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Carrie Lam
Chief Executive at HKSAR GovernmentMrs Carrie Lam joined the Administrative Service of the Hong Kong Government in August 1980 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade A1 in September 2006. She became a Principal Official on July 1, 2007 when she was appointed Secretary for Development. She was appointed Chief Secretary for Administration on July 1, 2012.
Mrs Lam has served the public for more than 36 years in 20 public service positions including Director of Social Welfare, Permanent Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands (Planning and Lands), Director- General of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London, Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, Secretary for Development and Chief Secretary for Administration.
Mrs Lam was elected as the Fifth-Term Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on March 26, 2017, and was officially appointed to this position by the Central People’s Government on March 31, 2017 to assume office on July 1, 2017.
Mrs Lam is married and has two sons.
Thomas Hodges
Deputy Consul General at US Consulate General(Award Presenter)
Tom Murphy
Former Mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Senior Resident Fellow at Urban Land InstituteTom Murphy Senior Resident Fellow, ULI/Klingbeil Family Chair for Urban Development ULI – the Urban Land Institute Washington, DC
Tom Murphy is a senior resident fellow, ULI/Klingbeil Family Chair for urban development. Murphy, former mayor of Pittsburgh, joins other ULI senior resident fellows who specialize in public policy, retail/urban entertainment, transportation/infrastructure, housing, real estate finance and environmental issues.
His extensive experience in urban revitalization-what drives investment, what ensures long-lasting commitment-is a key addition to the senior resident fellows' areas of expertise.
Prior to his appointment as senior resident fellow, Murphy had served as ULI's Gulf Coast liaison, helping to coordinate with the leadership of New Orleans and the public to advance the implementation of rebuilding recommendations made by ULI's advisory services panel last fall. In addition, he worked with the Louisiana state leadership, as well as with leadership in hurricane-impacted areas in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida to identify areas appropriate for ULI involvement.
Prior to his service as the ULI Gulf Coast liaison, Murphy served three terms as the mayor of Pittsburgh, from January 1994 through December 2005. During that time, he initiated a public-private partnership strategy that leveraged more than $4.5 billion in economic development in Pittsburgh. Murphy led efforts to secure and oversee $1 billion in funding for the development of two professional sports facilities, and a new convention center that is the largest certified green building in the United States. He developed strategic partnerships to transform more than 1,000 acres of blighted, abandoned industrial properties into new commercial, residential, retail and public uses; and he oversaw the development of more than 25 miles of new riverfront trails and urban green space.
David Chung
Under Secretary for Innovation and Technology at HKSAR GovernmentDr Chung is the Under Secretary for Innovation and Technology, assisting the Secretary for Innovation and Technology in strengthening the cooperation with the industry, academia and the research sector, fostering development of innovation and technology to promote development of high-end manufacturing industry as well as enhancing nurture of innovation and technology talents with an aim to create a vibrant ecosystem for innovation and technology. He has almost 30 years of experience in information technology strategic management and entrepreneurship development. Dr Chung worked as Chief Technology Officer at Cyberport Management Company Limited, responsible for taking forward its core mission on IT infrastructure, industry collaboration and incubation platforms for IT entrepreneurs. He also assisted in setting up the first Micro Fund Scheme in HK for young information and communications technology entrepreneurs. Dr Chung was a winner of the “China Top 5 CIO Award” in 2013.
Yuk Lin Choi
Under Secretary for Education at HKSAR Government(Award Presenter)
Sophia
Hanson RoboticsSophia is Hanson Robotics’ most advanced and celebrated robot endowed with remarkable expressiveness, aesthetics and interactivity. She can simulate a full range of facial expressions, track and recognize faces, look people in the eye, and hold natural conversations with them.
Sophia made her debut at the South by Southwest show in March 2016. Since then, she has become a much-sought-after media personality. She has done numerous press interviews, garnering over one billion engagements on a CNBC online coverage. She has also appeared on the most broadly viewed television shows including CBS 60 Minutes with Charlie Rose, the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Good Morning Britain, and has been a keynote speaker, panel member, and meet-and-greeter at some of the world’s most prestigious conferences, and even addressed members of the United Nations General Assembly committee. She was recently named the world’s first United Nation Innovation Champion by United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Sophia is an accomplished brand ambassador and was featured in AUDI’s annual report and graced the cover and centerfold of ELLE magazine. According to Meltwater, her press coverage has a potential reach of over ten billion readers in 2017.
Scott Dunn
Vice President, SEA at AECOMScott Dunn is Vice President for Southeast Asia at AECOM (NYSE: ACM), a $18.2-billion global provider of professional technical and management support services. AECOM’s 85,000 employees – including architects, engineers, designers, planners, scientists and management and construction services professionals – serving clients in more than 150 countries around the world. Scott also is part of the Urban Land Institute Singapore Council, past founding Chairman and current co-Chair.
Scott drives strategic growth for Southeast Asia to advance the regional growth agenda of AECOM’s APAC Executive Leadership Team through identification, development and support of strategic initiatives that drive profitable growth for AECOM in Southeast Asia. Core business areas include Design Consulting services in Buildings & Places, Civil & Infrastructure, Oil Gas Chemical Industrial & Power and Environmental, Constructing and Management Services.
Scott also leads cross-functional teams in providing integrated services and sustainable solutions for large, complex and multidisciplinary projects across Asia, among them high-density masterplans for new towns and regeneration of existing urban landscapes that have drawn on sustainable and smart themes.
He is an advocate of sustainable land development and high dense urban environmental design and believes that in order to create great places, one should be both sensitive to the environment and responsible for the society. His books and papers on urban mobility, sustainability and livability issues are frequently published with local and international print media and he is highly regarded as a thought leader in the planning community. He actively lectures on land development and has given speeches at conferences and events throughout Asia and North America.
For Urban Land Institute he has co-authored four publications with the Singapore Center of Liveable Cities; 10 Principles for Liveable High-Density Cities Lessons from Singapore (2012) and Creating Healthy Places through Active Mobility(2014), Creating Liveable Cities Through Car-Lite Urban Mobility(2016), Urban Mobility: 10 Cities Leading the Way in Asia-Pacific (2017)
Owen Chan
Chairman, Cisco Greater China at Cisco Systems (HK) LimitedOwen Chan is Cisco’s Corporate Senior Vice President and Chairman of Cisco Greater China. With more than 30 years of management experience in the Asia Pacific region and extensive knowledge of the Greater China market, Chan is a seasoned IT professional currently responsible for aligning Cisco's overall business strategy with Country’s National Agenda. His role as Co-Chairman of China Board leads in advising and informing Cisco’s leadership team on China’s strategy, digital transformation opportunities and strategic partnership formations.
In additional to his role in Cisco, Chan is a keen advocate in maintaining relationships with the State and Provincial government officials, reputed for accelerating country digitization and implementing Smart City related initiatives. He serves on the Board in Inspur – Cisco Networking Technology Co. Ltd., Vice Chairman of the Board in City Cloud International Co. Ltd., and Company Director of Sky-Tech Holding Limited. A Committee member of both the 13th Hong Kong Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Guangzhou CPPCC (13th), Chan is also an active member of the Hong Kong CPPCC (Provincial) Members Association Ltd. and the Executive Vice President of the Executive Committee of the Hong Kong Federation of Guangzhou Associations Limited.
During his tenure as the CEO of Greater China Theater of Cisco, he played a pivotal role in establishing a thriving business for Cisco, expanding Cisco's footprint with transformational business model while building a strong foundation for growth in the traditional business. Prior to this role, he has served as President of Asia Pacific Operations, Vice President Asia Operations, and Vice President North Asia Operations. Under his leadership, the region has been one of Cisco's most consistent and fastest growing regions, exceeded revenue targets every year. Chan joined Cisco in 1999 as Vice President, responsible for the Cisco Services Group in Asia Pacific and Japan.
Prior to joining Cisco, Chan spent over 12 years with General Electric, where his last position was President of Information Services, Asia Pacific and Japan Operations. He introduced e-commerce service to the China market, establishing GE as the market leader for a six-year period, and opening China's market to other GE services. He also initiated and grew five major GE joint ventures (with partners including NEC and ISI-Dentsu).
Raymond Cheng
Group General Manager & COO, Asia Pacific at HSBCMr Raymond Cheng has been working in the IT sector of Hong Kong for over 30 years. He specializes in applying Information Technology to support banking products/services and banking internal operations. Currently, Mr Cheng is a Group General Manager and Chief Operating Officer for HSBC in the Asia Pacific region. He is an Executive Committee member of HSBC Asia Pacific, assuming overall responsibility for Information Technology, Back Office Operations, Transformation, Corporate Real Estate and Procurement covering 20 countries in the Asia Pacific region. Mr Cheng is the Chairman of HSBC Technology and Services (China) Limited, HSBC Electronic Data Processing (Guangdong) Limited and HSBC Global Services (Hong Kong) Limited. He is also a Director of HSBC Bank (Vietnam) Limited, Hong Kong Notes Printing Limited, Hong Kong Interbank Clearing Limited, HKICL Services Limited, Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation and Hong Kong Institute for IT Professional Certification. In addition, he is the Independent Manager on School Board for Shun Tak Fraternal Association Yung Yau College.
Mr Cheng has strong connections with IT professional bodies and the IT community in Hong Kong. Mr Cheng has been active in promoting IT in Hong Kong. He has served as an Executive Committee member in IT professional organisations, led several major international IT conferences, and participated in an advisory roles for strategic IT agenda (including data centre, eCommerce, FinTech, IT training and certification, etc). Mr Cheng graduated from the University of Hong Kong and has undertaken research work in the Netherlands.
Paschal Lennon
Senior Director of Global Major Projects at OtisA global employee for a global company, Paschal continues to develop his extensive experience working on major projects throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. During his 20-year career with Otis, he has successfully applied his expertise in several areas of the business.
Notably, he was Project Director for the multi-million dollar development at the World Trade Centre Transportation Hub in New York. Paschal considers this to be one of his most challenging and rewarding projects, and views the landmark as an iconic and prestigious infrastructure of the world. Working on this particular project provided him with the opportunity to work with some of the most respected professionals in the industry.
In addition to his role within the global major projects team, Paschal has hosted a number of workshops in China and Europe related to product development and trade relations within the transport industry. From helping major European cities to enhance their Metro systems, to building company and industry communications between China and the USA, Paschal has been integral to an exciting variety of projects in recent years.
Work aside, Paschal enjoys translating his capacity for endurance and competition to the world of sport. He has rowed at international level and competed in the Henley Regatta numerous times, as well as being crowned the New Jersey State Champion in 2013 for road cycling.
Paul Berriman
Group Chief Technology Officer at HKTMr. Paul Berriman is the Group Chief Technology Officer, and responsible for Technology Strategy and Development, a position which he held since May 2007, having joined PCCW in 2002. Mr. Berriman is primarily responsible for leading the Group's product and technology roadmap and strategic development as well as Data Analytics. Prior to his present appointment, he had held positions as Head of Strategic Market Development and SVP, Strategy and Marketing. Mr. Berriman has over 25 years of experience in telecommunications, media and convergence. In 2009 he was recognised by the IPTV World Forum with their Special Merit Award for Outstanding Industry Contribution. In 2008 he was listed as one of the Global Telecoms Business Magazine's top 100 "most influential persons in telecoms".
Prior to joining PCCW in 2002, Mr. Berriman was the Managing Director of Arthur D. Little in Hong Kong, a management consultancy firm, and was involved in telecommunications consultancy projects globally. Previously he also held executive, technical, engineering and operations management roles in several major Hong Kong service providers including the Hong Kong Telephone Company and Hong Kong Telecom CSL.
Mr. Berriman graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electro-acoustics from the University of Salford in the UK in July 1979, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Hong Kong in November 1985. He became a Chartered Engineer in June 1986 and is a full member of The Institution of Engineering and Technology. He is Chairman of a Global TD-LTE Initiative (GTI) Working Group, a board member of the Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance (NGMN Ltd.) and an independent non-executive director of Spark New Zealand (f.k.a. Telecom Corporation of New Zealand) having joined the Board in December 2011. He is also a non-executive director of mobile operator, Rain Ltd., in South Africa. He was also a member of OFTA’s Telecommunications Standards Advisory Committee for many years.
Julian Vella
APAC Regional Head - Global Infrastructure Advisory Co-Head – China Infrastructure at KPMG(Moderator)
Julian is the Asia Pacific Regional Leader for KPMG’s Global Infrastructure Practice and is a member of KPMG’s Global Infrastructure Leadership team. Julian also previously developed and led KPMG Australia’s infrastructure practice and was a Board member of KPMG Australia for 6 years.
Julian was also a member of the Infrastructure Finance Working Group which reported to the Australian Federal Government on Infrastructure Finance and Funding Reform in 2012. Many of the Group’s recommendations have since been adopted by government.
In his current role, Julian travels widely throughout Asia Pacific working with governments and the private sector to develop and advise on infrastructure programs, projects and assets. He is an active public speaker on a range of aspects associated with infrastructure.
He has extensive experience as a lead adviser on a large range of commercial transactions, particularly in the transport and industrial markets sectors. Julian’s advice to Government organisations and corporations includes advice in respect of: infrastructure projects and financing (including Public Private Partnerships), privatisation, corporate strategy, corporate/debt restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, divestments, and business valuations.
In addition to Julian’s experience in Australia and other markets, he is currently leading the KPMG team which is advising the Hong Kong Government on the development of a multi-purpose Sports Park, including a 50,000 seat stadium, in Kai Tak, Hong Kong.
Rick Truscott
Chief Operating Officer at CLP Power Hong Kong LtdMr. Rick Truscott is the Chief Operating Officer for CLP Power Hong Kong. He manages the generation, transmission, distribution and information technology businesses for CLP’s regulated utility business in Hong Kong.
Mr. Truscott joined the CLP Group in 1999 as Business Development Manager for Southeast Asia. He led the development efforts for various power projects, most notably, BLCP Power. Serving as its Managing Director, he led the 1,434MW power project through development, financing, construction and into operations. Subsequently, Mr. Truscott led the Generation Business Group prior to taking up the responsibility for the transmission and distribution business CLP Power Hong Kong. He has more than 27 years of experience working in a variety of roles covering development, operations, financing, maintenance and construction in the power sector. Before joining the CLP Group, Mr. Truscott led development, acquisition and financing efforts for power projects in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand.
Mr. Truscott holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M University as well as a graduate degree in International Business from Johannes Kepler University in Linz, Austria.
Christopher Hall
Head of Health Solutions, APAC at FitbitChristopher Hall is a creative business executive with a background in the consumer health, diagnostics & pharmaceutical sectors. He currently leads the healthcare B2B business for Fitbit Health Solutions in Asia Pacific. Prior to Fitbit, Christopher led Johnson & Johnson’s diagnostic franchise based in Singapore. Christopher has held various commercial leadership roles prior to his role at J&J.
Christopher’s career highlights include, developing the global OEM business for a European consumer health company, starting a profitable VC in China, and creating a global TEDx event in Singapore.
Since 2016 Christopher has served as Co-‐Chair for Healthcare Committee at The American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore.
Christopher is an American and has worked and lived in Europe, China, and 8 years now in Singapore.
Andrew Eldon
Head of Digital, Retail Banking and Wealth Management at HSBCAndrew joined HSBC in January 2016 and is responsible for the bank’s retail banking and wealth management digital strategy in Hong Kong.
Prior to joining HSBC, Andrew was the COO of Strawberrynet.com, one of the world’s largest online beauty retailers, He also founded his own digital consultancy, worked in Beijing for OgilvyOne, the direct marketing consultants and ran the global digital and CRM strategy for a water and snow-sports branded goods manufacturer.
Andrew has lived in Hong Kong for 30 years and is also the Non-Executive Director of an international fashion and jewellery brand.
Ann Lavin
Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations, Asia Pacific of UberAnn is responsible for working with Government, policy makers and third parties to create a positive case for change, and a favourable environment for ridesharing and other innovations in mobility.
Before joining Uber, Ann led Google’s Public Policy efforts across Greater China, Southeast Asia and Asia’s aspiring economies. She was also a Senior Advisor with McLarty Associates, a US-based strategic advisory firm, and Vice President of the US-ASEAN Business Council, the principal US business organization in Southeast Asia.
Earlier in her career, Lavin worked in the US government in a variety of roles including a senior manager at the US Department of Energy and the Presidentʼs Commission on White House Fellowships.
Leonie Valentine
Managing Director – Sales & Operations of Google (Hong Kong) Limited(Moderator)
Leonie Valentine is Managing Director, Sales & Operations of Google Hong Kong. She has over 20 years of experience in marketing and sales, and has served as Director of Customer Experience for Asia Pacific at Google for the past two years.
Prior to joining Google, Leonie was Executive Vice President, Customer Service & Operations at CSL Limited. Earlier, she held the position of Chief of Staff for Telstra International Group, and was a member of the Executive Leadership Team charged with managing Telstra Corp’s business growth and assets outside of Australia and New Zealand.
Leonie holds an Executive Certificate in Business Administration from the Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship of Swinburne University, a Master’s Degree in Communication Management from the University of Technology, Sydney, and a Bachelor of Science from Melbourne University.
Leo Tsou
Head of Infrastructure Solutions Group, Hong Kong/Macau at Dell EMCLeo currently leads Dell EMC’s solution executive team in the Hong Kong and Macau region, where he is responsible for overall strategies and pre-sales support related to Dell EMC’s Cloud / Big Data and Essential Infrastructure portfolio. Prior to this, he managed professional services and the company’s consulting business in the same region.
Leo joined Dell EMC Hong Kong in 2004 and held various roles within the Enterprise Solutions Group of Dell EMC Greater China, including Head of Infrastructure Consulting Services for South China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, and Senior Solution Architect, Pre-sales Consultant and Solution Architect for Hong Kong and Macau. Before joining Dell EMC, he also worked for several systems integrator companies such as Getronics and Ricoh in Hong Kong.
Fred Sheu
National Technology Officer at Microsoft Hong Kong LtdAs National Technology Officer at Microsoft Hong Kong, Fred Sheu supports policy decision and delivers technologically relevant and scalable solutions into Hong Kong market. His main objectives are to align IT value propositions to public policies in such areas as healthcare, education, the environment, and local social and economic development; and to promote a digital agenda in top policy areas, including innovation, security and privacy, technology neutrality, accessibility, and interoperability.
Prior to Microsoft, Fred worked with Hewlett Packard (HP) Enterprise where he was the General Manager of Software for HPE Hong Kong. Fred is an active veteran in Hong Kong ICT industry, he serves in councils of Hong Kong Computer Society (HKCS), itSMF Hong Kong Chapter and the Hong Kong Information Technology Federation (HKITF).
Fred graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Computer Science (Hon) degree.
XT Khaw
CEO & Co-Founder of Moveco & CoveXT is actively pushing the future of mobility through two mobility startups Cove (covedrive.com) & Moveco (Moveco.io). Cove partners with property management groups to offer on demand car sharing for closed communities. Share a gym, a pool and now also share access to vehicles right at your apartment.
Moveco is a blockchain startup that focuses on using mobility data to push the advancement in smart cities & the future of mobility. The Moveco App encourages anonymized sharing of car generated data and rewards consumers for their contribution.
Prior to Cove & Moveco, XT worked as a Management Consultant & an Auditor mainly in the U.S. and Australia.
Massimiliano Claps
Global Vice President, SAP Future Cities at SAPMassimiliano (Max) Claps joined SAP public sector team in September 2017 to take the leadership role for the SAP Future Cities, Citizen Engagement and Postal business. Max also oversees the work of SAP Institute of Digital Government. Max has been involved in public sector IT for over 16 years, previously as an analyst with IDC and Gartner, two premier global providers of market intelligence, advisory services, and events in the information technology market. For the last five years before joining SAP Max led the Government Insights and Health Insights units in IDC, being responsible for their EMEA business. At IDC Max managed the team of analysts that provided investigation insights and advice to government, healthcare and education IT executives to develop their IT strategy and support purchasing decisions; as well as to technology suppliers on their go-to-market approaches.
Christine Loh
Chief Development Strategist at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology(Moderator)
Professor Christine Loh, SBS, JP, OBE, Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite, is Chief Development Strategist at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She was Under Secretary for the Environment in the HKSAR Government (2012-17) and a Member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council (1992-97 and 1998-2000). Loh has been active in public policy and politics since the 1980s. She founded and was the CEO of the non-profit think tank, Civic Exchange (2000-12), and helped to established several non-profit organizations in Hong Kong related to the environment, equal opportunity, arts and culture, as well as human rights.
Professor Loh is currently a board member of the Robert HN Ho Family Foundation, board member of CDP Worldwide, and an Advisor to the WYNG Master Award in photography. She is a published author of many academic and popular works. Her expertise in environmental policy is well-known, including advising the World Health Organization and International Energy Agency on issues relating to air pollution and public health. Loh is a lawyer by training, and a commodities trader by profession. She received her legal training in England, and received honorary degrees of Doctor of Law from the University of Hull and Doctor of Science from the University of Exeter.
Eric Poon
Senior Partner at Abots Ltd.Eric Poon is a senior partner at Abots Ltd., where he leads a team to work on AI Computer Vision and Mobile Applications. Eric is the co-founder of Nexsoft Technology Ltd. which has been building multiple apps with over 3 million downloads worldwide.
For the work history, Eric had been focusing on the startup industry, as well as taking other IT roles such as Project Manager and System Analyst in various IT companies. Eric has a bachelor degree of Mechatronic Engineering focused in Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering from UNSW Australia.
During his school years, Eric had gained knowledge at different areas: e.g. autonomous off-road vehicles, indoor vehicles and micro-aerial vehicles, robotics, microprocessors and intelligent machines.
Jessie Lam
Chief Financial Officer at BrincAs CFO, Jessie advises Brinc portfolio companies on all financial matters including cash flow, fundraising and financing strategies. She is also responsible for managing the financial governance at Brinc and developing investment strategies, including deal sourcing, due diligence and valuation review. Jessie also serves on the Brinc Investment Committee.
Prior to joining Brinc, Jessie was a New York-based financial specialist who spent the past 11 years managing valuation risk in the banking industry. She covered the Interest Rate, Multi-Asset Hybrid Derivative, Credit, and Municipals desks, before relocating to Hong Kong to join Credit Suisse in 2014. She advised the Asia Pacific Equity desks on a global legal entity restructuring initiative, which involved the migration of derivative product and proprietary valuation systems from Europe to Asia and implementing appropriate governance in the infrastructure.
Jessie is also an active tech investor in Hong Kong and provides financial expertise and input to founders to aid in their business growth and development plans. She holds a degree in Finance and Accounting from New York University, Stern School of Business and is a licensed CPA.
Gareth Lai
Founder of VARIIGareth Lai is a 3rd generation South African who’s passion for entrepreneurship stemmed from his upbringing where he saw how business and technology changed the lives of ordinary people for the better. He relocated to Hong Kong in 2007 in pursuit of studies at HKU and work opportunities in Asia.
Gareth is now the Founder and CEO of VARII, a visual content marketing production house with a speciality in virtual & augmented reality. He is also a Founding Partner at LUMEN, a blockchain investment and advisory firm headquartered in Hong Kong. Prior to start-up life, Gareth served as an intrapreneur at PwC’s Experience Centre & Emerging Tech Labs, helping Fortune 500 companies and governments develop strategies and solutions around the top 8 technology trends they would soon face.
He deeply believes that smart cities will empower our communities and improve efficiencies in which XR will help change how we build and manage the cities of the future. For example, with the astronomical amounts of data smart cities will produce, we can leverage this technology as a new medium to study and engage, through visualization and touch, the new digital worlds we create.
Jen Flowers
Director - Consulting, Business Development of PricewaterhouseCoopers Ltd(Moderator)
Jen is a Director in the PwC Consulting Practice working directly with their Experience Centre focused on digital, data, customer and emerging technology.
She helped launch the Experience Centres in Hong Kong and Shanghai in 2016 and is working on the build out of a Greater China Emerging Technology Network.
She is also a leader of Catalyst, which is PwC’s design-thinking workshops – helping clients solve
important challenges in an agile way. She have over 15 years experience across marketing, business development, innovation and change.
She has a masters degree in Chinese Literature, speaks Mandarin and spent over 10 years living across Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
As leader of our Catalyst Team, which is PwC’s design-thinking methodology for solving client problems in an agile and creative space, Jen facilaites multiple client sessions a week, ensureing that energy remains up whilst also directing the client to achieve the right results in the allotted time.
As co-chair of the TEDx TinHau committee, Jen oversees all facets of the planning and running of multiple non-profit TEDx conferences and events in her free time.
Marina Chan
Director of Strategic Initiatives at MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node(Moderator)
Marina is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node where she co-creates capacity building programs and drives community partnerships. She began her career in the telecoms industry as a financial analyst before joining the Asian equities business at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and was VP of the Client Management Group in Hong Kong. She made her foray into education six years ago starting as a grade school teacher, and later influenced by models of educational innovation, co-founded Alpha Commons, a learning community centered on applying design and technology to real-world challenges which was supported by the HKSAR Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SIE) Fund.
Marina Chan earned her master's degree in education from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in finance from McGill University. She serves on the board of the Hong Kong Red Cross Hospital Schools and is a CFA Charterholder.
Benny Drescher
Head of Invention Center at Fraunhofer IPT, GermanySince 2018, Benny Drescher serves as Head of Invention Center Fraunhofer IPT , Germany.
Since 2016, he is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Dronefence GmbH, a security and safety company with patent-pending technology for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). He is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Technovation GmbH, a sensor and data analytics engineering firm for the manufacturing industry.
From 2012 to 2015, he conducted engineering and research projects with industrial clients, initiated and led the group of Mechatronic Product Development at Fraunhofer IWU (Augsburg) and Technical University of Munich.
Benny Drescher has more than 8 years of experience in developing mechatronic products in the robotics, machinery, production and automotive industry. His interests lie in Sensor Integration/Fusion, Internet-of-Things, Cyber-Physical Systems, UAVs and Data Analytics/ Artificial Intelligence. His work resulted in more than 15 scientific publications and major contributions to two patents.
Jack Lange
Partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison(Award Presenter; AmCham Chairman 2018)
Jack Lange is a partner in the Corporate Department of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (https://www.paulweiss.com/). He has been based in the firm’s Hong Kong office since 1994.
Jack’s practice is concentrated principally on mergers and acquisitions. He is highly experienced in the representation of private equity funds and other financial investors in connection with their activities in Asia, including investment activities and portfolio company financing and acquisition activities. Jack has represented major private equity funds, as well as leading strategic investors in the technology, communications and media fields, in connection with complex and highly structured investments and fund raisings in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Korea, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Japan.
Jack is admitted to legal practice in Hong Kong, New York, the District of Columbia. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Princeton University. Prior to joining Paul, Weiss in 1988, Jack served in the Office of the Legal Advisor of the U.S. Department of State and as Deputy General Counsel of the Multinational Force and Observers, the international organization that provides the peacekeeping force under the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty.
Jack served as President of The American Club Hong Kong in 2012.
JL
Jeanne Lim
Chief Marketing Officer at Hanson Robotics(Moderator)