The HBS Association of Hong Kong (HBSAHK) celebrated the club’s 45^thanniversary in February, with its 2025 Signature Conference at Cloud 39, a rooftop ballroom at The Henderson skyscraper in central Hong Kong.

With the theme, “Leadership in an Era of Change,” the conference featured three panel discussions with global thought leaders on AI, trade, and education. Keynote speaker Eddie Yue (MBA 1998), Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, launched the event before a crowd of 300 that included HBS alumni as well as leaders of local and global companies, government organizations, and universities in Hong Kong. A group of high school students also attended at the invitation of the club’s Board Director Max Burger (MBA 1981).

“Hong Kong, today, is in the middle of structural changes brought about by geopolitical dynamics, technologies, and demographic changes,” says HBSAHK President Jolie Chow (MBA 2010). “This conference aimed to explore some answers to the question of how we, as leaders, adapt to these changes.And we wanted to bring in the HBS classroom discussion dynamic, where we discuss and debate difficult topics, exchange ideas, and challenge perspectives, all in a ‘safe environment’ where we respect one another. That feels like a lost art today, where the world seems so divided.”

Chow moderated the first panel discussion, AI in Action: Driving Innovation and Business Transformation, which featured Simon Lee, Director of Group Innovation and Emerging Technology, AIA Group; Leo Liu, VP of International Business and GM of North APAC & SEA, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence; Wei Liu, Founder & CEO, Video Rebirth and Former Chief AI Scientist of Tencent; and Jimmy Zhang, Chief Financial Officer, UBTech Robotics.

“We wanted to focus on the leadership questions around AI, especially on how AI is applied to business today,” says Chow, who used AI to generate a fictitious HBS case with a protagonist in Hong Kong facing the problem of how to apply AI to her traditional business. “It was presented as a video—generated by AI—with virtual AI presenters that looked like Dean Datar and other renowned HBS alums in the room. I didn’t tell them I created cartoon avatars of them. Everyone had a good laugh, but at the same time realized the data privacy issues brought about by AI. It was a fun experience, and many guests commented on how innovative that was. Then we had an interesting debate on how insurance company AIA would look at a mistake made by UBTech’s robots in the factory. Whose fault is it? UBTech painted a picture for us that robots will be our colleagues and family members in the next two years. This was the day after Alibaba announced its annual results, which focused on its AliCloud development, so there was a lot of focus on that as well.”

The second discussion, Redrawing Global Supply Chains: Navigating the Trade Corridors of the Future, featured panelists Victor Fung (Harvard/PhD 1971), Chairman, Fung Investments; and Joseph Ngai (MBA 1999), Senior Partner and Chairman of McKinsey Greater China.

Ngai opened the discussion with slides of McKinsey’s trade analysis, while Fung responded to some of his questions. Ngai then “turned into a HBS professor” and walked the room, cold-calling guests.

“It was great,” says Chow. “It showed just how tight the HBS community is in Hong Kong as well, that we are comfortable enough to just call people to stand up and answer difficult questions. Michael Tien (MBA 1974), Varun Bery (MBA 1985), Antony Leung (AMP 157, 1999) among others, all rose to the challenge. Many guests told me this was very thought-provoking and insightful with today’s geopolitical environment and Hong Kong’s historical position as ‘East meets West’ and as a trading port.”

The final discussion of the day, Positioning Hong Kong as a Global Education Leader, featured Prof. Peng Gong, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Academic Development, The University of Hong Kong; Prof. Nick Rawlins, Master of Morningside College & Pro-Vice-Chancellor, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; and John Quelch (DBA 1977), Executive Vice Chancellor, Duke Kunshan University, and Charles Edward Wilson Professor of Business Administration Emeritus at HBS. Carol Yu, Founding Partner & Associate Dean, Shenzhen InnoX Academy, served as moderator.

“Hong Kong is growing to become an important education hub for Asia, with lots of interesting comparisons to Boston—and Harvard, of course,” says Chow. “This was a great discussion about how to increase the competitiveness of Hong Kong’s universities, and on Harvard alums in Hong Kong preferring to send their kids overseas for education instead of staying in Hong Kong. We explored [our] universities’ research and development capabilities, ability to attract talent to teach, and growing the market to include the Greater Bay Area of Hong Kong. It ended with insightful parenting tips from these professors to our audience—a group of mostly tiger and type-A parents.”

Chow says this was the club’s ninth signature conference. The first was held in 2013, organized by Antony Leung, who was HBSAHK Board Chair, and Joe Ngai, who was then-President of the club. It has since become a club tradition and an opportunity to reconnect with HBS friends while exploring timely topics affecting Hong Kong and the business world.

Along with Chow, the conference organizers included Alice Au (MBA 1986), Lillian Kiang (MBA 2007), Roger King (AMP 101, 1987), Carl Lu (MBA 1985), Andrew Yao (MBA 1992), and Carolyn Yeh (MBA 2005).

“Overall, I am grateful for, and humbled by, our alumni’s support in putting this conference together, and I can truly feel the power of how generations of HBS alums in Hong Kong have built a strong foundation on which HBSAHK stands today,” says Chow. “Our club charges no membership fees, and everyone is so generous in volunteering their time, advice, and even financial support—all to make sure we have a vibrant Harvard Business School community here in Hong Kong.”

Prashant Pundrik (PLDA 9, 2014), Founder of Athena Cleantech, Athena Partners and IED Consulting.

When and why were you inspired to take on your current role with the club?
In April 2023, and my appointment was just extended until March 2027.I am passionate about community building and giving back to my alma mater. Beyond fostering strong connections among alumni, I believe that we have a collective responsibility to uplift the communities where we live.

Why do you want to give back in this way?
Mobilizing our incredible alumni network allows me to create multiple opportunities for meaningful engagement, knowledge-sharing, and social impact. It helps me strengthen our community while making a difference, ensuring that our alumni legacy extends far beyond our campus.

What does the club mean to you?
The HBS Club of Singapore is part of my identity. It’s meaningful for me to be able to bring our alumni together and make a positive impact in the society—which is my greatest joy.

What have you accomplished to date that you are excited about—and what do you still hope to accomplish?
We are the youngest and most active club among the various alumni clubs in Singapore. Over the past eight years, our team has put together more than 100 events, welcoming more than 7,500 guests. We also run our widely acclaimed Mentorship Program, where about 100 HBS alums mentor 400 students from local universities and polytechnics every year. During my tenure, I want to build on the work of my predecessors and make the HBS Club of Singapore a platform for HBS alums to make a difference in the community.

Why should alumni who live in and around Singapore join your club?
The HBS Club of Singapore has over 1,000 members. We organize 15 to 18 diverse events every year. So, whether you are looking to socialize, expand your network, gain new perspectives or give back to the community, there’s an event here for you.

What was your favorite/most impactful class at HBS?
My most impactful learning happened after I finished my program in 2010. This was through Professor Clayton Christensen’s article (which later became a book) – “How Will you Measure Your Life?” I learned that true fulfillment and a meaningful life are built on prioritizing values, purpose, and relationships rather than solely focusing on career achievements or material success. The type of person I want to become—what is the purpose of my life—is too important to leave to chance. It needs to be deliberately conceived, chosen, and managed. The article also made me think about leaving a positive legacy and the importance of making a difference in the lives of others.

What’s the best advice you could give an incoming HBS student?
Read How Will You Measure Your Life? over and over before you start your post-HBS life.

Who or what gives you energy every day?
The positive difference that I make in people’s lives gives me energy every day. These could either be entrepreneurs whose start-ups I scale, or fellow alums who are able to connect and contribute to the society through the HBS Club of Singapore.

How do you relax? Do you have a hobby?
I love to volunteer. I spend most of my spare time either volunteering for the Club or another charity called Caregivers Alliance, where I train caregivers of mental health patients to become better at caregiving.

What are you reading?
I am reading two books concurrently:The Self-Made Billionaire Effect by John Sviokla and Mitch Cohen, and Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman.

Favorite restaurant in Singapore?
My favorite restaurant is Elemen, which serves wholesome, meatless local food in a modern format.

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