Business Sustainability Seminar Series

Speakers: 

CUHK speaker: Carlos Lo, Professor & Head of the Department of Government and Public Administration at the Chinese University of Hong Kong; and Director of the Centre for Business Sustainability at the CUHK Business School

Guest Speaker: Dr Alex Wong, CEO, King’s Flair Group

Date: 25 Aug 2022

Time: 8:30  –  10:00 a.m.

Language: English

Venue: Live virtual via Zoom

Fee: Free Registration. A non-refundable processing fee at HK$100 applies for proof of attendance (issued by the Asia-Pacific Institute of Business, CUHK)

Synopsis:

In the webinar, Prof. Lo will bring you through each of these concepts and their importance to business:

• Introduce the concept and development of “corporate social responsibility” & “ESG” and their relations with business sustainability
• Introduce a framework that assesses CSR performance and decision-making, and helps prepare the company to be “ESG-ready”
• CSR Management in action: Share the insights from the Greater China Business Sustainability Index and best practices
• Case sharing by Dr Alex Wong, CEO of King’s Flair Group – a listed company engaged in the design, development, engineering, and distribution of kitchenware products; an example of how commercial operations and corporate social responsibility can go hand in hand to create a vibrant and sustainable business.

This event is co-hosted by the Asia-Pacific Institute of Business of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School, and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Programme on Social Innovation, operated by the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

BIOGRAPHY

Professor & Head of the Department of Government and Public Administration at the Chinese University of Hong Kong; and Director of the Centre for Business Sustainability at the CUHK Business School

Carlos Wing-Hung Lo is professor in the Department of Government and Public Administration at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He obtained his PhD degree from the Flinders University of South Australia in 1990 and received a doctor of law degree from the Renmin University of China in 2001. He was visiting fellow in the Centre for Asian Studies at the University of California, Berkeley in 1993, and was visiting scholar in the School of Public Administration at the University of Southern California in 1994 and 2008, as well as in the Harvard China Project at the Harvard University and the East West Centre of University of Hawaii in 2008. His main research interests are in the areas of law and government, environmental management, public sector management, and corporate social and environmental responsibility, within the contexts of China and Hong Kong. Recently, Prof. Lo has offered consultant services and organized management training programs for public and business sectors. He is the coauthor of Institutions, Regulatory Styles, Society and Environmental Governance in China and the author of China’s Legal Awakening: Legal Theory and Criminal Justice in Deng’s Era. His works have appeared in leading international academic journals including Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Public Administration Review, Regulation & Governance, Law and Policy, Environment and Planning A, Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, Administration and Society, American Journal of Comparative Law, Journal of Public Policy, World Development, and The China Quarterly.

Dr Alex Wong, CEO, King’s Flair Group

Dr Wong graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He is also the founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of King’s Flair International (Holdings)  Ltd, a company listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, which is engaged in product design and sales of household products. King’s Flair is a One-stop professional service platform. The company has successfully expanded its business to North American, European, and Asian markets and has established long and foundational strategic partnerships with well-known international brands. Dr Wong is not only a wise entrepreneur but also a long-time enthusiastic participant in social welfare activities. Under his leadership, King’s Flair has been supporting various local charitable and public welfare activities in Hong Kong and giving due support to the disadvantaged groups in the spirit of “taking from society and giving back to society” (取諸社會，用諸社會) as a social enterprise. Dr Wong is even more enthusiastic about supporting the educational work of Hong Kong’s secondary and tertiary institutions, including local secondary schools and universities. He is now the permanent honorary Chairman of the PolyU Foundation and the vice chairman of the governance committee. Chairman and member of the Advisory Council of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Wong is also the Chairman of the Management Committee of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Fellows Association and a member of the Advisory Committee of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Speaker: Priya Parrish, ’09, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Strategy and Impact Investor in Residence at UChicago Booth, and Partner & Chief Investment Officer at Impact Engine

Date: 14 July 2022

Time: 8:30  –  10:00 a.m.

Language: English

Venue: Live virtual via Zoom

Synopsis:

What is the social impact of ESG investing? How to manage and measure it, and how to incorporate it into decision-making and incentives?

About this event

ESG Investing: Impact Measurement and Future of the Industry

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations and strategies have catapulted in popularity and importance in recent years. As corporations and investors work to incorporate ESG strategies into their missions and models, a broad understanding of this new and growing area has emerged. Join us for this webinar to learn more about ESG at the investing level.

In this webinar, you will learn about the social impact of ESG investing, how to manage and measure it, and how to incorporate it into decision-making and incentives.

This event is co-hosted by the Asia-Pacific Institute of Business of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School, and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Programme on Social Innovation, operated by the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Priya Parrish, ’09, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Strategy and Impact Investor in Residence at UChicago Booth, and Partner & Chief Investment Officer at Impact Engine

Priya Parrish, ’09, is an adjunct assistant professor of strategy at Chicago Booth and a partner & chief investment officer at Impact Engine, an investment firm managing funds for institutions and individuals that target for-profit, positive impact businesses in private markets. Most recently, she was the chief investment officer at Schwartz Capital Group, a leading single family office investing its capital across public and private markets on a global basis. Previously, she was a senior member of the investment team at Aurora Investment Management, a multi-billion dollar manager of hedge fund portfolios. As an impact investor in residence at Chicago Booth, she teaches, mentors, and supports impact investing programs. She earned an MBA from Chicago Booth and a BS from Babson College.

Speaker: Mr Daniel Wu, President & CEO, CTBC Financial Holding Co., Ltd

Moderator: Prof Darwin Choi, Associate Professor, Department of Finance, CUHK Business School

Date: 30 March 2022

Time: 4:00  –  5:00 p.m.

Speaker presentation: From CSR to ESG: How CTBC is building a sustainable future (Mandarin)

Discussion: Green Finance: Opportunities and Challenges (Mandarin and English)

Language: Mandarin and English

Venue: Live virtual via Zoom

Synopsis:

Organizations are increasingly applying Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations in corporate decision making. Some may use these non-financial factors to assess risks in investment; forward-thinking companies strategize ESG to create long-term value.

In this online seminar, Mr. Daniel Wu, President and CEO of CTBC Financial Holding Co., Ltd will discuss how CTBC integrates ESG into its business strategies, exerts a positive impact on global sustainable development, and promotes a low-carbon economy.  Jointly with Prof. Darwin Choi and Mr. Wu, the webinar will also explore the opportunities and challenges of Green Finance development in the region.

CTBC, ranked fourth in the 1^st Greater China Business Sustainability Index, and ranked first among the 50 Taiwan constituents.  In 2017, it issued Taiwan’s first green bond and became the first in Taiwan to sign on to the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF) in 2020.

Daniel Wu

Daniel Wu is President and CEO of Taiwan CTBC Financial Holding Co., Ltd. (“CTBC Holding”), which has an asset base of US$160BN and over 26,000 employees worldwide. CTBC Holding has eight subsidiaries including CTBC Bank, Taiwan Life Insurance, CTBC Securities, CTBC Venture Capital, CTBC Asset Management, CTBC Investments, CTBC Security and Taiwan Lottery. Daniel also chairs CTBC Holding’s Executive Committee.

Daniel has over 30 years’ experience working in the U.S., Hong Kong, and Taiwan, leading global financial institutions to develop and expand business in Asia. Prior to joining CTBC Holding in 2005, he held many senior roles in the banking industry, including Chief Strategy Officer at Taishin Financial Holding (Taiwan); Head of North Asia, Financial Markets, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (Hong Kong); Head of Greater China, Sales and trading, Goldman Sachs Asia (Hong Kong); and Head of Greater China, Capital Markets, Bankers Trust (Hong Kong). Daniel started his career as Management Associate at Citibank Taiwan.

Daniel has been awarded Asia’s Best CEO (Investor Relations) of Asian Excellence Recognition Awards for five consecutive years since 2012 and was among the Harvard Business Review’s Taiwan Top 50 CEO in 2016. Daniel has served since 2014 the Chairman of Asian Bankers Association (“ABA”), which is a non-profit organization comprised of 100 banks in Asia pacific to promote regional economic and financial collaboration.

Daniel holds a Master degree in Business Administration from the University of
Rochester. He currently resides in Taipei.

Speaker: Mrs KUNG YEUNG Ann Yun Chi, Deputy Chief Executive, Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited

Moderator: Prof. Carlos Lo Wing-Hung, Director, Centre for Business Sustainability, CUHK Business School
Head, Department of Government and Public Administration, CUHK

Date: 11 Jan 2022

Time: 4:00  –  5:00 p.m.

Language: English

Venue: Live virtual via Zoom

Fee: Free Registration. A non-refundable processing fee at HK$100 applies for proof of attendance

Synopsis:

Strengthening business resilience has never been more important for companies as the business environment is increasingly volatile due to the challenges posed by pandemics, climate change, economic fragility, and societal divisions. Responsible business practices, through mitigating social & environmental risks and safeguarding people, help reduce operational disruption and position companies to capture sustainability opportunities.

In this online seminar, Mrs. Kung, Deputy Chief Executive of the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited will discuss how BOCHK maintained business growth in 2020 despite the COVID-19 recession while proactively taking up its social responsibility to support customers, employees, and community, and advancing the development of green finance. She will share valuable insights on how businesses can adapt and support their stakeholders to tackle long-term and short-term environmental and social challenges, and how companies can keep up with changing stakeholder expectations to sustain corporate growth in turbulent times.

BOCHK, ranked second in the 6^th Hong Kong Business Sustainability Index, had demonstrated consistent improvement in its CSR performance over the years and achieved the highest score tier.

Mrs KUNG YEUNG Ann Yun Chi

Deputy Chief Executive, Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited

Mrs KUNG is Deputy Chief Executive of BOC Hong Kong (Holdings) Limited and its subsidiaries (collectively referred as the Group) in charge of Personal Banking and Wealth Management Department, Personal Digital Banking Product Department, Private Banking, BOCCC, Personal Banking Risk and Integrated Management Department as well as BOC Life. She is also Chairman of BOCCC and Director of BOC Insurance (International) Holdings Company Limited and BOC Life. Mrs KUNG joined BOCHK as Head of Channel Management in August 2007. She was appointed as Head of Personal Banking in April 2011, and was promoted to her current role in March 2015. Prior to joining the Group, Mrs KUNG had held various senior positions in Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Mrs KUNG possesses extensive knowledge in personal banking and a strong background in financial services. Mrs KUNG graduated from the University of Southern California in the United States of America where she obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting. In addition to business pursuits, Mrs KUNG plays an active role in the business community and public service in Hong Kong.

Speaker: Pamela Mar

Executive Vice President – Knowledge and Applications, Fung Group

Moderator: Professor Kalok Chan

Wei Lun Professor of Finance,  CUHK Business School

Date: 14 Dec 2021 (Rescheduled)

Time: 4:30  –  5:30 p.m.

Language: English

Venue: CUHK Business School Town Centre (Central)* and Live virtual via Zoom

*Limited seats available on a first come, first served basis

Fee: Free Registration. A processing fee at HK$100 applies for proof of attendance

Synopsis:

Supply chains have rapidly expanded across developing Asia in the past decade as a result of the expansion of trade and access to capital and technology. This ground to a halt as Covid-19 pandemic hit, with lockdowns, shutdown of factories, travel restrictions, labour shortages and now shortages of raw materials, components, and shipping space.  Where does it end?

In this online seminar, Pamela Mar, Executive Vice President – Knowledge and Applications of the Fung Academy will explore the topic of sustainability and supply chains after Covid. She will offer her perspective as a seasoned supply chain practitioner.  What has covid taught us about supply chains in the emerging markets?  How have sustainability priorities changed as a result of covid ? How can supply chains in the emerging markets accelerate progress towards net zero and the circular economy?    

Pamela Mar

Executive Vice President – Knowledge and Applications

Fung Group

Pamela Mar leads the development of knowledge and applications which support the Fung Group’s strategic response to disruption driven by technology, the rise of sustainability, geopolitical risk and the changing nature of consumption. Current explorations include trade finance, sustainable finance and the global supply chain’s evolution after Covid-19.

Prior to her current role, she ran the Academy’s programs that support sustainable, competitive advantage in the supply chains of Fung Group companies, including the use of mobile and IOT technologies, as well as direct supplier training.  Until 2019, she served as the Fung Group Director of Sustainability and was instrumental in growing sustainability beyond compliance and into a competitive advantage for the Group. She was named one of 10 leaders on the Eco-business Sustainability A-List at the end of 2019.  She continues to teach sustainability as an Honorary Visiting Lecturer in the MBA program of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

She was formerly based in Shenzhen as a Director in the Global Finance Center of TCL Multimedia Technology Holdings, and prior to that, in Geneva as the World Economic Forum’s Associate Director for Greater China, where she built the Forum’s key relations with the Chinese government and businesses.

Pamela studied Philosophy and East Asian Studies at Yale University, graduating summa cum laude, and then went on to obtain an M.Sc. in Management with honors from the London School of Economics.

Speaker: Mr Rico Tang

Senior Manager, Fintech Team Lead, Cyberport

Moderator: Professor Kalok Chan

Wei Lun Professor of Finance,  CUHK Business School

Date: 30 Sep 2021

Time: 4:30  –  5:30 p.m.

Language: English

Venue: CUHK Business School Town Centre (Central)* and Live virtual via Zoom

*Limited seats available on a first come, first served basis

Fee: Free Registration. A processing fee at HK$100 applies for proof of attendance

Synopsis:

Fintech is used to be a disruptor and becoming a critical enabler in financial markets. Financial institutions which embrace emerging technology will definitely better achieve sustainability. Cyberport, as a well-established innovative digital community and a FinTech hub of Hong Kong with over 380 Fintech companies, has been advocating FinTech for ESG.

In this fireside chat facilitated by Professor Kalok Chan, Rico Tang from Cyberport will tell the stories of Cyberport Startups about how new and innovative solutions can be generated to facilitate ESG investment and Green Finance. During the talk, Rico will give an overview of the development of FinTech X ESG in Cyberport.  He will then deep dive into technology for the capital market and discuss the challenges that the startups face and their solutions, focusing on ESG investment analytics, ESG credit rating service, and Green Metal Trading Platform.  He will also share knowledge and insights on how data collection and analytics can provide more transparency to support decision making in the capital market.

BIOGRAPHY

Best Practice Of Adopting CSR As A Winning Business Strategy

Speaker: Mr Alfred Chan
Managing Director, The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited (Towngas)
Chairman and Executive Director, Towngas China Company Limited (Towngas China)

Date: 30 August 2021 (Mon)

Time: 4:30  –  5:30 p.m.

Language: English

Venue: Online via Zoom

Fee: Free Registration. A processing fee applies for proof of attendance

Towngas was selected from 200 corporations in Greater China to take the top spot in the Greater China Business Sustainability Index (BSI), as well as first in the Hong Kong BSI for three consecutive years and the Greater Bay Area BSI for two consecutive years. The BSI is published by CUHK Business School’s Centre for Business Sustainability (CBS) which is an annual assessment aiming to provide companies with an objective evaluation of their CSR/ESG practices and provide a comparable benchmark with their peers. The webinar will introduce how Towngas integrates its CSR strategy and long-term sustainable development goals into its business strategies and management practices, which contributes to its role as an industry leader in Asia market.

BIOGRAPHY

Mr Alfred Chan
Managing Director, The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited (Towngas)
Chairman and Executive Director, Towngas China Company Limited (Towngas China)

Mr Alfred Chan Wing-kin, a Chartered Engineer, holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Science, both from the University of Hong Kong.

Mr Chan joined Towngas as General Manager – Marketing in 1992 and became its Managing Director in May 1997 as well as Chairman and Executive Director of Towngas China in 2007.

Prior to joining Towngas, Mr Chan accumulated 18 years of solid experience in the manufacturing sector, in both Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, across the fields of consumer products, aviation and marine propulsion systems.

In the past 28 years, Mr Chan has led Towngas in its transformation from a single-focused piped gas company in Hong Kong into a multi-disciplinary conglomerate encompassing city-gas, city-water, new energy, waste treatment, chemical engineering, telecommunications and manufacturing businesses in mainland China.

Today, Towngas operates 287 city-gas projects in the mainland spanning 23 provincial regions. The Company now serves 2 million households in Hong Kong and about 40 million customers in the mainland, where its natural gas sales volume amounted to 27 billion cubic metres in 2020, equivalent to about 8 per cent of the nation’s total consumption.

Towngas is a Hang Seng Index Constituent while Towngas China is listed on Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Business Sustainability Seminar Series

The Business Sustainability Seminar Series is co-organised by the Asia-Pacific Institute of Business (APIB) and Centre for Business Sustainability (CBS), and endorsed by Hong Kong Chapter of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN Hong Kong). We advocate business sustainability through providing a knowledge-sharing and capacity-building platform. Business practitioners and scholars are invited to share their areas of expertise in sustainability. Members of local, regional, and international business communities, academics, students, and government officials are welcome to join our intellectually stimulating seminars.

Upcoming Programmes In Sustainability/ESG

CONTACT US
Phone: (852) 3943 4413
Email: apib@cuhk.edu.hk