Belgium Business Seminar 2021

Proudly presented for the 5th time now: it's the annual Belgium Business Seminar 2021! This year we once again dive into a very hot topic with a Belgian twist: ESG & ESG Finance!

The BLCC warmly thanks sponsors KBC Bank, Liege Airport & The Consulate General of the Kingdom of Belgium to Hong Kong & Macau for enabling this event.

Started in 2016, the BLCC Belgium Business Seminar is an annual event and this year is planned for 21 October in the offices of the HKGCC in Admiralty. Doors are open from 3.30pm.

Opening remarks will be provided by Consul-General of the Consulate of the Kingdom of Belgium Mr. Peter Robberecht.

This year the BLCC is delighted to welcome to our keynote stage, a speaker from long standing BLCC corporate member Umicore: Mr. Kurt Vandeputte, Senior Vice President Government Affairs.

Mr. Vandeputte (a graduate of Gent University) has been close to 25 years with Umicore and this has exposed him to the many facets of this flagship Belgian materials technology & recycling group. We are looking forward to his talk delivered live from Belgium.

In his keynote address Mr. Vandeputte will give our guests an insiders' view on how Umicore develops material solutions to some of our most daunting global challenges around electric mobility, the energy transition and the changing climate. We will learn more about the technology strategy of Umicore. Recently the company has launched their ambitious 'Go for Zero' ESG-strategy and we will get good insights in this action plan.

This brings us nicely to the main topic of this year's Belgium Business Seminar: ESG Finance: Vital for a Sustainable Future.

Taking over the baton from Mr. Vandeputte, we welcome our expert panel made up of finance experts each in a field of their own:

Mr. Pierre Hautfenne – Group Treasury Senior Manager – Global Operations & APAC Region with Umicore
Mr. Pierre CG Rousseau – Senior Strategic Adviser for Sustainable Business with BNP Paribas
Mr. Frank Vandenborre – Group Director Sustainability with Ageas

Our panel will be expertly moderated by our BLCC member Mrs. Ching-Yng Choi, Founder of CYC Asia Europe Consulting.

As is tradition, there will be a cocktail reception after the seminar to further reflect upon what was discussed while enjoying some drinks & food.

More information about the reception here (click).

The seminar will take place physically at the offices of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce on the 22/F of the United Centre in Admiralty.

Speakers

Kurt Vandeputte

Senior Vice President Government Affairs at Umicore

Kurt Vandeputte

Senior Vice President Government Affairs at Umicore

Kurt Vandeputte graduated as Chemist at Ghent University (Belgium) in 1991. He obtained his PhD in Chemistry at the same university for introducing quasi non-destructive characterization and measurement techniques for dating old objects and artefacts. In 1997 he joined Umicore in one of the Belgian production plants where he was responsible for product quality control and material characterization in research projects. In 2003 he moved to a technical marketing role for cobalt containing products used in the Li-ion battery supply chain. After several leadership assignments in marketing, research, sales and production he was appointed Senior Vice President of Umicore Rechargeable Battery Materials Business Unit in 2017. In July 2019 Mr Vandeputte created Umicore’s New Business Incubator within the CTO-organisation. Since October 2020, he is appointed SVP global Government Affairs of Umicore.

Peter Robberecht (Consul-General at Consulate General of Belgium in Hong Kong & Macau)

Peter Robberecht

Consul-General at Consulate General of Belgium in Hong Kong & Macau

Ching-Yng Choi

Founder of CYC Asia Europe

Pierre Hautfenne

APAC Regional Treasurer at Umicore Marketing Services (Hong Kong) Limited

Pierre Rousseau

Senior Strategic Adviser for Sustainable Business at BNP Paribas

Pierre Rousseau

Senior Strategic Adviser for Sustainable Business at BNP Paribas

Lisbon based Pierre C. Rousseau, is Senior Strategic Advisor for BNP Paribas’ Sustainable Business. In that role, he develops and establishes collaborative relationships and partnerships with external entities from the public sector and the civil society. He also leads some innovative solutions to finance some sustainable transition initiatives.
His main interests are on Blended Finance and Impact Investing with a strong focus on the food supply chain transformation, nature and biodiversity preservation and regeneration, carbon capture, blue economy, plastic pollution and waste-to-circular economy. He is working and promoting the integration and the valuation of the externalities in the financial model. He strongly believes in the role of the science, the technology and the digitalization as key enablers for the sustainability.
Prior to this, Pierre was Head of Global Markets and Financial Institutions Coverage for Asia Pacific from 2015 - 2019. Pierre joined BNP Paribas in 2006 as Head of Equities, Asia Pacific. Pierre has more than three decades of experience across the financial services industry, two thirds of which have been spent in Asia Pacific, in Singapore, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Before joining BNP Paribas, he occupied several senior executive positions in stockbroking and banking in different international financial institutions. He was one of the pioneers of the electronic trading in the 90’s on the Asian equity markets.
Pierre started his professional career in 1985 as a financial controller after attaining a degree in commercial engineering. In addition to his professional life, Pierre has co-founded Nomad Plastic, a purpose driven company in sustainable marine tourism and biodiversity conservation; He is also seating at the Advisory Board of several foundations and innovative purpose driven companies developing profitable sustainable activities.

Frank Vandenborre

Group Director Sustainability of Ageas

Tickets

In-person Member ticket

Please purchase this ticket if you would like to attend the event in-person.
Alternatively you can attend online, please register for the 'online' ticket.
Includes complimentary cocktail reception.

Member Price HKD 180

In-person Non-member ticket

Please purchase this ticket if you would like to attend the event in-person
Alternatively you can attend online, please register for the 'online' ticket
Includes complimentary cocktail reception.
* Please consider BLCC membership

HKD 250

Online Member ticket

Member Price HKD 50

Online Non-member ticket

* Please consider BLCC Membership

HKD 100

Online Asian BeLux Chamber member

Please select this ticket type if you are a member of any of our Asian BeLux Chamber colleagues (Japan, Singapore, India etc.)

HKD 100

Agenda

15:30 - 16:00
Doors Open - Registration of Guests
Doors Open - Registration of Guests
In-person Attendance
16:00 - 16:15
Welcome Remarks & Introduction of Keynote
Welcome Remarks & Introduction of Keynote
In-person Attendance
Peter Robberecht
Consul-General at Consulate General of Belgium in Hong Kong & Macau
Our Belgium Business Seminar Starts with opening words by Consul-General of the Kingdom of Belgium, Mr. Peter Robberecht
16:15 - 17:00
Keynote Speaker Mr. Kurt Vandeputte
Keynote Speaker Mr. Kurt Vandeputte
In-person Attendance
Kurt Vandeputte
Senior Vice President Government Affairs at Umicore
17:00 - 17:05
Introduction of Panel
Introduction of Panel
In-person Attendance
Ching-Yng Choi
Founder of CYC Asia Europe
17:05 - 18:00
Panel Discussion and Q&A
Panel Discussion and Q&A
In-person Attendance
Ching-Yng Choi
Founder of CYC Asia Europe
Pierre Hautfenne
APAC Regional Treasurer at Umicore Marketing Services (Hong Kong) Limited
Pierre Rousseau
Senior Strategic Adviser for Sustainable Business at BNP Paribas
Frank Vandenborre
Group Director Sustainability of Ageas
Kurt Vandeputte
Senior Vice President Government Affairs at Umicore
18:00 - 19:00
Cocktail Reception
Cocktail Reception
In-person Attendance
16:00 - 16:15
Welcome Remarks & Introduction of Keynote
Welcome Remarks & Introduction of Keynote
Online Attendance
Peter Robberecht
Consul-General at Consulate General of Belgium in Hong Kong & Macau
Our Belgium Business Seminar Starts with opening words by Consul-General of the Kingdom of Belgium, Mr. Peter Robberecht
16:15 - 17:00
Keynote Speaker Mr. Kurt Vandeputte
Keynote Speaker Mr. Kurt Vandeputte
Online Attendance
Kurt Vandeputte
Senior Vice President Government Affairs at Umicore
17:00 - 17:05
Introduction of Panel
Introduction of Panel
Online Attendance
Ching-Yng Choi
Founder of CYC Asia Europe
17:05 - 18:00
Panel Discussion and Q&A
Panel Discussion and Q&A
Online Attendance
Ching-Yng Choi
Founder of CYC Asia Europe
Pierre Hautfenne
APAC Regional Treasurer at Umicore Marketing Services (Hong Kong) Limited
Pierre Rousseau
Senior Strategic Adviser for Sustainable Business at BNP Paribas
Frank Vandenborre
Group Director Sustainability of Ageas
Kurt Vandeputte
Senior Vice President Government Affairs at Umicore
18:00 - 18:05
End of the Session
End of the Session
Online Attendance