Thursday, November 21, 2024

6:30 a.m. – 7:00 a.m.

Tai Chi Session
Pool Deck, Level 11

7:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

IWF Registration Desk
Ballroom Entrance

7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Pop-Up Shops
Suites and Ballroom Foyer

7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.

Continental Breakfast
Grand Ballroom Foyer

8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

Official Conference Opening
Grand Ballroom

Opening Remarks:

• Carolyn Carter, Global President, International Women's Forum
• Vivian Lau, Chair and Group CEO, Pacific Air Holding Limited; President, IWF Hong Kong and 2024 Cornerstone Conference Co-Chair

Welcome Address: 

• The Honorable Paul Chan Mo-po, GBM, GBS, MH, JP, Financial Secretary of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

9:15 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Plenary 1: Hong Kong and Beyond: The Future of Global Financial Markets
Grand Ballroom

For centuries, Hong Kong has been the most important financial center in Asia.  Globally, only New York and London are more important to the orderly flow of capital around the world.   In this role, Hong Kong is a cornerstone of the economic vitality of the region.  Today, its financial services sector is complex– creating new types of investment vehicles and technology-driven platforms every day.  What can we learn about the global economy from Hong Kong’s Capital Markets Leadership and the women leading today’s dominant financial institutions?

Speakers: 

• Vanessa Lau, Co-Chief Operating Officer & Group Chief Financial Officer, HKEX Group
• Luanne Lim, Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong, HSBC

Moderator:

• Ka Shi Lau, Chairman, Hong Kong Trustees’ Association (IWF Hong Kong)

10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Plenary 2: Disruptions and Interdependence: What’s Next for Global Supply Chains

Grand Ballroom

Everything we use in our daily lives has a complex supply chain behind it, all made possible by a matrix of companies, countries, suppliers, and the people in between. Today, the convergence of conflict, economic uncertainty, and extreme weather have put further pressure on supply chains globally.

How can we build more resilience into these complicated and interconnected systems? Can diversification help insulate these networks from new risks? And how can new technology and AI help transform the logistics of supply and demand?

Speakers: 

• Natasha Galavotti, President, Bimbo QSR
• Jenny Paurys, Senior Vice President, Global Intelligence and Analytics and Supply Chain, S&P Global Market Intelligence
• Lemma Yadecha Gudeta, Chief Commercial Officer, Ethiopian Airlines Group

Moderator:

• Vivian Lau, Chair and Group CEO, Pacific Air Holding Limited; President, IWF Hong Kong and 2024 Cornerstone Conference Co-Chair

10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Coffee Break
Grand Ballroom Foyer

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Plenary 3: Graying Societies – An Unprecedented Challenge
Grand Ballroom

People are living longer and populations around the world are getting older. Most centenarians are women– more than 80 percent, according to a study from Boston University in 2022, and Hong Kong has the highest number per capita.

This growing elderly cohort presents tremendous challenges for governments already grappling with increased health care and pension costs and a shrinking workforce with more retirees than new hires. More personally, caregivers – including family members, face the challenge of providing care and compassion to more people living longer.

Asian culture values elders and the wisdom they share, which leads to a multi-generational, connected approach to life. How does this improve the quality of life as well as economic and social outcomes, not just for elders, but for entire communities? How can technology contribute to lower costs, better care, and more resilient connections?

Fireside Chat Speaker:

• Professor Nancy Ip, President, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Fireside Chat Moderator:

• Ellana Lee, SVP CNN International, Managing Editor Asia Pacific, & Global Head of Features Content (IWF Hong Kong)

Panel Speakers: 

• Ms. Janice Chia, Founder & Managing Director, Ageing Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore
• Dr. Nancy Jecker, Professor, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle
• Dr. Sarah Salvilla, Group Chief Health Officer, FWD Group

Panel Moderator:

• Ana Muñoz, Non executive Director (IWF Spain)

12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Break

 

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Luncheon: Closing the Gender Health Gap: The Future of Femtech
Grand Ballroom

Women continue to face barriers to receiving equitable health care, including gender bias in medical research, lack of representation in clinical trials, and insufficient awareness of women’s unique health issues. Join us to hear from two leaders in Femtech who are dedicated to advancing women’s healthcare and addressing the ongoing challenges in this critical field.

Speakers:

• Maaike Steinebach, Founder and CEO, FemTech Future Limited (IWF Hong Kong) 
• Anca Griffiths, CEO and Co-founder, OM Experts

Moderator: 

• Joyce Winnecke, Advisor and Board Leader (IWF Chicago)

2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Behind the Scenes Bus Departure
Grand Ballroom Foyer

Please refer to the back of your badge for your bus departure time.

3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Behind the Scenes Tours
Scheduled return by 5:00 p.m.

6:15 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Dine Around Reception
Grand Ballroom Foyer

Grab a drink and connect before Members depart for Dine Arounds. Please refer to the back of your badge for your bus departure time.
 

6:15 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Dine Around Bus Departure
Grand Ballroom Foyer

Please refer to the back of your badge for your bus departure time.

6:00 p.m.

Guest Dinner Bus Departure
Grand Ballroom Foyer

Bus leaving from the Grand Ballroom Foyer entrance.

6:15 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Guest Dinner
Watermark

If you are joining the conference but are not an IWF member, we invite you to join us for a special dinner.

7:15 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Member Dine Arounds

It would not be an IWF conference without our beloved Dine Arounds. You will have the opportunity to meet and connect with your IWF sisters from around the globe in small groups. The dinners will be hosted around the city by Members of IWF Hong Kong.

Friday, November 22, 2024

6:30 a.m. – 7:00 a.m.

Tai Chi Session
Pool Deck, Level 11

7:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m

IWF Registration Desk
Ballroom Entrance

7:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Pop-Up Shops
Suites and Ballroom Foyer

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Continental Breakfast
Grand Ballroom Foyer

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Elly's Ladder Learning Session
Residence Library

9:15 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Plenary 4:  Bridging Worlds: What Modern Medicine can learn from Traditional Chinese Medicine

Grand Ballroom

The traditional wisdom of Chinese Medicine (TCM) combined with modern science present promising new avenues for advancing patient care around the world. TCM offers a rich tapestry of holistic approaches to health and healing that have been practiced and refined over thousands of years.

TCM emphasizes the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit, viewing health as a balance within the body as well as harmony with one’s surrounding environment.

It also employs a wide array of natural herbs and foods to restore balance and alleviate symptoms as well as prevent illness and maintain health.

What insights can modern medicine gain from TCM’s more holistic approach to health? How can we harness this knowledge, gained over centuries, to shift towards a better approach to healthcare?

And how can we incorporate the mind-body practices advocated by TCM to improve patient outcomes and prevent illness?

Speakers: 

• Dr. Vivian Wong, Honorary Professor, University of Hong Kong
• Dr. Ho Ching Edmund Fong, Assistant Director (Chinese Medicine), Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
• Dr. Wendy Wong, Director, Yat Hei Medical Center

Moderator:

• Dr. Judith Mackay, Director, Asian Consultancy on Tobacco Control (IWF Hong Kong) 

10:00 a.m. – 10:20 a.m.

Coffee Break
Grand Ballroom Foyer

10:20 a.m. – 11:05 a.m.

Ideas Remaking the World
Grand Ballroom

Listen as your IWF sisters share their ideas for remaking the world and transforming their communities. Meet the innovators, instigators, and disruptors among us, and find inspiration in their successful initiatives that run the gamut from arts to education, business to philanthropy, technology to the environment.

Trish Barbato, IWF Canada

Menopause Works Here™ Campaign Helps Women Thrive - In North America, women over the age of 40 make up one quarter of the workforce and are key drivers of the economy. Menopause symptoms begin at the same time as critical junctures in most women's careers. Unfortunately, health care providers are largely untrained on care and treatment. Employers can take positive action to be menopause inclusive and empower women to take control of their menopause journey so that women thrive in their careers and lives.

Paloma Merodio Gómez, IWF Mexico

Actionable AI to Shape the Global Future - Informed decisions based on reliable, timely, and accurate data can secure a better future for all. Through artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, we generate freely accessible products that can address the triple planetary crisis that humanity currently faces: climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. By tracking green coverage in mountains, monitoring surface water in rivers and lakes, and capturing urban growth over time, among other changes in territory, countries can use Earth observations for sustainable development.

Anita Nowak, IWF Canada

Empathy is Not a "Soft Skill" - Empathy has never been more important to both democracy and the future of humanity than it is today. Under the duress and unpredictability of major economic and geopolitical shifts, high-performing organizations are being expected to embrace empathetic leadership. Human beings are innately empathetic; the trait improves health, happiness, and performance. We as leaders can harness this trait to create.

11:05 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.

Plenary 5: A Golden Age for Asian Filmmaking?
Grand Ballroom

Has a golden era for Asian filmmakers dawned on Hollywood?  From Chinese director Chloe Zhao’s historic win in 2020 for her feature “Nomadland” to Michelle Yeoh’s Oscar for Best Actress in 2023, Asian directors and actors have been racking up nominations and rave reviews for their vision and talent and unique perspectives.

It’s been a long road from stereotypes in “Chinatown” to more nuanced stories of immigrants with a foot in two cultures, like this year’s best picture nominee, “Past Lives,” and even stories told in Chinese and Korean are making their way onto the big screen.  Netflix’s most viewed series is still the Korean directed and produced “Squid Game.”

How are narratives changing, and how is a new generation of directors telling their own stories and owning their history?  Is the industry in Asia, with hubs for streamers like Amazon and Netflix, forcing Hollywood to be more inclusive?

Speakers: 

• Kaoru Matsuzaki, Senior Producer, Fuji TV Network, Inc.
• Cora Yim, Creative Entrepreneur; Co-founder, S11 Partners Limited
• Anadil Hossain, Founder and CEO, Dillywood Inc

Moderator:

• Mellissa Fung, Journalist, Author, and Filmmaker

11:50 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Break & Anita Nowak Book Signing
Grand Ballroom Foyer

12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Closing Luncheon: Breaking Barriers in Classical Music: A Conversation with Yip Wing-sie 
Grand Ballroom 

Join pioneering conductor Yip Wing-sie as she shares her journey to becoming one of Asia's most respected conductors. Ms. Yip will share insights from her trailblazing career, discussing the challenges and triumphs of leading in a traditionally male-dominated field.

A Conversation:

• Yip Wing-Sie, Music Director Emeritus, Hong Kong Sinfonietta
• S. Alice Mong, President of Asia Society Hong Kong Center (IWF Hong Kong)

6:00 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.

Elly's Ladder Reception
Residence Library

9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

Day 2 Opening
Grand Ballroom 

7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Closing Dinner Celebration- Paint the Night Orange
Pool Deck, Level 11

Experience the magic of IWF as you enjoy dinner and dance the night away with your IWF sisters. In celebration, wear a touch of orange. 

8:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Experience the Natural Beauty of Hong Kong
Hotel Main Lobby

Join IWF Hong Kong members Alice Mong and Jessica Ng for a 75-minute morning walk around Victoria Peak, the highest mountain on Hong Kong Island.  You will see stunning views of Victoria Harbour and the Kowloon Peninsula from the Peak, which is surrounded by lush tropical forests and is known as a birdwatcher’s paradise. The walk will be moderate with primarily flat paved paths.  Following the walk, members will visit Peak Galleria and receive a mobile app gift coupon for light refreshment or shopping.  Shuttle bus transportation will be provided to and from the Peak.