Challenges and Vision

Seasoned economist Steven Barnett brings over two decades of experience to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), having also held the role of chief of the China Division previously. He serves as a vital bridge between the IMF and China, facilitating dialogue on economic policies and strategies. His tenures as resident representative in China and Thailand provide deep expertise on the Asian region. With extensive experience and profound knowledge of the IMF’s inner workings, he offers unique insights into the organisation’s evolving role in promoting economic stability, growth, and cooperation. During his address, Barnett will leverage the latest IMF data and analysis to provide a comprehensive overview of the global and Chinese economic landscapes, pressing challenges faced, and how the IMF is adapting its policies to support member countries.

Jin’s expertise centers on international macroeconomics, technology competition, and the Chinese economy. Jin is the author of the critically acclaimed book The New China Playbook: Beyond Socialism and Capitalism, deemed by Fortune magazine as a must-read, and Best Summer Book in 2023 by the Financial Times. Beyond academia, Jin serves on the corporate boards of Richemont, Jardines, and AInnovation, providing economic insights. Her influential voice is featured in op-eds for major publications like the New York Times, Financial Times, and Wall Street Journal on economic and global issues. Previously holding positions at Yale and UC Berkeley, Jin was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2014 for her outstanding contributions. With her deep knowledge, research, and thought leadership, Jin Keyu shapes discussions around the intersections of economics, technology, and global dynamics.

Steve is an innovator and leader in financial services and technology. Aside from his work at Human AI, an artificial intelligence (AI) company, he also holds board positions at several other firms and banks. Steve is a limited partner and investment committee member at True Global Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on AI, quantum computing and fintech. Previously, Monaghan held senior roles at companies like Dell, Citigroup, and AIA. As the former chief innovation officer at DBS Bank, he spearheaded the bank’s innovation agenda, overseeing over $220 million in investments into areas like payments, AI, big data, and SME services. He guided major initiatives like the DBS A*Star R&D lab, digital banking platforms, and digital onboarding processes. His unique combination of corporate leadership, financial services experience, innovation skills and investment savvy make him an authoritative voice on AI, fintech and digital transformation.

Hu Jie is currently the professor of practice at the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF). His research interests cover fintech, financial institutions and financial markets. He is leading a project on the application of blockchain technology on supply chain finance. Professor Hu formerly worked at the US Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta as a senior financial economist, responsible for research into finance and economics as well as monetary policy analysis and recommendations. Thereafter, he worked in senior management roles in various FIs and technology companies, including Bankers Trust (Hong Kong), BankBoston, Precom and financial business branch of Xunlei.

John Gong currently is the vice president of research and strategy at University of International Business and Economics in Israel. He is also a professor, researcher and expert in the fields of finance, international trade, antitrust, patent dispute and competition policies. He serves as an expert consultant at the Ministry of Commerce’s Antitrust Bureau in China, and acted as the chief architect of the Bureau’s national competition database project. Meanwhile, he is serving as an academic affiliate with Global Economics Group, a leading global economics consulting firm based in the US. He is also the principal author for the China section of the policy position paper by the BRICS New World Bank’s steering committee during its foundation time. He is also a renowned op-ed columnist for several leading newspapers including the South China Morning Post, Global Times and China Global Television Network, on economic and political issues.

Foo Boon Ping is the president and managing editor of The Asian Banker, where he manages its publishing and research business in Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. He regularly engages the financial services community on transformational issues shaping the industry; speaking at and chairing many of the Asian Banker's as well as partners events. He has more than 25 years' experience in strategic brand management, corporate & marketing communication and research & consulting, covering: retail, corporate and transaction banking, financial markets, risk management, compliance and financial technology. He had previously served in senior management positions at UOB and DBS Bank. He was also formerly a senior consulting manager at Ernst and Young and started his career as a financial journalist.

Christian Kapfer is research director, managing TABInsights, leading research and consulting engagement with top-tier financial institutions in benchmarking business and strategic capabilities across leadership, commercial, retail and transaction finance, financial markets, risk management, financial technology, and wealth management. Kapfer joined The Asian Banker in 2014 and was responsible for starting many of the company's research programmes, such as Excellence in Retail Financial Services, AB 500 Strongest Banks Ranking and Working Groups.

Koca is the global head of SMEs at BBVA, overseeing operations in Spain, Mexico, Turkey, Argentina, and other countries. He is responsible for defining strategic priorities for SME banking and implementing strategies in collaboration with related business areas. Since 2019, Koca has led a comprehensive transformation program focusing on digitization and lending automation, achieving yearly double-digit growth in key metrics such as client base growth, loans, and transactions. Under his leadership, BBVA was recognized as the best global SME bank by SME Finance Forum in 2020 and the best digital bank for SMEs in Western Europe by Global Finance in 2021. Prior to BBVA, he served as SME banking director at GarantiBBVA Turkey, where he led significant changes to the SME banking model. At the upcoming conference, Koca will share insights on leveraging financial technology innovations to unlock financing opportunities for SMEs.

Cao Yuanzheng is the chairman and international economist of the Bank of China International Research Company. He also serves as a professor and doctoral tutor at Renmin University, a visiting professor at the University of Southern California, vice president of China’s Macro-Economic Society, and a member of China Economics Forum. Previously, he was the director of the Scientific Research Department at the China Institute of Economic Reform, director of the Comparative Economic Division, and deputy director of the Institute of Economic and Management. Cao has also worked with the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the United Nations Development Program, and Bank of China.

Zhang Jun is a professor of economics and currently serves as dean of School of Economics at Fudan University. He is an expert in a vast array of topics including structural change and economic dynamics, the world economy, China economic review, and comparative economic studies. Zhang is the recipient of the Bergson Prize by the American Association for Comparative Economic Studies. For the past 25 years, he has authored or edited numerous books including Economic Transition with Chinese Characteristics: Thirty Years of Reform and Opening Up, Transformation of the Chinese Enterprises. He was also on the editorial board of about 40 academic journals both in Chinese and English. Zhang is also the founding director of the China Centre for Economic Studies.

Yaser S. Abu-Mostafa is a renowned expert in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. As a professor at California Institute of Technology (Caltech), he has made significant contributions to computational finance and medical AI applications. Author of the bestseller “Learning from Data,” he has published extensively, including in Scientific American. Since the 1980s, Abu-Mostafa has explored the interplay between AI and finance, using neural networks to predict economic downturns, forecast foreign exchange rates, and automate trading. His collaboration with Paraconic Technologies led to models predicting recessions from historical data. He underscores AI's potential in trading and risk assessment while noting its limitations in predicting rare events like the 2008 crash. Abu-Mostafa has advised multiple companies, including Citibank, and held roles with ten other financial institutions. His achievements have earned him fellowships from ACM, IEEE, Schmidt Science, Guggenheim, and Alfred P. Sloan. At the Future of Finance China 2024 Conference, Abu-Mostafa will discuss AI's transformative impact on financial services industry and job markets, including trading automation, risk assessment, and economic forecasting, and its broader societal implications.

Chen Siming is an associate professor and doctoral advisor at the School of Data Science, Fudan University. He leads the Fudan Visualization Research Group, dedicated to research in visual analytics and human-centered machine learning. Previously, Dr. Chen was a research scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems (Fraunhofer IAIS) and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bonn. Chen’s research interests include general visualization, visual analytics techniques, and human-centered AI, with special focuses on spatial-temporal visualization, security visual analytics, autonomous driving, financial technology, and more. His work has been published in prestigious journals and conferences such as IEEE TVCG, CGF, IEEE VIS, and ACM CHI. He has also served as program chair and organizing committee member for numerous international conferences. In recognition of his contributions, Dr. Chen has been nominated for the AI 2000 Most Influential Scholar Award in Visualization for the decade.

Emmanuel Daniel is the founder of TAB Global which includes The Asian Banker, Wealth & Society, TABInsights, The Banking Academy, and BankQuality.com. He is an award-winning writer and author with a background in management consulting. He previously served in several government advisory councils, interviewed some of the leading chairmen, chief executive officers, policy makers and entrepreneurs around the world and currently consults with banks on investor, media relations and strategy formulation. His recent book, “The Great Transition - The Personalization of Finance is Here”, was published in September 2022.

Erwin Lu is the chief technology officer at Lexin, overseeing the company's technology development business. With over 20 years of experience in technology development and management across leading companies in both the domestic and international markets, he brings extensive expertise to his role. Prior to joining Lexin, Lu served as the chief information officer at Ping An Life Insurance. He has also held positions as chief technology officer at Sina Mobile and 51Talk, and as general manager of the advertisement division at Sina Weibo. Lu began his career in the United States as a software engineer at Microsoft's Seattle headquarters, where he worked for over a decade starting in 2003, and later joined Facebook as a senior software engineer. He holds five US-signed technology patents.

Karen Huang is the general manager of the risk department at Fubon Bank (China), where she oversees comprehensive risk management, including commercial and retail credit risk, market and liquidity risks, and special asset disposal and more. She has held several leadership roles, including CEO of a fintech subsidiary of 360 QFIN, vice president at WisecoTech, director at FICO (China), and vice president of credit operation at Citibank (China).

Chen Bo is the general manager of Financial Risk Control at Tencent Security, where he is committed to financial risk control products and solutions. With over ten years of hands-on experience in the field, Chen brings a wealth of practical knowledge to his role. He also serves as a graduate supervisor at the School of Big Data at Fudan University and an external instructor for the Financial Technology MBA program at Hunan University.

Hugh Zeng is a research manager at The Asian Banker, covering risk management and China- related research. Prior to joining the company’s China office, he worked at Lufax and American Express (AMEX) where he was involved in fintech and digital transformation initiatives. Zeng started his career in wealth management and custody at HSBC. He then served as an investment operations officer at OCBC Bank, where he gained exposure to operations and technology, product and project management in the areas of qualified foreign institutional investor (QFII), qualified domestic institutional investor(QDII) and wealth management. He was also instrumental in helping OCBC build its QDII platform in 2011.

E Zhihuan serves as the deputy general manager of the Research Institute of Bank of China. She was the first chief economist at Bank of China (Hong Kong), specialising in macroeconomics, finance, RMB internationalisation, Hong Kong’s economy, and regional integration. E has been involved in significant projects, including key issues of China's financial reform and the State Council Research Office’s study on the Asian Financial Crisis. She has authored and co-edited several academic monographs and published numerous papers in major journals such as “Journal of Financial Research” and “Studies of International Finance”. Additionally, E is a member of the Academic Committee at the International Monetary Institute of Renmin University of China and the director of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong & Macao Studies.

Andy Mok is a senior research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, where his current research focuses on the "Belt and Road" strategy and related investment opportunities. He began his career with Morningside Ventures in the early 1990s, shaping the group's investment strategy and managing portfolio companies in healthcare, media, and education. In addition to his investment work, Mok has a strong background in policy analysis. He has contributed to research at the RAND Corporation, notably working on the project "The United States and a Rising China: Strategic and Military Implications." His expertise in geopolitical and economic issues has made him a commentator and analyst on platforms such as CGTN, Al Jazeera, and the BBC. Mok's research interests also extend to the impact of technological advancements, exploring how innovations shape economic and policy landscapes. With a strong background in finance, technology, and international relations, he will provide valuable perspectives on the evolving role of China's currency on the world stage.

Qi Ruoxin is a financial research analyst at TABInsights. She manages research and consulting projects with financial institutions in Greater China, focusing on benchmarks and trend reports for emerging APAC markets. She specialises in topics like retail banking, financial technology innovation, and transaction finance.

Liu Chengyan is a chief engineer in the research and development center at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), overseeing the innovation lab. He leads the innovative application of disruptive technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, blockchain, and quantum computing. Since joining ICBC in 2004, he has been engaged in the innovative application of fintech, with extensive hands-on experience in big data, artificial intelligence, and financial risk, while leading the design and development of ICBC's comprehensive risk management system, data platform, artificial intelligence, and other financial systems.

Chen Lei is in charge of financial consumer protection in the retail business department at Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SPDB). Since joining SPDB in July 2007, he has served as the branch president of SPDB in Ningbo and as deputy branch president in Shanghai, Tianjin, and China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone. Chen has accumulated 24 years of experience in multi-sectors of commercial banking, including more than 16 years in management roles.

Tang Jiajian is the deputy general manager of the personal finance department at China Construction Bank (CCB) and previously served as the vice president of the Guangxi Autonomous Region Branch. He oversees the comprehensive management of personal financial services, wealth management, fintech application development, and the implementation of the retail banking system as a platform. Under Tang's leadership, the retail sector has adopted a more tech-driven and innovative management strategy, empowered by AI and other digital technologies.

Edmund Sun currently serves as the big-data-group Director of the consumer banking sector at Ping An Bank. In this role, he is responsible for precision marketing, utilizing quantitative solutions to maximize customer value. Sun leads a large analytic team that has become the central data-driven-decision engine, supporting portfolio strategy, product innovation, campaign management and business-model reengineering. He has accumulated extensive experience in the financial service industry through significant roles in renowned multinational banks, companies, and consulting firms across North America, Oceania, and Asia.

Zong Liang currently serves as the lead researcher at Bank of China, and secretary general and member of academic committee of Cross Border Finance 50. In the past few years, Zong was involved in more than 20 research projects and published more than 200 papers in a number of well-known journals such as Studies of International Finance and Financial Times. He also participated in the completion of more than 10 professional books such as The End of Globalization (November 2020), Theories and Prospects of RMB Internationalization, and Global Financial Change after the Crisis.

Li Feng serves as the chief architect at Du Xiaoman Financial, leveraging extensive IT and internet experience. He specializes in designing and researching financial distributed systems, middleware, and core platforms, significantly advancing Du Xiaoman's credit technology from version 1.0 to 4.0 and driving business growth. Li has pioneered fintech innovations in blockchain, complex engineering, virtual reality, and IoT, notably founding Baidu's first blockchain R&D team. His contributions have earned global recognition, including listings in Forbes Global Blockchain 50, accolades from Harvard Business Review, and honors from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. An esteemed expert, Li has influenced national standards, authored numerous white and blue papers, and secured over 60 international and domestic patents.