Financial Secretary Emphasizes Women's Leadership in Finance at Women Chief Executives Summit 2026

2026-11-02 13:00 Last Updated At：13:11

Keynote speech by FS at Women Chief Executives Summit 2026

Following is the keynote speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Women Chief Executives (WCE) Summit 2026 today (November 2):

Mary (Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong and Greater China & North Asia, Standard Chartered, Ms Mary Huen), Amy (Chairman of UBS Global Wealth Management Asia and Head and Chief Executive of UBS Hong Kong, Ms Amy Lo), distinguished members of WCE, Consuls-General, ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning. My sincere thanks to Mary and Amy, and to their teams, for bringing together leaders from finance, technology and beyond. It was a pleasure to join your inaugural summit last year. I am delighted to return under this year’s theme, "Female Voices of Impact and Innovation".

In recent weeks, Hong Kong has welcomed a series of international financial gatherings. In October, we hosted the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Finance Ministers' Meeting for the first time. This week, we welcome the Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit. Today, your summit adds an important voice to these conversations.

While their agendas differ, these gatherings share a concern over how finance can support growth in a changing world. For the leaders here this morning, the central question is how to build institutions that can succeed through uncertainty and change.

In my view, two principles are essential. The first is drawing on the widest possible pool of talent. The second is managing capital with a long-term perspective.

Let me begin with talent.

In the financial world, capital is important. But an institution's strength depends ultimately on its people and their judgement. They must navigate uncertainty, distinguish lasting trends from short-term market movements, and take responsibility for decisions with multiyear impact.

Sound judgement is not confined to any gender, background or generation. Institutions that draw on a wider pool of talent are better equipped to navigate change, make sound decisions and seize opportunities. Broadening access to leadership is not only fair. It makes our financial sector stronger.

Hong Kong has made encouraging progress in this respect. For the first time in their respective histories, the CEOs (Chief Executive Officers) of both the Securities and Futures Commission and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) are women. Bonnie (CEO of the HKEX, Ms Bonnie Chan) is among us this morning.

We all remember the joint study by WCE Hong Kong, KPMG and the Women's Foundation. It found that women held 45 per cent of senior leadership positions in the financial institutions studied, up from 34 per cent in 2018.

These achievements deserve recognition. They reflect individual endeavour, backed by education, family support, workplace opportunities and a culture that values ability. Yet barriers remain, particularly for women in the middle of their careers.

We need to remove all these barriers so that more women can advance and lead. The same principle applies to people from different backgrounds and cultures. Our institutions thrive when talent has every opportunity to flourish.

The second principle concerns how far ahead capital looks.

A major transfer of wealth is under way. In the United States alone, the baby boomer generation holds some US$30 trillion in financial assets. As this wealth gradually passes to spouses and younger generations, women are expected to control a substantial share of wealth by 2030. This is more than a change in ownership. It is a shift in who makes investment decisions and where capital is directed.

As wealth changes hands, investment priorities will change too. Financial institutions need to respond to the goals of a new generation, not simply repeat what worked for the last.

Nowadays, wealth management goes beyond transactional product sales to building multigenerational advisory relationships. Investment strategies should look beyond quarterly performance to opportunities and risks across market cycles. Institutions that respond well will be better placed to earn the lasting trust of their clients.

For those seeking to develop talent and manage capital for the long term, Hong Kong has much to offer.

Our economy grew by 5.1 per cent in the first half of this year. Tomorrow, we will announce our third-quarter figures, which will mark our 15th consecutive quarter of growth. We will also likely revise upwards our full-year GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth forecast, putting Hong Kong on course for its strongest annual growth in five years.

But the case for Hong Kong extends beyond the current economic cycle. Our common law legal system, free flow of capital and deep professional expertise provide a reliable foundation for investors looking to commit capital for the long term.

Our connections with the Chinese Mainland and the world bring together people, ideas and investment opportunities. They make Hong Kong a place where international institutions can build diverse teams and serve clients across markets.

This year marks the beginning of our country's National 15th Five-Year Period. In September, Hong Kong also announced our own very First Five-Year Plan.

These plans also provide a longer-term framework for Hong Kong's development. Together with our institutional strengths, they give businesses and investors a basis for planning ahead.

In short, Hong Kong offers both access to growth and the continuity that long-term investment requires.

We will continue to strengthen our role as a trusted platform for international capital entering the Chinese Mainland, and for Mainland enterprises and investors reaching out to the world.

Looking ahead, technological disruption will test both our approach to talent and our management of capital.

Later today, you will discuss the "Human-AI Financial Institution". I believe the question is not simply how many AI tools an institution adopts, but how it becomes truly AI-native. That means rethinking how decisions are made, services are delivered and teams are organised. That means how AI is built into the way the institution works as a whole.

That also places demanding choices before leaders. They need to decide where to invest, which skills to develop and how to redesign roles. They need to balance innovation with the need to protect clients and maintain trust. And they need to ensure that responsibility remains clear as technology becomes more complex.

There are no easy answers. But we are more likely to find sound answers when different experiences and views inform the decisions.

Women must have a full part in shaping this transformation. A wider pool of talent brings more ideas and perspectives to the table, challenges familiar assumptions and helps institutions prepare for what comes next.

Ladies and gentlemen, the future of finance and business will be shaped by the choices leaders make today. Who should be given the opportunity to lead, how we invest for tomorrow and how responsibly we use technology will determine the strength of our institutions.

Let us open more doors to talent, take the longer-term view of capital and turn investment into lasting value. Hong Kong treasures your leadership and aspiration as we build that future together.

I wish the summit every success and all of you the best of health and business. Thank you.

Hong Kong Legal Week 2026 Launches with Focus on Legal Collaboration and Innovation

UNIDROIT Centenary: Regional Conference for Asia-Pacific and Opening Ceremony of Asia-Pacific Liaison Office opens Hong Kong Legal Week 2026

The Hong Kong Legal Week 2026, an annual flagship event of the Department of Justice (DoJ), was launched today (November 2). As a landmark annual event in the legal community, the five-day event themed "Collaboration & Innovation: Legal Synergy for a Shared Future" brings together legal professionals, business leaders, policymakers, academics, and leading international legal organisations from Hong Kong and around the world to have in-depth discussions and exchanges on forward-looking issues such as regional legal co-operation, international dispute resolution, construction of foreign-related rule of law, lawtech and opportunities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Marking the centenary celebration of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) and the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), both leading international legal organisations will hold celebratory events during the Hong Kong Legal Week, making this year's programme particularly significant.

UNIDROIT Centenary: Regional Conference for Asia-Pacific and Opening Ceremony of the Asia-Pacific Liaison Office was held as the opening event of this year's Hong Kong Legal Week. The Opening Ceremony was officiated by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee; the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Mr Cui Jianchun; the President of UNIDROIT, Professor Enzo Moavero-Milanesi; the Secretary-General of UNIDROIT, Professor Ignacio Tirado; and the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC. With the support of the Central Government, the DoJ has successfully secured the establishment of UNIDROIT's first office outside its seat in Rome in its 100 years of history, demonstrating Hong Kong's leading role as an international legal hub.

In his welcome remarks, Mr Lee said that today marks a double celebration, commemorating UNIDROIT's centenary and witnessing the opening of a new chapter for UNIDROIT – the establishment of its Asia-Pacific Liaison Office in Hong Kong. He noted that as a renowned international legal, trade and financial hub, Hong Kong strives to attract global organisations and talent, enable international legal co-operation and position Hong Kong as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" for East and West. By setting up a liaison office in Hong Kong, UNIDROIT not only enjoys benefits from co-operation with other partner organisations in the city, but also benefits from the network established by the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy to promote capacity building in the region. The establishment of the office is a symbol of the collective ambition to build a more harmonious and prosperous future for the Asia-Pacific and beyond.

The Director-General of the Department of Treaty and Law, Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China, Dr Yu Ning, said in her video speech that UNIDROIT setting up a liaison office in Hong Kong reflects the international community's high regard for Hong Kong and marks a significant achievement in the city's continuous effort in building itself as an international legal centre. She said that in recent years, the HKSAR has continued to strengthen its exchanges and co-operation with UNIDROIT under the framework of "one country, two systems", further showcasing to the world its strengths including its robust common law system, well-established judicial system and extensive pool of international legal talent.

Professor Enzo Moavero-Milanesi said that UNIDROIT was founded with the aim to allow different parties to work on an equal basis towards the harmonisation of private law. Noting that many countries of the Asia-Pacific region are UNIDROIT member states, he said that the decision to open a liaison office in Hong Kong, with its strategic position in the Asia-Pacific region, is intended to give stronger impetus to the development of UNIDROIT's work in the future.

Delivering his opening remarks, Mr Lam said that Hong Kong's relationship with UNIDROIT is longstanding. The establishment of the liaison office in Hong Kong will take the city's relationship with UNIDROIT to the next level, and will provide a stable and effective platform in the Asia-Pacific region to facilitate the development of international private law. He noted that the presence of the three major private international law organisations at the Hong Kong legal hub, namely theUNIDROIT Asia-Pacific Liaison Office, the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, and the DoJ Project Office for Collaboration with UNCITRAL (United Nations Commission on International Trade Law), together with the International Organization for Mediation, the AALCO (Asian African Legal Consultative Organization) Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre and other international institutions, will create synergy. It will showcase Hong Kong's unique advantage as a distinctive platform to facilitate closer collaboration among international and regional institutions, serving as a strong testament to the theme of this year's Hong Kong Legal Week: "Legal Synergy for a Shared Future".

The Regional Conference for the Asia-Pacific in celebration of UNIDROIT's centenary came right after the Opening Ceremony. More than 700 registrations from more than 40 countries or regions were received to attend the conference. Most of the participants, including representatives of the member states, governments and organisations supporting UNIDROIT, as well as its long-standing partners in the Asia-Pacific region, gathered to review UNIDROIT's achievements of a century in modernising and harmonising private law, and to explore how it can continue to foster regional development in its next century. The conference featured three panel discussions, with speakers from Australia, Indonesia, Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, Vietnam, Uzbekistan and other jurisdictions. The discussions focused on the impact of UNIDROIT’s normative and institutional work in the region, while taking a prospective lens to examine opportunities and emerging challenges in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, said in his closing remarks that UNIDROIT opening its first ever overseas office in Hong Kong fully reflects the international community's vote of confidence in Hong Kong's legal system. The Liaison Office will serve not only as a platform for dialogue with governments on the development and implementation of its instruments, but also as a hub for collaboration with academia, arbitral and mediation institutions, financial institutions and other key stakeholders. In an increasingly interconnected region with diverse legal systems, there is a clear need for UNIDROIT to work in partnership with other international organisations in the Asia-Pacific region to deliver legal infrastructure which is attuned to the needs of the region, Dr Cheung added.

The 3rd Asia-Pacific International Private Law Summit will be held tomorrow (November 3). With the theme of "Advancing Future-Ready Legal Infrastructure to Foster Digital Innovation, Sustainable Growth, and Regional Connectivity in the Asia-Pacific" this year, the participants will focus on issues at the forefront of the future development of the Asia-Pacific region, examining the role of transnational commercial law in fostering digital innovation, sustainable growth and resilient markets in the region.

Other events during the Hong Kong Legal Week include the celebration event of UNCITRAL's 60th anniversary to be held on Wednesday (November 4); the Fourth Legal Forum on Interconnectivity and Development and the Hong Kong Mediation Lecture 2026 on Thursday (November 5); as well as the Second Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macao Greater Bay Area Lawyers Forumon Friday (November 6).

In addition, the three-day Hong Kong LawTech Fest 2026 will kick-start on Wednesday, featuring dynamic exhibitions and live demonstrations to foster collaboration between legal and technology professionals. A highlight of the fest, the LawTech Forum, will take place on Thursday. Under the theme "Human in the Loop, Integrity at the Core - Redefining Legal Practice with LawTech", leading lawtech experts and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds will exchange views at the Forum.

For more details of Hong Kong Legal Week 2026, please visit the dedicated website at www.legalweek.hk. A live broadcast will be available on the dedicated website and at webcast.info.gov.hk.

Financial Secretary Emphasizes Women's Leadership in Finance at Women Chief Executives Summit 2026

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Financial Secretary Emphasizes Women's Leadership in Finance at Women Chief Executives Summit 2026

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