PMI HK Asia Pacific Project Management Congress 2024 Speaker

(As of 4 November 2024)

Guest of Honour	Ir. Tony Wong, JP Commissioner for Digital Policy, Digital Policy Office, Hong Kong SAR
	As the Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr. Tony WONG leads the Digital Policy Office in the formulation of data-driven, user-centric and outcome-based policies and measures that steer government bureaux and departments in accelerating the development of digital government to enhance efficiency and quality of government services for the benefits of citizens and businesses.  He also oversees the overall policies, strategies and initiatives on digital government, data governance and information technology, as well as driving the development of local digital infrastructure and digital industry, strengthening governance of government IT projects and cybersecurity.  Furthermore, Mr. WONG devises strategic plans for the promotion and implementation of digital transformation in public services, promotes the adoption of IT in the community and across various industries as well as coordinating efforts to close the digital divide.  Mr. WONG is dedicated to fostering closer IT collaboration with the Mainland, in particular the Greater Bay Area, and supporting the better integration of Hong Kong into the overall national development. Mr. WONG oversees the Government’s budget for administrative computer projects, its procurement of IT products and services, and formulates the long-term human resources and professional development planning for the government IT and management services professionals.
Topic	Ensuring Success: The Crucial Role of Project Governance in IT Systems of HKSAR Government and Public Bodies
	Project governance plays a crucial role in ensuring effective project management, under which projects are carried out in an efficient and transparent manner, and in alignment with strategic objectives. For the HKSAR Government and public bodies, project governance is key to the successful implementation, operation and sustainability of IT systems where the ultimate goal is to deliver the public services that will meet the needs of the members of the public. In his speech, Ir Tony WONG, JP, Commissioner for Digital Policy, will share with us on the latest progress of the policies and measures that the HKSAR Government is implementing to enhance project governance in the IT systems of both the HKSAR Government and public bodies.

Guest Speaker	Ms. SoHyun Kang PMI Regional Managing Director, Asia Pacific Project Management Institute
	SoHyun Kang is the Regional Managing Director of PMI’s Asia Pacific region. SoHyun is responsible for growing markets and delivering positive values to individuals, organizations, and societies in the Asia Pacific region. In 2014, she joined PMI to establish the PMI Asia Pacific office in Singapore. Since then, she has led teams for chapter engagement, volunteer development, corporate engagement, channel sales, marketing & communications, and events. With close to 20 years of experience in professional association management, SoHyun previously led the development of regional growth strategies and implementations for growing communities of MDRT (Million Dollar Round Table) and ISPE (International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering) in the Asia Pacific region. SoHyun holds a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from Korea University and graduated executive program at the National University of Singapore. She is a certified PMP (Project Management Professional) and DASM (Disciplined Agile Scrum Master). SoHyun lives in Singapore with her husband and daughter.
Toipc	Reframing Project Success

Guest Speaker	Dr. Ted Suen, MH President Lenovo PCCW Solutions
	Dr. Ted Suen is the President of Lenovo PCCW Solutions (LPS), a technology solutions powerhouse in Asia Pacific formed by Lenovo and PCCW through a strategic partnership in August 2022. Ted spearheads go-to-market and technology solutions offerings to drive business growth in Asia Pacific. Ted is one the best-known technology senior executives in the region. Before joining LPS, he led the cognitive digital mobility strategy and platform design as the Executive Director Digital Mobility and Chief Technology Officer of the Land Mobility sector at NEOM, the mega cognitive city project in Saudi Arabia. Prior to that, he served MTR for 10 years where his last position was Chief Information Officer. During his tenure with MTR, he managed one of the most complex global IT operations in the region, and formulated corporate digital transformation and cybersecurity strategies; he also led various innovation implementation programs at MTR. Additionally, Ted had years of leadership experience in system integration projects and IT outsourcing services at EDS. In recognition of his contributions to the IT community in the region, Ted has received many prestigious IT awards, including the China Top 5 CIO Award, the China Best Value CIO Award, the Hong Kong Large Enterprise Top CIO Award and the Asia Top CIO Award. He was also awarded the Medal of Honor by the Government of HKSAR in 2020 for his contribution to talent cultivation and development. He was the President of the Hong Kong Computer Society from 2017 to 2021. Ted holds a diverse spectrum of academic qualifications, including Bachelor’s Degrees in Economics and Computer Science from the Australian National University, and a Master’s Degree in Professional Accounting from Charles Sturt University. In 2020, he gained a Doctorate Degree in Business Administration from SBS Swiss Business School.
Topic	Managing mega smart city SI projects in Middle East

Guest Speaker	Ms. Maureen Fung Executive Director Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd
	Maureen Fung is a seasoned professional and an acknowledged expert in commercial properties in the industry. She is the Executive Director of Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited, a member of the Executive Committee of the Board and a director of certain subsidies of the company. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Estate Management from University of Reading, United Kingdom, an MBA degree from Northeast Louisiana University, United States and a Master’s degree of Housing Management with distinction from the University of Hong Kong. She was elected as distinguished alumni of the Centre of Urban Studies and Urban Planning of the University of Hong Kong (1980-2010). She is a fellow member of Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors and Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, a registered professional surveyor and a China Real Estate Appraiser. She is also the current chairman and the founding chairman of the Institute of Shopping Centre Management in Hong Kong and a founding member of Council of Asia Shopping Centre. Her signature commercial projects in charge including apm mall, wtc mall, Hong Kong ifc mall, Shanghai ifc mall, Shanghai iapm, Nanjing ifc mall etc.   Maureen is a passionate, innovative and seasoned leader with strong and agile business partnership mindset to drive strategic growth and development. She is responsible for strategic investment, planning, development and asset management of investment portfolios in Hong Kong and China for over decades. She is a member of the Aviation Development and Three-runway System Advisory Committee, the Advisory Committee member on Arts Development of the culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau as well as the retired Board member of Ocean Park. She was graq\nted Hong Kong ten outstanding woman volunteer award by Radio Television Hong Kong and Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association, the Secretary of Home Affair’s Certificate of Commendation nd the Chief Executive’s Commendation for Community Service.
Toipc	How to manage malls in today’s disrupted luxury retail landscape

Guest Speaker	Mr. Kok Tin Gan Partner PwC
	Kok-Tin is a Partner in PwC’s Cyber Security & Privacy practice with over 17 years of experience. Kok Tin is also the founder of PwC’s Darklab, Hackaday and Hackbot. Kok Tin is currently the Vice Chairman of ITSMf HK Chapter and the member of security committee of Fintech Association of HK. Kok-Tin’s key areas of expertise and experience include Cyber security strategy, framework, IT security framework (ISO27001, NIST, Multi Level Protection), application security (OWASP, OWASP Mobile) and data security (e.g., PCI DSS), secure development life cycle, DevSecOps, Cloud security, IT risk, security / technology architecture and white hat hacking. Kok-Tin has co-authored a number of cyber security and technology risk related guidelines for the Regulators in the Asia Pacific Region. Kok-Tin has led ~300 small to large size of security assessment / transformation engagements and has worked across different continents including, Asia, America, Europe and Africa. Kok Tin is a TED talk speaker and he also founded a dot.com company during his early days of his career.
Topic	Update of cyber threat landscape and AI Security

Guest Speaker Cathay Pacific Airways Limited Team
Mr. Amir Bennegadi Head of IOC insight & innovation	Amir has been driving digital transformation initiatives in Cathay Pacific (CX) for the last decade. He currently heads the Insights & Innovation team of Cathay’s Integrated Operations Centre and previously held various IT project delivery and leadership roles to support the CX Flight Operations and Maintenance teams. Prior to joining Cathay, Amir spent 9 years in EY leading audit and transformation projects across Europe and Africa; and studied Management of Information Systems in University Paris Dauphine and in HEC Paris.
Mr. Ken Tong Application Development Manager	Ken Tong is currently an Application Manager at Cathay, where he leads one of the Solution Centers (IT-IOC). In this role, Ken manages all the applications used by the Integrated Operations Center, the nerve center of Cathay’s airline operations. Under his leadership, the IT-IOC team has delivered solutions that have propelled the IOC towards achieving its business objectives, operational excellence, and enhanced system resilience. Before joining Cathay, Ken honed his expertise at Accenture Financial Services Consulting. There, he held key positions in the execution of pioneering projects for insurers, including the implementation of the VHIS product, the development of a Customer Self-Service Online Platform for insurance products, and the execution of Regulatory Change System Implementation projects.
Mr. Anderson Wong Associate Data Scientist	Anderson is an Associate Data Scientist at Cathay Pacific, specializing in airline operational planning and disruption management. With a foundation in aerospace engineering from the University of Bath and experience as a graduate engineer at Airbus, Anderson merges technical acumen with industry experience. He is fervently dedicated to leveraging AI and operational optimization for heightened efficiency and digital innovation in the aviation sector.
Topic	Cathay’s journey to data-driven operations
	Cathay Pacific has embarked into a journey to transform its integrated operations centre. We will explain in this session how the Cathay teams have broken down silos and “connected the dots” to deliver advanced decision support capabilities, having enabled the Cathay IOC teams to make holistic, transparent, data-driven and timely decisions.

Guest Speaker	Mr. Galen Townson PMI Board of Directors Project Management Institute
	Galen is a compassionate systems leader with over 30 years in strategy execution, change programs, and PMOs acrossd Galen Townson, EMBA MAPP CDir PMP PMI-ACP PMI-RMP PMI-CP PMO-CP DAC DAVSC, has served on the Board of Directors of Project Management Institute since 2019. He is the Chair of PMI’s Strategy Oversight Committee. Mr. Townson is a compassionate systems leader with more than 30 years in strategy execution and change programs for education, energy, finance, government, and for-purpose sectors, including for the United Nations and sustainable development.  He is a regular speaker at conferences around the world. He has taught MBA project management and strategy execution, and coaches for purpose, impact, and wellbeing.  Mr. Townson is a Chartered Director (CDir) and Fellow of Institute of Directors (FIoD) UK, a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), and has served on for-purpose boards and committees since 1999. He holds an Executive MBA and Graduate Certificate in Social Impact from the University of Western Australia, a Graduate Certificate in Sustainability from Curtin University, Australia, a certificate in Advanced Project Management from Stanford University, USA, and a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Melbourne, Australia.
Topic	Our Emerging Future as Project Managers: PMI’s Vision for Project Success and Impact in the Age of AI
	PMI Board Director Galen Townson will share PMI’s vision for project success and impact, and the latest PMI research, PMixAI developments, and acquisitions to equip project managers to lead more successful projects and in turn elevate our world. Learn how PMI is empowering the global project management community to embrace GenAI, enhancing their ability to deliver value and stay ahead in an evolving digital landscape. Don’t miss this opportunity to be at the forefront of AI-enabled, human-led project management excellence.   will unveil the latest announcements surrounding PMI’s groundbreaking PMIxAI initiative, a key component of PMI’s vision for the future of project management. In this session, Galen will explore PMI’s forward-thinking strategy to equip project management professionals with the most advanced tools and resources for leveraging Generative AI (GenAI) in their daily roles.

Guest Speaker	Prof. Andy Chun Prof of Practice The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
	Prof. Andy Chun is a distinguished AI pioneer with over 30 years of experience in AI innovation. His AI solutions have significantly enhanced Hong Kong’s social services, quality of life, and economic prosperity. As a Professor of Practice at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, he continues to champion the application of AI. Additionally, he serves as an Adjunct Professor at the College of Business, City University of Hong Kong. Prof. Chun is a leading AI and technology strategist, having previously spearheaded technology initiatives at global giants like Prudential plc. He has also held CEO positions at AI start-ups and served as the University CIO at City University of Hong Kong. Prof. Chun is deeply engaged in community service and is a senior advisor to the HKSAR Government on AI and IT strategies. He founded the AI Specialist Group of the Hong Kong Computer Society and previously held the position of Vice-President. He has been recognized as Hong Kong’s top CIO, one of Greater China’s top five CIOs, and a global top 100 IT leader. He has also received numerous local and international awards for his AI work. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the Hong Kong Computer Society. He has a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Topic	From Automation to Innovation : Generative AI in Project Management

Panel Session 1
Toipc	Value of Project Manager Under Full-AI-Era: Power Skills
Moderator
Dr. Kelvin Wan PMP, PMO-CP EMBA Professor (in Practice) City University of Hong Kong	Prof. Wan is a professional master-trainer and coach in IT/IS field. He has been providing live training and coaching services to more than 19,000 executives in last 25 years coming from US, UK, Middle East, Asia Pacific regions and. The average working experience of learners is 15 years. Prof. Wan possesses a growth mindset. He demonstrated the continuous learning attitude of graduate that he set a very good example in front of our project professionals. He is the youngest Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) and graduate in the history of CityU (City University of Hong Kong, Global Top 50 university (QS2021 Ranking)). Recently, during pandemic period, Kelvin organized a ground-breaking large-scale training over Zoom virtual platform. More than 3,500 working professionals attended with more than 30,000 PDU (Continuous Professional Development Unit) issued. It breaks the myth that soft-skill training could only be delivered in physical room by adopting high-touch technologies e.g. virtual break-out room, virtual white-board, virtual collaboration tools … etc. He is nominated to the Government’s Pandemic Innovation Award. He is also a practitioning-scholar. His recent research paper about Soft Competence for project executives has been accepted by a renowned US forum and published on major search engines. This research results were particularly relevant for all project talent employment under the AI Era in coming decades. Additionally, he has been invited to join the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council as a member specializing in Project Management and PMO. Moreover, Prof. Wan is the only expert being invited as Global PMO award judge, representing Asia by PMOGA (PMO Global Alliance). Kelvin is an experienced project professional. He has been the Global Head of PMO in HSBC to roll out a multi-million USD learning projects to 78 countries world-wide Prof. Wan set up his own training and consulting company in 2019 as the Chief Consultant and Global Master Trainer. In his current role, his main responsibilities are overseeing the working professionals upskilling, PMO-setup, talent management, capability assessment and curriculum development for the listed companies, government organizations, SMEs, NGOs, and educational institutions.
Panelists
Mr. Galen Townson PMI Board of Directors	Galen is a compassionate systems leader with over 30 years in strategy execution, change programs, and PMOs acrossd Galen Townson, EMBA MAPP CDir PMP PMI-ACP PMI-RMP PMI-CP PMO-CP DAC DAVSC, has served on the Board of Directors of Project Management Institute since 2019. He is the Chair of PMI’s Strategy Oversight Committee. Mr. Townson is a compassionate systems leader with more than 30 years in strategy execution and change programs for education, energy, finance, government, and for-purpose sectors, including for the United Nations and sustainable development.  He is a regular speaker at conferences around the world. He has taught MBA project management and strategy execution, and coaches for purpose, impact, and wellbeing.  Mr. Townson is a Chartered Director (CDir) and Fellow of Institute of Directors (FIoD) UK, a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), and has served on for-purpose boards and committees since 1999. He holds an Executive MBA and Graduate Certificate in Social Impact from the University of Western Australia, a Graduate Certificate in Sustainability from Curtin University, Australia, a certificate in Advanced Project Management from Stanford University, USA, and a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Melbourne, Australia.
Mr. Alan Mak, Head of Services Delivery, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Hong Kong & Macau	Alan Mak is a seasoned IT services professional with 25 years of experience, driving success at all levels of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s advisory and professional services. A certified Project Management Professional (PMP) since 2000, he has led the regional project management office, consulting with multinational organizations to enhance project excellence and drive digital transformation across diverse cultural landscapes. His focus on process improvement and commitment to emerging technologies, particularly AI, has allowed him to develop deep expertise in the field. Currently managing a diverse portfolio encompassing account services, lifecycle services, multi-vendor support, managed services, and professional services, Alan has witnessed firsthand how innovative technology within an inclusive environment fosters not only increased productivity and improved satisfactions, but also enhanced professionalism and personal well-being.
Mr. Ryan Zhou Co-Founder and CEO Leiga	Ryan Zhou is a visionary technology leader with over 20 years of experience, specializing in AI and technology innovation. He has a proven track record of driving product and engineering excellence. Currently, as Co-Founder and CEO of Leiga, he leads AI-driven initiatives to transform software delivery. His prior roles include CTO at various software companies, where he spearheaded technological growth. With a Master’s in Computer Science from Cornell University, Ryan Zhou is a seasoned executive blending technical expertise with leadership excellence.

Guest Speaker	Mr. Justin Yau, JP (New Zealand) Founder StoryBites
	Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, to parents of Chinese Malaysian Hakka descent, I inherited an opportunistic spirit from a young age. After graduating from the University of Canterbury with a Bachelor of Commerce, I pursued a Master’s in Audiology, practicing in rural parts of the country for five years. In March 2021, I founded StoryBites, New Zealand’s rapidly growing digital food network. With a focus on celebrating local producers, chefs, and restaurateurs, our team of seven is deployed across the country to facilitate relationships, film documentaries, and distribute narrative pieces to our dedicated following of 65,000 on Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify. The greatest privilege is not transactional but fostered through relational compassion. It is only with the support of incredible volunteers and brand sponsors that we are able to do what we do at no cost to the talented chefs we work with. We are excited to continue growing this network into Australia this year with scheduled projects in Indonesia, China, and France.
Topic	The Art of Curious Collaboration
	In an era where machine learning and automation are reshaping industries, it’s easy to feel that creativity has reached its limits. But authentic expression emerges when we step away from the pursuit of efficiency and engage from a lens of curiosity. This is the story of how a self-funded start-up, became one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing digital food networks through simply asking ‘Why?’ – a question that has potential to lead to collaborative breakthroughs and a fresh perspective on what’s possible when we connect the dots.

Guest Speaker	Mr. Paul Li General Manager of Greater China Region Banking Circle (Beijing) Information Technology Limited
	Paul has various senior roles in b anks , fintech and Bigtech co mpanies , specializ ing in digital trade , cross border payment and Web3 . During his time at Alibaba, Paul led a n award winning project that collaborated with financial institutions, customs, regulators and other parties to build a global payment network for China e commerce companies , allowing millions of SMEs to str ea mline cross border trade and accumulate data from pre sales to after sales. Paul is now the general manager of Banking Circle in the Greater China region.Banking Circle is a bank headquartered in Europe focusing on digital trade. It provides localized payment and financial capabilities for trading and e commerce companies, handling EUR400Bn B2B payment flow and 10% of European B2C e commerce flow Prior to Banking Circle, Paul is the head of B2B payments and finance in the Alibaba group where he embedded financial capabilities into various parts of cross border trade to help merchants to do more business on digital trade platforms such as Alibaba.com/Lazada/Ali express. Prior to his fintech journey, Paul worked in a number of traditional banks. In 2007, seeing the opportunity for foreign banks under the WTO agreement, Paul moved from the Hong Kong office to the Shanghai office of HSBC in order to manage the strategy department for HSBC China. Until 2013, Paul ventu red around different cities in China to build corporate banking franchises for HSBC, Standard Chartered and subsequently BNP Paribas. Paul is the President of Hong Kong Fintech Industry Association, which is founded in 2014 and aims at facilitating the interaction between fintech companies in Hong Kong and China and promoting inclusive finance to help SMEs . Paul has also participated in public services like co director of Law and Web3 Joint Lab of HK Polytechnic University, adviser of Our Hong Kong Foundation, r esearch fellow of Zhejiang University Academy of Internet Finance, part time lecturer of HKU and industry commentator on topics of fintech , Web3 and regtech.
Toipc	Future Economics driven by AI + Blockchain

Panel Session 2
Toipc	PM Culture
Moderator
Ms. April Tai PMI Head of Markets, Asia Pacific Project Management Institute	For over 20 years, April has empowered sales, product development and service delivery teams across professional services firms, blue-chip multinationals and non-profit organisations. From the Asia Pacific to Europe, her ideas and approaches have been tested in a great deal of start-ups, sales enablement, product innovation and efficiency projects. Today, she is the Head of Markets of Project Management Institute (PMI) Asia Pacific, leading growth initiatives with corporate partners, authoritised training partners, governments and professional organisations. April is an accredited mediator with dual bachelor’s degrees in law and political science. With certifications in Scrum, Project Management and Six Sigma, and a master’s degree in engineering enterprise management, she brings a holistic perspective to commercial excellence and corporate transformation. Most recently she has talked about Project Methodologies vs. Project Performance, AI & its Impact to Project Professionals, Career-long Learning & Power Skills, Sustainability & Project Management. You will find her approach pragmatic, and her case studies resonating. She is based out of Singapore and works globally.
Panelists
Dr. Jung Soo Kim South Korea
Ms. Ako Nakamura Japan	After graduating, I joined Sony Corporation, was engaged in global deployment of product repair service manuals and in the planning and operation of technical training programs for developers and engineers in Japan and overseas. Then I moved to a parts company of car audio, where I was involved in business management of Asian offices in Hong Kong and experienced a project to start up a new factory in China. After establishing the new factory in China, I returned to Japan and joined PERSOL RESEARCH AND CONSULTING CO., LTD, where I’m currently engaged in human resource & organizational development consultation for R&D and engineering personnel with a focus on project management and business analysis, as well as related educational program development, instructor training, and training delivery, etc.
Mr. Javkhlant Ganbaatar Mongolia
Ms. Janice Hsu Taiwan