Ms Niru Vishwanath

Equal Opportunities Officer of Ethnic Minorities Unit of Equal Opportunities Commission

Niru Vishwanath works in the Ethnic Minorities Unit of the Equal Opportunities Commission. She joined the Commission in August 2011 in the Corporate Communications and Training Unit and moved to the Ethnic Minorities Unit when it was set up in 2014.

Her background lies in marketing communications with many years spent in banking and advertising. She even spent some time teaching English as a foreign language. She was born and educated in India and has lived in other parts of the world in addition to Hong Kong.

Her work at the EOC includes policy and advocacy, training, outreach and community networking. She is deeply passionate about her role as it is meaningful, deeply rewarding and helps her connect with various strata of society, including the underprivileged.

Ms Niru Vishwanath

APAC Head of Junior Talent at Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Noreen Dooner looks after the Junior Talent for all of APAC at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Junior Talent comprises of the Employer Brand and Marketing, the recruitment and the Training and Development up to three years post-graduation. She has been with the bank almost three years. Noreen started her career at a huge multinational, AT&T. She then went back to grad school and afterwards joined a consulting company. She later made the switch to Investment Banking. After several years in IB, she moved into Human Resources. Her career has taken her to EMEA and APAC and currently is based in Hong Kong.

Ir Mandy Leung

Deputy Director – Substation Implementation of CLP Power Hong Kong Ltd.

Ir Mandy Leung is the Deputy Director – Substation Implementation of CLP Power Hong Kong Ltd, responsible for managing transmission substation projects. Since joining the Company in 2001, she has held numerous positions of responsibility in areas of strategic planning and regulatory management including the long term power grid planning to support Hong Kong’s development, electricity tariff planning and the formulation of environmental and renewable energy policies in close collaboration with the Government and most recently managing major transmission projects. With her experience in strategic management, high voltage engineering and stakeholder communications, Mandy plays a key role in the evolving energy market and environmental affairs in Hong Kong. Mandy is also devoted to nurturing young engineers and promoting gender diversity in our profession and was awarded the Young Engineer of the Year Award 2010 by the HKIE in recognition of her contributions to the profession and the community.

Ms Theresa Yeung

Director of Arup

Theresa Yeung heads the East Asia region planning business of Arup, and is the Global Master Planning & Urban Design Skill Leader of Arup. Theresa is a visionary leader in urban planning and Smart Green Resilient (SGR) Masterplan. Theresa has established an unrivalled market reputation in the field of urban planning and sits on important statutory bodies playing a key role in the planning industry. Theresa currently serves as Member of the Antiquities Advisory Board, Member of the Corruption Prevention Advisory Committee (CPAC) of Independent Commission Against Corruption, Board Member of Planners Registration Board, Council Member of the Hong Kong Institute of Planners, and Director of Professional Green Building Council.

Dr Wilton W.T. Fok

Assistant Dean (External Relations and Knowledge Exchange) of Faculty of Engineering of The University of Hong Kong

Dr. Wilton Fok is the Assistant Dean (External Relations and Knowledge Exchange) of the Faculty of Engineering and the Director of the e-Learning Technology Development Laboratory of the University of Hong Kong.

Dr. Fok is a former Chairman of the Electronics Division of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE). Currently, he is a HKIE Council Member and an Executive of the HKIE Executive Committee. Dr. Fok is also a member of the HKSAR Town Planning Board and a member of the Technology Training Committee of the HKSAR Education Bureau. Dr. Fok awarded a Bachelor in Engineering, a Master degree in Engineering and a Master degree in Environmental Management from the University of Hong Kong, a Master of Business Administration Degree from the University of Cambridge and a PhD degree from the Renmin University of China. He had also awarded the Best Teacher Award by the HKU Faculty of Engineering and the Leadership Bauhinia Award and the Young Engineer of the Year Award by the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers.

Mr Kenny Chan

Senior People Manager of Arup

Kenny Chan is a learning & development professional with a strong academic background and a range of consultancy and training experience gained across a diverse regional background in a wide range of industries and sector including engineering, financial services, apparel, consulting, properties and telecommunications, applying the full breath of human resources development knowledge to improve organizational performance. Kenny is an experienced trainer and facilitator and has supported many companies in delivering training, seminars and workshops. Kenny designed and delivered programmes in Hong Kong and abroad and has worked with internal & external clients to improve their training functions. He is an experienced practitioner of psychometric tools for various purposes including team building and personal growth.

Ms Lisa Zhong

Assistant Engineer of CLP Power Hong Kong Ltd

Lisa Zhong is currently an Assistant Engineer in Power System Business Group of CLP Power HK Limited. She joined the Graduate Trainee Program of CLP Power in 2017 after she obtained her MSc in Control Systems at Imperial College London, the UK. Lisa gradually developed from a beginner to an electrical engineer after the two-year training. She now focuses on the projects about transmission plant maintenance and fault repair in power supply network. Her research on “Simplified MMC Simulation Model for Renewable Energy and HVDC Application” gained the First runner-up in IET Young Professionals Exhibition & Competition (YPEC) 2018.

Ms Rachel Wu

Engineer II of CLP Power Hong Kong Ltd.

Rachel Wu obtained her Bachelor Degree in Mechanical Engineering and Master Degree in Building Services Engineering from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and University of Hong Kong respectively. She is now working in CLP Power Hong Kong Limited as an Engineer and participating in project management of substation implementations. She is also the committee member of IMechE Hong Kong Branch Young Members Section.

Ms Wu joined a main contractor company as Assistant Mechanical Engineer since graduation and participated Scheme “A” training in mechanical engineering discipline. During the 24-month programme, she received extensive trainings on being a professional engineer in construction industry.

Ms Chelsea S.W.Chan

Mechanical and Electrical Engineer of Electrical and Mechanical Services Department

Ms Chelsea CHAN graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University with Bachelor’ degree in Mechanical Engineering. She obtained her Master degree in Building Services Engineering in the University of Hong Kong. After graduation, she worked as a mechanical engineer with 5 years of ACMV system design and coordination experiences in consultant firms, Mott MacDonald HK Limited and Aurecon HK Limited. Currently, she is an electrical and mechanical engineer in Electrical and Mechanical Services Department.

Her duties are ACMV calculations, equipment selection, layout co-ordination, design drawings preparation, tender documentation, energy simulation, sustainable design and coordination with relevant parties.

Mr Theodore Ma

Co-founder of CoCoon

After graduating from Stanford in 2004, Theodore Ma has been developing his family's jewelry retail network and wholesale business and extending them to the online world. More recently, he has founded CoCoon, which operates a vibrant co-working space and supports startups in Hong Kong.

In his capacity as MaBelle's Managing Director, Theodore designed and built an online fulfillment infrastructure and successfully integrated it into the group's 100+ stores in Hong Kong and China. Customers can now seamlessly purchase any piece of jewellery from an inventory of over 6000 styles online and pick up their goods offline in under 2 days.

Online sales and online induced in-store sales from these websites have increased by double-digit percentages consistently over the past 6 years. The jewelry e-commerce platforms now reach customers in over 76 countries and 400 cities internationally.

In 2012, Theodore co-founded Born to Fly with his family. This company runs CoCoon, an incubator for startups and an idea exchange platform that aims to reignite the entrepreneurial spirit in Hong Kong and to stimulate the creation of innovative jobs.

Theodore and his team, over the past 7 years, created one of the largest physical community of entrepreneurs with over 30K connections, 1200 CoCoon alumni and while hosting 150+ events annually. In particular, CoCoon hosts monthly Pitch Nights and various events to bridge established business owners and investors with up-and-coming entrepreneurs. Collectively, members raised over $5.4 billion HKD (USD600M) in funding through investors and referrals they met at Pitch Night.

Encouraged by the success of CoCoon's startups, in 2016, Theodore and his partners launched CoCoon Ignite Ventures. With connected capital, CoCoon Ignite Venture invests in early stage entrepreneurs who have a unique vision of the new economy: transitioning from asset-based models to non-asset based, decentralized networks and business models.

Ms Erica Ma

Co-founder of CoCoon

Erica Ma is focused on finding people who share our vision and mission to build out the three pillars at CoCoon: Community, Education, Investments. People are the center of her everyday. Her job is to listen, learn and connect dots under a productive, innovative and disciplined culture.

Mr KS Fong

Senior Professional Training and Development Manager of The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited

Mr K.S. Fong is currently the Senior Professional Training and Development Manager of The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited (Towngas). He is responsible for the training in academic sector in Hong Kong and supporting the training in Mainland China for Towngas.

KS is a Chartered Engineer of the Institution of Gas Engineers & Managers and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He has the extensive experience working in Mainland China. During his career, he stationed in Wuhan and supported the gas business there. He also worked in Inner Mongolia to construct a chemical plant. Furthermore, he participated in the business development work throughout the Mainland China.

Ir Kitty Lee

Engineer of Arup

Ir Kitty Lee is a chartered environmental engineer with ten years’ experience in implementing waste and water projects. She has worked on all stages throughout the project lifecycle from feasibility study, planning, to conceptual and detail designs across waste, water and wastewater sectors. The broad range of experience enables her to take a holistic approach to her work, particularly bringing sustainable and practical solutions to a wide range of clients.

Her areas of specialism include waste forecasting and formulation of waste management strategies. In 2018, she undertook a 10-month long term assignment in the Resource and Waste Management Team in Arup’s Brisbane office to pursue in excelling her skills in waste management.

Ir Edward Chan

Chairman of Engineers without Borders (Hong Kong)

Ir Edward Chan is a registered professional engineer (Hong Kong), Chartered Engineer (UK) and practicing in the professional project management industry. Edward is an expert in building sustainability, studied in engineering, economics and built environment in Hong Kong and the UK. Edward is currently the Chairman of the Engineers Without Borders Hong Kong and also serving in public posts in green building, circular economy and recycling aspects. Edward is an Editorial Advisory Board member of the Journal of Humanitarian Engineering. Edward was one of the speakers in the Asia Pacific Humanitarian Leadership Conference 2019 in Australia and presented the EWB Global Citizenship Programme.

Ms Janice Lao

Director – Group Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability of The Hongkong & Shanghai Hotels, Ltd

Janice Lao is an environmental scientist and development economist, multi-awarded throughout her 15-year career, most recently listed in Forbes as one of the world’s top female sustainability leaders and is the 2019 Edie Sustainability Leader of the Year Awardee. Throughout her international career, she has worked for world-renowned international think tanks and blue-chip multinational conglomerates in the transport, energy, extractive, FMCG, property and hospitality sectors. Her work has been highlighted by global organisations such as Fortune’s Change the World list in 2017.

Her expertise lies in embedding sustainability into businesses– ranging from sustainability management, successful identification and implementation of projects using green bond, M&A, and equity financing structures, as well as advising board members/senior management.

She has a masters and a diploma in business from the University of Oxford.

Ms Gladys So

Sustainability Manager of K11 Concepts Ltd

Gladys So is a chartered engineer and sustainability manager with over 10 years’ experience working in the built environment sector. She has strong capabilities to appreciate situations holistically, and solve problems in a pragmatic and innovative manner. Her experiences spans from developing, implementing and reporting sustainability strategies, through to leading design, construction and operations teams to achieve sustainability targets. Throughout her career in consulting, property developer and operator in Australia and Hong Kong, she will share her own experiences working in a male-dominated sector, plus the importance of being authentic, remain professional and building empathy with stakeholders.

Mr David Jones

Director, Head of North Asia Global Markets Operational Technology at Bank of America Merrill Lynch

David Jones obtained a Joint Bachelor of Science degree in Electronic Engineering and Computer Science from University Cardiff Wales, in the UK. He commenced his career in Electronic Engineering for machine control systems but soon moved to California to work for Microsoft as a computer engineer. After some years, he moved to work within the Financial industry for large Investment Banking corporations developing and leading teams for Electronic Trading. He is currently based in Hong Kong as a manager of technology teams in Asia Pacific that provide post trade clearing and settlement services for Bank of America.

Prof Allen Leung

Professor of Department of Education Studies of Hong Kong Baptist University

Prof Allen Leung obtained his PhD in Mathematics at University of Toronto, Canada. He is currently the Programme Director of PGDE, Department of Education Studies and Professor of Mathematics Education at Hong Kong Baptist University. Professor Leung’s main research interests are Dynamic Geometry Environment, development of mathematics pedagogy using variation, tool-based mathematics task design, STEM Education, proof and argumentation in mathematics education and Lesson Study. He has published in major international mathematics education journals, books, and conference proceedings. Professor Leung co-edited the Springer book “Digital Technologies in Designing Mathematics Education Tasks - Potential and Pitfalls (Mathematics Education in the Digital Era Book Series)”.

Ms Olivia Wong

Head of Diversity and Inclusion Development of John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Ltd

Olivia Wong is Head of Diversity & Inclusion Development at John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Ltd, a role that was newly created in August 2018. She is responsible for developing a coherent diversity and inclusion (“D&I”) strategy and aligning D&I initiatives across the Swire Group. The strategy aims to create a more supportive and inclusive work environment for all staff. Swire is one of the first conglomerates in the region to pioneer a dedicated role in D&I within the organization.

Prior to taking up her current position, Olivia was Director HR & Administration at Swire Properties Ltd. Before that she was General Manager – Leadership Development at John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Ltd and Managing Director at Ethos International Ltd, with responsibility for recruiting and fostering talent for the Swire Group. She joined Cathay Pacific as management trainee in 1988, and had almost 20 years of broad management experience in Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong, South East Asia and Europe.

Olivia graduated with a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree from the University of California, Berkeley. She also has an MBA from the University of Michigan.

Olivia is a dedicated volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. She currently serves as the vice-chair on their board. She is also a qualified scuba diving instructor and a keen though average snowboarder.

Ms Elaine Sum

Director at Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Elaine Sum holds a Master’s degree in Industrial and System Engineering from Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She joined Bank of America Merrill Lynch in HK since 2010.

She has worked in different roles in the Bank including Executive Support & Desktop Support Manager in Workspace Services and Head of Global Markets CTO Engagement Services.

Elaine is active member for ‘Women in Technology and Operations’ (WIT&O) which is an employee network in BofA.

Ms Benita Chick

Founder and CEO of Encompass HK

Benita Chick has a background in community outreach and working in academia, NGOs and think-tank. She obtained her B.A. from Cornell University and M.A in Boston University. She founded a social enterprise in 2018 called Encompass HK to promote diversity and inclusion through advocating for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Benita curates and guides an award-winning LGBT+ walking tour. She is now a Board Member at AIDS Concern Hong Kong, the Director of IDAHOT (International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia) in Pink Alliance, a member of the admission committee in Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong and a radio host at a local online LGBT+ channel called “Bubble Air”.