Most Entertaining Party Ever! On Nov 30, over 60 CBS alums and guests celebrated the holiday season with a dinner party at the HK Country Club with a Casino Royale theme. Thanks to well designed games and customized CBS chips by Chris, Ming and Janet, guests bet to win the evening top prizes. Another highlight of the evening was the auction of two premium ColdPlay concert tickets donated by Gordon. Linda also announced that Amy would be stepping down, and replaced by Gordon as the new co-President with Thomas. Lastly a big thank you to the MCs Cameron and Vivi for making the evening so enjoyable. Special thanks to our sponsors including The Grown Alchemist, Bioeffect, and Dogalicious, and those who donated raffle gifts, as well as Terry and Yuan for leading the organization of the most entertaining party ever!

Our next guest for Brown Bag Talk is Long Zhang ’06, Chief Investment Officer at Chiron Asset Management, a Hong Kong-based equity hedge fund. Discover investment strategies for achieving long-term goals with less stress.

At Chiron, Long specializes in investing in public securities across the US and Asia. Prior to founding Chiron, he held senior investment roles at several US hedge funds, including a Tiger Cub fund, and worked in fixed income trading at HSBC in New York. Long began his career designing mixed-signal IC chips at Texas Instruments in Dallas.

Sandwich and drink provided. The cost is $100 for members and $150 for non-members. Please RSVP here.

On 23 October 2024, nine CBS Alumni Club committee members visited XPeng, a leading EV maker in China, at their Guangzhou HQ. Xpeng CFO, Charles Zhang, a CBS alum, provided an overview of the company and its strategy. Visitors also treated with a test drive. The group also visited a Guangzhou investment fund organized by Gordon Shaw ‘92 and enjoyed a sumptuous dinner with Columbia alums in Guangzhou.

Special thanks to the Social Committee co-chairs for organizing this fantastic trip!

Sixteen CBS Alumni Club committee members gathered for a dim sum lunch on 30 September 2024 to celebrate the success of recent events and plan for the upcoming Holiday Party in November. Senior club leaders Linda Ho and Edward Lau were present to show their support and appreciation.

We invite all alumni interested in contributing to the club to join the committee and help strengthen our alumni network through various events.

On 23 September 2024, 13 CBS ladies gathered for a relaxed lunch organized by the Women's Committee, sharing conversations around the table, from business, to travel, fashion, food and everything in between!

Join our Brown Bag Talk with Daisy Cai ’07, a General Partner at B Capital, a leading Silicon Valley Venture Capital firm. Learn about the latest trends in tech and AI investing.

Daisy focuses on investing in Technology across the US and Asia at B Capital. Prior to joining B Capital, Daisy was a Partner at Softbank Vision Fund. Daisy also held investment roles at Goldman Sachs and TA Associates. She started her career as a chip architecture designer at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) in Silicon Valley.

Sandwich and drinks provided. The cost is $100 for members and $150 for non-members. Please RSVP here.

Three alumni athletes shared their stories at Women in Sports, held by the Women’s Committee. Esther Ma CBS’92, Anthea Wong CC’25 and Vivian Siu CC’17 talked about what inspired them to pursue their passion in sports and how they balance sports with running their own companies, achieving academic success and excelling in their respective fields. Key takeaways from our speakers: nothing is impossible, challenge gender norms and use sports to do good!  

The conversation was moderated by Joanna Burger CBS’16 and attended in-person and on-line by over 30 alumni and friends from the Columbia community. Stay tuned for our future “Women In” events.

Join us for a night full of fun activities - Poker, Guandan, Mahjong, Avalon, or a favorite game you'd like to share. Karaoke is available for those who love to sing. Partners are welcome, so bring a friend!

Price: HKD 350 per person (+ HKD 150 for pizza). Please Whatsapp Terry Chan ‘22 (+852 6906 6207) to sign up. Please indicate if you'd like pizza when you sign up. No refunds provided.

Join our next Brown Bag Talk with Gene Soo ’09, Head of Ecosystem at MTR and co-founder of our CBS Alumni Club of HK. From serial entrepreneur in tech to Smart City enabler at MTR, Gene will share his perspectives on how innovation and technology drives meaningful changes in public transportation.

Having led the creation of HK's startup ecosystem by co-founding StartupsHK (now StartupsGBA), Gene is now tasked with building new businesses and enhancing the core MTR operations through technology, partnerships, and new models. Prior to his role at MTR, he was the General Manager at Citymapper and led the launch of Citymapper into HK in 2015. Since then, Citymapper has become the most comprehensive transport app in HK covering MTR, buses, trams, ferries and minibuses. Prior to Citymapper, he has been involved in building fashion and lifestyle apps and has also worked in Business Development at 6waves, a mobile and social game startup in HK.

Sandwich and drinks provided. The cost is $100 for members and $150 for non-members. Please RSVP here.

Invite your friends interested in applying for CBS to an info session hosted by the admissions office. Alumni panelists will share their MBA experiences and discuss the HK alumni network they have become a part of. The panel will be moderated by Ryan LaMantia, Assistant Director of Admissions. You are also welcome to join!

Register here for the event.

Start the summer by joining us for a fun evening of canapés and wine in Lan Kwai Fong, Central. Meet old friends and make new ones! It's also a perfect opportunity to connect with members of your CBS mentorship group. This will be our biggest party until the winter annual party later this year. Don’t miss it!

The cost is $600 per person. Please Whatsapp Terry Chan ‘22 (+852 6906 6207) to sign up.

Join us for an intimate conversation with Raymond Wong ’94, Head of Investment at HK Science and Technology Park, a government-sponsored business incubator home to 12 unicorns and startups from 26 countries, including AI company SenseTime (20.HK). How will HK’s investments in technology innovation drive its economic transformation? Learn about the challenges in cultivating local startups and the unique value HK offers to startups in the Greater Bay Area.

Sandwich and drinks provided. The cost is $100 for members and $150 for non-members. Please RSVP here.

Over 200 Columbia alumni came together at the Conrad Hotel for an alumni reception with the University's leadership. The special Columbia afternoon opened with a video greeting by President Minouche Shafik, followed by an introduction by CBS Dean Costis Maglaras. The highlight was a conversation on AI featuring Angela V. Olinto, Provost of the University; Melissa D. Begg, Dean, School of Social Work; and Shih-Fu Chang, Dean, Columbia Engineering, moderated by Shirley Wang ’93BUS, P: ’22CC, ’23CC, Trustee of Columbia University.

Book talk with Professor Bruce Usher on his new book Investing in the Era of Climate Change, organized by CITIC Press Group. Professor Usher explores the role that investment plays in reducing emissions to net zero by 2050, detailing how to finance the winners and avoid the losers in a transforming global economy. Win a book by asking questions during the event.

RSVP here for a seat. Note, website available in Chinese only. Walk-ins welcome.

Ten CBS alumni enjoyed an eventful day trip to Shenzhen. They began with a Hunan lunch, followed by afternoon massages, a seafood dinner, and ended the night with karaoke, where they were joined by Vivian, an alum from Shenzhen. Special thanks to Belinda Zhang ’23 and Bohan Xie ’23 for organizing the trip.

Join our next Brown Bag Lunch for a discussion on applications of AI and machine learning in investments and our daily lives, featuring Warren Kwan ’92. Warren is the Managing Director at KGI Asia, serving as the Head of Alternative Solutions and Trading. With expertise in multi-asset financial products, including exotic options, structured products, and variance swaps, Warren is a visionary in integrating Machine Learning and Generative AI to revolutionize fintech, financial analysis, and asset management. He also serves as a member of the Advisory Board for the CBS Program for Financial Studies and MSc in Financial Economics.

Sandwich and drink provided. The cost is $100 for members and $150 for non-members. Please RSVP here.

The CBS Women’s Committee presented its 6th workshop on Happy Parenting, tailored for parents seeking insights on raising happy and resilient children in today's world. Twenty-one alumni and friends participated in the panel talk. Child psychologist Neelam Hiranandani kicked off the conversation by offering four pieces of advice on raising happy children in today’s world. A key insight was that parents need to regulate themselves to be good role models, as happy parents lead to happy kids. Alumni parents Bronwyn Nichol ’17 and Stephen Ho ’91 shared their insights, while a Columbia new admit Angelina Wang SEAS ‘28, daughter of alum Wang Yuan ’04, offered her perspective. Special thanks to Gordon⁩ Shaw ’92 for sponsoring the venue.

15 alumni attended the Brown Bag Lunch featuring Dr. Zhen Lei ’07. Zhen shared his journey from CBS to founding two healthcare start-ups in China and US, motivated by his aspiration to help patients like his dad who lack access to a rehab to exercise properly and recover.  He developed a home rehab program, leveraging video recognition technology. Patients can follow instructions on their TVs, like playing a video game, to finish an exercising program personalized for them according to their health assessment and with their heart rate monitored.

The result is remarkable: the program reduces patients’ 30-day hospital readmission rates from ~20% to 2-3%, with significant cost saving compared to a traditional rehab. As a result, their program receives medical approval and is eligible for reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid, and most commercial insurance plans. Currently, they have more patients than they can serve and are seeking to expand their capacity.

Join the Columbia Business School Alumni Club of Hong Kong (CBSACHK) for an experience sharing session with Frank Au, a banker, entrepreneur, and investor. After his initial banking job at Lehman Brothers, Frank founded a boutique M&A and private placement advisory firm, which was later acquired by Cowen Group. Frank led Cowen Asia and China Renaissance Securities (HK) before turning his attention to investing. Currently, he's spearheading a sports education venture in China that trains elite teens for US college admissions.

Click here to RSVP for the event.

Twelve CBS alumni joined a meditation session led by our co-President Amy Fong ‘96.  Through 60 minutes of guided relaxation, breathing exercises and sound bath meditation with crystal singing bowls, participants learned to forget the past and the future by focusing on the present. It was an evening of awakening and discovery in this peaceful realm. Thanks to Amy for her lesson and sharing her personal journey, Gordon Shaw for providing the venue, and the Speaker Committee for organizing this event.

On March 24, a group of CBS alums led by Joanna Burger ‘16, co-chair of Women’s Committee, joined a family day walk to inspire inclusion and support artistis with disabilities. The day turned out to be unusually sunny and breezy perfect for the outing. Participants made new friends with Berkeley and other alums. Everyone had a fantastic time!

On March 23, 13 CBS alum ranging from the class of the 90s all the way to the class of 2023 gathered for a private dinner in Central. Over fine wine and Chinese cuisine, they shared their best investment ideas for 2024. Bohan ‘23 reaffirmed his conviction on his top investment pick. The group continued their conversation at a post dinner event. A wonderful evening of fine wine, food and exchange of investing intelligence!

Join the CBS Alumni Club of Hong Kong (CBSACHK) for an experience sharing session featuring Francis de la Cruz ‘08 and Haesu Lee ‘16 who recently relocated to New York and Boston. They will discuss job hunting, relocating with young children, and insights on the US economy. The Zoom event will be moderated by Thomas Chow ‘99.

Francis de la Cruz ‘08 lived in Asia for 11 years before moving back to the US in 2023. Francis spent 7 years at BlackRock in Hong Kong where he was most recently the Head of APAC Finance, Planning & Analysis (FP&A) team. Francis also lived in Seoul, Korea for 2 years with his wife Christina Hwang ‘08.

Haesu Lee ’16 is a buyside equity analyst with over 7 years of experience covering various sectors in the Asia Pacific region. She most recently worked at Robeco and Fidelity International in Hong Kong before relocating to Boston to be closer to family.

Please RSVP here for the event.

Twelve alums and friends attended the Brown Bag Lunch by Diana Wu David ‘97 on Feb 23. Diana generously shared her journey and insights about reinventing for the future as well as positioning oneself for board positions. Attendees also received signed copies of her book Future Proof: Reinventing Work in an Age of Acceleration. Thanks to Amy Fong ‘98 and FountainVest for providing the venue and Jibang Chai ‘21 for moderating the event.

The Columbia Business School Alumni Club of Hong Kong’s Social Committee event, Restaurant Hunting, received an overwhelming response. Bohan Xue ‘23 shared his views on the Chinese equity market. Alumni across class years shared their 2024 investment outlook. Thanks to the generous donation of wines and gifts from Amy ‘96, Yuan ‘04, Terry ‘22, Belinda ‘23 and Bohan ‘23, everyone had a great time.

The CBS Alumni Club of Hong Kong Women’s Committee kicked off the new year, partnering with NET-A-PORTER to host an event themed “styled and dressed for success”. Fellow alumna Natalie Lee ‘15 and her sophisticated team of personal shoppers delivered a fashion-forward presentation on the latest brands and trends, SS24 collection, mix-and-match and day-to-night transformation tips for professional women. Thanks to co-chairs Esther Ma ‘92 and Ann Cha ‘04 and fellow alumnae for an inspiring 2023 and successful workshop to welcome 2024. Thanks to Amy Fong ‘96 and FountainVest for venue sponsorship.

The Columbia Business School Alumni Club of Hong Kong (CBSACHK) hosted an impromptu Wine Dinner in January, an intimate gathering of 12 people featuring delicious food and a lively discussion spanning a range of current events.

The Brown Bag Lunch Series offers a chance for fellow alumni to meet over a casual sandwich lunch.

This event featured Kevin Chan ‘97, Managing Partner of SEAVI Advent Private Equity. Kevin oversees SEAVI Advent's investment activities, with a focus on technology and communications in China and Hong Kong. Prior to this, he co-founded HSBC's telecom/Internet investment banking practice and worked at Goldman Sachs.