HKUST x France “Green Finance: The Way Forward”

Étudiants

To achieve the objectives of Carbon Neutrality or Net Zero by 2050 and meet the Paris Agreement Goals, it has been estimated that around USD 3.5 trillion a year* of investments is required. Finance is not just about numbers, it is one of the driving forces toward a greener and more sustainable planet and creator of innovative careers of tomorrow. Join us on March 22 to hear from a panel of experts from world-class French financial institutions on the latest trends of sustainable finance in the region as well as the exciting academic, job and career opportunities!

This event is organized in the framework of the France – HKUST Innovation Hub in collaboration with Société Générale, and with the participation of major French banks and companies based in Hong Kong.

*Report from the Energy Transitions Commission (ETC) – other estimates exist.

Program

Panel discussion: 14:30 - 16:00
'Speak-dating' featuring career opportunities at French financial institutions: 16:00 - 17:00 (light refreshments will be served)

This is a HMAW1905-recognized event in the “Personal Enrichment & Community Service” category under the "Self-directed Experience" of HMAW1905: Behavioral Foundations of University Education: Habits, Mindsets, and Wellness. To receive 1.5 hours, you must attend the panel discussion session in full and miss no more than 10 mins.

Event Format

Seminar, Lecture, Talk

Speakers / Performers:

Prof Véronique J. A. Lafon-Vinais

Co-Director, BSc in Sustainable & Green Finance program, HKUST Business School

Veronique is a seasoned financial market professional with over 20 years of banking and capital markets experience. She has worked in all the major financial markets and has extensive experience in all the major debt markets.

Veronique joined Credit Agricole in Paris in 1980 after graduating from HEC; she moved to First Chicago (now part of JP Morgan) in London in 1984 then to Chicago in 1990. In 1991 Veronique joined Union Investissements, the M&A and corporate finance subsidiary of Credit Agricole in Paris to work on various M&A and corporate finance advisory projects. She moved to Hong Kong in 1994 joining First Chicago as Managing Director, Head of Financial Markets, Asia Pacific, then joined Standard Chartered Bank plc as Head of Treasury Origination in 2000 and retired from banking in 2001.

Veronique is now dedicating herself full time to education and teaching as Associate Professor of Business Education, Department of Finance at HKUST, where she teaches in the MBA/MSc programs as well as in the Undergraduate Programs, and professional training and consulting for the finance industry. She is the Executive Director, Career Development & Corporate Outreach for the School of Business and Management at HKUST, Associate Director for the UG programs, Co-Director of the BSc in Sustainable and Green Finance, Associate Director of the tri-degree World Bachelor in Business Program, and Project Director for the HKUST-NYU Stern MSc in Global Finance.

Ronald Young

Head of Sustainable Finance Asia, Global Banking and Advisory, Société Générale

Ronald is Head of Sustainable Finance for Asia at Société Générale based in Hong Kong. He is in charge of the origination and structuring of sustainable finance transactions and the development of innovative impact finance solutions across North Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia.

Ronald has completed numerous landmark Green, Social, Sustainability and Sustainability-Linked financing deals across various sectors and asset classes in the region, including several first-of-its-kind transactions. In addition, he has also been actively involved in the development of innovative solutions to scale-up new business models that would deliver positive environmental and social impact.

He has been contributing to the advances of the sustainable finance market standards in Asia and globally, participating actively in various working groups of the loan and bond associations. In addition, Ronald has been an active contributor of the development of taxonomies in key jurisdictions in Asia.

Ronald has more than 16 years of structured finance and principal investing experience in the Renewable Energy, Infrastructure and Natural Resources sectors across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. Prior to his current role, Ronald was a senior member of Société Générale’s Energy Finance and Advisory team in the region.

Ronald graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Management & Technology Dual Degree Program, with a Bachelor in Economics (in Finance) from the Wharton School and a Bachelor in Civil Engineering from the School of Engineering and Applied Science. He holds a Master of Business Law, the CFA’s Certificate in ESG Investing and a CFA Charter.

Kristy Wong

Associate Director, ESG Investment Specialist, Amundi

Kristy has over 14 years of experience in ESG across the financial and public sectors in Hong Kong. She drives the ESG finance and investment development by being an ESG working group member of eight different investor initiatives and industry associations.

Prior to joining Amundi, she was Vice President, ESG at Bank of America from 2018. Before this, Kristy has garnered experience in ESG advisory at Ernst & Young and the Hong Kong Productivity Council.

Kristy is a Chartered Environmentalist at the Society for the Environment UK and a Chartered Water and Environmental Manager at the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management. She also holds various professional certificates including the Certificate in ESG Investing from CFA UK, and Certified ESG Analyst (CESGA) from the European Federation of Financial Analysts Societies.

Prof Quentin Moreau

Assistant Professor, Division of Environment and Sustainability, HKUST

Quentin is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Environment and Sustainability at HKUST. Prior to joining HKUST in August 2023, he was an Assistant Professor at the University of Glasgow. He was trained in his home country, France. He holds an MPhil and PhD, both in Finance, from Paris-Dauphine University. He also holds an MSc in Economics and Business from Ecole Normale Superieure Paris-Saclay.

Quentin received the Best PhD in Corporate Finance Thesis Award from the French Finance Association in 2022. His research interests lie at the intersection of Corporate Finance and Sustainable Finance. He studies how climate and environmental risks influence firms' financial decisions, how firms manage their exposure to these risks, and how innovative financial solutions can contribute to fostering sustainability.

Language

English

Recommended For

Alumni

Faculty and staff

General public

PG students

UG students

Organizer

Office of the Vice-President for Institutional Advancement

The Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau

Registration