Directors of The Year Awards 2015 Adopt "Good Corporate Governance: Cornerstone to a Strong Financial Centre" Theme as Nominations Open

Jun 11, 2015 19:21 JST

Source: The Hong Kong Institute of Directors

HONG KONG, Jun 11, 2015 - (ACN Newswire) - The Hong Kong Institute of Directors ("HKIoD") is now accepting nominations for its annual awards - Directors Of The Year Awards 2015. As the first award scheme of its kind in Asia enters its fifteenth year, HKIoD will be promoting the theme "Good Corporate Governance: Cornerstone to a Strong Financial Centre". The theme highlights the importance of good corporate governance - embraced by all types of businesses - in protecting the stature and goodwill of a financial centre.

Directors of The Year Awards 2015 Adopt "Good Corporate Governance: Cornerstone to a Strong Financial Centre" Theme as Nominations Open

Mr Henry Lai, Chairman of HKIoD, said, "Strong corporate governance is not only an essential component of sustainable business growth within enterprises, it is also vital to a city's status as a thriving business and financial hub. With Hong Kong being a free and open economy engaging in international business and financial transactions, good corporate governance and professional directorship in addition to a sound regulatory system and advanced financial infrastructure are all vital for maintaining the city's competitiveness in the global market. Our collective efforts to promote good corporate governance are crucial in helping create a prosperous corporate world and, more importantly, a well-respected financial market."

Mr Huen Wong, Chairman of the Awards Organising Committee, said, "Corporate governance is of fundamental importance in ensuring the integrity of companies and the financial markets. Every corporation, regardless of whether it is a profit-making or non-profit-making business, should uphold the highest standards of corporate governance so as to warrant the trust of shareholders and stakeholders. It is our firm belief that the Awards can encourage compliance with business standards and regulations, good corporate governance practices and disclosure requirements among enterprises in Hong Kong, which will in turn help raise the confidence of the international investment community in the territory."

Dr Anthony Yeung, Managing Partner and CEO of Quantum China Asset Management Limited, Lead Sponsor this year's awards, said, "We are honoured to be the Lead Sponsor of the Awards, which are dedicated to advancing development of corporate governance - a responsibility that every member of the business community should assume. As a financial institution rooted in Hong Kong that abides by a good corporate governance system, we fully believe that the Awards have the ability to motivate companies and directors to work together to pursue a higher level of corporate governance."

Dr Carlye Tsui, CEO of HKIoD, said, "HKIoD has been unflaggingly promoting corporate governance and excellence in corporate directorship by offering its members a variety of training courses and learning opportunities. All directors should certainly be equipped with skills in corporate governance, maintain an international perspective and think flexibly and responsively, given that their duty is to steer a corporation forward, be it a listed company, SME or NGO, as well as promote corporate governance. Through the theme of this year's Awards, we hope to encourage corporations to further raise their corporate governance standards, and ultimately enhance Hong Kong's stature as a major international financial centre."

Directors Of The Year Awards 2015 is organised by HKIoD and co-organised by Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau of HKSAR Government, the Securities and Futures Commission and the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. Quantum China Asset Management Limited is the Lead Sponsor of the event. Supporting Organisations include Government bureaus, the media, service organisations, professional institutes and Chambers of Commerce and consultancy firms.

Nomination for the Awards will close on 31 July 2015. The Panel of Judges consists of outstanding business leaders, professionals and regulators in Hong Kong. The Director of the Year Awards 2015 recognises excellence in the following categories:

Company Categories:
1. Listed Companies (SEHK - Hang Seng Indexes Constituents)
2. Listed Companies (SEHK - Non-Hang Seng Indexes Constituents)
3. Private Companies
4. Statutory/Non-Profit-Distributing Organisations

Director Categories:
1. Executive Directors
2. Non-executive Directors
3. Board

The selection criteria for winners in the Individual Director Categories include their effectiveness in performing strategic corporate business functions, contribution to board effectiveness, contribution towards managing change, risk and succession, leadership and other attributes and qualities, including continuing professional development for directors, business ethics and other outstanding achievements. As for the Collective Board Categories, judging criteria include board composition, skill mix and competencies of directors, effectiveness in performing strategic corporate business functions, development and implementation of strategic plans and monitoring of performance, managing compliance and accountability, managing change, risk and succession, development of the board, including continuing professional development for directors, effectiveness of board committees and business ethics as well as any other achievements.

The Awards nomination form and related information are available on The Hong Kong Institute of Directors website at www.hkiod.com.

About Directors Of The Year Awards
First launched in 2001, Directors Of The Year Awards were the first ever such Awards organised in Asia. The project has now become an annual project of impact in the community. The objectives are to recognise directors and board of directors for outstanding director practices and corporate governance, to publicise the significance of good corporate governance and to promote awareness of good corporate governance and director professionalism in Hong Kong. Nominations are open to the public. As good corporate governance is vital to all types of organisations, and professional director practices are encouraged from directors in all board roles, the Awards recognise excellence in categories by company types, including listed companies, private companies and statutory/non-profit-distributing organisations, and categories by roles, including Executive Directors, Non-Executive Directors and Boards. For more details on the previous years' Awards, please visit http://www.hkiod.com/dya-awardees.html

Contact:

Strategic Financial Relations Limited
Heidi SO       +852 2864 4826   heidi.so@sprg.com.hk
Angelus LAU    +852 2864 4805   angelus.lau@sprg.com.hk 
Karen TANG     +852 2114 4951   karen.tang@sprg.com.hk
Fax: +852 2527 1196

Directors Of The Year Awards 2015 Enquiries:
The Hong Kong Institute of Directors
Christine WONG   +852 2889 4988  christine.wong@hkiod.com
Susan LING       +852 2889 9986  susan.ling@hkiod.com 
Fax +852 2889 9982

Source: The Hong Kong Institute of Directors
Sectors: Daily Finance