2023 agenda

Cassandra advises companies on enhancing their top line performance drawing on her 25+ years experience in the global financial services industry across the Asia-Pacific region. She is currently a member of the Advisory Board for a digital assets custodian in the scale-up phase. Her focus encompasses advising on sustainable growth leveraging a people-first strategy, the importance of embedding ESG policies and matters related to the company’s financial health. Cassandra held various senior leadership roles with multiple global financial institutions including JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank and was most recently the CEO, Hong Kong of a leading Australian bank. Cassandra holds a Master of Applied Finance Degree obtained in May 1999 from Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia) and is a Certified Executive Organisational Coach. She is a proud mother to 19-year old twins who are currently studying at the University of British Columbia, Canada.

Spencer Leung is Chief Risk Officer of livi bank. He has been working in Risk for over 20 years, including 17 years with Standard Chartered Bank. Apart from Risk, he had spent three years in Internal Audit and two years in Process Management. One of the highlights in his career was successfully leading the Hong Kong banking industry to establish a mortgage credit bureau.

As COO for APAC, Cécile oversees Client Office, Client Onboarding, Business Management & Organisation, Operations, Data & Technology, Innovation & Strategic Sourcing, Control Tower, Corporate Real Estate and Procurement activities for the CIB. 

Cécile has more than 20 years’ experience in CIB activities across London, Hong Kong, and Paris. Prior to joining Natixis CIB in Asia Pacific, she was based in London, where she was the Natixis UK Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff to the CEO. Prior to that, Cécile was with HSBC as Global Markets Equities COO for Europe and Global Head of Business Management for Global Markets Equity Derivatives & Prime Finance. Before HSBC, she held various roles with Société Générale in Paris and Hong Kong across Markets, Projects, and Operations.

Alexander is the Hong Kong, Greater China and Northern Asia cluster Head of Model Risk Management in Standard Chartered Bank, focused in the governance and management of Model Risk of models used by his institution in Hong Kong and the region. Prior to his current role he was Global Head of Retail Credit Risk Model Validation for HSBC and, in other roles, served in the development and use of analytical solutions for management of Credit Risk across developing and emerging markets in Asia Pacific, including Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Latin America. Alexander holds a bachelors degree in Business Administration from the University of Sao Paulo, with a focus on financial modeling.

Katriona Ho is the Head of Market Development for Credit Analytics in Asia-Pacific for S&P Global Market Intelligence - Credit & Risk Solutions. Based in Hong Kong, she manages the Credit Analytics products across APAC, including Climate-Linked and ESG Credit Solutions.  Prior to her Head of Market Development role, she was a Director in Credit & Risk Solutions and a Senior Credit Product Specialist to provide credit risk solutions, and she continues to work closely with credit risk professionals spanned across financial and non-financial corporations to design credit workflow. She is a former S&P Global Ratings Primary Credit Analyst in Financial Services Ratings Group, and she was accountable for the credit surveillances of the rated issuers and issuances in the Insurance sector

Juyoung is a senior leader in model risk management.

Balakerthy is a highly motivated, self-reliant individual with an ability to respond positively to challenges; He has proven management skills with a particular talent for performance improvement and building motivated, sustainable teams; He is adept at managing ambiguity and providing clear leadership and guidance while ensuring flexibility to include and react to new information; Effective communication skills at all levels with a strong track record of proactive change initiation.

Balakerthy has extensive experience in building and managing credit analytics functions for retail and wholesale products across different markets; He is specialized in portfolio credit risk analytics, credit decision modeling, artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions, pricing, Basel II modeling, Basel III standardized requirements and data compliance, IFRS9 ECL modeling, model governance, regulatory reporting, and Stress Testing. He has led successful interaction with regulators (e.g. HKMA, PRA, APRA, etc.), internal audit, and independent review functions on various credit risk analytics projects.

John Luk is Head of FX Linear & Emerging Markets Trading for Credit Agricole CIB Hong Kong. He is responsible for the banks’ EM Asia FX & Rates franchise and G10 FX franchise in Hong Kong.

Mr. Luk has spent the past 14 years trading Asia FX and Rates products in CACIB. Prior to this, he was an Asia FX trader in Standard Chartered Bank.

Mr. Luk holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance from the University of Hong Kong and Masters of Science in Investment Management from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Cooper is currently the head of credit derivatives trading of Huatai International. He has been working in FICC derivatives trading for more than 10 years.

Paul is the Club extension chair, Southern China, one of the largest and most established Toastmasters Clubs in Hong Kong. As a communications consultant and coach by profession, he has accumulated a wide range of experiences within banking, asset management and cryptocurrency before focusing on lifting the professional impact of technical professionals. Paul has trained individuals at organisations such as McKinsey, Morgan Stanley and CVC; he was previously a SFC License 1,4,9 holder, and remains a CPA Australia Charter holder.

Celina Chan heads up Sustainable Finance for OCBC Bank in Hong Kong.  OCBC is the second-largest bank in Singapore and Southeast Asia, and an early adopter of sustainability and climate risk management.

Celina was awarded a scholarship by the University of Oxford in 2018 to complete an MBA specialising in sustainable and impact finance. 

Celina then contributed to structuring innovative ESG solutions including the world’s first Sustainability-Linked Bond for a real estate developer (New World Development), as well as Hong Kong’s first sustainable finance in the logistics industry (Kerry Logistics). 

Prior to that, Celina was at HSBC as an International Manager where she managed corporate portfolios in Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, and the UK; as well as regional and global strategy of the bank.  Celina has lived in Asia, Europe, US, and Africa and is an advocate of finance for good. 

Willy Mak – Senior Manager, Banking Policy, Hong Kong Monetary Authority

Willy Mak is a Senior Manager in the Banking Policy Department in the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), responsible for formulation of supervisory policies on managing climate-related risks and strengthening the ecosystem to support development of green and sustainable banking.  He has over 15 years of experience in various regulatory functions of the HKMA including enforcement of conduct and AML issues, as well as implementation of IRB approach.

Paul is the Club extension chair, Southern China, one of the largest and most established Toastmasters Clubs in Hong Kong. As a communications consultant and coach by profession, he has accumulated a wide range of experiences within banking, asset management and cryptocurrency before focusing on lifting the professional impact of technical professionals. Paul has trained individuals at organisations such as McKinsey, Morgan Stanley and CVC; he was previously a SFC License 1,4,9 holder, and remains a CPA Australia Charter holder.

Serena is currently working as Executive Director in the Sustainable Finance team within the Institutional Banking Group of DBS Hong Kong.

Ms. Mak also has over 15 years of experience with Goldman Sachs treasury and market operations in Singapore and Hong Kong, with focus on liquidity management and payment transaction surveillance across the APAC region.

Ms. Mak serves as a Board Governor & Honorary Secretary at Friends of the Earth (Hong Kong) with a focus on Green and Sustainable Finance development in Asia.

Ms. Serena Mak holds both MSc Investment Management and BBA (Hons) from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Ms Mak is a Certified ESG Analyst (CESGA), Financial Risk Manager (FRM), and CPA (Aust.).

Carmen is an experienced finance professional with a focus in impact investing and sustainable finance. She joined the Crédit Agricole Bank’s Sustainable Banking (SB) team in 2018, and has made key contributions on the green structuring aspects in a range of milestone transactions in the Asia-Pacific region, including the inaugural and subsequent Hong Kong SAR Government Green Bonds, debut South Korea Government Green & Sustainability Bond, ICBC’s mega Greater Bay Green Bond, AIIB’s Sustainable Development Bond Framework, etc. She represents Crédit Agricole Bank as the Co-chair of the Green Investment Principles of the B&R region. Carmen started her career in UBS AG as a fixed income advisor for wealth management clients, and has since worked in a boutique advisory firm facilitating capital flows to microfinance mandates in China. Carmen has a degree in BBA majoring in Global Business and Operations Management from the HKUST. She is a certified ESG Analyst of the EFFAS, and an advisor to HKUST’s upcoming Green Finance bachelor degree program.