HONG KONG, Jan 11, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - Hong Kong Investor Relations Association (HKIRA) announces that its first virtual IR Annual Symposium was successfully held last Friday (January 8). Over 300 participants joined the online event, sharing their views and insights on the latest trends and practices of the IR industry.

Mr. Wilfred Yiu, Managing Director & Head of Markets of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited receives an Appreciation Certificate as the keynote speaker for the Symposium from Dr. Eva Chan, Chairman of HKIRA.

HKIRA was honoured to have Professor Louis Cheng, Dr S H Ho Professor of Banking and Finance of The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (Research Institute for Business) to present the Appreciation Certificate to Mr. Tomakin Lai, Executive Director & CFO of China Resources Beer, the 1000th member of HKIRA.

Casual catch-up before the Symposium officially started in the afternoon. From left to right: Professor Louis Cheng, Dr S H Ho Professor of Banking and Finance of The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (Research Institute for Business), Dr. Eva Chan, Chairman of HKIRA, Mr. Wilfred Yiu, Managing Director & Head of Markets of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited.

The Symposium's theme this year was "Investor Engagement: To Infinity and Beyond". Held in the HKEX Connect Hall, speakers from prominent organizations and companies including The Hong Kong Exchange, Financial Reporting Council, Fidelity International, Tricor Services, AMTD, IHS Markit, Champion Reit, VPower Group and FTI Consulting, among others, were invited to share their experiences and insights on the most relevant topics for the financial markets and the investor relations profession, including but not limited to:

- Driving Financial Reporting and Audit Quality through Better Investor Engagement- Investor Relations under New Normal- How Technology transform the Investor Relations- IR is a Competitive Advantage

It was HKIRA's great honour to have Mr. Wilfred Yiu, Managing Director & Head of Markets at Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, as the keynote speaker for the Symposium.

Though 2020 has been a challenging year, the unexpected Covid-19 pandemic has not stopped listed companies from striving for best IR practice, which is reflected by the steadily growing number of professionals joining the Association, showing industry practitioners' dedication and support in advocating best IR practice in the market.

HKIRA has reached another milestone in having over a thousand members from senior management of Hong Kong-listed companies, with a common goal of driving effective communications with investors to enhance corporate transparency, ultimately supporting the continuous development of Hong Kong as a key international financial centre. Professor Louis Cheng, Dr S H Ho Professor of Banking and Finance at The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (Research Institute for Business), presented a Certificate of Appreciation to the 1000th HKIRA member, Mr. Tomakin Lai, Executive Director & CFO of China Resources Beer.

Dr Eva Chan, Founding Chairman of HKIRA, said, "Despite the Pandemic, the HKIRA continues its IR work beyond boundaries and lockdowns. IROs are doing their best to continue investor engagement and maintain best IR practices in the face of adversity brought about by the pandemic."

Moving into 2021, HKIRA will continue to promote sustainable development and support the IR industry as an indispensable part of the financial services sector. It is the association's objective to support IROs in advancing their IR knowledge and skills, get better prepared to face the challenges ahead and adapt to the new normal of the financial industry. Being the first IR Annual Symposium streamed in Mainland China cities this year, HKIRA is looking forward to reaching out to more IROs and financial industry practitioners stationed in the Mainland, and working together in advocating higher standards of corporate governance and transparency for listed companies in the region.

Strategic Public Relations Group (SPRG) was once again proud to be the Official Public Relations Partner and Diamond Sponsor of the HKIRA IR Annual Symposium 2021.

About HKIRAFounded in 2008, with over 1000 members primarily working for companies listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Investor Relations Association (HKIRA) is a non-profit, professional investor relations (IR) association comprising IR practitioners and corporate officers responsible for communications between corporate management and the investment community. HKIRA advocates international standards in IR education, advances best IR practices and caters to professional development needs of those interested in pursuing a professional career in IR. HKIRA's members are from a wide spectrum of professions including IR, finance, accounting and company secretarial to corporate investment and hold positions at different corporate levels, including top executives responsible for IR and management of listed companies. For further information, please visit the HKIRA website at http://www.hkira.com.

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