The Association of Corporate Counsel Hong Kong (ACCHK) and Baker McKenzie’s BakerWomen Committee hosted a panel discussion on 23 May 2024 at Baker McKenzie’s Quarry Bay office. The event brought together industry leaders to analyse the representation of women in leadership roles, addressing persistent systemic issues and proposing viable solutions to bridge the gender gap.
Jeremy Ong, a partner at Baker McKenzie in Hong Kong, opened the session and underscored the importance of tackling the discussion head-on. Christine Cuthbert, special counsel at Baker McKenzie, moderated the panel, featuring Sophia Yap, co-owner and chief officer at HKBN Group; Gill Meller, legal and governance director at MTR Corporation; and Ajay Manissery Konchery, group head of diversity, equality and inclusion at Swire.
The panellists provided insights into the challenges preventing women from ascending to board positions and offered their perspectives on making leadership roles more appealing to women.
Cuthbert pointed out an increase in women’s representation on boards, from 15.2% to 17.3% in the past year, and highlighted the reduction in single-gender boards as a sign of progress towards inclusivity. Konchery shared Swire’s accomplishment in surpassing a 30% target for female board representation.
Meller reflected on her initiatives to boost gender diversity, saying: “A few years ago, when regulations started emphasising targets, I convinced our chairman and CEO that we should aim for at least 20% female representation on the board, with a goal of reaching 25% by 2025.”
Yap spoke on the personal challenges of juggling professional responsibilities and family life, stating: “I think it’s actually fairly challenging, not just in board, but just surviving as a working mom, a wife … There are times when we open up the phone and we see a bleeding child who has been hurt in sports, and by the time you call home they say, ‘Mom, that was yesterday’.”
Candy Au, board director at ACCHK, praised the event for recognising the progress made and the challenges that remain in Asia, adding: “While embracing the relevant internal and external policies that help to improve diversity at the board level, the speaker panel also acknowledged the practical and cultural challenges we face in Asia.”
Kat Kukreja, board president of ACCHK, echoed these sentiments, saying: “The ACCHK event with the BakerWomen Committee of Baker McKenzie did not shy away from addressing this important topic head-on. It was great to hear about the systemic issues that continue to prevent women from advancing to the boardroom and have a candid discussion on what can be done to challenge the status quo.”
The panel discussion was followed by a networking session, making for an engaging and insightful evening for ACCHK members.
