and US$5.9M+ in quantified customer value across Financial Services, Enterprise, and Technology.

Jacqueline has been in the tech industry for over 15 years, playing the roles of corporate communications, digital marketer, startup co-founder, UX consultant, and AI strategist for enterprises. Her diverse background allows her to understand and serve customers’ interests and needs from different perspectives. She has delivered 500+ teaching contact hours across six Hong Kong tertiary institutions — including PolyU, HKU SPACE, Central Saint Martins, HKDI, and Hang Seng University — and runs workshops on design thinking, innovation methodologies, and AI adoption, which when combined with Amazon’s Working Backwards mechanisms serve as a powerful tool to open up executive dialogs about strategic AI transformation.

Prior to her current role, Jacqueline led AWS’s Digital Innovation Program for Hong Kong, where she analyzed 46+ engagements to isolate the drivers of production conversion and redesigned the engagement model around them — lifting success rates to 80–100% on engagements meeting the optimized formula. Before AWS, she served as Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Marketing Officer for over a decade at Green Tomato Limited, one of Hong Kong’s leading innovation consultancies, scaling the group from 30 to 400 people. In 2011, she co-founded TalkBox, a mobile app with over 13 million users that pioneered hold-to-talk voice messaging. She received her Master’s degree in Creative and Media Enterprises (with Distinction) from the University of Warwick and is currently pursuing an MSc in Health Informatics at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Jacqueline holds the AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate and AWS Certified AI Practitioner certifications, and is an IBM Enterprise Design Thinking Practitioner. She is also an ICSD certified ESG planner and a member of the AWS Environmental Sustainability Technical Field Community.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

Upskilling Hong Kong professionals on the intersection of AI, cloud, and ESG.

Key Results:

1. Deliver sustainability-focused workshops at Hong Kong tertiary institutions with AI-for-sustainability curriculum
2. Activate professionals through sustainability + AI training programs
3. Contribute knowledge assets to AWS Environmental Sustainability Technical Field based on Hong Kong market insights

Eric Chau is an accomplished Information Technology professional with over 15 years of experience in digital transformation, consultancy, and business development. He holds a Sustainable Investing Certificate from the CFA Institute and a Global ESG Investing Certificate from HKMA Global. Currently serving as an Enterprise Partner Success Manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS), Eric excels in bridging business and IT strategies, leveraging his expertise in cloud services, data analytics, and AI/ML. Eric has successfully supported Digital Platform projects for smart building digitalization, utilizing AWS’s renowned AI and cloud technology services. His strong analytical skills and ability to translate enterprise requirements into service-oriented business models have positioned him as a trusted advisor among vendors, partners and clients. His dedication to guiding clients in adopting new technologies sets him apart as a thought leader in the industry.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

1. Enhance Energy Efficiency in Local Communities: Eric aims to implement innovative energy efficiency programs that reduce energy consumption in local businesses and community facilities. This will involve collaboration with local stakeholders to identify the best practices and technologies that promote sustainable energy use.
2. Promote Decarbonization Initiatives: Eric seeks to drive a community-wide decarbonization initiative that targets carbon emissions reduction within the local area. This goal will focus on encouraging the adoption of renewable energy sources, and supporting low-carbon technology advancements.

Stephen Lee is the Director, Strategic Deals at NCS, where he looks after major clients in the transportation sector in Hong Kong.

Stephen has deep experience in IT consulting and commercial operations with strong entrepreneurial capabilities. He has managed IT transformation projects with teams of over 100 people and demonstrates solid change management abilities. With his cross-industry knowledge in business operations and senior management relationships, he has a proven track record of successful major consulting engagements in the region.

Prior to joining NCS, Stephen worked at Accenture, where he led a regional team of over 50 people in North Asia. He holds a Bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering from The University of Hong Kong and an MBA from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Gene Soo is Head of Ecosystem at MTR Corporation’s Global Innovation Department, where he supports innovation initiatives across Hong Kong and MTR’s international operations. His work focuses on turning ideas into practical pilots, with a growing emphasis on applying AI and automation to support MTR’s people in their everyday work, improve urban mobility, and enhance the commuter experience.

Much of Gene’s recent work centres on driving AI adoption and everyday use at MTR. He builds AI agents and tools for real operational challenges, from smarter staff canteen menus to sharing knowledge across business units. He also champions ShiftChat, a platform that connects and coordinates frontline and shift-based workers. Gene favours working pilots over presentations, testing where AI genuinely adds value before scaling it, and helping colleagues get comfortable using the tools themselves.

Gene is personally committed to environmental sustainability and is an active recycler. He regularly uses MTR’s Carbon Wallet and Hong Kong’s Green@Community network to reduce waste and support circular practices in daily life.

Prior to joining MTR, Gene brought Citymapper to Hong Kong and co-founded StartupsHK, contributing to the city’s growing tech and startup community. He holds a BS and MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA from Columbia University.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

Make sustainability the invisible default
I hope to see smart technology and AI woven so deeply into everyday life that the low-carbon, low-waste option quietly becomes the default in how we move, work, and consume, rather than something people have to actively choose.

Make the greener choice the easier choice
I want people gently nudged toward sustainable habits through good design, digital incentives, and rewards, so recycling, low-carbon travel, and circular consumption feel effortless and even a little rewarding, rather than a chore.

Make sustainability inclusive, not just corporate
I hope to see innovation break down silos and open opportunity across the public, private, and civic sectors, so progress on sustainability is community-driven and inclusive, leaving no one behind.