Diana Cesar is a Managing Director of the HSBC Group.  She is also Executive Director and Chief Executive of Hang Seng Bank Limited, Chairman and  Non-executive Director of Hang Seng Bank (China) Limited and Chairman of Hang Seng Insurance Company Limited.

Prior to joining Hang Seng Bank, Diana was Chief Executive of HSBC Hong Kong.  She was responsible for steering the business to achieve its strategic objectives by managing client relationships and business partnerships, coordinating with the government and regulatory bodies, and improving employee well-being.  She was a member of the Executive Committee for The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited.

During a wide-ranging career with HSBC, Diana held leadership roles in marketing, credit cards, consumer loans and mortgages.  She was Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management in Hong Kong and Regional Head of Distribution Strategy and Consumer Propositions for Asia Pacific.  Earlier in her career at HSBC, she was seconded to Taiwan as Head of Credit Cards and successfully turned the business around. 

Diana also holds various industry and civic appointments, including:

• Great Eagle Holdings Limited - Independent Non-executive Director
• Hang Seng School of Commerce - Chairman of the Board of Directors
• Hong Kong Monetary Authority - Member of the Financial Infrastructure and Market Development Subcommittee
• Justice of the Peace appointed by the Government of the Hong Kong SAR
• The Community Chest of Hong Kong - Director, Second Vice President and Campaign Committee Chairman, and Member of Executive Committee
• The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong - Chairman of the Board of Governors
• The Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation - Member of the Board of Trustees
• The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers - Vice President and Honorary Certified Banker
• Treasury Markets Association - Council Member
• Women's Commission - Non-official Member
• CLAP@JC – Convenor of the Advisory Committee

Lee has been a pivotal figure at HSBC since joining in 1997, with a career spanning multiple roles across the UK, Brazil, India, and Hong Kong. With a strong foundation in technology, Lee has been based in Hong Kong since 2010 and has specialized in Compliance technology since 2014, operating in both global and regional capacities.

Lee's leadership was crucial in implementing technology solutions that enabled HSBC to successfully conclude its five-year Deferred Prosecution Agreement with the US Department of Justice and the Skilled Person agreement with the UK FCA. This achievement underscores Lee's commitment to leveraging technology to enhance HSBC's capabilities in combating financial crime.

Currently, Lee leads Group Functions technology for Asia and the Middle East, including the China tech centre, and serves as the Global Head of Risk & Compliance Innovation and Generative AI Tech. Under Lee's guidance, the team has successfully completed numerous Proof of Concepts (PoCs) to harness Generative AI, transitioning these into production to achieve significant business outcomes. Lee's team continues to innovate, pushing the boundaries of AI capabilities across HSBC.

Lee's extensive experience and strategic vision have been instrumental in driving technological advancements within HSBC, reinforcing the bank's position at the forefront of financial innovation.

With over 20 years of experience in compliance, financial crime risk, and regulatory oversight, Ajay has dedicated his career to helping global financial institutions navigate complex regulatory landscapes. Today, as Head of Regulatory and Conduct Risks & Oversight for Hong Kong, Greater China, and North Asia at Standard Chartered Bank, Ajay leads the Bank’s Compliance and Financial Crime Risk programs while serving as a key liaison with regulators across the region. His role also allows him to contribute to broader industry dialogue as Co-Chair of the ACAMS Hong Kong Chapter and a member of the Wolfsberg Group APAC Standing Committee.

Ajay’s journey in risk and compliance began at Deloitte, where he advised financial institutions on financial crime compliance and cross-border tax risks—experiences that shaped his expertise in governance, due diligence, and regulatory frameworks. Later, as a Regional Vice President at Citibank, he deepened his understanding of regional compliance challenges, designing risk-based programs to address evolving threats.

Beyond day-to-day oversight, Ajay is passionate about thought leadership. He’s spoken at industry conferences and written on critical topics like AML/CFT, sanctions, the FCPA, and the UK Bribery Act, always with a focus on practical insights for compliance professionals. Certified as both a CAMS (Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist) and an AAMLP (Associate AML Professional, Hong Kong), he believes in the power of collaboration—between institutions, regulators, and industry groups—to build a more resilient financial ecosystem.

Bugra is a digital product professional with over 16 years of experience. He launched the first tokenized real-world asset from a bank for retail investors: HSBC Gold Token and led HSBC’s participation in retail CBDC pilot Project e-HKD+. Currently looking after digital assets and currencies initiatives across the bank at HSBC; previously he has done end-to-end product execution for two digital banks in two continents starting from the foundation work; digital transformation for one of the leading telecommunications operator in Europe.

• Launched the first tokenized real-world asset from a bank for retail investors: HSBC Gold Token.
• Led HSBC’s participation in HKMA’s retail CBDC pilot Project e-HKD+.
• Led the Digital Products of OSL - the world’s first SFC-licensed, listed, digital asset wallet-insured, Big-4 audited digital asset trading platform.
• Launched the highest rated virtual bank in Hong Kong – Mox Bank. Gathered customer insights in the field, developed strategy, created propositions, defined product specifications, drove branding and experience development.
• Launched the fastest growing bank in the UAE – Liv. by Emirates NBD. Managed the product proposition and customer experience.

Nick Cheung is a seasoned expert in Fintech and Digital Assets risk management. He began his consulting career at Deloitte and holds elite certifications such as CAMS, CFE, CIA, and CISA. As the Regional Lead of Fintech & Digital Assets Client Advisory at Standard Chartered Bank Hong Kong, Nick Cheung has:

• Spearheaded transformative initiatives to support the bank’s business strategy in the Digital Asset space, including the deployment of AI-driven engines to enhance risk monitoring for Fintech clients and the development of bank-wide governance frameworks for Digital Asset clients.
• Led the evaluation of cross-border payment use cases proposed by digital asset clients, taking into account internal product capabilities, local regulatory requirements, and the commercial value to the bank.
• With extensive experience in Regtech system implementation, Fintech business strategy development, and leveraging technology to redefine compliance innovation, he bridges technical expertise with strategic business execution to drive industry-leading solutions.

George Chou has been appointed as Chief Fintech Officer of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) since September 2023, with responsibilities for facilitating the healthy development of the fintech ecosystem in Hong Kong and promoting Hong Kong as a fintech hub in Asia.

He joined the HKMA in 2009 and had since taken up different positions, including overseeing technology risk management of banks, and licensing and supervision of stored value facilities, before being appointed as Chief Manager of the Financial Infrastructure Development Division in 2022.

Prior to joining the HKMA, Mr Chou served various roles in the private sector of financial industry for over 10 years. Mr Chou holds a Bachelor of Computer Science and Engineering degree and a Master of Business System degree from the Monash University, and a Master of Management degree in Financial Management from the Macquarie University.

John Deng is the Director, Co-Head of HK Client Management at Dun & Bradstreet in Hong Kong. As a member of Dun & Bradstreet’s Greater China leadership team, John is responsible for business management, operations, and development within the Hong Kong market. Since joining in 2022, his key focuses have been on improving data quality, product and sales strategy, operational efficiency, and developing tailored solutions to assist both local and global clients.

With nearly a decade and a half of experience in leading international financial institutions including HSBC and National Australia Bank, John has held client-facing and leadership roles, originating, and executing significant client deals across Melbourne, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

His past coverage includes industries such as real estate, trade, consumer and retail, technology, professional services, and most recently private equity or venture capital funds in the non-bank financial institution ecosystem. He also has extensive knowledge in credit risk, financial crime compliance, and operational risks.

Mr Chris Farquhar is the founder and Managing Partner of Cimigo, an independent market research consultancy with offices throughout the region.

Chris is the Representative of ESOMAR, the global professional association for market research in Hong Kong and is the Chairman of the Hong Kong Market Research Society. He has over 30 years of experience in the market research industry, including working with financial services organisations, major tourism, entertainment, and F&B brands, as well as member-based organizations.

Mr Ryan Fung is Deputy Chief Executive and Chief of Retail & Digital Strategy of Shanghai Commercial Bank, overseeing retail banking and digitalization with over 25 years of management experience in the banking and finance sector. Prior to joining Shanghai Commercial Bank, Ryan was Chief Executive of Ping An OneConnect Bank and has held various executive positions in retail banking and distribution network functions across Hong Kong, Greater China and North Asia at Standard Chartered Bank as well as Chief Executive Officer of PrimeCredit Limited.

Currently a board member of Bank Consortium Holding Limited, BC Reinsurance Limited and Hong Kong Life Insurance Limited, Ryan also previously served as a board member of Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation from 2016-17 and also 2010-12, a board member of Joint Electronic Teller Services Limited from 2015-17, a board member of EPS Company (HK) Limited from 2013-17, and Chairman of DTC Association from 2010-2011.

Vivi Hu is the co-founder and CEO of YoujiVest and serves as the Chief Director of New Energy Platform Software Engineering Research Center at the Tsinghua Cross-strait Research Institute , Vice Chairman of the Special Committee of the Greater Bay Area Listed Companies Association and Deputy Director of ESG Special Committee of China Enterprise Management Research Association. An early advocate of ESG and sustainable investment since 2012, she has been at the forefront of developing ESG investable products and climate analytics for global asset managers. She is nominated as the 10 finalists of 2023 UBS global Female Founder award.

Prior to the inception of YoujiVest, Ms Hu held various roles at top-tier financial institutions. Her roles included serving as the Director of Product Sales for AsiaPac at the London Stock Exchange, Head of Fund Rating for AsiaPac at Lipper, and Sales Director for the Greater China Region at FactSet.

Ms Hu holds a Master's degree in Financial Engineering from Durham University and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Fudan University.

Karen joined Livi Bank in 2020 as the Head of Financial Crime Compliance. She leads the teams responsible for Anti-Money Laundering, Fraud Risk Management, and Anti-Bribery and Corruption.

She has over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Livi, Karen was the Head of AML Compliance at another digital bank. Before that, she had worked in several retail and corporate banks in Hong Kong. Throughout her career in the Financial Crime Compliance area, she has been dedicated to the use of Regtech and data analytics in the prevention and detection of financial crimes.

Karen is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of British Columbia (BSc) in Vancouver and a master's degree from the University of Hull (EMBA).

Gisella Lai is an Associate Investment Director of Digital Assets at Fidelity International, where she has been supporting the firm's digital assets strategy from crypto solutions to tokenisation since 2022. Giselle drives client engagement in digital assets and support the distribution of Fidelity digital assets solutions globally. Additionally, she actively contributes to the development of educational content and research in the field of digital assets.

Giselle has a strong passion for emerging technologies. Since 2018, she has been actively engaged in the digital assets space. She holds a Master of Science in Blockchain and Digital Currency from the University of Nicosia and is an active member of the Web3 Women association. In addition, she serves as a guest lecturer for a digital assets course at the University of Hong Kong.

Prior to her current role, Giselle was an Associate Investment Director in the Asian Fixed Income team, specialising in Asian Investment Grade and China bonds markets. She led the day-to-day product responsibilities for the Asian Investment Grade franchises, including investor communications, client engagement, and portfolio manager support.

Giselle joined Fidelity as a graduate associate and gained experience across various areas, including Multi Asset Investment Directing, Institutional Business & Consultant Relations, Digital Solutions, and Intermediary Sales in both Hong Kong and Singapore.

She holds a BSc degree in Economics and Finance from the University of Hong Kong and is a CFA and CAIA charterholder.

Daniel joined BOCHK in Dec 2021 as Chief Digital Officer, and is responsible for developing and executing digital transformation strategy for its Personal Banking & Wealth Management business. He is also in charge of BOCHK’s Digital Platform Centre.

With an unwavering focus on growth and experimentation, Daniel is particularly passionate, driven by a deep commitment to customer satisfaction, and adept at leveraging data-driven insights, while embracing lean and agile methodologies centred around customer needs. He has been leading the efforts in the digital transformation of Bank of China (Hong Kong).

Prior to BOCHK, Daniel spent 25 years in Singapore with global and regional banks, including Citibank, Standard Chartered and DBS. His experience spans Digital Transformation, Digital Banking, Artificial Intelligent (AI), Data Management and Wealth Management areas.

Esther Mai is a leader in the Hong Kong retail banking industry. She has rich experience in Digital, Customer Experience & Operations.

Esther joined Standard Chartered as International Graduate, and has held leadership positions in Risk Management, Operations and Digital Banking. She was the founding member and Chief Operating Officer of Mox Bank since its inception in 2018. Together with the team, she built the Bank from scratch and made it one of the top virtual banks in Hong Kong.

Esther rejoined Standard Chartered Hong Kong in early 2023, with the aspiration to transform banking via technology, innovation, and a sustainable operating model. Under her leadership, the Bank has launched its new mobile app in early 2024, and elevated the customer digital experience since. In 2024, Standard Chartered Hong Kong was named the Best Mobile Banking Service by The Asian Banker, and has taken home the EuroMoney Award for Excellence as Hong Kong’s Best Digital Bank.

Edgar brings more than three decades of regulatory and compliance expertise to Citibank, where he has served since 2000 as a pioneering member of the bank’s first generation of Compliance Officers.

Throughout his tenure, he has engaged in core compliance area and led Citi’s anti-money laundering (AML) efforts across Hong Kong and the region.  In recent years, Edgar has championed innovation by integrating technology and artificial intelligence into AML compliance strategies.

Prior to joining Citi, he spent seven years at Deloitte and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.  He holds advanced degrees in both Business Administration and Law.

Mr Stewart McGlynn is a Division Head in the Hong Kong Monetary Authority with responsibilities for policy development, innovation, specialist on-site supervision and international engagement pertaining to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing. In international work he is currently Co-Chair of the Financial Action Task Force Evaluations and Compliance Working Group and represents the HKMA on the Anti-Money Laundering Experts Group of the Basel Committee.

Prior to the HKMA Stewart worked as the Deputy Head of Hong Kong’s Financial Intelligence Unit and has extensive experience across AML and financial crime.

Chad is an industry leader in financial crime, transformation, and regulatory risk in the KPMG global network. For close to 30 years, he has been a staunch advocate in the fight against criminal and unethical activities.

He is an active thought leader and works tirelessly in collaboration across the industry as a trusted advisor to regulators, chief executives & business leaders at banks, digital payments, law enforcement, as well as, universities, tech startups ups, law firms and NGOs.

As a thought leader in this domain, he has worked in-house with Tier One Banks as well as in professional services roles that require knowledge leadership, change advocacy and expertise. As a result, he has led high profile and complex assignments related to Deferred Prosecution Agreements, Consent Orders, Enforcement Actions, Audit Committees and Special Disciplinary Enquiries. He is also at the forefront of advising and transforming the industry at combatting financial crime through the adoption of artificial intelligence.

He is an active contributing member of the Cyber Action Task Force led by the Hong Kong Police Force. He is the lead coordinator of the Hong Kong United for Wildlife Chapter presided by the Princes of Wales Royal Foundation.

Sandeep is a banking professional and consultant with over three decades of experience in the financial services industry out of which twenty years have been in Hong Kong. Sandeep is MD of Sustainable Solutions (SS) Consulting Limited, a consultancy specialising in sustainable solutions for financial services firms, fintechs and corporates.

In the past, Sandeep has held leadership roles across corporate banking, cash management and transaction banking operations in a top global bank where he worked for over 27 years. Sandeep was recognised as the ‘Best Relationship Manager’ by The Asset Magazine in 2020.

Sandeep is a certified expert in Sustainable finance, a winner of sustainable finance leadership award and holds a specialist certificate in Green Finance and Sustainability from the Hong Kong Institute of Bankers. Sandeep is a frequent speaker at business forums across APAC and co-chairs the GreenTech and ESG Committee in the Fintech Association of Hong Kong.

Sandeep is also International Resources Director and Contributing Editor for The Asian Banker where he has written on a vast spectrum of topics including banking, fintech, corporate treasury, sustainability, decentralised finance and digital assets.

Sandeep holds degrees in Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering and an MBA from the Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi, India. Sandeep has also done courses from other leading global universities including certified expert in Sustainable finance from Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Germany; Fintech course on Innovation and transformation in Financial Services from National University of Singapore and Leadership development programme from London Business School, UK.

Nailesh Shah is the Head of Digital Platform and Content Commercialization for Citibank Hong Kong overseeing client facing digital touch points and leveraging content to drive the engagement for the Wealth business in Hong Kong.

Previously, Nailesh was Head of Digital Channels and Experience for Citibank Hong Kong overseeing digital channels and their integration with the online & offline client experience for the consumer banking.

Prior to Citi HK, Nailesh was Regional Head of Digital Engagement & Unsecured lending Journey with Citi Singapore, where he was responsible for the strategic integration of service innovations to enhance credit cardholders’ digital experience and driving mobile engagement for all retail clients.

Nailesh joined Citi Japan in 2012 as the digital business strategy manager, leading diversified innovative initiatives, including mobile banking and online rewards redemption platform. He then took up the role of cards portfolio manager, focusing on client retention and portfolio management.

Before Citi, Nailesh worked with Oracle Financial Services to cover pre-sales and delivery of digital initiatives in investment banking.

Nailesh holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Information Technology from the University of Mumbai and Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from Welingkar’s Institute of Management.

Alfian is a senior technology and operations professional with experience in implementing large group-wide programs and projects and for defining technology and operations road maps and strategies for financial organisations.

Experienced in building high performing teams of technologists and operations professionals who operate well in high pressure situations delivering the operational backbone of the bank.

Experienced in leading large operations and technology teams to deliver end to end, highly scalable technology and operations digital platforms in the area of financial services.

Alfian is also actively involved in charity activities and regularly participates in activities with charity organisations helping various initiatives around Asia.

Alfian is currently based in Hong Kong since 2019. Prior to Hong Kong, Alfian spent 3 years in Mumbai and 16 years in Singapore with DBS.

Neil Tan has over 20 years of experience in Corporate Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Business Development, and Partnerships -- across Banking (HSBC, Deutsche Bank), Management Consulting (Boston Consulting Group BCG) and Industry (Philips Electronics, Siemens).

Neil is the Managing Partner at Tsunami Advisors, an advisory and consulting firm dedicated to helping firms in AI, Fintech, and Web3 in commercialization, capitalization, and transformation, The firms solutions include AI Strategy & Investor Relations, AI Training, AI Agents & Automation, and AI Data Analysis & Predictive Analytics.

Prior to this, Neil served as the CEO of Neptune Digital, an award-winning blockchain start-up. He was previously the Head of Business Development, Asia Pacific in the Digital Partnerships & Innovation Team at HSBC, where he focused on Banking-As-A-Service (BaaS) and Embedded Finance, including digital payments, lending, wealth and insurance.

Neil is the Chairman of the Artificial Intelligence Association of Hong Kong (AIHK), Member of the Hong Kong Government Task Force on Promoting Web3 Development (HKSAR Web3 Task Force) and Advisory Board Member of First Digital (FDUSD Stablecoin Issuer).

Ms Cindy Xu is J.P. Morgan’s Head of Asia Fintech and Head of China Financial Institution Group, in charge of global investment banking business for fintech clients in Asia and financial institution clients in China, across ECM, DCM, M&A and private financing. She has lead a number of landmark transactions in global capital markets for companies in payment, credit tech, digital banking, wealth tech, insurtech, financial software and digital assets; She is also very experienced in bank, securities, insurance, asset management sectors. Ms Xu holds MBA degree from Wharton Business School of University of Pennsylvania.

Ronald is Head of Sustainable Banking Development at the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. He is responsible for the formulation and implementation of policy to promote sustainable banking activities and facilitate the banking sector’s management of climate related financial risks.

Prior to his current role, Ronald was Head of Sustainable Finance for Asia at a major international bank based in Hong Kong, leading the bank’s sustainable banking activities in the region. During his time as a financier, he was an active contributor to the sustainable finance community, playing leadership roles in industry associations, championing improvements in market standards, and spearheading campaigns for capacity building.

Ronald has over 20 years of experience in international banking, finance and investment based in New York, London, Hong Kong and Singapore, focusing on sustainable finance and transactions in the energy, infrastructure and natural resources sectors.

He received a BS in Economics majoring in Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a BSE in Civil Engineering from the same university. He is a CFA charterholder.