CRO Chief Risk Officer Community Supporting the Rise2040 Future of Finance and Accounting Conference hosted by CIMA, AICPA X CUHK Business School
CRO Chief Risk Officer Community & Founding Chairman Andrew Chan FCA Supporting the Rise2040 Future of Finance and Accounting Conference
This week, CRO Chief Risk Officer Community had the privilege of attending the Rise2040 – Future of Finance and Accounting Conference, co-hosted by CUHK Business School, the Centre for Institutions and Governance (CIG), and AICPA & CIMA. It was an excellent afternoon of forward-looking discussion on where our profession is headed.
A sincere thank you to the speakers and panelists who shared thoughtful, practical perspectives: Louis Guoxin Lin, Will Hutchinson, Prof. George Yang, Johnny Li, Sam Yee (CRO Chief Risk Officer, Member) Stephen Walsh, Joey Chung, Mark Clayton , Edmond Lau, Simon Suen, and Yan Zhang. It was equally valuable reconnecting with fellow finance leaders across the room.
Key Takeaways Through a Risk Lens
The conversations reinforced several themes that sit at the heart of the evolving Chief Risk Officer mandate:
From scorekeeping to strategic stewardship
The profession is moving decisively away from reactive task execution toward a “Human in the Lead” model. Finance and risk professionals must become proactive, technology-fluent strategic advisers and ethical stewards. For CROs, this means shifting from pure gatekeeping to becoming true partners in value creation and resilient growth.
AI’s differential impact across career levels
AI will automate routine execution and redefine entry-level roles. Mid-level managers will increasingly supervise intelligent systems and predictive analytics. At the C-suite and CFO/CRO level, the opportunity (and responsibility) expands into cross-functional value creation and strategic foresight. The real risk is not the technology itself — it is failing to redesign roles, governance, and decision rights around it.
Global shifts and rising expectations
Continuous technological disruption, demographic change, and declining public trust in information are driving demand for real-time reporting, rigorous AI governance, and expanded ESG/data assurance. These are no longer “nice-to-have” topics; they are core risk and opportunity agendas that boards will expect CROs and CFOs to own together.
Building capabilities for 2040
CFOs (and by extension CROs) must confront internal cultural inertia. Modernising training pathways through AI simulation environments, reverse mentoring, and “wisdom databases” is essential. Equally critical is the deliberate development of distinctly human capabilities: strategic storytelling, ethical judgment, and system-level oversight. Technology amplifies judgment — it does not replace it.
Why This Matters for the CRO Community
Rise2040 was a timely reminder that the future of finance and the future of risk are inseparable. As organisations navigate AI adoption, geopolitical volatility, and heightened stakeholder expectations, the CRO who can translate these shifts into clear strategic options will be indispensable.
The CRO Chief Risk Officer Community left the conference encouraged by the quality of the dialogue and the shared commitment across the profession to stay human-centred while becoming more technology-fluent.
The path to 2040 will reward those who treat risk not as a constraint, but as a source of informed courage and competitive advantage.
We continue our journey to champion more value-added CRO Chief Risk Officer roles across Hong Kong and Asia — roles that move beyond gatekeeping and into genuine partnership with the business.
If this resonates with you, join us as a Global Risk Advocate.
Individual and corporate memberships are available.
Together, we can create more meaningful events, partnerships, and real impact.
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