In Conversation with Bernard Charnwut Chan

The Honourable Bernard Charnwut Chan is a deputy to the National People’s Congress of China, a non-official member of Hong Kong’s Executive Council (2004-09 and from 2012) and (from 2017) the Convenor of the Non-Official Members of the Executive Council. He is also a former member of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (1998-2008).

A graduate of Pomona College in California, he is the President of Asia Financial Holdings and Chairman of Asia Insurance. He is Chairman of the Hong Kong – Thailand Business Council and an advisor to Bangkok Bank (China) Co. Ltd. He sits on the boards of several local and overseas companies in financial services and is a director of Bumrungrad Hospital Public Company in Thailand.

Among his public service activities, he is Chairperson of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, Chairman of the Hong Kong Palace Museum Ltd, Chairman of Tai Kwun Culture & Arts Co. Ltd., Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Hong Kong Chronicles Institute and Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of Our Hong Kong Foundation. Past positions include Council Chair of Lingnan University, Chairman of the Council for Sustainable Development, Chairman of the Antiquities Advisory Board, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Revitalisation of Historic Buildings and Chairman of the two Standing Committees on Disciplined Services and Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service. He is also a Trustee Emeritus of Pomona College.

He was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 2002, and a Commander (3rd Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand in 2004. In 2006, he was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong SAR Government, and in 2020 he received Hong Kong’s highest honor, the Grand Bauhinia Medal. He has been conferred honorary degrees from Lingnan University, City University of Hong Kong, the Open University of Hong Kong and Savannah College of Art and Design.

Anne Chiou is the Director of The Economist Corporate Network in Hong Kong. She engages top executives throughout Asia in providing key insights and industry knowledge on strategic issues central to business developments in the region.

Ms. Chiou brings extensive regulatory, business and policy as well as non-profit expertise. Prior to joining the Economist Group, she was Head of Programs for Business and Policy at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center. She also worked extensively with senior banking executives as a regulator at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York during the Global Financial Crisis, supervising large international banks. Ms. Chiou also worked in banking policy at the Hong Kong Monetary Authority as well as supervising financial market activity under the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong. Ms. Chiou also formerly worked with multiple fintech start-ups, advising them of regulatory trends in Asia. Ms. Chiou has a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Pomona College and a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University.