Hong Kong - still an appealing choice for UHNW clients and Family Offices?

David Loo is Head of Private Clients, North Asia at Lombard Odier. David is responsible for client management and business development in North Asia. Before joining Lombard Odier, David was a Managing Director at Citi Private Bank, where he worked for more than a decade in roles spanning investment, business management and marketing. He has more than 25 years’ experience managing private client wealth across Asia. David obtained a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems from Simon Fraser University in Canada. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Financial Planner.

Richard Grasby is an experienced trusts, funds, family office and private wealth lawyer. He has experience in multiple jurisdictions and has been admitted as a lawyer in England & Wales, the Cayman Islands and the BVI. Richard has expertise in the establishment and administration of offshore entities including trusts, companies and investment funds. He has significant experience in compliance, governance and account opening. Richard also has considerable involvement in private trust companies, family constitutions and succession planning. He has worked with clients and advisers in numerous jurisdictions. Richard lived and worked in Asia for over 12 years. Prior to that, he was based in the Cayman Islands. He has also worked in Jersey and London. Richard is the immediate past chair of the STEP Hong Kong branch, a committee member of the STEP Business Families Global Special Interest Group and a committee member of the STEP International Client Global Special Interest Group. He is a member of the Hong Kong Trustees Association and a lecturer on their Trust Training Certificate course. He is an elected member of the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law.

Chi Man Kwan is Group Chief Executive Officer of Raffles Family Office (RFO), a pan-Asian financial services firm focused on addressing the wealth growth and preservation needs of ultra-high net worth individuals. Kwan's responsibilities centre on overseeing RFO's primary business lines - Independent Asset Management and Wealth Solutions - as well as steering the company's expansion to new markets and service offerings. Under his leadership, RFO has fast become one of Asia's largest multi-family offices, with a local presence in five cities across the region and a headcount of over 100. A wealth advisor by training, Kwan spent 15 years in the private banking sector with BNP Paribas and Standard Chartered before starting a single-family office that he later turned into what is now RFO. In addition to his corporate role, Kwan is the chairman of Family Office Association Hong Kong, a consultative body established to lead and drive dialogue between the family office industry, governments, and regulatory bodies. Kwan holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and Business Management from Lancaster University and is currently pursuing an Executive MBA through a programme run by INSEAD and Tsinghua University.

Michael Olesnicky is a senior consultant based in Baker McKenzie's Hong Kong office. He served as the chair of the firm's Asian Tax & Wealth Management practice from 2000 to 2014, and was a member of its Global Tax Steering Committee during that period. Michael's practice focuses on Hong Kong and Asian regional tax advisory work, tax disputes and litigation, as well as wealth management and estate planning.  He is the current chair of STEP's branch in Hong Kong and of its China sub-sub-committee. He is also the chair of the Joint Liaison Committee on Taxation in Hong Kong. He was previously a lecturer in law at Hong Kong University where he remains as an honorary lecturer. Michael has more than 25 years’ experience advising on corporate tax, wealth management, trust planning and estate succession matters.

Peter Stein has been Managing Director of the Private Wealth Management Association since December 2016. Prior to joining PWMA, Peter worked for UBS AG, where he served as Head of Regulatory Advisory & Relations, Asia Pacific. Before that, he oversaw the company’s Group Governmental Affairs for Asia Pacific. Until 2011, Peter was a senior editor and reporter in Hong Kong with The Wall Street Journal, where he worked for more than 20 years, most recently as the Journal’s Hong Kong Bureau Chief and as Associate Editor of the Asian edition.

David Loo is Head of Private Clients, North Asia at Lombard Odier. David is responsible for client management and business development in North Asia. Before joining Lombard Odier, David was a Managing Director at Citi Private Bank, where he worked for more than a decade in roles spanning investment, business management and marketing. He has more than 25 years’ experience managing private client wealth across Asia. David obtained a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems from Simon Fraser University in Canada. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Financial Planner.

Peter Stein has been Managing Director of the Private Wealth Management Association since December 2016. Prior to joining PWMA, Peter worked for UBS AG, where he served as Head of Regulatory Advisory & Relations, Asia Pacific. Before that, he oversaw the company’s Group Governmental Affairs for Asia Pacific. Until 2011, Peter was a senior editor and reporter in Hong Kong with The Wall Street Journal, where he worked for more than 20 years, most recently as the Journal’s Hong Kong Bureau Chief and as Associate Editor of the Asian edition.

Chi Man Kwan is Group Chief Executive Officer of Raffles Family Office (RFO), a pan-Asian financial services firm focused on addressing the wealth growth and preservation needs of ultra-high net worth individuals. Kwan's responsibilities centre on overseeing RFO's primary business lines - Independent Asset Management and Wealth Solutions - as well as steering the company's expansion to new markets and service offerings. Under his leadership, RFO has fast become one of Asia's largest multi-family offices, with a local presence in five cities across the region and a headcount of over 100. A wealth advisor by training, Kwan spent 15 years in the private banking sector with BNP Paribas and Standard Chartered before starting a single-family office that he later turned into what is now RFO. In addition to his corporate role, Kwan is the chairman of Family Office Association Hong Kong, a consultative body established to lead and drive dialogue between the family office industry, governments, and regulatory bodies. Kwan holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and Business Management from Lancaster University and is currently pursuing an Executive MBA through a programme run by INSEAD and Tsinghua University.

Michael has an extensive background in financial services in Asia, Europe and North America. He has been in Asia-Pacific since 1995 – first in Hong Kong for six years, then in Sydney and Singapore, returning to Hong Kong in 2007. Before setting up Hubbis in early 2009, Michael founded Pacific Prospect in 2002 and sold it to global business-to-business publisher Incisive Media in 2006, continuing to serve as Chief Executive Officer until October 2008. Prior to Pacific Prospect, Michael worked for nine years in financial markets publishing. He joined Euromoney Publications in 1993 as the publisher of a quarterly magazine, International Bond Investor. In 1995, Michael joined Thomson Financial Services (now Thomson Reuters) to conceive and launch Finance Asia magazine. While he was Managing Director of Finance Asia, Michael also started the Asian Debt Review, Asian Private Capital Magazine and started the Finance Asia Conference Business. In 1997, Michael founded FIA Limited. Born in North Wales, Michael was head boy of St David’s College Llandudno. He has a degree in Business Administration from Cardiff University. And is married with three children - Reanna, Garett and Tarryn.