Keynote Speaker

Mr. Ben Weisman
Mr. Ben Weisman is Director of Global Public Policy in the Secretariat of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), the largest coalition of financial institutions committed to supporting the decarbonization of the global economy. His work focuses on public policy issues around net-zero transition planning and mobilizing transition finance, and he helped lead the development of the GFANZ transition plan framework. Previously, he led work on innovation, sustainability, and inclusion in financial services at the World Economic Forum and was a management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). He began his career on the international strategy and policy team at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Ben holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, a master’s in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School, and a BA in Public & International Affairs and Environmental Studies from Princeton University.

Moderator

Prof. Christine Loh
Prof. Christine Loh is the Chief Development Strategist at the Institute for the Environment, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Previously, she held the positions of Special Consultant to the Office of the Chief Executive of the HKSAR Government on the ecological civilization aspects of the Greater Bay Area Outline Development Plan (2019-2020); and Under Secretary for the Environment in the HKSAR Government (2012-2017). She was the CEO of Civic Exchange, an independent non-profit public policy think tank (2000-2012). Before that, Prof. Loh served as a member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, first appointed in 1992 and later elected in 1995 and 1998. Earlier, she spent 14 years in the private commercial sector in commodities trading. Currently, she is a Director of New Forests Pty Limited, Towngas Smart Energy Company Limited, CDP Worldwide, and Global Maritime Forum. She is also a founding Advisor to Hong Kong Green Finance Association.

Panelists

Ms. Grace Hui
Ms. Grace Hui is the CEO of Net Zero Asia, a company focuses on carbon asset development. From 2013 to 2022, Ms. Hui was a senior executive with Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) during which she played a critical role in strengthening Hong Kong as a regional green finance center. Most notably, Ms. Hui spearheaded reviews of HKEX’s ESG Reporting Guide; initiated a new business for HKEX in green finance; founded HKEX’s Sustainable and Green Exchange; published a “Practical Net-Zero Guide for Business”; and led the assessment for carbon market opportunities in Hong Kong. Ms. Hui is an adjunct professor in the Division of Environment and Sustainability at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; an honorary adviser to the Accounting and Financial Reporting Council (AFRC); a member of the AFRC’s Sustainability and Climate Action Task Force; and a member of the Sustainability Committee of The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Ms. Ivy Lau
Ms. Ivy Lau is the Head of Sustainable Finance, Asia Pacific at Mizuho Bank, Ltd. She heads up the bank’s sustainable finance business and leads the overall ESG initiatives in the APAC region (ex. Japan) with a focus on capital markets and banking products. Prior to joining Mizuho, Ivy was the General Manager of the East Asian region at the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI), an international climate finance-focused NGO and a global standard setter. She drove CBI’s regional stakeholder outreach and policy advisory efforts, as well as research studies in green bond market, green taxonomies, and green infrastructure investment opportunities. Ivy is a sustainability practitioner who previously served in international NGOs and think tanks in the UK, USA and Uganda, specialized in various sustainable development issues ranging from climate action, anti-money laundering to children’s rights and education.

Mr. Jean Eric Salata
Mr. Jean Eric Salata is Chairman of EQT Asia and Head of BPEA EQT. Mr. Salata joined Baring Private Equity Asia (BPEA) in 1997 before leading the management buyout in 2000, which established BPEA as an independent firm. He has since been responsible for the investment activity of BPEA until 2022, when the company joined forces with the global private equity firm EQT and was renamed BPEA EQT. BPEA EQT is part of EQT, a purpose-driven global investment organization focused on active ownership strategies. BPEA EQT combines the private equity teams from Baring Private Equity Asia (BPEA) and EQT Asia, creating a comprehensive Asian private equity presence with a 25-year heritage and local teams in eight cities across the region. BPEA EQT and Mr. Salata are active in philanthropy and have long supported organizations in the Asia Pacific region, the UK, and the USA. Their efforts focus on sustainability, education, disadvantaged youth, and the arts. In 2022, Forbes Asia included Mr. Salata in its Heroes of Philanthropy list.