Established in 1963, The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers (HKIB) is the first not-for-profit institution that provides training and certification services to the banking community in Hong Kong. Playing an important role in talent development in the local banking industry for more than five decades now, the Institute is also proud to be the first professional body in the territory to offer banking qualifications equivalent to a Master’s degree level.
Our mission is to enhance and sustain professionalism in banking. Over the years, the HKIB has helped hundreds of thousands of practitioners and young graduates who aspired to join the industry to equip themselves with essential banking skills and knowledge through a complete development pathway – from recognised professional qualifications to continuing development programmes. Designated professional qualifications are recognised both in Hong Kong and overseas.
The HKIB also offers a comprehensive range of events, from networking activities, luncheons and seminars to conferences and forums. In this increasingly complex and challenging banking landscape, there is a strong need for current banking practitioners or potential joiners to keep abreast of the latest industry developments and build capacity.
To ensure the sustainable growth of banking talent, the HKIB has built relationships across borders by entering into memoranda of understanding or partnership agreements on the exchange of expertise and best practices with a number of professional bodies and regulators in Mainland China, Macau and overseas. We opened a representative office in Beijing, Mainland China in 2005 to encourage closer collaboration between the two markets. Our vision is not only to enhance the banking profession in Hong Kong; we also endeavour to develop a strong community of banking professionals across different territories and help set professional standards for the banking industry across the region.
Our Objectives
- To provide a high-quality training service that helps banking practitioners develop their skills and progress in their careers
- To increase the competency of banking practitioners by setting an internationally-recognised qualification benchmark
- To nurture qualified bankers, supporting the long-term sustainable growth of the banking industry
- To facilitate the discussion of issues to further the interests of the banking and financial community
- To serve as a platform where banking practitioners may exchange ideas, thoughts and best practices for enhancing the banking profession.
CEO Message
2024 is a year for The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers (HKIB, the Institute) to adhere to our core values while striding ahead. Looking back at 2023, throughout the year we hosted a series of activities to celebrate the 60th anniversary of our establishment. Despite the uncertainties in the external environment this year, the Institute has continued to move with the times and respond to market trends in talent development. We have also enhanced our operations to accommodate rapid advances in technology, worked closely with the government and regulators to strengthen industry collaboration, and optimised our professional qualification programmes to equip banking practitioners to fulfil the industry’s talent demands.
HKIB has achieved steady growth and development over the past year. On behalf of the Institute, I would like to thank our Members, stakeholders and partners in a wide range of industry sectors, for their unwavering support and collaborations in 2023.
Strengthening our role and exploring a new vision
In 2023, the Institute has continued to fulfil its responsibilities as a qualified provider of professional training to banks, the industry’s qualified provider of a common qualification benchmark, and a go-to certification hub for banking. We have strengthened the professionalism of the industry through the training we provide, while supporting individuals to gain qualifications that will allow them to contribute to Hong Kong’s diverse economic growth and equip for opportunities for the future.
More importantly, under the leadership of the new Chairman of our Executive Committee, Mr Arthur YUEN, HKIB has upheld professional standards, maintained close communication with banking stakeholders, and leveraged our advantages to define “fit and proper” for the industry and practitioners. At the same time, the Institute has looked to position itself not only as a training provider for banks but also as a facilitator of capacity building in the industry.
Over the past year, the Institute has continued to enhance and broaden its professional course offerings to keep abreast of emerging market trends. We are actively planning to launch a new Enhanced Competency Framework on Green and Sustainable Finance (ECF-GSF), and to add content on green finance and sustainable development, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and Fintech to the Certified Banker (CB) programme. In 2023, the Institute introduced three new professional banking qualifications, bringing the total number of professional qualifications we offer to 25. Our professional examination and training courses continue to be well received by the industry. Throughout the year, we granted over 3,800 professional qualifications, an almost 50% increase from 2022. Meanwhile, our membership also surpassed 14,000 Members.
Committed to nurturing young talent
In 2023, as well as strengthening the existing training provision for local practitioners, the Institute invested resources in nurturing the next generation of talent for the banking industry. We organised numerous initiatives, including the Council Banks Professional Qualifications Scholarship Fund, to attract young blood to join the industry and develop a deep and sustainable pool of banking talent.
To support our members and young banking professionals in their career planning, apart from our regular training programmes, we coorganised and supported various industry events, including the seminar “Fulfilling Career for Young Bankers” by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Hong Kong Association of Banks.
Separately, we continued to work closely with the HKMA, the Education Bureau (EDB), higher education institutions and the banking industry to attract and recruit future bankers. For secondary school students, we jointly organised a Business-School Partnership Programme (BSPP) workshop with the HKMA and EDB; and for university students, on top of the regular career talks at the different universities, we supported the 3rd Future Banking Bridging Programme (FBBP) with the HKMA, which attracted more than 300 applicants.
Connecting the industry and fostering collaboration
To further broaden the Institute’s influence and services – in particular, cities in the GBA – we have led several delegations to mainland China in the past year, consisting of dozens of banking professionals, to gain in-depth insights into the landscape of the banking industry in the GBA and the latest developments in Fintech, digital banking and cross-boundary collaboration.
The Institute has always been committed to promoting the mutual recognition of banking professional qualifications in the GBA. In his 2023 policy address, John KC LEE, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), announced that a new Shenzhen-Hong Kong Financial Co-operation Committee will be established to advise on and offer suggestions for bolstering mutual access to the financial markets, cooperating on Fintech and green finance, and exchanging financial talent. This is in alignment with the Institute’s initiatives and programmes.
Last year, the Institute hosted banking delegations from mainland China, especially other cities in the GBA and signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) addendum with the China Banking Association about Associate Retail Wealth Professional (ARWP) and Qualification Certificate of Banking Professional (QCBP). We were also invited to participate, jointly organise and support multiple forums and seminars in mainland China to strengthen collaboration and interaction between partnering organisations while encouraging academic and business exchange. These included the 2023 Cross-Straits and Hong Kong-Macao Banking Wealth Management Forum in Dalian, jointly organised by the China Banking Association, Financial News and Dalian Municipal People’s Government, and the opening ceremony of the 13rd Outstanding Financial Management Planning Skills Competition.
In terms of strengthening industry collaboration and development, in the past year the Institute has led and co-organised about 70 industry activities, including the Annual Banking Conference, Cybersecurity Solutions Day, the Commissioners Dialogue Series and the Regulator Dialogue Series, which together attracted close to 10,000 participants. We also hosted a number of influential accreditation activities and awards, including the Hong Kong Banking Industry Talent Development Awards 2023, the 16th Outstanding Financial Management Planner Awards, the 12th Outstanding Financial Management Planning Skills Competition and the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2023: FinTech Awards. To foster further industry development, we also conferred the third batch of “Honorary Certified Banker” titles upon industry leaders and announced the results of the seventh Talent Development Survey at the Annual Banking Conference.
Last but not least, the Institute continued to reinforce its presence in society and strengthened its collaboration with new and existing partners to drive Hong Kong’s Fintech development, environmental, social and governance projects, and talent development strategy. Overall, we supported about 50 large thematic events hosted by our partners throughout 2023.
Continuing to optimise our training environment and services
The Institute is committed to providing a comfortable and efficient environment in which to learn, meet, and host events. Thanks to the support and sponsorship of our Council Banks, we have now fully enhanced our conference room and classrooms with advanced digital teaching facilities as well as audio and light systems, offering all Members and students a refreshing, multi-purpose meeting and learning environment.
On the digital services front, in addition to providing courses in hybrid format, we introduced a remote examination platform in the first quarter of 2023. We also launched our video-on-demand e-learning services last year, powerfully boosting the efficiency and flexibility of students’ learning. On top of this, we revamped the MyHKIB website to include more content and offerings, strengthening our support for the industry while increasing Members’ participation.
Celebrating our anniversary and beyond
To celebrate the HKIB’s 60th anniversary, we organised a series of celebratory events under the support and guidance of the Council Banks and the Anniversary Steering Committee. We introduced an anniversary logo and revamped the Institute’s logo to reflect our core values. The Institute also launched a “Building Talent for Banking Tomorrow” video series, for which we invited 24 banking leaders, as well as the two former and the current Chief Executive Officers of the HKMA to share their valuable experiences and their insights on the essential qualities of a successful banker. In addition, we produced a corporate video to highlight our vision, mission, milestones and achievements. At the 60th anniversary Gala Dinner we were honoured to be joined by the Chief Executive of the HKSAR, along with political and business dignitaries and friends. I would like to thank everyone who attended for their valuable support.
Looking forward to in 2024, HKIB will build on our achievements over the past six decades, aiming to deliver an even greater array of value-added services to our Members and the broader banking industry in Hong Kong. We will strive to bring the industry together as we continue to promote and implement the talent development strategy for the sustainability and prosperity of our city and beyond. On behalf of the Institute, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone across industries and sectors who have supported our work, and to our employees who have worked so hard to contribute to our development.
Carrie LEUNG
Chief Executive Officer
