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The following is issued on behalf of the Financial Services Development Council:
Tertiary students today (November 11) attended a forum co-organised by the Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) and the Department of Finance and Insurance of Lingnan University to explore the wide variety of career opportunities in Hong Kong's insurance sector.
Entitled "The Insurance Market in Hong Kong", the forum was the sixth event under the FSDC's Practitioner Speakers Series, which aims to provide guidance to young graduates and tertiary students planning career paths in the financial industry.
Today's forum featured the Chief Executive Officer of Prudential Hong Kong Limited, Mr Derek Yung, who also serves as a member of the Policy Research Committee of the FSDC. In addition to informing participants about his career experience, Mr Yung outlined the latest developments and market landscape in the insurance sector, including the challenges facing the industry amid the intense competition and changes brought by regulatory requirements.
Mr Yung said, "A professional financial consultant in the insurance profession does not just sell insurance plans. We need to understand the unique financial needs of our clients, advise on suitable financial planning solutions for long term financial protection, as well as review their financial status regularly."
Mr Yung pointed out that insurance and other financial service sectors have an increasing demand for talented young graduates. He encouraged the students to strengthen their industry knowledge and relevant skills in order to pursue a rewarding career in the financial services sector.
The Head of the Department of Finance and Insurance of Lingnan University, Professor Li Jingyuan, delivered welcome remarks at today's forum. He noted that the local insurance industry is an important sector of Hong Kong's economy, and one which has gained robust momentum in recent years. As one of the most developed insurance markets in the region, Hong Kong has attracted many of the world's top insurance companies, he said. Additionally, given the huge market potential on the Mainland, Professor Li assured the students that there are promising career prospects in the insurance sector. He said he believes that collaboration between universities and the FSDC has successfully created an experience-sharing platform that will help nurture young talent for the insurance sector.
The FSDC's Practitioner Speakers Series is a project organised by the FSDC and local universities, with speakers from the financial services industry giving talks to university students about important industry facts and the skill sets required in developing a career in financial services.
About the FSDC
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government established the FSDC in 2013 as a high-level, cross-sectoral advisory body to engage the industry in formulating proposals to promote the further development of Hong Kong's financial services industry and to map out the strategic direction for development.
The FSDC set up five committees, namely the Policy Research Committee, the Mainland Opportunities Committee, the New Business Committee, the Market Development Committee and the Human Capital Committee, as the five streams of its work.
Ends/Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Issued at HKT 16:00
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