HONG KONG, Dec 17, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - In light of the
ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 14th Asian Financial Forum (AFF)
will be held virtually on 18 and 19 January 2021. Under the theme
"Reshaping the World Economic Landscape", the forum will examine
the challenges at hand and strategise the road to recovery and
beyond with more than 150 influential global financial experts,
policymakers, business leaders, economists, investors and
entrepreneurs.
|
Paul Romer, 2018 Nobel
Laureate for Economic Sciences and policy entrepreneur, will speak
at the keynote session on the first day of the forum. |
The most pressing issues of the day will be addressed round the
clock during AFF 2021, including the post-pandemic recovery,
sustainable development, responsible and impact investment,
fintech, 5G, entrepreneurship and venture investment, and asset and
wealth management. Moreover, the AFF's virtual platform will offer
comprehensive business showcasing, networking and matchmaking
services, including the Fintech Showcase, FintechHK Startup Salon,
AFF Deal Flow Matchmaking Session, InnoVenture Salon and Global
Investment Zone, providing interactive connections between global
investors, project owners and start-up enterprises.
Valuable insights from Nobel Laureate economist
The keynote speaker on the first day will be Paul Romer, 2018 Nobel
Laureate for Economic Sciences and policy entrepreneur, who
previously served as Chief Economist at the World Bank and is
currently University Professor in Economics at the University of
New York. He was the co-recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in
Economic Sciences in 2018 for his work "integrating technological
innovations into long-run macroeconomic analysis", which integrated
ideas and innovation into economic models for the first time,
making clear the societal benefits possible when people join
together and collaborate in new ways. Prof Romer will analyse the
current state of the global economy and posit the path towards a
new and sustainable growth engine.
Tech trailblazers discuss business innovation and investment
Innovation and technology are fundamentally impacting the financial
industry and will be a key focus at the AFF. Alexis Ohanian,
Co-founder of Reddit and Seven Seven Six, and Luc Julia, Co-creator
of Siri, Apple's virtual assistant, will share their insights on
innovation, technology and investment on the second day.
Mr Ohanian and fellow co-founder Steven Huffman started the
entertainment and social news aggregation website Reddit, which is
the third most-visited website in the United States and ranks sixth
in the world. In 2016, he co-founded Initialized Capital with Garry
Tan, an early-stage venture capital unicorn that now has over
US$500 million under management and a portfolio with a market value
of $36 billion. Mr Julia, in addition to being the co-creator of
Siri, was also Chief Technology Officer at HP, Chief Technology
Officer and Senior Vice President at Samsung and has co-founded a
number of start-ups in Silicon Valley. He has been recognised as
one of the top 100 most influential French developers in the
digital world.
To help worldwide business leaders keep abreast of and capitalise
on the latest developments, and to enhance their competitiveness,
the AFF will spotlight a broad range of topics related to
innovation and technology, including central bank digital
currencies, blockchain, regulatory technology (regtech), the
development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area,
financial inclusion, investment technology and cyber security.
Financial heavyweights assess global economic prospects
Pandemic-induced disruptions, coupled with various geopolitical
issues, have destabilised the global economy. Influential global
financial policymakers and business leaders will take part in more
than 50 panel sessions and fireside chats to analyse the latest
trends and market developments, including Stephen A Schwarzman,
Chairman, CEO and Co-founder of the Blackstone Group; Jean
Lemierre, Chairman of BNP Paribas; Philippe Brassac, CEO of Credit
Agricole SA; Urs Rohner, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Credit
Suisse Group AG; Mark E Tucker, Group Chairman of HSBC Holdings
plc; Howard Davies, Chairman of the NatWest Group; Jose Vinals,
Group Chairman of Standard Chartered plc; Wong Kan-seng, Chairman
of United Overseas Bank Limited; and Zhang Lei, Founder, Chairman
and CEO, Hillhouse Capital Management Group.
The pandemic has also intensified interest in sustainable
investment and environmental, social and governance (ESG)
integration among global investors. Experts such as Vineet Rai,
Founder and Chairman of Aavishkaar Group; Jennifer Pryce, President
and CEO of Calvert Impact Capital; George H Walker, Chairman and
CEO of Neuberger Berman Group; Jean Raby, CEO of Natixis Investment
Managers International; and Amy Lo, Chairman, Executive Committee
of the Private Wealth Management Association and Head and Chief
Executive of UBS Hong Kong Branch, will examine evolving demands
and solutions.
AFF 2021 will also inaugurate the series "Dialogues for Tomorrow"
to survey the impact of COVID-19 on, and the outlook for, various
sectors such as banking, insurance, fintech, energy, healthcare,
food and agriculture and big tech.
Online showcase for latest innovations and investment
opportunities
Co-organised by the HKTDC and the Hong Kong Venture Private Equity
Association, the AFF Deal Flow Matchmaking Session will return in a
virtual format to arrange more than 700 one-on-one meetings between
worldwide investors and project owners representing opportunities
from a wide range of sectors, including Internet of Things (IoT),
digital technology, healthtech, fintech, education, environment and
energy, food and agriculture, infrastructure and real estate.
Moreover, the Fintech Showcase, FintechHK Startup Salon,
InnoVenture Salon and Global Investment Zone will present the
latest trends in financial innovation, next-generation business
ideas and investment opportunities across regions and sectors from
more than 100 local and overseas international financial
institutions, technology enterprises, start-ups and investment
agencies such as Standard Chartered plc, HSBC Holdings plc,
Cyberport, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks, PAO Bank and
Airwallex.
The InnoVenture Salon will continue to empower worldwide start-up
enterprises by building connections with international investors,
potential business partners and financial regulators. It will also
present the inaugural "AFF Accelerate", an open innovation
challenge jointly organised by the HKTDC, 500 Startups and FWD
Group. The challenge will invite global fintech and insurtech
innovators to devise tomorrow's business solutions for the global
insurance industry, particularly in areas such as agent
recruitment, lead generation and payments.
As Asia's premier forum for the global financial and business
community, the Asian Financial Forum will help participants
establish connections and explore investment opportunities with
worldwide counterparts at the beginning of the new year.
Participants who register on or before 31 December 2020 can enjoy
an early bird discount, while registration arrangements for media
representatives will be announced in early January.
Websites
- Asian Financial Forum:
https://www.asianfinancialforum.com/aff/en/
- AFF programme:
https://www.asianfinancialforum.com/aff/en/s/programme
- AFF speakers:
https://www.asianfinancialforum.com/aff/en/speaker/main
- Photo download: https://bit.ly/2KC3nOv
Members of the media interested in interviewing speakers at the
Asian Financial Forum can email to clayton.y.lauw@hktdc.org on or
before 12 January 2021.
About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body
established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's
trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China,
the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and
business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions,
conferences and business missions to create business opportunities
for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also
provides up-to-date market insights and product information via
trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For
more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on
Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.
Media enquiries
Please contact the HKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs
Department:
Angel Tang, Tel: +852 2584 4544, Email: angel.hc.tang@hktdc.org
Sam Ho, Tel: +852 2584 4569, Email: sam.sy.ho@hktdc.org
Source: HKTDC
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