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

Description

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. 

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Practical Information

  • 30.05.25
    3:00pm - 5:30pm (UTC+8)
    HSBC Office (L40, HSBC Main Building, 1 Queen’s Road Central, Central, Hong Kong)
    Add to calendar 30-05-2025 03:00 PM 30-05-2025 05:30 PM Social Mobility in Asia: Hong Kong Deep Dive Research Launch A hybrid event to launch the Hong Kong Deep Dive of Community Business’ research "Social Mobility in Asia: Advocacy, Collaboration and Action" Citi, Asia Square Tower 2 Asia/Hong_Kong

Event Speakers

Diana Au Yeung

Head of People and Leadership at The Do Asia

Holly McGhee

Director, EY Asia-Pacific Diversity, Equity & Inclusiveness

Holly is a diversity, equity and inclusiveness (DE&I) 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 Diversity and Inclusion thought leaders. Holly’s broad experiences and award-winning programs at EY include accelerating progress across the talent life cycle and client interactions. Holly spearheaded a first of its kind primary research into belonging in Asia-Pacific with the EY Belonging Barometer research paper. Recently Holly was awarded a Masters of sustainability by Hult Business School, she is also an accredited executive coach and has post graduate qualifications from Yale and Cambridge Universities. Holly is the secretary of Interbank Hong Kong, co-founder of Taikoo WIN and recognised as an LGBTQ+ Ally through the Community Business Asia Awards.

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.

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. 

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. 

Saranta Gattie

She/Her

Senior Programme Manager, DIAN 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

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

Zenia Chan

Global Head of Business Risk and Control Oversight at HSBC

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