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The following is issued on behalf of the Financial Services Development Council:
The Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) held its second Career Day this morning (November 15) for university students and young graduates to learn more about the career choices and prospects in Hong Kong's financial services industry.
The Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, addressed the forum, which was attended by around 400 participants. He encouraged the students to equip themselves well for a fruitful career in the financial services industry.
In her opening remarks, the Chairman of the FSDC, Mrs Laura M Cha, said, "The FSDC is keenly aware that the financial services industry has a high demand for fresh entrants, and has been focusing its work on the development of human capital in recent months.
"Hong Kong's financial services industry has been supported by local graduates and professionals of high calibre, complemented by talents coming from outside. This professional workforce is one of Hong Kong's key strengths and reinforces our position as an international financial centre."
This year's Career Day featured a keynote address by Honorary Professor of the School of Economics and Finance of the University of Hong Kong Professor Frederick Ma; a panel discussion on "Career in Finance" and five concurrent sessions on practical tips for job searching and preparations for a career in finance. Other speakers included Director and Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company Inc Hong Kong, Mr Joe Ngai; Head of Global Markets Solutions Group APAC, Credit Suisse, Mr Mervyn Chow; Managing Director and Head of Hong Kong, China and Sponsors, the Philippines and Thailand, JP Morgan Private Bank, Ms Kwang Kam-shing; Chairman and CEO, Hillhouse Capital Management Group Limited, Mr Zhang Lei; Global Head, Financial Services Practice and Member of the Global Board, Spencer Stuart, Ms Alice Au; Partner, Davis Polk & Wardwell, Ms Bonnie Chan; and Asia Pacific Tax Leader, Financial Services, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Mrs Florence Yip.
In the afternoon, the FSDC held a seminar entitled "Development and Opportunities in Internet Finance", bringing together some 400 leading experts, entrepreneurs, professionals in Internet finance and students to share insights and experiences on the future development and opportunities in this emerging sector.
Mrs Cha gave welcome remarks at the seminar. She said Internet finance has been one of the growing areas in the financial services industry and represents a major trend in the evolution of the financial system. By organising the seminar, the FSDC wished to promote entrepreneurship and attract talents who are interested in Internet finance to better understand the opportunities in this expanding financial sector.
The seminar also featured a keynote speech entitled "Drivers of Financial Innovation: Consumer Demand and the Internet" by Executive Vice Chairman of Alibaba Group, Mr Joe Tsai; an introduction to Internet finance by Mr Zhang Lei, and a panel discussion moderated by Mr Joe Ngai on "Startups, Entrepreneurs and Big Data in Internet Finance in China" with speakers comprising President of Wacai, Mr Roger Gu; Founder and CEO of Lemon Wealth Holdings, Mr Xu Jun; and CEO and Founder of 100 Credit, Mr Felix Zhang.
About the FSDC
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government established the FSDC in 2013 as a high-level, cross-sectoral advisory body to engage the industry in formulating proposals to promote the further development of Hong Kong's financial services industry and to map out the strategic direction for development.
The FSDC set up five committees, namely the Policy Research Committee, the Mainland Opportunities Committee, the New Business Committee, the Market Development Committee and the Human Capital Committee, as the five streams of its work.
Ends/Sunday, November 15, 2015
Issued at HKT 15:00
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