Our Events Social Mobility in Asia: Hong Kong Deep Dive ...

Description

In-person tickets are fully booked. Please feel free to join the waitlist and virtual event.

 

In today’s rapidly changing world, where economic uncertainty and societal divides are deepening, the conversation around social mobility has become essential. Social mobility is not just about economic advancement—it’s about breaking down systemic barriers that prevent individuals from accessing opportunities based on their background. Across Asia, disparities in education, workplace access, and social capital continue to limit upward movement for many, particularly those from low-income, ethnic minority, or LGBTQ+ communities.


Community Business’s campaign, "Social Mobility in Asia: Advocacy, Collaboration and Action," seeks to address these inequities by fostering understanding and driving action. Through research, advocacy, and collaboration with organisations across the region, we aim to create tangible pathways for progress and empower individuals to thrive in inclusive workplaces.

 

About the Event

At this hybrid event, we will launch our Social Mobility in Asia - Hong Kong Deep Dive,  unveiling the findings and exploring the market specific nuances and recommendations. The event will include exploration of the research data, a panel discussion featuring cross-sector experts, interactive roundtable discussions and networking. To ensure we can tackle this important theme from a Hong Kong led perspective, the panel will feature bilingual guests and some of the interactive roundtable discussions will be conducted in Cantonese as well as English. 

Theme: Social Inclusion and Financial Inclusion in Hong Kong

Panel Discussion Overview: The panel discussion will bring together corporate leaders, grassroots organisations and academics  to examine the critical link between financial security and social mobility in Hong Kong. The discussion will explore how financial instability affects career progression, access to education, internships and professional networks, often reinforcing existing inequalities. The panel will highlight practical, actionable solutions that organisations, policymakers and community groups can implement to foster fairer hiring practices, equitable career development pathways and financial empowerment initiatives.   

Interactive Roundtable Overview: Based on their language preference – English or Cantonese - guests will be divided into groups for an interactive roundtable discussion with our expert facilitators to dig deeper into Social Mobility and the complexities of how it manifests in Hong Kong. Our facilitators will share their invaluable knowledge and personal experience and drive in-depth conversations to gather diverse perspectives from the group. There will be time to hear key takeaways at the end of the session. 

Confirmed Welcome Remarks Speakers:

  • Astor Law, Head of Audit - Hong Kong, Asia and Middle East, Global Internal Audit at HSBC
  • Janet Ledger, CEO at Community Business 
  • Nneka Chike-Obi, Senior Director, Head of APAC ESG Ratings and Research at Sustainable Fitch
  • Paul Choi, Board Vice Chair at Community Business and Director of Human Resources at The University of Hong Kong (moderator)

Confirmed Panel Speakers:

  • Holly McGhee, Diversity, Equity & Inclusiveness Director at EY Asia Pacific
  • Nneka Chike-Obi, Senior Director, Head of APAC ESG Ratings and Research at Sustainable Fitch
  • Soundari Mukherjea, CEO & Business Storytelling Coach at Soundbytes11; Executive Committee Member at EMPOWER by The Amber Foundation

Confirmed Roundtable Facilitators:

  • Asha Nair, Director of Operations at Community Business
  • Bijita Thapa, Programme Manager at Community Business
  • Diana Au Yeung, People Strategist at Constance Collection
  • Holly McGhee, Diversity, Equity & Inclusiveness Director at EY Asia Pacific
  • Jeiz Robles, Director of DE&I at Community Business
  • Jerome Yau, Chief Executive at Aids Concern and Co-founder at Hong Kong Marriage Equality
  • Olivia Welch, Research Manager at Community Business
  • Ron Sampaga, Senior Manager, Consulting & Training at Community Business
  • Sarah Chan, Programme Associate, LGBTQ+ at Community Business
  • Saranta Gattie, Head of Network at Community Business
  • Simone Daly, Head of Data & Analytics Office, Hong Kong at HSBC
  • Sophie Guerin, Global Head of Inclusion | International Wealth & Personal Banking at HSBC
  • Yee Lin Ng, Consultant, Consulting & Training at Community Business
  • Zenia Chan, Global Head of Business Risk and Control Oversight at HSBC

Format

Guests attending in-person in Hong Kong will be divided into roundtable groups with expert facilitators to dig deeper in related topics. Please select your preferred language – English or Cantonese - for the roundtable style discussion, and we will try to cater your language preference.

If you would like to join virtually, please choose "virtual admission" and the team will share a virtual link with you closer to the date. And please note that we might only conduct the English groups for the virtual roundtable discussion sessions due to limited resources and regional attendance.

If you need translation during the event, please use Zoom's translated captions function.

Event Speakers

Asha Nair

Director of Operations at Community Business

As the Director of Operations, Asha plays a pivotal role in guiding the strategic direction and sustainability for Community Business as a not-for-profit organization. Her leadership extends to overseeing the overall success of CB India, driving the development and execution of long-term plans towards organization’s sustainability, amplifying positive impact across India.

Asha is a seasoned operations leader and CXO advisor with over 25 years of strategic leadership in driving large-scale transformations and standardizing operations. She excels in establishing robust governance frameworks, streamlining processes, and delivering substantial cost savings while ensuring sustainable growth. Her expertise lies in designing and implementing solutions that prioritize financial prudence, risk mitigation, and operational efficiency, all while aligning operations with organizational goals.

Prior to joining Community Business, as SVP at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia-India (CBAi), she led end-to-end global workforce management and vendor engagement for a 3,000+ FTE business unit, while also overseeing business management for the India wing of 1000 FTE’s.

A global Indian, Asha hails from southern India, was born in the north, studied in the west, and fell in love with Europe during her stay in Romania and Hungary. Proficient in English, Hindi, Malayalam, and elementary Romanian, she is currently based in Bangalore, India.

Asha holds a degree in Hotel and Nutrition Administration and has earned certifications in Lean Six Sigma, ontological coaching, and outcome-based coaching from ICF-accredited institutions, reflecting her deep interest in cultural and social anthropology.

Outside of work, she is an avid nature photographer, finding inspiration in the natural world. She is dedicated to fostering inclusive, customer-centric teams and is passionate about continuous growth. Asha is committed to driving meaningful change as Community Business embarks on its next evolutionary journey.

Astor Law

Astor Law, Head of Audit - Hong Kong, Asia and Middle East, Global Internal Audit at HSBC

Bijita Thapa

She/Her

Programme Manager at Community Business

Bijita is a Programme Manager for the DIAN team based in Hong Kong. She is responsible for maintaining the member database and providing support for DIAN events and campaigns.

Before joining community business, Bijita was a marketing coordinator for an NGO focused on empowering marginalised women and youth through an intersectional feminist lens. She has also interned for Prudential to conduct market research on ethnic minorities and for an SME in the holistic wellness industry. One of her passion projects is to publish a bilingual children book to raise awareness on social issues, promote bilingualism, and increase Nepalese representation in children literature.

Bijita holds a bachelors degree in Business Management and Liberal Arts. She is fluent in English, Nepali and Hindi while being intermediate in Cantonese and Mandarin. She uses she/her/her pronouns.

Diana Au Yeung

People Strategist at Constance Collection

Diana Au Yeung is a forward-thinking HR strategist with 20+ years of experience across Asia Pacific and Europe, specializing in leadership development, talent strategy, and organizational culture transformation. Currently working as a People and Leadership Consultant, Diana leads innovative, challenge-based action-learning programs that drive high-performance cultures and business success.

With passion and expertise in organization development, intrapreneurship, culture change, engagement, luxury service excellence, and sustainability, Diana empowers organizations to adapt and thrive in the future of work. Her extensive cross-cultural experience, including over a decade in China, enables her to guide global companies in leveraging diversity as a strategic advantage.

Her extensive cross-cultural experience, including over a decade in China, enables her to guide global companies in leveraging diversity as a strategic advantage. Diana has worked with top-tier clients in luxury hotels, fashion retail, banking, aviation, oil and gas, entertainment, and property development, including HSBC, Peninsula Hotels, ExxonMobil, Cathay Pacific, BMG Music, Chanel, Hugo Boss, Puyi Optical, Estee Lauder, etc. She holds an EMBA from the University of Hull, UK, Situational Leadership® certification and multiple HR certifications (MCIPD, MHKIHRM, COA, DISC, MBTI).

Holly McGhee

Diversity, Equity & Inclusiveness Director at EY Asia Pacific

Holly is a diversity, equity and inclusiveness professional with global experiences and perspectives. She will bring her views from over 10 years of DE&I expertise, as one of Asia-Pacific’s top thought leaders and multi-award winner – including the 2024 community business LGBTQ+ Ally award. She leads a program of work accelerating DE&I across the talent life cycle, client interactions and creating social value. Building on her international experience of living in Europe, Middle East, Asia and Australia Holly has led inclusion and belonging programs to support industries including financial services, government, mining, technology and retail/ supply chains.

Holly believes that education is essential for building a more inclusive world and spearheaded a first of its kind multi-language primary research into belonging in Asia-Pacific with the EY Belonging Barometer research paper and proudly led EY’s role as knowledge partner of the recently published Social Mobility in Asia study with Community Business.

In 2023 Holly was awarded the EY Hult Business School Masters of Sustainability, she is also an accredited executive coach and has post graduate qualifications from Yale and Cambridge Universities. Holly’s passion for building community led her to be the secretary of LGBT+ network Interbank Hong Kong, and in 2017 founded of women’s network Taikoo WIN. Holly lives in Sydney with her husband and adopted dog from Lantau Island, where she enjoys open water swimming, running and yoga.

Janet Ledger

Chief Executive Officer at Community Business

As Chief Executive Officer, Janet drives the overall strategic direction and sustainability of Community Business.   

With over 40 years of work experience, Janet has built a successful career as a senior leader covering a broad range of disciplines. Prior to joining Community Business in 2019 as the Chief Operating Officer, she led strategic business planning, programme management, corporate governance, change management, organisational effectiveness and talent development. Originally from Brisbane, Australia, Janet is now based in Hong Kong. 

Janet specialises in strategic leadership, organisational development, and fostering inclusive environments, leading Community Business in its mission to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion across Asia. She works with teams to open channels of communication, develop talent, and create inclusive environments that drive organisational success. 

Other Information: 

Janet holds a Bachelor of Psychological Sciences from Swinburne University of Technology and an Advanced Diploma in Programme and Project Management. She is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, alumni of The Women's Foundation Mentoring Programme of Hong Kong, and a member of the 30% Club of Hong Kong Steering Committee. 

Jeiz Robles

Director of DE&I at Community Business

Jeiz Robles is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) at Community Business, where she is committed to driving impactful change for underrepresented and underserved communities. With over 10 years of experience in the DE&I field, Jeiz is a subject matter expert in three key areas: the DE&I landscape in Asia, localizing LGBTQ+ inclusion programs and benefits, and creating and sustaining AAA+ employee networks.

As a certified Design Thinking coach, she excels in building empathy and extracting community experiences to inform corporate DE&I strategies. Jeiz has played a significant role in developing important resources such as the Philippine Financial & Inter-industry Pride Playbook, Sasin's Inclusion Toolkit for Thai Businesses, and Open for Business's Economic Case of LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Southeast Asia.

Her approach includes a range of frameworks from strategic advisory (benchmarking, policy review and audit, focus groups, and program design), ideation through empathy mapping, mentoring, workshops, thought leadership (whitepapers, toolkits), and storytelling through speaking engagements.

As a cisgender, bisexual, neurodivergent Filipina, Jeiz brings lived experiences from various intersecting communities. She has had the privilege of collaborating with numerous organizations across Asia to amplify voices that are often unheard. Fluent in both English and Filipino, she is dedicated to fostering inclusive workplaces where everyone can thrive authentically.

Jerome Yau

Chief Executive at Aids Concern and Co-founder at Hong Kong Marriage Equality

Jerome Yau is the Chief Executive of AIDS Concern and the Co-founder of Hong Kong Marriage Equality. He has extensive experience in executive and non-executive positions in the nonprofit and education sectors, specialising in communication, strategic engagement, policy research and public affairs.

Jerome dedicates his efforts to social justice and the promotion of LGBTQ+ health and inclusion. He believes strongly in using positive narratives to mobilise for change. Jerome has extensive experience working with a diverse range of stakeholders. His dedication lies in enhancing people's well-being through affirmative and evidence-based practices.

Nneka Chike-Obi

Senior Director, Head of APAC ESG Ratings and Research at Sustainable Fitch

Nneka Chike-Obi is Senior Director, APAC Head of ESG Ratings and Research at Sustainable Fitch, overseeing bond, framework and entity-level evaluations (Ratings) and cross-sector thematic analysis (Research) for the region. She is based in Hong Kong.

Before joining Fitch in 2020, Nneka worked in emerging markets’ impact investing and private equity at Acorus Capital in Hong Kong and AgDevCo in London, focusing on the natural resources and industrial sectors in sub-Saharan Africa. She previously worked as a commodities analyst at ICAP and Barclays Capital.

Nneka has an M.Sc. from The London School of Economics and a B.A. from Stanford University.

Olivia Welch

Research Manager at Community Business

Olivia is the Manager of Research based in Hong Kong. She reports directly to the Head of Social Impact and is responsible for driving Community Business’s pioneering research projects across India and the Asia region. She will be collaborating with key internal stakeholders, identifying new project opportunities and working closely with the Marketing & Communications team to produce innovative research projects. 

Prior to joining Community Business, Olivia worked in the education sector in Hong Kong, in a variety of consultancy and hands on roles and volunteered for an NGO in England as a research assistant focusing on climate change and education. 

Olivia is deeply passionate about producing contemporary research that illuminates new perspectives, challenges the rhetoric surrounding minority groups and advocates for social inclusion. She believes that shining a spotlight on personal narratives and promoting storytelling will transform research making it more vibrant and accessible, as well as adding a level of personability that people can connect with. 

A graduate from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Olivia holds a MSc degree in Humanitarian Health Program Management. 

Paul Choi

Board Vice-Chair at Community Business

Paul Choi is Managing Director and Group Head of Human Resources at the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), where he strategises and oversees all aspects of talent management practices, policies and operations for the organisation. He is a member of the HKEX management committee and reports to the Group CEO. Paul has over 30 years of international experience. Prior to joining HKEX, Paul was managing director in the Human Capital Management (HCM) division of Goldman Sachs in Asia and the Head of Goldman Sachs University and Talent Branding for Asia Pacific region.

Paul worked at a number of multinational organisations including Accenture, JP Morgan and Industrial Bank of Japan in cities including Hong Kong, Shanghai, New York and London. Paul was recognised with an “LGBT+ Inclusion Champion Award” by Community Business in 2016 for his thought leadership in driving LGBT+ inclusion in the workplace and advocating LGBT+ equality in the community. Paul has significantly contributed to winning the bid for Hong Kong to host International Gay Games in 2022.

Paul is also a core member of Hong Kong Marriage Equality and one of the Hong Kong Golden Circle members of Human Rights Watch. Previously, Paul was on the HR Advisory Board of The Women’s Foundation and provided pro-bono Strategy and Business Planning consulting services to not-for-profit organisations including The Women’s Foundation, CareER and Youth Diabetes Action.

Ron Sampaga

He/Him

Senior Manager, Consulting & Training at Community Business

As the Senior Manager, Consulting & Training, Ron leads the Consulting and Training team at Community Business. With over 10 years of experience in human resources and learning & development, Ron has honed his expertise in training individuals and teams to drive transformational change. His diverse project experience spans a wide range of industries, including sales and marketing, hospitality, banking and finance. 

Ron's expertise lies in leadership development, sales enablement, team building, customer service and personal branding. He is proficient in developing and facilitating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programmes that promote understanding, respect, and inclusive practices within organisations. 

Ron has successfully facilitated transformative learning initiatives in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan, and Taiwan. He delivers trainings in both English and Tagalog. 

Ron's dedication to continuous professional growth is evident in his extensive credentials, which include certifications as a DiSC Trainer, Life/Executive Coach, and Master Trainer. He believes that training is not merely to inform, but to inspire. 

Sarah Chan

She/Her

Programme Associate, LGBTQ+ at Community Business

Sarah is the Programme Associate for the LGBTQ+ team at Community Business and is based in Hong Kong. She is responsible for supporting Community Business’ LGBT+ campaign and programmes.

Prior to Community Business, Sarah worked at Midnight Blue as a student intern, an NGO supporting Hong Kong male sex workers, and was responsible for newsletter publications and content creating for social media. She is also a co-producer of a Cantonese podcast show, Gyakutenitoru, discussing Hong Kong social issues through literature, movies and music. She provides technical support for recording sections and sound engineering.

Sarah is a graduate of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology. She is native in Cantonese, fluent in English and Mandarin. Her preferred pronouns are she/her.

Saranta Gattie

She/Her

Head of Network at Community Business

Saranta is the Senior Programme Manager for DIAN. She is responsible for driving the development and execution of DIAN across the region.

Prior to Community Business, Saranta was working with founders and leaders committed to building authentic work cultures and workplaces that empower their teams. Her experience brings together a unique blend of workplace strategy, learning & programme design and leadership coaching.

Passionate about the future of work, Saranta launched The Working Capitol, a co-working space in Singapore to re-imagine the way work, wellbeing and inclusion can co-exist. She was also the Head of Learning for a private network of female leaders, spearheading the programme design & delivery and member experience across events, workshops & networking opportunities, to advance the role of women in leadership. Saranta is a strong believer in the power of community to drive transformation and create impact and is a champion of diversity & inclusion practices in and out of the workplace.

Saranta was born in Belgium and raised in Singapore. A graduate from the University of Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts, International Studies & French, she worked in the US and Southeast Asia representing global brands in her early career before exploring the world of entrepreneurship. Saranta is a coach-in training, supporting especially female founders and working mothers. She is fluent in English and French, conversational in Italian and learning Indonesian.

Simone Daly

Head of Data & Analytics Office, Hong Kong at HSBC

Simone is Head of Data and Analytics Office, HSBC Hong Kong. She is responsible for driving the implementation of the HSBC data strategy, focusing on unlocking value from data, promoting a data-driven culture, and delivering data governance frameworks and policies. 

Simone is a strong advocate of attracting, developing, and motivating a talented global workforce. Simone is a passionate champion for diversity and inclusion and previously led ASP and Hong Kong Balance (an Employee Resource Group focused on promoting gender equity and amplifying voices of all colleagues to create a more inclusive environment), before becoming a Global Co-Chair for Balance in 2025.

Prior to her current role, Simone was the ASP Legal COO, where she worked closely with the Global and ASP leadership team to manage the operations of the Legal function. She led the establishment of ASP Legal’s strategic plans to drive change, refine data, deliver technology and enable people and culture programs across the region. 

Simone worked in a number of Global Markets leadership roles in London and Hong Kong, prior to joining HSBC in 2013. 

Simone holds a Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa

Sophie Guerin

Head of Diversity & Inclusion APAC at Johnson & Johnson

Sophie Guerin is the Head of Diversity & Inclusion for Asia Pacific at Johnson & Johnson. She is a bilingual, GTM, customer centric diversity & inclusion professional with extensive experience building localized strategies for international clients in Asia Pacific. Sophie is skilled in leveraging strategic partnerships with multiple stakeholders to achieve measurable, business driven results.

Currently residing in Singapore, Sophie is a recognized expert on diversity & inclusion in Asia and speaks frequently at industry and thought leadership forums. She is co-author of "Examining Diversity & Inclusion from an Asian Perspective" and “Developing Dependency” which explores special economic zones in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. She is a member of the Diversity & Inclusion in Asia Network Advisory Council and a Founding Member of the American Chamber of Commerce Singapore Women's Steering Committee. Sophie is the first recipient of the American Chamber of Commerce China Committee of the Year Award and is the Founder of Women in International Public Affairs based in Paris, France.

Soundari Mukherjea

CEO & Business Storytelling Coach at Soundbytes11; Executive Committee Member at EMPOWER by The Amber Foundation

Yee Lin Ng

She/Her

Consultant, C&T, Community Business

Yee Lin Ng is a Consultant for the Consulting and Training team at Community Business. She is responsible for consulting and training design and delivery, as well as client relationship management.

Well equipped with over 30 years of work and life experience, Yee Lin seeks to coach and motivate the next generation of thought leaders by enriching their personal growth and heightening their professional value. She is an ICF ACC certified coach with many years of executive leadership experience. Prior to joining Community Business as a consultant in C&T, she was based in Shanghai for 10 years and worked in a creative agency in branding strategy and project management with global brands. Actively involved with ICF Singapore’s Community of Practice for Team Coaching and Outreach & Coaching for Community, she holds a Mentor role with Asia Institute of Mentoring, Singapore Halogen Foundation’s Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) and Hong Kong Kids4Kids' Action For A Cause. This is her path of giving forward and to build a highway of hope.

She is most grateful to have a healthy mind, a healthy body and the opportunity to continue her passion in discovering the beauty of engagement and interpersonal relationships.

Yee Lin holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics and Political Science, National University of Singapore. She is also a certified CSM, CAL-E, CAL-T and CAL-O with Scrum Alliance. She is native in English and fluent in spoken Mandarin and Cantonese.

Zenia Chan

Global Head of Business Risk and Control Oversight at HSBC

Zenia is the Global Head of Business Risk and Control Oversight at HSBC. She is an experienced Global Banking & Markets Professional gained from more than 20 years in working across corporates at HSBC, Barclays and Ernst & Young.

Having lived in the UK and worked at HSBC for 15 years, Zenia has been seen great successes of social mobility initiatives being rolled out in HSBC UK. She has relocated to Hong Kong since 2024 and is keen to continue pushing ESG and social mobility in Asia. She is one of the co-chairs of HSBC's soon to be launched APAC Social Mobility ERG, Strive, and openly to discuss with stakeholders to have better understanding on what HSBC and she can help in this area.

In her spare time, she has been volunteering at the local community working group to discuss resolution of issues relating to the area.

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