WomenCorporateDirectors Asia-Pacific Institute to Explore Top Factors Affecting Markets, Trade, and Investment - and How Boards in the Region Should Prepare

WomenCorporateDirectors Asia-Pacific Institute to Explore Top Factors Affecting Markets, Trade, and Investment - and How Boards in the Region Should Prepare

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam to Open Institute

September 27-28Hong Kong

HONG KONG, Aug. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With seismic shifts in geopolitics, trade, and investment flows within and around the Asia-Pacific region, how are boards preparing their companies for these changes? On September 27-28 in Hong Kong, WomenCorporateDirectors Foundation (WCD) will bring together top women CEOs, directors, and regulatory experts to the WCD ASPAC (Asia-Pacific) Institute to explore the most urgent concerns for boards whose companies operate in the region. Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's chief executive elected earlier this year and the city's first female leader, will open the second day of the Institute on September 28.

While the number of women on corporate boards across Asia lags well behind neighboring Australia, as well as behind Europe and North America, women directors are making progress, albeit slow. India, Hong Kong, and Singapore top the list in Asia, with 12%, 11%, and 10% female board directors, respectively (Spencer Stuart Board Index 2016). In October, WCD will be launching a new chapter in Myanmar.

"As we see in Myanmar and across other parts of Asia, there is a new generation of women who are taking over key leadership positions in the large, private companies that dominate the region," says WCD chairman and CEO Susan Stautberg. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, is working with WCD to help launch the chapter, which will also be conducting a WCD "BoardFit" session for new directors in the country.

The ASPAC Institute – with directors representing sectors from financial services to telecommunications to hospitality – will tackle questions such as:  

  • What is the impact of current geopolitics on Asian corporate boards?
  • How can companies target the right overseas acquisition – and get the deal done?
  • How is technology changing opportunities for growth in Asia?
  • How are more traditional, family-run companies driving corporate governance changes?

In addition to Lam, confirmed speakers include:

  • Syaru Shirley Lin (Hong Kong), Faculty of the University of Virginia and the Chinese University of Hong Kong; Director of Goldman Sachs Asia Bank (Hong Kong), Langham Hospitality Investments (Hong Kong) and Mercuries Life Insurance (Taiwan); former Partner, Goldman Sachs
  • Sopnendu Mohanty (Singapore), Chief FinTech Officer of the Monetary Authority of Singapore
  • Merle Aiko Okawara (Japan), Chairman, JC Comsa Corporation; Director, MetLife Insurance K.K. and PT Indofood Comsa Sukses Makmur (Indonesia); WCD Chapter Chair
  • Ha Do (Vietnam), Head of Infrastructure, Senior Partner - Hanoi Office, KPMG Vietnam; WCD Chapter Chair
  • Margaret Hanson-Muse (Singapore and United States), Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs, ASEAN; WCD Advisory Board Member and former Honorary Chapter Chair in Peru, Columbia and India
  • Louise Lucas (Hong Kong), Asia Technology Correspondent, Financial Times
  • Jing Ulrich (Mainland China), Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Asia Pacific, JPMorgan Chase
  • Kerri Burgess (Australia), Asia Pacific Financial Services Practice Leader, Spencer Stuart
  • Ai Ai Wong (Singapore), Member of Global Executive Committee and Deputy Chair of the Asia Pacific Regional Council, Baker Mackenzie
  • Simon Fenton (Hong Kong), Managing Director of Asia Pacific Region, Spencer Stuart

Sponsors of the WCD ASPAC Institute include JPMorgan Chase, Financial Times, KPMG, Spencer Stuart, Pearl Meyer, Vinson & Elkins, Latham-Watkins, Center for Audit Quality, Marriott, Marsh & McLennan, and the IFC.

For more information about the Institute or to apply for media credentials to attend, please contact Suzanne Oaks Brownstein or Trang Mar of Temin and Company at 212-588-8788 or news@teminandco.com.

About WomenCorporateDirectors Education and Development Foundation, Inc.
The WomenCorporateDirectors Education and Development Foundation, Inc. (WCD Foundation) is the only global membership organization and community of women corporate directors. A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, the WCD Foundation has 77 chapters around the world. The aggregate market capitalization of public companies on whose boards WCD Foundation members serve is over $8 trillion. In addition, WCD Foundation members serve on numerous boards of large private and family-run companies globally. For more information visit www.womencorporatedirectors.org or follow us on Twitter @WomenCorpDirs, #WCDboards.

Upcoming WCD Institutes include:

  • ASPAC InstituteSeptember 27-28, 2017; Hong Kong
  • EMEA InstituteOctober 24-25, 2017; Madrid
  • Americas InstituteMarch 7-8, 2018; Miami
  • Global Institute May 8-10, 2018; New York

 

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