Mr. Hugo JEHLEN
CEO
Decathlon Hong Kong

Hugo Jehlen has dedicated over 22 years to his career at Decathlon, where he has held diverse roles across multiple regions. For 17 years in France, he served as a Sales Assistant, Department Manager, Store Manager, Regional Director, and Supply Chain Manager. In 2019, Hugo embarked on a new chapter in Decathlon Hong Kong as the Head of Retail and Operations, and in January 2021, he assumed the CEO role. Guided by his passion for sports, Hugo and his team are united in their mission to move Hongkongers through the wonders of sport.

Prof. Carrie LING
Director, Entrepreneurship Center
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)

Prof. Carrie LING is currently the Director of Entrepreneurship Center and the Adjunct Assistant Professor of Integrative Systems & Design (ISD) leading the entrepreneurship development at the HKUST. Before joining HKUST, Prof. Ling was an Associate Director of Business Development (InnoHK) at Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP). Her role was to drive the commercialization of research projects from InnoHK, a $10B flagship innovation and technology initiative of the HKSAR government, at HK Science Park. She also led the development of the translational research innovation ecosystem by equipping the researchers with entrepreneurial mindset and knowledge.

Prof. Ling is passionate about empowering one’s creativity in science and technology through solving real-life problems and nurturing the next generation entrepreneurs in HK, believing that everyone can be an innovator. When she was a senior lecturer of ISD in 2017-2019, she taught entrepreneurship introductory and healthcare innovation courses for undergraduate students.

Ir Prof. Lawrence POON
Immediate Past Chairman 
SAE (HK Section)

Dr Lawrence Poon assumed the position of Head of Innovative Technology and CEO’s Advisor when he joined ASTRI in February 2023. In January 2024, he transitioned to lead the newly established technology department, ‘Innovative Mind (INM)’. He is tasked with constructing a strategic technology roadmap for INM to meet market demands for applied research and development (R&D) and aligning with government initiatives in the realm of Smart City and Smart Government.

Dr Poon has over two decades of experience in research, development, teaching and engineering, with a focus on emerging technologies such as electric vehicles, autonomous driving, AIoT, robotics and intelligent materials.

Dr Poon is a widely-acclaimed technology evangelist, renowned for his expertise in Green Transportation, Smart Mobility and Smart City technologies. He has been appointed as technology advisor and committee member for various HKSAR Government’s initiatives, including the Smart Mobility Task Force, Smart Lampposts Technical Advisory Committee, Technical Advisory Committee on the Application of Autonomous Vehicles Technologies, among others. Dr Poon has been elected as the Chairman of Society of Automotive Engineers International (Hong Kong Section) in 2020.

Mr. Marcus WOO
Senior Vice President, Information & Communication Technology
Invest Hong Kong 

Marcus Woo is the Senior Vice President of ICT at Invest Hong Kong, the government department to attract foreign direct Investment which is of strategic importance to the economic development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Marcus received his B.A. degree from University of California, Berkeley. He also completed M.A. and MBA degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Prior joining Invest Hong Kong, Marcus has over 10 years of experience in telecommunications and ICT industry, including managerial and leadership positions in the sector.

Prof. Veronique J A LAFON-VINAIS
Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Finance
Co-Director, BSc in Sustainable & Green Finance program
Associate Director, World Bachelor in Business program
Project Director, Masters in Global Finance program, HKUST Business School
MSc, HEC Paris

Prof. Veronique J A LAFON-VINAIS is a seasoned financial market professional with over 20 years of banking and capital markets experience. She has worked in all the major financial markets and has extensive experience in all the major debt markets.

Veronique joined Credit Agricole in Paris in 1980 after graduating from HEC. She moved to First Chicago (now part of JP Morgan) in London in 1984 then to Chicago in 1990. In 1994, she moved to Hong Kong and joined First Chicago as Managing Director, Head of Financial Markets, Asia Pacific.

Since 2001, Veronique has dedicated herself to education and teaching in various business programs in the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.