Perspectives: Asia Women in Leadership Series: A View from the Top

Cecilia Wong, General Manager of Wealth Management at Tianfeng Securities Co Ltd, is a Wuhan based lawyer with more than 25 years’ of experience in retail and corporate finance, and wealth management. She joined TF Securities Co Ltd in Wuhan in 2017 to establish their High-Net-Worth Customer Department and was promoted to General Manager of their Wealth Management Department, with six branches in China, in 2019.

Vivian Kiang is the Head of RBC Wealth Planning and Trust Administration, Asia. Prior to rejoining RBC, Vivian worked as a Vice President and Wealth Planner with Citi Private Bank covering the Philippines and Hong Kong markets. Before relocating to Hong Kong, Vivian has also spent 2 years working for the Royal Bank of Canada in Toronto, Canada. Vivian has nearly 20 years of experience in the financial industry and with majority of her time in the wealth management field. She specializes in advising and structuring various types of wealth and succession planning arrangements for private banking clients. She is particularly familiar with using structuring tools such as trusts, insurance policies and private investment companies for setting up asset holding structures for High Net Worth individuals. Vivian is very experienced in assisting Asian families that have nexus with Canada and USA. Vivian is fluent in English, Cantonese and Mandarin.

Clare Pearson established the China Charity Practice of DLA Piper China in Beijing in 2004. As solicitor (England and Wales) she joined DLA Piper London in 1999. She advises companies, banks, corporate foundations, family offices, social enterprises and non-profits on their strategy in China and Chinese Foundations on their globalization process. With a focus on ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) Clare advises education, professional membership, environmental and healthcare clients on how to deliver projects across China. Clare has been working with NGO's and ESG corporate clients in China since 1997. In 2003, Clare attended the launch of Youth Business China in Beijing and the British Council/Shanghai Bar Young Lawyer's forum in Shanghai. Since then her expertise in the field has grown and today she provides comprehensive advice to NGO's in China in the fields of Government relations, structure and finance.

Claudia heads the Asia-Pacific Corporate Solutions practice at APEX Group, based in Hong Kong. She and her team empower financial services firms to focus on delivering value to their stakeholders by providing expert and tailored support in their back-office functions. She has accumulated over a decade’s experience in advising on foreign investment and corporate governance best practices at different firms and service providers in APAC. She is passionate about the environmental and social impact of economic development which she incorporates in her professional engagements. Claudia holds a dual Bachelor in common and civil law from the University of Cergy-Pontoise, and has undertaken specialization studies at prestigious institutions including Harvard Business School, ESSEC, EGADE, and Pantheon-Assas. She is fluent in English, French, and Spanish.