Keynote Speech
Professor Frederick Ma GBS, JP
Chairman
FWD Group
Professor Frederick Ma was born and educated in Hong Kong. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree from the University of Hong Kong in 1973 majoring in economics and history. Since graduation, he had taken up different major positions of various local and overseas banks, financial institutions and major companies, including Chase Manhattan Bank, Royal Bank of Canada Dominion Securities, Kumagai Gumi (HK) Limited, JP Morgan Chase and Pacific Century Cyberworks Limited. He has rich experience in banking and financial sector.
In 2002, he joined the Hong Kong SAR Government as the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury and assumed the post of Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development from 2007 to2008.
Professor Ma is the Chairman of FWD Group Holdings Limited, and was the former Chairman of MTR Corporation Limited. He is currently an Independent Non-Executive Director of Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited, COSCO Shipping Holdings Co., Ltd. and Unicorn II Holdings Limited. He is also a member of the International Advisory Council of China Investment Corporation and Investcorp.
Since 2011, Professor Ma is a Permanent Honourable President of Hong Kong Special Schools Council. He is also an Honorary Professor of the Business School at the University of Hong Kong, the Faculty of Business Administration at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Education University of Hong Kong. He was conferred the Honorary Doctor of Social Sciences by Lingnan University and City University of Hong Kong in 2014 and 2016 respectively. From 2017 – 2020, he was the Council Chairman of The Education University of Hong Kong. In March 2023, Professor Ma was appointed as a member of the Chief Executive's Council of Advisers. He was awarded a Gold Bauhinia Star in 2009 and appointed a Justice of the Peace in 2010.
Keynote Speech
Topic: “The Future of Business Schools”
Professor Dr Ralf Dillerup
Dean
Heilbronn University Graduate School
Professor Dr Ralf Dillerup is an accomplished Strategic Management Professor at Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences with a vast leadership experience. He has served as Program Director, International Director, Head of the Graduate School, MBA Director, and currently as Dean of the Business School. Additionally, he is a Professor at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, and a guest professor at several other universities.
Prof. Dr Dillerup has had an extensive career in business management and strategy with previous leadership roles such as CFO at Robert Bosch and working in Corporate Strategy, Purchasing, and Logistics at Mercedes-Benz AG, as well as in Production Planning at ASB Greenworld Ltd.
He holds a PhD and was a researcher at the University of Stuttgart. Prior to that, he completed his Master's degree in Business Administration and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Stuttgart.
Panel Discussion I
Topic: “The Role of Universities in Shaping Responsible Entrepreneurs and Innovators”
Mr Karl Franzmann
Chief Growth Officer
Mainchain Labs
Mr Karl Franzmann is an international professional with UK, European, Sub-Saharan Africa and pan-Asian experience working with innovative new and growing companies to establish strong foundations and growth. He is Chief Growth Officer at Mainchain Labs, currently emerging from stealth mode, an innovative blockchain start-up that will become the superhighway all blockchain innovation is built on. With experience gained within leading international blue-chip bank Barclays where he was a senior manager in HR for international business and wealth, in Russia at Renaissance Capital where he was part of the HR leadership team driving global expansion including America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and Central Asia, and finally Hong Kong at Vantage Capital and Web3 innovator NexChange (Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai Blockchain Week), Mr Franzmann has lead people, operations, business planning and fund raising for each. He graduated with Honours in Cognitive Sciences & AI from the University of Sussex, UK.
Panel Discussion I
Topic: “The Role of Universities in Shaping Responsible Entrepreneurs and Innovators”
Professor Dr Bettina Merlin
Professor for Entrepreneurship and International Business
Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences
Professor Dr Bettina Merlin is Professor for Entrepreneurship and International Business at Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences. She is head of the Master's degree in Entrepreneurship and teaches entrepreneurship at several universities. Her research focusses on responsible entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship education and the future of higher education. She recently accomplished a highly funded research project on student-centered higher education and developed an entrepreneurship education curriculum empowering students to become responsible entrepreneurs to shape the businesses of the future.
She holds a PhD, researching at University Oldenburg and a degree in economics, environmental economics and international business from the Universities of Münster and Augsburg. After her studies she worked as a business consultant with CTcon before starting her own consulting business. She consulted international companies and institutions in the areas of accounting, controlling, international trade, and strategy consulting.
Panel Discussion I
Topic: “The Role of Universities in Shaping Responsible Entrepreneurs and Innovators”
Dr Charleston Sin
Executive Director
mCommerce
Dr Charleston Sin is Executive Director of mCommerce, an AI development and service company, and Co-founder of Peach Bioverse, a digital health start-up, a Partner of Kapok Capital, a deeptech investment company.
Dr Sin was Executive Director of Massachusetts Institute of Technology Hong Kong Innovation Node. Prior to joining MIT, Dr Sin held executive positions in research and development, product management, and sales and marketing at VMware, Cisco Systems, and Nortel Networks in the United States, Canada, Asia Pacific, and Greater.
He is Professor of Practice in the Faculty of Business at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Adjunct Professor of the Faculty of Business and Economic of the University of Hong Kong. He is also a member of the Board of Director, and Chair of Entrepreneurship Committee of Cyberport Management Hong Kong.
Dr Sin studied Innovation Management and received his PhD in Management Sciences at The University of Waterloo in Canada.
Panel Discussion I
Topic: “The Role of Universities in Shaping Responsible Entrepreneurs and Innovators”
Professor Alan Au
Vice President (Strategic Initiatives)
Hong Kong Metropolitan University
Professor Alan Au joined Hong Kong Metropolitan University (formerly The Open University of Hong Kong) in 1995, and he is now the Vice President (Strategic Initiatives) of the University and Acting Dean of the Business School. With almost 29 years of experience at HKMU, Professor Au has spearheaded and implemented a number of strategic initiatives in line with the University's mission and goals. Under his leadership of the Dean of Business School from 2015 to 2024, the School has fostered international academic collaborations and forged impactful strategic partnerships within various industries.
Professor Au has published widely in international refereed journals. His areas of specialisation include business ethics, international management, technology transfer and marketing. As Principal or Co-Principal Investigator, he has secured over HK$20 million in external competitive grants and internal grants. Professor Au is also committed to promoting knowledge exchange between the academia and society at large, and has published articles extensively in major local newspapers and business magazines. Over the years, Professor Au has also engaged in numerous consultancy projects for the public and private sectors, such as the Hong Kong Government, US Government, and Hong Kong Trade Development Council.
Professor Au is also actively involved in professional and public services. He is a Fellow of The Chartered Governance Institute (CGI) in the UK, Fellow of The Hong Kong Chartered Governance Institute (HKCGI), Advisory Group Member for Financial Education for Young Adults of the Investor and Financial Education Council, as well as the Research Ethics Committee Member of the Hong Kong Sanatorium Hospital Medical Group. Furthermore, Professor Au is regularly invited by HKCAAVQ to serve as chairman or expert member in panels for the accreditation of both local and overseas academic programmes offered in Hong Kong.
Professor Au obtained his Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Waikato in New Zealand.
Panel Discussion II
Topic: “Collaboration Between Government, Industry, and Universities: Fueling Innovation and Economic Growth”
Professor Dr Tomas Benz
Professor for Business Information Systems
Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences
Professor Dr.-Ing. Tomas Benz is Professor for Business Information Systems and Director of International Relations at the Faculty of Computer Science, Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences. He was awarded a professorship in 1999 at Heilbronn University. From August 2018 to July 2023, he served as the President of the Vietnamese-German University (VGU). Prior to his presidency at VGU, he taught and held key managerial roles as program director and dean of the IT faculty at Heilbronn University in Germany for more than 18 years, and at the university in Vietnam for over 10 years. Before joining Heilbronn University, Professor Benz worked in senior-level positions across various industries in Germany for approximately 10 years. Today, he works as director for international relations of the IT faculty.
Panel Discussion II
Topic: “Collaboration Between Government, Industry, and Universities: Fueling Innovation and Economic Growth”
Mr Daniel Nill
Junior Professor
Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences
Mr Daniel Nill is a digital expert specializing in digital sales, process optimization, and the application of artificial intelligence. As a Junior Professor at Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences and a doctoral candidate at the Technical University of Munich, he combines academic expertise with practical experience. He is a sought-after speaker on topics such as innovation, entrepreneurship, and collaboration between government, industry, and academia. In his academic role, he regularly lectures on cutting-edge topics like Research Methods and AI Enablement, guiding students and professionals to develop practical skills for the digital age. He also organizes interactive workshops designed to bridge theory and application.
Panel Discussion II
Topic: “Collaboration Between Government, Industry, and Universities: Fueling Innovation and Economic Growth”
Mr Richard Tse
Chief Administrative Officer
Hong Kong Genome Institute
Mr Richard Tse is the Chief Administrative Officer of the Hong Kong Genome Institute. He has over 30 years of extensive experience in strategic finance and management and corporate governance roles. Previously, he was the Chief Financial Officer of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority and a Vice President of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation.
Mr Tse currently serves as the President of Hong Kong Public Sector Accountants Association. He was a Council Member of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA). In 1997, he was awarded as "Young Accountant of the Year" by the HKICPA for his outstanding contribution to the accounting profession and community.
Mr Tse graduated with Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Commerce degrees from the University of New South Wales, Australia. He is a Chartered Accountant (Australia) and a Chartered Governance Professional.
Panel Discussion II
Topic: “Collaboration Between Government, Industry, and Universities: Fueling Innovation and Economic Growth”
Professor David Ahlstrom
Associate Dean (Research)
Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration, Hong Kong Metropolitan University
Professor David Ahlstrom is an Associate Dean (Research) and a Professor in the Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration, Hong Kong Metropolitan University. He is also Emeritus Professor with The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He received a PhD in Management and International Business from New York University after having worked in the data communications industry for several years. His research includes managing in Asia, innovation and entrepreneurship, decision-making, firm growth and economic history. He has published over 170 peer-reviewed publications, and was awarded the Clarivate (formerly Thomson-Reuters) Highly Cited Researcher Award, given to professor / researchers in the top 0.1% of all researchers for having a number of highly cited published papers over the previous ten-year period (awarded 3 years running: 2017, 2018, and 2019). He also also been in the Stanford University - John Ionnidis 'Top 2% Scientists Worldwide' in terms of career citations, from 2021.
Hong Kong Metropolitan University
Heilbronn University Graduate School
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