On June 1, Hong Kong's most business-savvy men and women came together to celebrate the launch of the Asian chapter of Access Alts Asia, the international membership based networking club. The organisation has members spread across the world in New York, Dubai, London, Shanghai, San Francisco and now Hong Kong, and the evening was an opportunity for Hong Kong leaders to exchange ideas and share personal stories of success and failure.
At an event hosted by Access Alts Asia's founder and CEO Aradhna Dayal at the Club Bel-Air Bay Wing in Pok Fu Lam, Tatler friends including Victor Fung, Christina Gaw, Roger King, Prasoon Dayal, Faride Shroff shared stories of family history and philanthropy.
Victor Fung, honourary chairman of Li & Fung and the chief guest of the evening, spoke of Access Alt's potential for influence not just in the city but also further afield. "Hong Kong families have played an important role since the founding of Hong Kong, and in the last 30 years they have played a crucial role not just regionally but globally, too. By bringing them together, Access Alts will strengthen these families so they can continue play an important role," said Fung.
Other topics discussed included ways for businesses to bounce back after the pandemic, a topic that inspired collaborative and creative thinking. Roger King, founding director of the Thompson Centre for Business Case Studies, discussed the three Ps to keeping a family intact: preservation of wealth, preservation of harmony and preservation of values. Meanwhile, Christina Gaw, managing principal and head of capital markets for Gaw Capital, discussed the role of women in family businesses, and Faride Shroff, founder and director of Sensational Foundation inspired the room with conversation about supporting Hong Kong citizens with disabilities. Although Allan Zeman, founder of the Lan Kwai Fong group couldn’t attend in person, he sent in a heartfelt video message wishing Access Alts and his peers success in the coming years.
"Today’s world needs impact, investing and entrepreneurship and Hong Kong families have all three in considerable measures. It's time for us to come together and back ideas that secure the future of humanity," said Dayal.
