Bonnie Y Chan

Spear’s Review

Bonnie Y Chan is one of the most influential women in Asia, having been named CEO of the Hong Kong stock exchange (HKEX) in 2024. Chan, who has been with the HKEX for five years, is the first woman to hold the CEO role at the organisation.

She is a groundbreaking voice in the world of global finance: among other efforts, she has pushed for all-male boards to be eradicated from businesses listed on the HKEX. Of the more than 2,000 companies listed on the exchange, the number of all-male boards shrunk from 800 in 2022 to fewer than 10 by June 2025.

While Hong Kong was the top IPO market seven times between 2009 and 2019, it has fallen down the rankings in recent years. Chan remains upbeat, and indeed the IPO market recovered strongly in the first half of 2025, with HKD 107.1 billion raised, more than for the whole of 2024.

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