Global business leaders to deliberate post-COVID economy at 14th Asian Financial Forum

DUBAI: In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 14th Asian Financial Forum (AFF) in Hong Kong will be held virtually on January 18-19, 2021, according to a press statement by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council here.

Under the theme “Reshaping the World Economic Landscape”, the forum will examine the challenges at hand and strategise the road to recovery and beyond with more than 150 influential global financial experts, policymakers, business leaders, economists, investors and entrepreneurs.

AFF is Asia’s premier platform for global leaders in government, finance and business to exchange insights, intelligence as well as business and investment opportunities.

The most pressing issues of the day will be addressed round the clock during AFF 2021, including the post-pandemic recovery, sustainable development, responsible and impact investment, fintech, 5G, entrepreneurship and venture investment, and asset and wealth management.

Virtual platform

Moreover, the AFF’s virtual platform will offer comprehensive business showcasing, networking and matchmaking services, including the Fintech Showcase, FintechHK Startup Salon, AFF Deal Flow Matchmaking Session, InnoVenture Salon and Global Investment Zone, providing interactive connections between global investors, project owners and start-up enterprises.

The keynote speaker on the first day will be Paul Romer, 2018 Nobel Laureate for Economic Sciences and policy entrepreneur, who previously served as Chief Economist at the World Bank and is currently University Professor in Economics at the University of New York. He was the co-recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2018 for his work “integrating technological innovations into long-run macroeconomic analysis”, which integrated ideas and innovation into economic models for the first time, making clear the societal benefits possible when people join together and collaborate in new ways. Prof Romer will analyse the current state of the global economy and posit the path towards a new and sustainable growth engine.

Key focus

Innovation and technology are fundamentally impacting the financial industry and will be a key focus at the AFF. Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and Seven Seven Six, and Luc Julia, Cocreator of Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant, will share their insights on innovation, technology and investment on the second day.

Ohanian and fellow co-founder Steven Huffman started the entertainment and social news aggregation website Reddit, which is the third most-visited website in the United States and ranks sixth in the world. In 2016, he cofounded Initialised Capital with Garry Tan, an early-stage venture capital unicorn that now has over $500 million under management and a portfolio with a market value of $36 billion. Julia, in addition to being the co-creator of Siri, was also Chief Technology Officer at HP, Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President at Samsung and has co-founded a number of start-ups in Silicon Valley. He has been recognised as one of the top 100 most influential French developers in the digital world.

As Asia’s premier forum for the global financial and business community, the Asian Financial Forum will help participants establish connections and explore investment opportunities with worldwide counterparts at the beginning of the New Year. Participants who register on or before 31 December 2020 can enjoy an early bird discount.