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Outgoing HKEX chairman Laura Cha stresses importance of raising exchange’s global profile

  • ‘China will always be our anchor. But we cannot be just a single focus market, we do have to diversify,’ says Cha, who steps down from her role on April 24
  • She is confident Hong Kong’s turbulent political situation of the last few years will not put off potential investors, who see the opportunities on offer

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‘Outside Asia, there is not a lot of recognition. We have to raise our profile to attract investors,’ says Laura Cha, outgoing chairman of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing. Photo: Jelly Tse
Peggy Sito
On a sunny morning in October 2022, Laura Cha Shih May-lung, chairman of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX), took to the stage at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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In front of an audience of international investors, financiers and policymakers, Cha shared her insights and perspectives on the opportunities available in Hong Kong, mainland China and the broader region.

At that time the city was just embarking on its path to recovery, having not yet fully reopened after the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic. Cha, accompanied by a team of senior executives including the former HKEX chief executive Nicholas Aguzin, were on an important mission to position Hong Kong’s stock exchange as a resilient and influential force within the global financial landscape.

This endeavour aligned with Cha’s goal of elevating Hong Kong’s prominence on the international stage, a vision she had diligently worked towards since assuming leadership of the exchange in 2018.

Cha’s tenure as the first female chairman in the bourse’s history draws to a close on April 24, with Carlson Tong Ka-shing, the former chairman of KPMG China, tipped to take over.

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