CHAIR'S MESSAGE

Dear Members,

Kung Hei Fat Choi, and may this Year of the Water Rabbit bring much joy, energy, vitality and reward to you all.

I am very glad that we are already seeing more activities and visitors returning to Hong Kong. We are also hearing favourable comments on the energy and vitality in the community - may the positive vibes only get stronger.

Since my first magazine address, we have started to see a rebound in visitors coming to see Hong Kong for themselves, to reunite with families Schools have had more in-person teaching and activities Colleagues and business partners have been reconnecting with colleagues and partners from many parts of the world, and c-suite visits are definitely back on the agenda. We eagerly await more chances to say Hello at train stations, ferry terminals, the airport and in our offices and at Chamber events.

With the social distancing rules lifted, we were thrilled to receive a former resident of the City, and host a luncheon for the British Ambassador to China, Dame Caroline Wilson DCMG. It was a lovely and lively event, and we look forward to more returnees and visitors to Hong Kong and a great start to the Lunar New Year

As I noted in my previous address that I am keen to engage with the wider membership in both the business context as well as that important sense of connection and community we enjoy as a Chamber of Commerce, and we are looking to bring a variety of exciting activities.

In terms of committee work, there has been a lot of activity and engagement with Government following the Chief Executive’s Policy Address. All committees are actively engaging with the wider business community, Government and other stakeholders as part of the concerted effort to energise the economy We all clearly recognise and share concerns with many other organisations around the competition for talent. While many good schemes are being implemented, the opportunities outweigh those able to take up the roles. We are encouraging all members to think about how we can encourage overseas talent to “think Hong Kong” and choose this vibrant and exciting place to live and work!

With the opportunities in mind, we are focusing much attention on outcomes and actions with respect to the Greater Bay Area (GBA) Committees are considering how to shape agendas and activities around the opportunities for the benefit of members

For example, the newly appointed Chair of the Real Estate Committee, Shaman Chellaram, together with the committee, have fostered further diversity and engagement in the sector, with plans for a Hong Kong Real Estate event in March and a joint BritCham/Urban Land Institute event in Q2. As Shaman notes, “With real estate a fundamental driver of our economy, we will engage key partners and stakeholders across Hong Kong, GBA and ASEAN to drive advocacy and foster collaboration and opportunities for our members and related businesses ” Integral to the future development and redevelopment of the built environment in Hong Kong and the GBA are the increasingly important three letters in everyone’s mind – ESG

The Financial Markets Committee (FMC) is no exception, as the focus increases on ESG issues (green and sustainable finance, carbon trading and diversity & inclusion), maintaining Hong Kong as an international financial centre (Greater Bay Area and promoting growth in insurance and asset management) and promoting Hong Kong as a regional hub for financial services innovation and risk management “We are optimistic that 2023 will bring renewed business opportunities for our members ” according to Jill Wong, Chair of FMC

At the time of going to press the BritCham Social Sustainability Symposium will be in full swing, where the key focus is 'Putting Social Impact at the Core of Your Business' We were delighted to have more than 20 industry experts from a range of businesses speak around three core themes:

Leading with purpose for future generations resonates with all; Putting social impact at the core; and Collaboration and transparency which focused on tackling the social issues in the supply chains.

These very topical, relevant and important topics will continue to be widely discussed

The Women in Business Committee is showing the way for Women in Business Week with an Asia Comedy Premiere of PIVOT, an award-winning comedy series about the bias women face to get to the top. On International Women’s Day, I am delighted to have been invited along with the Chair of WIB, Eileen O’Connor, some of our Future Leaders and Women in Business Committees to “Ring the Bell for Diversity” at the Hong Kong Exchange!

From a Creative Industries perspective, we eagerly await the Hong Kong International Literary Festival early in March, with Art Basel towards the end, around the same time as the Museum Summit

In addition to the foregoing, the month will be “topped out” by saying Hello Hong Kong to many visitors who are expected coming to Hong Kong to enjoy the HK Rugby 7’s. For the second time in less than 6 months the 7’s have been held, heralding a return to “normalcy” for many a social and business diary. As in previous years, we are co-organising a BritCham & KPMG Rugby Dinner, and we look forward to seeing many of you there.

All in all, March is the month for reconnecting, making new acquaintances and reminding ourselves that Hong Kong is the place to work hard and play hard

Thank you all for your ongoing support, and I look forward to seeing you out and about – getting business done

Ir Dr Anne Kerr Chair, The British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong

The Chamber held a half-day Social Sustainability Symposium in February 2023. With a key focus of putting social impact at the core of your business, we explored how to put the community at the heart of your company’s culture, strategy and operations, and build a better future for Hong Kong. Our industry experts from all sectors shared their opinions and offered valuable insights across the following three sessions:

1) Leading with purpose for future generations

2) Putting social impact at the core

3) Collaboration and transparency - tackling the social issues in supply chains

The ‘S’ in ESG is not just about creating social impact, it’s critical for businesses to attract and retain talent, customers and clients Putting sustainable social impact at the core of your business can give you a competitive edge and help you to build a brand with purpose.

120+ ATTENDEES

15 SPEAKERS

2 KEYNOTES

3 PANELS

Challenges as Ethnic Minorities in Hong Kong

I am fluent in Cantonese and yet faced tremendous hurdles when studying at a local school in Hong Kong in the 1990s. The opportunities to fully integrate into a Chinese learning environment were limited and in fact restricted in my case due to my school’s lack of experience in teaching Chinese to ethnic minorities. I clearly recall that during my Chinese lessons, I was told that instead of learning Chinese like the rest of my Chinese classmates, I should focus on completing my homework This went on for 4 years until my school realised that the system was not working They then began segregating ethnic minorities from Chinese, grouped them in separate classes and taught ethnic minorities French instead Unfortunately, not only did I miss out on the opportunity to learn Chinese but I was also separated from my Chinese classmates giving me very little opportunity to interact with them and learn about their culture

Upon graduation, I enrolled in a part-time legal diploma course offered by the School of Professional and Continuing Education at the University of Hong Kong, whilst working full-time at a large magic-circle UK firm. I saved up sufficient funds to pay for my tuition at the University of Sheffield to complete my law degree. I went on to complete my Postgraduate Certificate in Laws at the City University of Hong Kong.

At the time, very few women from the Indian community pursued a career, and even fewer had the courage to pursue a career in the legal industry. Despite having the requisite qualifications, I did not secure a single job interview due to my lack of Chinese proficiency. Fortunately, through the referral of my PCLL course leader, I secured a training contract with a notable independent law firm in Hong Kong and became a partner of the firm 10 years later

Building a Network for South Asian Lawyers

Across Hong Kong, and not just in the legal industry, ethnic minorities are often overlooked in the job interview process because of their lack of Chinese proficiency. Over the past few years, however, the Hong Kong Government has made efforts to overcome barriers faced by ethnic minorities, evident in the way several bureaus and departments in the civil service have hired non-ethnic Chinese (“NEC”) to meet specific operational needs.

The Hong Kong Police Force has also enhanced ethnic diversity by offering Chinese classes to help NEC youths who wish to join the disciplined forces or civil service.

Furthermore, the Equal Opportunities Commission has recommended that the Government intensify the review of Chinese language proficiency requirements by introducing in-service language training programmes for NEC candidates not meeting the Chinese Language Proficiency Requirements (“LPRs”) but excelling in other skills Whilst these actions are steps in the right direction, more needs to be done to help the underserved community of Hong Kong

Given my own struggles in finding a training contract, I was eager to make a change and improve the integration of South Asians in the legal industry. Therefore, in 2006, I co-founded the South Asian Lawyers

Group (“SALG”) where I support South Asian law students and legal professionals by connecting them with others in the industry With over 150 members, I have helped multiple South Asians secure internships and interviews at well-renowned law firms in Hong Kong

Another way I have been involved in supporting ethnic minorities in the workplace is through my new role serving on the Executive Committee (ExCo) of EMPOWER by local NGO The Amber Foundation. The EMPOWER program serves marginalised, university attending or recently graduated, ethnic minority women in Hong Kong – seeking to increase the visibility of these young women to potential future employers through the creation of professional networks and skills training workshops

The Business Case for Promoting D&I

Diversity in the workplace is about embracing what makes people in an organisation different It is a wellknown topic that helps companies differentiate themselves from others, encouraging staff commitment and loyalty, decreasing attrition and, if implemented correctly, can become a crucial part of a company’s growth strategy

In the 2020 “State of the Candidate Survey” by Monster, more than 4 out of 5 Gen-Z jobseekers (83%) view commitment to diversity and inclusion as an important factor when choosing an employer

Furthermore, in a 2020 report McKinsey & Company put together entitled “Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters”, findings demonstrate that:

Organisations with the most diverse executive teams were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than those with the lowest levels of diversity; This is up from 21% in 2017 and 15% in 2014; Firms in the top quartile for ethnic diversity were 36% more likely to financially outperform those in the bottom quartile.

Earlier McKinsey reports also show clear evidence of the commercial advantages companies can achieve by building diverse teams, particularly at senior level

Embedding D&I Into a Firm’s Culture

There are many ways that firms can foster a diverse and inclusive workplace Some suggestions are:

Have open discussions with employees and other stakeholders about what D&I means to them and why it is important;

Set a solid D&I strategy and plan with clear targets that can be achieved within a specific time frame. The EOC’s 2018 “Racial Inclusion and Diversity Charter for Employers” serves as a useful reference and provides interested employers with a checklist of policies and practices which can be implemented to further their initiatives;

Involve people from a diverse range of backgrounds in the firm’s interview process. Consider re-wording job descriptions, for example, if a role doesn’t specifically require Chinese language skills then consider removing this point and stating specifically that Chinese language is not a requirement to attract a wider group of applicants;

Encourage inclusive behaviour in the workplace by way of talks, events or celebrating important religious events of staff from multi-cultural backgrounds This helps instil a sense of belonging and togetherness; Collaborate with groups and organisations whose membership are comprised of under-represented talent; Attend conferences, events and community outreach initiatives that align with your firm’s values

D&I initiatives should push the agenda forward for change because the benefits of inclusivity are shared by everyone.

About Gall Solicitors

Gall is a leading independent Hong Kong law firm focusing primarily on dispute resolution. We specialise in handling highly complex disputes, many of which involve multi-jurisdictional litigation.