UBS, HKEX and Standard Chartered’s women CEOs on blazing a trail and finding balance
Fuelled by 4.30am gym sessions, African safaris and bowls of lobster noodles, these CEOs are reshaping Hong Kong’s boardroom culture
Lo describes the beginnings of WCE as spontaneous, just a handful of women meeting over lunch. “We thought we should do something together,” she says. “We are all very passionate about helping next-gen women to excel in their careers.”
Those informal gatherings have since evolved into an organised network, formalised in 2018, with 60 women CEOs leading financial institutions and working groups dedicated to advocacy (led by Lo and Huen), education, well-being and fostering young talent.
What sets WCE apart is its unlikely alliance: competitors coming together in a notoriously guarded industry.
“Covid made us closer,” says Huen. “It wasn’t about who wins; it was about how to sail through the crisis together.” As the group grew, she says, they asked, “How do we use the soft power of women to support Hong Kong?”
Next week’s inaugural summit is a start, and it will bring together 200 women C-suite executives from around the region and the world under one roof.