In recent years, with the continued growth of high-net-worth family wealth in the Asia-Pacific region, global demand for wealth succession and cross-border asset allocation has been rising steadily. As an international financial centre, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China is embracing significant development opportunities in the family office industry.
The Hong Kong International Family Office Association (HKIFOA) was established on 28 June 2021. Rooted in the global shift of wealth toward the Asia-Pacific region and Hong Kong’s policy blueprint to become an international family office hub, HKIFOA continues to promote the standardization and professionalization of the family office industry in Hong Kong, Asia, and globally. It deepens the understanding of professional family office services among business owners and high-net-worth individuals, further consolidating Hong Kong’s position as a core global family office service centre.
HKIFOA was founded by seasoned financial entrepreneur Mr. Simon Je, who also serves as its Chairman. Mr. Je has extensive experience in the global financial and wealth management industry. He successfully established an SFC-licensed investment bank and international wealth management company serving global family offices, institutional investors, and retail clients. He has in-depth practical expertise in digital asset management, FinTech, and high-yield investment portfolios, while actively advocating for the blockchain and cryptocurrency industries. Mr. Je currently serves as Chairman & CEO of Galaxy Treasure Financial Group, Founder and Chairman of the Hong Kong International Blockchain and Financial Association (HKIBFA), Founder and Chairman of the Greater Bay Area International Medical and Healthcare Industry Association (GBA-IMHIA), and holds multiple important roles including member of the Implementation Committee of the United Nations Asia-Pacific Green Deal for Business and Advisor to the Asian Fund for Cancer Research, demonstrating cross-sector leadership and international vision.
The Chairman of the Supervisory Board is Dr. Lee George LAM, BBS, JP. Dr. Lam is an Advisor to Our Hong Kong Foundation and has held senior leadership positions—including Chairman, Vice Chairman, Managing Director, CEO, and others—at multinational corporations such as Hong Kong Telecom, A.T. Kearney, Singapore Technologies Telemedia (under Temasek Holdings), BOC International Holdings, Chia Tai Enterprises International Limited (CP Group), and Macquarie Capital. He possesses extensive international experience in innovation and technology, corporate governance, direct investment, investment banking, and fund management. He also serves as Chair of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) Sustainable Business Network (ESBN) and Chair of the ESBN Task Force on Sustainable and Inclusive Finance, Chairman of the Permanent Commission on Economic and Financial Issues of the World Union of Small and Medium Enterprises, and Vice Chairman of the Pacific Basin Economic Council, among other public roles, reflecting deep policy expertise and an extensive international network.
HKIFOA’s Honourable Presidents form an equally distinguished lineup, including:
- Professor Yang Wang, Vice-President for Institutional Advancement of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Harvard PhD and founder of the HKUST Big Data Institute);
- Dr. Lan Hong Tsung, David, GBS, ISO, JP, former Secretary for Home Affairs of the HKSAR Government (National Committee Member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Independent Non-executive Director of multiple listed companies);
- Mr. Stephen Suen Man Tak, a practising barrister with more than 37 years of specialized experience in securities and futures regulations, anti-money laundering, and market misconduct enforcement, and Honourable Chairman of The Institute of Compliance Officers;
- Professor Albert Cheung-Hoi Yu, Ph.D., JP, a renowned neuroscientist and bio-entrepreneur (Vice-Director of the Neuroscience Research Institute at Peking University and Chairman & CEO of Hai Kang Life Corporation Limited).
These leaders span the fields of finance, regulation, academia, technology, law, and public service, providing HKIFOA with solid professional authority and cross-sector resource support.
HKIFOA has established a comprehensive member service system, offering industry practitioners networking salons, professional education and training, industry research reports, cutting-edge insights, and platforms for thought exchange. It actively engages with regulators, academic institutions, and financial industry organizations across countries, conducting multi-level cross-border cooperation and exchanges. This helps foster a regulatory ecosystem conducive to the long-term development of family offices, safeguards the common interests of industry members, and keeps pace with global wealth management trends.
HKIFOA has set a clear long-term development goal of helping Hong Kong become a leading global family office service centre and promoting the steady growth of the Asian family office industry. Focusing on high-quality industry development, HKIFOA has introduced a clear industry development vision and action agenda.
The Association vigorously promotes an international family office wealth management roadmap, advocating that family offices, asset institutions, and foundations uphold strict investment ethical standards and provide professional, trustworthy financial services to the market. It encourages practitioners to deepen their expertise in tax planning, wealth structure planning, and family governance, and to commit to continuous professional development, thereby elevating the overall professional standards of the Asian family office industry.
On the research front, HKIFOA continuously conducts studies on portfolio construction and risk management, with a focus on long-term industry trends in Asia and globally, changes in regulatory policies across jurisdictions, industry effectiveness, and competitive landscapes. Research covers macroeconomic analysis, investment manager selection and due diligence, risk mitigation, and performance attribution—aligning with the diversified wealth management needs of current and future generations of families.
At the same time, HKIFOA continues to build regular exchange mechanisms among Asia-Pacific family office practitioners and develop resource networks connecting global investment professionals. It optimizes cross-border wealth planning communication channels, strengthens constructive interactions with regulators in various regions, and creates an efficient collaborative industry ecosystem. Addressing the operational needs of Asia-Pacific family offices, it provides multi-dimensional consulting services covering economic, technological, social, political, and legal environments to help institutions navigate complex and evolving international operating conditions.
HKIFOA encourages members to actively participate in various regional investment layouts and make good use of family office tools to achieve asset segregation and protection for families. It also promotes the industry’s provision of professional services such as succession planning and sustainable corporate development to ultra-high-net-worth families and family enterprises, thereby enhancing full-chain capabilities in wealth preservation, governance, and succession.
In an exclusive interview with 商通社 Commerce Wire 中文, HKIFOA Chairman Mr. Simon Je stated that the Asia-Pacific wealth management market holds vast development potential, with jurisdictions continuously introducing policies to attract family offices. Under the leadership of a team comprising seasoned financial practitioners, multinational corporate leaders, former senior government officials, top scholars, and compliance experts, HKIFOA will continue to leverage Hong Kong’s unique advantages of being rooted in the city while backed by the motherland. It will connect Asian and global wealth markets, advance industry self-regulation, talent cultivation, academic research, and cross-border collaboration, unlock the potential of the Asia-Pacific family office industry, and contribute to the sustainable development of wealth for high-net-worth families worldwide.