Letters | Hong Kong must give high-calibre talent a reason to come
Readers discuss how Hong Kong can attract well-connected professionals, a local ballet’s cross-cultural appeal, and why the second phase of the city’s plastic ban shouldn’t be delayed
Nevertheless, his speech did not specify exactly which type of high-calibre talent Hong Kong needs to cultivate.
Take for example the government’s effort to attract family offices to Hong Kong to make the city a global centre for wealth management, which Lee underscored in his policy address. But what qualities would entice family offices to choose Hong Kong as a place to manage their business?
One rationale for setting up a hub is family offices can learn from one another; this is part of the basis for forming the Greater Bay Area Family Office Association. But family offices that choose to move to Hong Kong do so for more important reasons that have implications for our drive to cultivate high-calibre talent.
Individuals who manage family offices come to Hong Kong to tap its sophisticated network of financiers, including private equity and hedge fund professionals and managers. Private family officers also consult lawyers, accountants and other service professionals.
These financiers and professionals have extensive networks all across the region. They bring with them ties to their peers in other Asian business centres and government officials whom they work with. These relationships can become key resources for family office professionals, who can use them to access investment opportunities to deploy their clients’ capital.
