Andrew Chan FCA Co-Chairs the 6th Annual FutureCFO Hong Kong Conference: Forging Future Advantage Through Risk-Informed Finance Leadership
Andrew Chan FCA Co-Chairs the 6th Annual FutureCFO Hong Kong Conference: Forging Future Advantage Through Risk-Informed Finance Leadership
On 15 October 2026, 215 finance leaders from across industries gathered at the Kowloon Shangri-La for the 6th Annual FutureCFO Hong Kong Conference, themed “Forging Future Advantage.” The day delivered targeted sessions, interactive Q&As, and peer networking on re-engineering cost frameworks, upskilling finance teams, and building connected operating models for omnichannel and cross-border growth. An exclusive Executive Roundtable with Airwallex focused on how top finance leaders are creating more integrated models for sustainable expansion.
Andrew Chan, FCA, Governor of The IIA Hong Kong and Founder of CRO Chief Risk Officer, co-chaired the conference with Allan Tan of Cxociety. He also delivered the afternoon Welcome Remarks. Co-moderators included Melinda Ramo Baylon of Cxociety and Gary Zhang of Li & Fung. Speakers spanned organisations such as AllianceBernstein, CLP, JLL, Li & Fung, Mox Bank, Sodexo, Uber for Business, WeLab Bank, Workday, and many others.
Why this matters for risk leaders
FutureCFO is a finance-leader forum, yet the agenda sat squarely on ground that CROs, Heads of Risk, and internal auditors already own. Topics included cyber risk quantification and AI-powered threats, building resilience against geopolitical and regulatory complexity, AI readiness and data trust, balancing capital discipline with growth, and the talent imperative in an AI-driven finance function. These are not side conversations for risk functions—they are core decision inputs.
CFOs are being asked to act as catalysts for change while maintaining capital discipline, embedding data integrity, and navigating volatility. When risk insights arrive after the decision is already made, they become commentary. When they sit inside the process—scenario modelling, capital allocation, AI governance, operational resilience—they become the difference between disciplined growth and unexamined exposure. That is the work of elevating risk and audit roles to the C-suite: not adding more reports, but integrating risk-based decision making so finance leaders can see trade-offs clearly and move with confidence.
Andrew’s dual role—Governor of The IIA Hong Kong and Global Risk Advocate—illustrates the same point. Value-added, risk-based internal auditing and enterprise risk management are not separate from finance transformation. They supply the challenge, the evidence, and the foresight that high-performing finance teams need when AI moves from pilot to agentic partner, when geopolitical shocks hit supply chains and energy costs, and when data trust determines whether an insight is usable or merely interesting.
The signal from the room
The conference reinforced a practical reality. Finance leaders already own cost frameworks, forecast quality, cross-border operating models, and ESG as a strategic driver. The missing piece in many organisations is not another dashboard—it is structured risk input that survives contact with real decisions. Cyber risk quantification, AI model risk, third-party concentration, and regulatory fragmentation across Greater Bay Area and international operations all require the same discipline: map the exposure, stress the assumption, assign ownership, and report in language the board already uses for capital and performance.
Hong Kong’s position as a financial hub makes this especially visible. Fiscal stability, AI investment, and cross-border growth create opportunity; they also concentrate risk. The organisations that treat risk as a parallel function will keep discovering issues after the fact. Those that embed it—through joint CFO–CRO working sessions, risk-informed capital allocation, and audit programmes that challenge assumptions rather than simply test controls—will forge the advantage the conference theme described.
The work continues after the badges come off
The 6th Annual FutureCFO Hong Kong Conference succeeded because finance leaders showed up ready to discuss transformation, cost, talent, and technology. For risk and audit professionals, the takeaway is direct: the seat at that table is earned by delivering insights that change decisions, not by documenting risks that have already materialised.
That is the continuous work of CRO Chief Risk Officer—connecting risk professionals to decision makers so risk-based thinking becomes standard in finance, strategy, and board conversations across Hong Kong, Asia, and beyond.
Support the journey toward more value-added Chief Risk Officer and risk leadership roles. Join as a Global Risk Advocate (individual or corporate memberships available) for events, partnerships, and practical dialogue.
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