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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 is a prominent figure in the financial services industry in Asia. He is the founder and CEO of Hubbis, a renowned provider of intelligence and connectivity for the Asian wealth management industry. With a depth of experience and expertise, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the industry for over 30 years, becoming a leading industry presence in the events, professional development, and publishing space in the region. Hubbis is a multi-generational family-owned and managed business.

He has been actively involved in the Asia-Pacific region since 1993. And has lived in Asia since 1995, holding positions in Hong Kong, Sydney, and Singapore. 

For over 14-years, Hubbis has established itself as the gold standard media and events brand in wealth management thought leadership in Asia. Each year providing a very large body of cutting-edge editorial and sponsored content, organizing top-flight events. During that time Hubbis has become the platform of choice for many high-profile C-suite leaders to communicate their vision of the Asian wealth management.

Before his involvement with Hubbis, Michael founded Pacific Prospect in 2002, a financial services media company. Under his leadership, the company achieved significant success and was subsequently acquired by global business-to-business publisher Incisive Media in 2006. Michael continued to serve as the CEO of Pacific Prospect until October 2008. Prior to his entrepreneurial ventures, Michael garnered 5 years of experience in financial markets publishing.

His career in this field began in 1993 when he joined Euromoney Publications as the publisher of the quarterly magazine, International Bond Investor. In 1995, Michael joined Thomson Financial Services (now owned by LSEG) and spearheaded the conception and launch of Finance Asia magazine. During his tenure as Managing Director of Finance Asia, he also initiated the Asian Debt Review, Asian Private Capital Magazine, and the Finance Asia Conference Business. In 1997, he founded FIA Limited, further expanding his contributions to the financial publishing industry.

Born in North Wales, Michael served as the head boy of St David's College Llandudno. He holds a degree in Business Administration from Cardiff University. Beyond his professional endeavours, Michael is a family-oriented individual and is happily married with three children: Reanna, Garett, and Tarryn.