FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
READY TO SERVE: 31 ACCOMPLISHED ETHNIC MINORITIES JOIN DIRECTORY OF PUBLIC POLICY ADVISORS The Zubin Foundation unveils Diversity List & Community Connectors 2018 during event attended by Acting Chief Executive Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung 11 HKSAR government advisory bodies now include Diversity List candidates, but greater representation is needed Hong Kong, 20 March 2018 — The Zubin Foundation, a social policy think tank and registered charity, today launched Diversity List & Community Connectors 2018 in partnership with Spencer Stuart Hong Kong, a leadership and executive search consultancy. In its third year, Diversity List & Community Connectors is a directory of 31 highly credentialed ethnic minority individuals who are committed to serving Hong Kong through government advisory. From academia and social service to fintech and medicine, the 2018 List features candidates from a wide range of professional backgrounds, including from sectors crucial to Hong Kong’s future development. For the first time, Diversity List recognises high achieving individuals under the age of 35. The “Youth To Watch” category was created to channel policy ideas in response to Hong Kong’s digitally driven economic transformation and its rapidly ageing ethnic Chinese population. This year sees representation from the Indian, Pakistani, Indonesian, Filipino, Nepalese, Thai, Bangladeshi, Turkish and mixed race communities, demonstrating growing appetite among key groups for participation in public discourse. As evidence continues to mount showing the benefits of racial inclusion1, 11 HKSAR government advisory bodies have appointed candidates from the Diversity List since the initiative was first launched in 2016. Shalini Mahtani, Founder and Chair of The Zubin Foundation, said: “When we include diverse voices in debates and discussions that affect any aspect of society, it is not just minorities who benefit; we are all better off. We are therefore very pleased to see this HKSARG administration making ethnic minority inclusion a policy priority. “In addition to community service and leadership in their respective fields, this year’s candidates have strong knowledge of policy, experience in building consensus among stakeholders, and a great sense of civic responsibility. Any government, NGO or corporate board would benefit from their voices and insights.” Mr Matthew Cheung, Acting Chief Executive, said that Hong Kong’s success owes much to the ideas and contributions of some 250 000 ethnic minority residents who choose to call our city home. The Government is committed to providing equal opportunities for the ethnic minorities and facilitating their integration into our community. He thanked the Zubin
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McKinsey & Company, “Delivering through diversity”, January 2018
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Foundation and Spencer Stuart for their sterling and unstinting support in promoting social inclusion and building a truly caring, cohesive and fair Hong Kong. Alice Au, Board Director of Spencer Stuart, said: “We were very impressed by the passion and breadth of expertise we saw among this year’s field of nominees. Inclusive leadership, whether on a team, advisory committee, or company board, is crucial to achieving positive outcomes, no matter how big or ambitious they may be. This year’s candidates have the skills and pragmatism to help the government to identify and solve issues across all types of functions and scopes. In 2015, The Zubin Foundation reviewed the ethnic composition of the members of 100 government advisory bodies (committees, boards, panels and councils), finding that just 1.9 per cent of these positions were held by ethnic minorities, of which 79 per cent were “white”. This means that the voices of Hong Kong’s significant population of Indians, Pakistanis, Filipinos, Indonesians, Thais, Nepalese and Bangladeshis are not adequately reflected in decision-making that would affect them. The 2018 event was attended by over 120 guests and took place at The Peninsula Hong Kong, who sponsored the venue. Diversity List & Community Connectors 2018 Name
Ethnicity
Expertise
Category
Dr. Renu BHATIA
Indian
Finance
Diversity List
Mr. Akshay BAJAJ
Indian
Finance
Youth to Watch
Ms. Fariha Salma BAKAR
Bangladeshi
Education & Training
Youth to Watch
Ms. Luisa Tan CASTRO
Filipino
Education & Training
Diversity List
Mr. Kironmoy CHATTERJEE
Mixed Asian
Information Technology
Community Connector
Mrs. Meena DATWANI
Indian
Regulatory Affairs
Diversity List
Dr. Yuva DAYALAN
Indian
Education & Training
Community Connector
Mrs. Yosha GUPTA
Indian
Information Technology
Diversity List
Mrs. Pushpa GURUNG
Nepalese
Education & Training
Diversity List
Ms. Rina HIRANAND
Indian
Marketing, Sales and Services
Diversity Lis
Mr. Aziz HUSSAIN
Indian
Business Management & Administration
Diversity List
Dr. Sandeep JAIN
Indian
Health Sciences
Diversity List
Dr. Aditi JHAVERI
Indian
Education & Training
Community Connector
Mr. Abbas KHAN
Pakistani
Others
Youth to Watch
Mr. Michael KHAN
Mixed Asian
Marketing, Sales and Services
Youth to Watch
Ms. Yenni KWOK
Chinese – Indonesian
Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communication
Diversity List
Mr. Posit LAOAPHAN
Thai
Law
Diversity List
Ms. Ansah Majeed MALIK
Pakistani
Charity & Non-government Services
Youth to Watch
Mr. Roshan MELWANI
Mixed Asian
Law
Youth to Watch
Mr. Arshad MUHAMMAD
Pakistani
Education & Training
Diversity List
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Mrs. Sanjukta MUKHERJEE
Indian
Others
Diversity List
Mrs. Soundari MUKHERJEE
Indian
Education & Training
Community Connector
Ms. Mala RAMACHANDANI
Indian
Education & Training
Youth to Watch
Mr. Danilo Andres REYES
Filipino
Education & Training
Diversity List
Mr. Pushkar Vijay SANE
Indian
Marketing, Sales and Services
Diversity List
Mr. Gurmel SINGH
Indian
Others
Community Connector
Dr. Chitra SIVAKUMAR
Indian
Education & Training
Community Connector
Mrs. Pervin J SHROFF
Indian
Health Sciences
Diversity List
Mr. Carlos Pineda SOTO
Honduran
Education & Training
Diversity List
Mr. Mesut TEMEL
Turkish
Business Management & Administration
Diversity List
Ms. Virginia WILSON
Eurasian
Education & Training
Diversity List
-EndNOTES TO EDITORS Definitions Diversity List — Ethnic minority individuals who have the skills to sit on any board (government, NGO or corporate). They are seasoned leaders in their fields of work and would be an asset to any committee. Community Connectors — Ethnic minority individuals who have significant experience in directly working with specific ethnic or other communities. This category aims to help government advisory bodies and NGOs address specific questions about employment, education, health, welfare and other issues as they design and/or implement services or policies targeted to these communities. Youth to Watch — Ethnic minority individuals under the age of 35. Incubated in today’s globalised and highly connected economy, they bring to the table new and exciting ideas for a better Hong Kong. Access to additional materials Full report — https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/da2d17_8b4c42ae21c54dca891f6342e9bd3293.pdf
MEDIA CONTACT Sandy Chan Programme Director Tel: +858 6421 2677 sandy@zubinfoundation.org
Erica Tam Marketing and Communications Manager Tel: +44 (0) 7596 390323 erica@zubinfoundation.org
About The Zubin Foundation The Zubin Mahtani Gidumal Foundation (also known as The Zubin Foundation) is a non-partisan social policy think tank and registered charity committed to shedding light on enduring barriers to fairness and opportunity Hong Kong. The Zubin Foundation’s core focuses are ethnic minority welfare and patient welfare. The Zubin Foundation was established by Shalini Mahtani and Ravi Gidumal in memory of their son. Zubin, who died tragically in 2009. See www.zubinfoundation.org for more information.
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