Target Participants
The 2025 Programme will admit around 20 financial talents at approximately two levels below the CEO position showing potential to be future leaders in the financial industry.
Content
The Programme comprises modules on key themes that the Programme participants need to understand well in their future leadership roles. The 2025 Programme will comprise the following five modules:
- Global Financial Architecture, Socio-political-economic Developments, and Monetary and Regulatory Trend
- Regional and International Landscape, especially Mainland China
- Green Finance and ESG
- FinTech and Innovation
- Championing Change and Leadership Sharing
To ensure the relevance of the Programme, the specific content under each module will be centred around the main issues of interest at the time of running this Programme.
Conversations and discussions with distinguished leaders of financial regulatory bodies, financial institutions, and corporates, as well as visits to companies and institutions will make up the majority of the modules. The 2025 Programme may include visits to:
- Major local and foreign financial institutions with active business in the region and in Mainland China.
- Major fintech companies and other industry disruptors with innovative businesses.
- Organisations with significant ESG efforts.
Participants are expected to do a considerable amount of reading in preparation for the conversations and discussions, and lectures and talks would be kept to a minimum. This programme design enables the participants to benefit the most from the sharing of insights and experiences, both between the participants and the speakers, and amongst the participants themselves.
One field trip to Mainland China and overseas is being planned in Q3 2025. Other overseas trips may also be considered for future cohorts.
Collaborative Learning
Participants will be given opportunities to contribute to the Programme, such as in suggesting speakers, helping to set up visits to selected companies, or sharing with other participants their special expertise. Participants will also be invited to participate actively in other leadership development activities organised by the AoF during the programme period. Some of them may be invited to serve as speakers or moderators for AoF events, or to line up panel speakers utilising their own network.
Duration
The entire Programme lasts for 9 months from Q2 2025 to end 2025/ early 2026. Participants are expected to commit on average 3 sessions per month (usually a late afternoon on a weekday running from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm) to programme activities, including the structured curriculum activities, networking events, and other leadership development events organised by the AoF.
An indicative schedule of programme activities in 2025 is as follows:
Detailed programme schedule will be announced in March/April 2025 to successful applicants.
Completion of Programme
Certificates of Completion will be presented to participants who have attended 75% or more of the Programme (including the structured curriculum activities, networking events, and other leadership development events organised by the AoF) and show satisfactory performance throughout.
Graduates who are not yet a Member of the AoF would be considered for AoF Membership, subject to meeting the AoF Membership criteria and approval by the AoF Membership Committee. The list of Programme graduates will be published on the AoF website and social media platform(s) and be drawn to the attention of financial regulatory bodies, the AoF Membership, the Government, industry bodies and beyond.
Various graduate engagement events and initiatives will be organised to promote strong bonding across cohorts.
Programme Fee
The programme fee is HKD 100,000. For the programme field trip, participants will need to pay for their own travel, accommodation, and any ancillary expenses.
Payment details will be shared with successful applicants in March 2025.