The 11th HKIB Banking Conference eyes growth opportunities in local banking industry

HONG KONG, Sept. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Hosted by The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers (HKIB), the Annual Banking Conference took place yesterday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Over 800 delegates heard a range of viewpoints from over 50 senior government and regulatory officials, leading bankers and fintech experts on how digitalisation, disruptive business models and the Greater Bay Area will unlock a wave of new opportunities and revenue streams in the rapidly changing banking landscape.

(From left to right) Rannie LEE, Guangdong Co-Chief Executive, Head of PRD Retail Banking and Wealth Management, HSBC Bank (China) Company Limited; Mary HUEN, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong, Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited and BI Mingqiang, President and Chief Executive Officer, China CITIC Bank International Limited at the CEO panel of the Annual Banking Conference hosted by The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers.

With this year's theme of 'The Future of Banking and Bankers – Digitalisation and the Greater Bay Area', the conference, now in its 11^th year, has again garnered the support of a large number of distinguished leaders and industry professionals from the local banking industry.

During the welcoming speech, Dr. Patrick FUNG JP, Hon. Fellow (HKIB), Chairman of Executive Committee of the HKIB highlighted that while digital transformation and the Greater Bay Area initiative are bringing fundamental changes in how banks operate and deliver value to customers, the incumbent need to adopt a forward-looking and proactive talent management strategy to ensure their businesses can meet the industry's evolution and customers' changing demands.

The opening keynote speech was given by Joseph CHAN JP, Acting Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Chan emphasised that Hong Kong has positive momentum in fintech development, and he remains confident that Hong Kong can rise above challenges and emerge stronger by leveraging its core competitiveness, strong economic fundamentals and resilient financial systems.

A regulatory keynote was also delivered by Arthur YUEN JP, FHKIB, Deputy Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and Deputy Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the HKIB, where he provided an update on the good progress the authority has made in fostering the local Smart Banking ecosystem and financial inclusion. He stressed that the confidence and trust in the Hong Kong banking sector remains high, and through achieving green and sustainable banking the sector can stay relevant in the long run.

(From left to right) Tat LEE, Alternate Chief Executive, WeLab Virtual Bank; Deniz GÜVEN, CEO, Virtual Bank by Standard Chartered and Dr Frederic LAU, Chief Executive, Airstar Bank share their insights on how virtual banking is reshaping the industry at the Annual Banking Conference hosted by The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers.

Virtual banking is set to become a fundamental part of the Hong Kong banking industry and a number of representatives of virtual banks were invited to share their insights in a panel discussion. It was clear that these institutions are now advocating for an innovative banking experience to benefit customers, but they noted that recruiting talent with both a technology and business mindset is a significant challenge for them.

The award ceremony of the inaugural Talent Development Excellence Awards also took place at the conference. These accolades were an acknowledgement of the efforts of financial institutions in the areas of talent recruitment and development by enabling and encouraging employees to enrich their knowledge and skills through professional qualifications programmes. The list of winners is as follows:

After the morning plenary sessions, the afternoon featured three streams featuring expert speakers from the local and overseas banking community on the future outlook of the banking industry, fintech, regional and multilateral economic cooperation initiatives, green finance, Regtech and compliance.

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About The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers 

The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers (HKIB) has been serving the local banking community as an independent organisation in the provision of education and professional training since 1963. The Institute also acts as an industry-recognised training and certifying hub for the local banking community. With an objective to maintain and further develop the territory's status as an international financial centre, the Institute works with the support of banks, regulators, financial institutions, academic institutions and various professional bodies to provide local banking practitioners with professional training and development opportunities. In view of the changing landscape of the banking and financial services industry in Hong Kong and Mainland China as well as on global scale, the importance of continuing to enhance the standards of professional development has gained increased attention. HKIB endeavors to provide and enhance its training and development products in order to equip its members with essential knowledge and skills that meet the industry's needs.

Official website: https://www.hkib.org/

LinkedIn: https://hk.linkedin.com/company/the-hong-kong-institute-of-bankers

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