Dialogue with Women Chief Executives 2021-22 –
1st Session: Positivity in the Worst of Times
Ms. Ka Shi Lau, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, BCT Group [second from right], Ms. Miranda Kwok, President and Executive Director, China Construction Bank (Asia) [third from right], Ms. Cassandra Lister, Chief Executive (Head of Hong Kong), National Australia Bank Limited [third from left]; with Prof. Andy Wong, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, The Chinese University of Hong Kong [second from left] and student emcee Wendy Wu (Year 4, International Business and Chinese Enterprise) [first from right] and Joy Hong (Year 2, Integrated Bachelor of Business Administration) [first from left]
CUHK Business School has embarked on the 4th year of collaboration with the Women CEOs alliance and the first Dialogue session was successfully conducted on 7 October 2021. The Dialogue put the spotlight on Positivity in the Worst of Times, with the sharing from a panel of three women CEOs, including Ms. Ka Shi Lau, Managing Director and Chief Executive, BCT Group, Ms. Miranda Kwok, President and Executive Director, China Construction Bank (Asia), and Ms. Cassandra Lister, Chief Executive (Head of Hong Kong), National Australia Bank Limited. Over 250 CUHK Business School students were invited to participate via Zoom platform and they showed their enthusiasm throughout the Dialogue.
The CEOs recalled their learning difficulties in childhood, and anxiety about the future like everyone did. Instead of getting bogged down by the hardships, they surmounted the obstacles through positivity and hard work. They all believed that the life journey is never smooth, but we could turn the challenges into motivation and learn from the setbacks. These beliefs brought success to their career beyond a shadow of a doubt.
While life is also full of choices and it sometimes makes us indecisive, all the three CEOs agreed that we should be confident and overcome it. Perhaps we might be afraid of the unknowns, the CEOs reminded us that opportunity is transient and we should grasp the chance to decide instead of hesitating. It is even more valuable to us to grow up from mistakes, and every misfortune may be a blessing in disguise.
The WCE programme was established in partnership with a group of women chief executives from the financial services industry in Hong Kong, to empower the next generation through the exchange of views on business and social issues. Each dialogue event features a panel of female CEOs who discussed wide-ranging topics including leadership, soft skills, career development, diversity and inclusion.
Since the programme’s first launch in 2018, more than 1000 secondary school students, teachers and principals, as well as female chief executives and professionals from various financial institutions have participated in the dialogue series.
The panellists discussed the setbacks they faced in childhood and encouraged audience to overcome failure by sharing their experience.
The online event was a success and joined by Ms. Angel Ng, Chief Executive Officer (Citi Hong Kong and Macau), CITI [Group Photo – third from left], Ms. Helena Chen, Managing Director (Hong Kong and Macau), Mastercard [Group Photo – first from right], Ms. Ivy Au Yeung, Chief Executive, ICBC (Asia) [Screenshot – top], Ms. Sally Wan, Chief Executive Officer, AXA Hong Kong [Screenshot – middle], and Mrs. Helen Kan, Executive Director, Deputy CEO & Head of Personal & Business Banking Group, China CITIC Bank International Limited [Screenshot – bottom]
Ms. Ka Shi Lau, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, BCT Group, encouraged persistence in students and inspired students to keep an open mind.
Ms. Cassandra Lister, Chief Executive (Head of Hong Kong), National Australia Bank Limited, shared her experience on leading a team through crisis and under the pandemic.
Ms. Miranda Kwok, President and Executive Director, China Construction Bank (Asia), emboldened students to be brave to make decisions in different life events.
