Impactful women leaders joining forces to amplify women's collective voice to champion tomorrow

• HSBC takes pride in building an inclusive workplace by providing staff a safe platform to make their voices heard
• In Asia, women make up over 60% of HSBC GPB's workforce in Asia; In Hong Kong, 58% of WPB's employees are women
• The three speakers shared how core values empowered their leadership journeys – courage, morality and unity

HONG KONG, March 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of International Women's Day (IWD), HSBC Global Private Banking ("HSBC GPB") hosted its annual "Women's Forum 2023". Themed "Championing Tomorrow. Amplifying Voices", the event honours women's role as champions of enablement and empowerment for a more equitable world.

Siew Meng Tan, Regional Head of HSBC Global Private Banking, Asia Pacific, stated, "We are pleased to bring together our team and clients on International Women's Day to celebrate the social, economic and cultural achievements of women. Every day we see first-hand the energy, effort and determination of female colleagues and clients striving to build their careers and businesses and this event allows us to honour their success and progress. At HSBC, we are committed to helping all women feel more confident about taking control of their financial well-being and decision making by offering tailored advice that enables them to reach their unique goals. We have seen the significant impact that supporting women with their wealth ambitions can have, leading to positive outcomes for the individuals, communities and economies, helping them to reach their potential."

The event culminated in a panel discussion headlined by the distinguished Maggie Ng, Head of Wealth and Personal Banking of HSBC Hong Kong, Kimberly Kwok, Founder of Mighty Oaks International Nursery and Kindergarten; and Vicky Lau, Owner and Executive Chef of TATE Dining Room, MORA, AN Soy and date by TATE.

During the discussion, the speakers, all of whom are highly accomplished in their respective fields, opened up about their personal experience of breaking frontiers and becoming champions across diverse industries. Furthermore, they deep dived into gender representation in the workforce, how they challenged stereotypes in traditionally male-dominated industries, and explored the roles of family and education in cultivating a more inclusive future.

On HSBC's actions to ensure an inclusive workplace with equal development opportunities for all, Maggie shared, "HSBC always celebrates diversity and inclusion by encouraging everyone to speak up for our long-term, collective success. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is also reflected in how we drive balanced gender representation in our workforce. At HSBC Hong Kong Wealth and Personal Banking ("WPB"), 58% of our employees are now female. We recognise that there is much more to do, but we are proud of where we are headed. We will continue to innovate how we recruit, develop and retain talent to increase diversity and embrace equity across the bank."

Kimberly believes although knowledge can be self-taught and skills can be easily passed down but moral character building for our children has to be cultivated over time. She explained what inspired her educational philosophy and the values she wanted to instil into the future generation, "At a very young age, my family taught me the importance of pursuing life's core values – 1. character, 2. honesty and 3. integrity. We are role models for our children so we must practise what we preach. We should focus particularly on soft skills such as emotional resilience and teamwork, which CANNOT be leant by new advancements in technology. Instilling in children positive moral values and to equip them with a solid foundation for their continuous growth and wellbeing should be our goals. We must enable them to conceptualise and apply moral values into their daily lives and allow them to be fully rooted in their character development foundation. In doing so at a young age, we are equipping them to become the leaders of tomorrow."

For Vicky, IWD is an annual calendar highlight for her as an opportunity to further emphasise her message, "My kitchen has more than 50% of female staff. In such a competitive field as food and beverage, it's important for us women to encourage and inspire each other to break barriers. My team shares the same value that regardless of background all of us have a voice to speak up. When we work together more, we can achieve more — because a lot of times our challenges are the same, so when we join forces together and you hear all these voices together, you don't feel as alone. We become a lot more powerful."

In the end, all speakers agreed that it is important to join forces in society to promote women's development and create a compelling space that values diversity and inclusiveness. As women mobilise to rebalance the social, economic and cultural landscape, their new perspectives, new ideas and new approaches, are the driving forces of change in today's world and tomorrow. 

Over the years, HSBC GPB has provided numerous platforms for women and entrepreneurs from all walks of life to connect and share their insights and experiences of driving change. The Bank takes pride in building a culture where all employees are valued and respected regardless of their background. In Asia, women make up over 60% of HSBC GPB's workforce, while the senior management workforce is 45% women. These figures have improved steadily over the past several years, driven by the Bank's focus on promoting, retaining and hiring women as part of its inclusion priorities.

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About HSBC Global Private Banking

As part of the HSBC Group, one of the world's largest banking and financial services organisations, HSBC Global Private Banking seeks to be the leading international private bank for business owners and their families. It provides clients with wealth, business and family succession solutions in the largest and fastest growing markets around the world. HSBC Global Private Banking is the marketing name for the private banking business conducted by the principal private banking subsidiaries of the HSBC Group. For more information, visit www.privatebanking.hsbc.com. 

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited is the founding member of the HSBC Group. HSBC serves customers worldwide from offices in 62 countries and territories in its geographical regions: Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America, and Middle East and North Africa. With assets of US$2,967bn at 31 December 2022, HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world.             

Source: HSBC