With more people concerned about sustainable development and investment, Environment, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) is becoming the benchmark to measure sustainability in business models. Since 2017, it has been mandatory for publicly listed companies in Hong Kong to disclose ESG information by following the reporting guide issued by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, the operator of the local stock exchange. During the pandemic, there have been many discussions around what is next for startups and what the future of investment looks like. On the one hand, entrepreneurs need to be more aware of current ESG trends, and not only to attract investment and retain employees. On the other hand, investors are looking to lower risk while building a more sustainable future for everyone.
 

ASHK is proud to present Thrive Together – Trends of Startups and ESG Investors to bolster Hong Kong's startup ecosystem and showcase opportunities both in Hong Kong and through Hong Kong.

Grace Hui is the Head of Green and Sustainable Finance at Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) with responsibility for the development of HKEX’s green and sustainable finance programme. From 2013 to April 2020, Ms. Hui was the Chief Operating Officer of HKEX’s Listing Division responsible for structured products & fixed income, primary market information, listing policies, listing enforcement and accounting affairs. Prior to joining HKEX, Ms. Hui was with UBS in various roles including Chief of Staff and Global Chief Operating Officer of UBS Legal & Compliance Department. Ms. Hui is an Honorary Adviser and a member of the Inspection Committee of the Financial Reporting Council; a member of both the Regulatory Oversight Board and the Sustainability Committee of The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants; and co-chairs the Market Development Work Stream and the Carbon Market Working Group of the Green and Sustainable Finance Cross-Agencies Steering Group established by Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Securities and Futures Commission.

Alexander Chan is currently the Co-Director of The Mills Fabrica- a leading Hong Kong based incubator, fund and space/lab/store dedicated towards promoting innovations and sustainable businesses at the intersection of technology and style (“techstyle”). Alexander currently leads investments (Fabrica Fund) and also helps with incubation support and government/ policy related affairs at Fabrica.

Heidi Yu Spurrell as CEO of Food Made Good HK, and with a diverse background in marketing, analysis, food retail and restaurants, Heidi looks forward to supporting the F&B sector on their sustainability journey and accelerating the pace of change in HK. Food Made Good is the world’s largest sustainability programme for foodservice. Heidi has previously lived and worked in London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Rome, Amsterdam and Boston, in a wide variety of international organizations including British Council, and Forum for the Future, and has a Masters in Food Policy from City University London and a Post Graduate Diploma in Research Methods from University College London (UCL).

Under Heidi’s leadership Food Made Good HK are proud semi-finalists of the Rockefeller Foundation Food Systems Vision Award for a sustainable food system.

Henny Sender, Managing Director, is a Senior Advisor to the BlackRock Investment Institute (BII) and advises the firm on opportunities in APAC. The BII leverages BlackRock's expertise and produces proprietary research to provide insights on the global economy, markets, geopolitics and long-term asset allocation-all to help clients and portfolio managers navigate financial markets. Most recently Chief Correspondent for International Finance with The Financial Times, Henny has decades of experience covering finance and economics in Asia. She engages BlackRock’s clients in the region, including sovereign wealth funds, central banks and pension funds, and leverages her contacts with leading venture capitalists to focus on China, sustainability and private markets.

Learn more about collaborating organisations here! 

Got Questions? Ask them here in advance (beginning May 20) or during the program: https://app.sli.do/event/x9egstmt (code: #startmeuphk)